Fantasy Football 2011: IDP Waiver Wire

Welcome back to the IDP fold. IDP is a different animal, so this will be more of a quick-hit approach compared to my offensive Waiver Wire Scoops that came out earlier today. Not much has changed from my opinion in the IDP 100, so be sure to check that out. Let's go over which players made waves in the IDP pool for Week 1:

Defensive Backs

Kam Chancellor- Another waiver-wire article, another Kam to talk about. If you've been following me on Twitter you might have seen me mention Kam Chancellor last week here, here and here. I'm really high on Chancellor and he surpassed expectations with exceptional help in run defense and filling the middle of the zone coverages to get some tackles in the secondary. He needs to be owned in all leagues.

Morgan Burnett- Burnett was yet another guy I was pretty high on and he's tied for the league lead with 14 tackles. He obviously won't be getting that many tackles against teams with more run-pass balance, but he's done more than enough to solidify his spot on all defensive plays. The way Dom Capers wreaks havoc, Burnett should be able to come up with some turnovers and sacks as well. He's a DB2 in most formats right now.

Jon McGraw- In case you missed it, Eric Berry will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Berry was a very popular top pick as a DB and his owners will need plenty a replacement ( cough.. Chancellor). McGraw is going to put up some points in IDP leagues though. He has plenty of experience and is a better-than-average run stuffer. He probably won't get much attention on the wire just yet and is more of a matchup play right now.

Reggie Nelson- Nelson struggled a bit with his first year in Cincy. On Sunday, however, he looked like he had a firm grasp of Marvin Lewis' system and was making plays in the passing and running games. He had nine tackles and a sack in the win for the Bengals. He should be flirting with those tackle numbers most games and could eventually emerge this year.

Sean Jones- To be honest, the main reason why I watched the Tampa Bay defense on Short Cuts was to check out how Mason Foster handled his duties as the Mike. Foster wasn't too great with seven tackles, but he should improve as the season progresses. I was impressed with Sean Jones (and another LB as well that will be mentioned below). Jones was moved around and was aggressive in trying to make tackles for the Bucs. Jones, now in his eighth season, was a beast in his second season with 111 tackles and he could have more freedom with a slightly better defensive front in Tampa. Unless you're in a really deep IDP league, he's just on the radar for now.

Patrick Peterson- For those of you in leagues that require you to play a CB, Peterson made a name for himself in IDP for the wrong reasons. Cam Newton picked on him all game and that's something that other NFL quarterbacks figure to do quite often. Subsequently, that means he figures to be the closest to the receiver and also has some opportunities to make some picks. If your league counts return yards, Peterson is almost worthy of a high waiver claim.

Lardarius Webb- Webb had 11 tackles thanks to the Steelers having to air it out in the second half. The Ravens have a weaker secondary than most teams and with Ed Reed roaming centerfield, teams are a bit more likely to run hitches, digs and outs to prevent some picks. Those aforementioned patterns usually lead to easier tackles for the corners.

Glover Quin- Quin didn't do much in his debut at safety with four tackles. That should change and he is one of the rare players that play safety and is eligible at CB.

Linebackers

Sean Lee- Lee had Mark Sanchez's number all night and came up huge with his 12 tackles, one pass deflection and the pick. He was obviously very good in pass defense and was better than advertised in stopping the run. While he was a big-time performer in Week 1, he's not quite a top-20 LB at this point. IDP owners might not get another chance to snatch up another potential stud out of Linebacker U. Pick him up.

Daryl Washington- He's probably not on the wire for those of you in competitive leagues and he didn't have a huge game on Sunday because he strained his calf. Before he did go down he was able to muster six tackles, a pick and a half of a sack. He has a huge upside and is someone that should be owned in the vast majority of IDP leagues.

Pat Angerer- This just in: Indianpolis is going to be bad. The worse a team is, the more running attempt for their opponent to kill the clock. That's exactly why Angerer accumulated 13 tackles in the loss to the Texans. He is by far the most talented and aggressive linebacker on the team and should lead them in tackles. He also plays on third down and might be a breakout candidate.

UPDATE: I added it to the comments section yesterday, but now that Gary Brackett is out, Pat Angerer is the top target for IDP.

Sean Weatherspoon- Weatherspoon came in at 66 on the IDP 100 and looked pretty good as the starting Will. He accounted for 10 tackles against the Bears. He was a first-round pick and has oodles of talent as in run support and can get out there and cover in the nickel packages. It's going to be tough to count on him against teams that pass (like the Eagles this week), but he should have some level of consistency.

The Panthers- Dan Connor will take over at Mike for the injured Jon Beason. Connor did a fine job last year while filling in, but fizzled out as the year progressed. Thomas Davis is one of the most athletic linebackers in all of the NFL. He is a converted safety from Georgia and experienced IDP players most likely have used him at some point. He is extremely fragile and will have a tough time staying on the field though. He is healthy right now and might someone to lean on in deeper formats. James Anderson will handle the duties at the Will and might also have an impact. Just to be clear, the order of value is Connor, Davis, then Anderson. Angerer is a better option than all three though.

Quincy Black- Black stole the show that was suppose to go to Mason Foster on Sunday. Black had eight tackles and forced a fumble in the loss to the Lions. Black should be the best LB on the Bucs until Foster finds his groove.

Von Miller- The second pick in the NFL Draft really shouldn't be started with confidence in most leagues. However, if your league is a sack-heavy one, then Miller is worth a roster spot. He is a freak and has as much talent as any linebacker to go pro in the past 20 years. Yes, call the hyperbole police on me.

Defensive Linemen

Quick note: I've always been a fan of playing the matchups rather than holding linemen for the course of the season.

Jason Pierre-Paul- He already should be owned in your league and is a top-10 DL while Osi is out of the lineup.

Greg Hardy- Hardy had a nice game across from Charles Johnson. He won't be getting many double teams and Ron Rivera's scheme should create some sack opportunities for him.

Ryan Kerrigan- Kerrigan is probably sitting in the second spot on points from fantasy lineman (behind Biermann) from his pick six. Before that pick though, he had a stellar preseason and looked the part of an elite pass rusher. He should get a decent amount of snaps and could have an impact. Although, don't use a waiver claim to get him or anything like that.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out Waiver Wire Scoops for all your offensive needs via the wire. If you have any questions feel free to post in the comments and you can also send me a tweet @MikeSGallagher