Damn Injuries! They can ruin a fantasy football season right from the start. RG3 down…AJ Green down…Jamaal Charles down. If you are fortunate enough to play in IDP leagues with balanced scoring systems such as Major League Fantasy Football and Real Deal Dynasty Football, you could overcome injuries to skill position players. This is one of the reasons that we write weekly roster advice for IDP. Unfortunately, defensive players are not immune to the dark injury cloud.

Week 2 Reflections

Position Player Team Real Deal Dynasty Major League Fantasy Sports Verdict CB Jason McCourty TEN 4 4 Groin Injury in 1st Qtr derailed his day CB Leodis McKelvin BUF 10.5 13.7 Despite not getting the start, only CB to hit CB Asa Jackson BAL 1.5 1 Got the start but got knocked out with concussion in 1st Q. CB Dontae Johnson SF 2 0.5 Quiet day. Definate miss on this one CB Micah Hyde GB 3 2.8 Knee Injury knocked him out in 1st half S Antrel Rolle NYG 17.75 10.5 8 Tackles and 1 PD gives him solid day S DJ Swearinger HOU 8.5 12 Forced Fumble & Recovery boost MLFS value S Tony Jefferson ARI 12.75 7.5 Real Deal value stemmed from 8 tackles S Randy McLeod STL 12.5 14 INT, PD and 5 Tackles = Great Play in all formats S Tashaun Gipson CLE 32.75 26.7 Pick 6 + 8 tackles makes him top Real Deal DB in Week 2

So three of my Week 2 picks go down with injuries in the first half of their respective games. Despite this hiccup, I still bat .500 for the week. Dontae Johnson was the only healthy player that truly bombed this week. Let’s see if we can improve on this number in Week 3.

Week 3 Targets

IDP LOCKS – Big Day on the Horizon

CB – Marcus Cooper (KC) – Kansas City’s secondary has been decimated with injuries. Cooper is the unquestioned starter, will play nearly every snap and is usually on a weekly ESPN highlight package, getting beat by star receivers for big plays. From the fantasy perspective, he will have plenty of targets which have the opportunity to result in tackles, PD, and perhaps a pick. I expect Miami to air it out with Kansas giving up 2.5 passing TDs per game and 8.1 yards per pass attempt.

S – Barry Church (DAL) – Barry is coming up a big game against the Titans wher e he put up 6 tackles, 1 PD and an interception. The STL offense is a mess and Shaun Hill likely won’t practice until Thursday or Friday and might not even play. The Boys secondary is licking their chops for the matchup and Church should put up big numbers again as he will be all over the field looking to make plays. Can I get a witness?

ENCORE PERFORMANCE – Following Up a Big Day with Another

CB – David Amerson (WSH) – David notched 4 tackles and 2 PDs last week and I think he should exceed those numbers in a potential shootout with the Eagles this week. Philly is averaging over 40 pass attempts and 300 yards in the first two weeks. There is no reason to expect things to change as Chip Kelly continues to unleash his offense on the NFL. There will be plenty of chances for tackles as he tries to cover the screens and chances for picks and PDs as Foles takes his chances downfield.

S – George Iloka (CIN) – George had a huge day last week as he picked off two Matt Ryan passes and defensed another three more. He doesn’t get the tackles that you would expect from a safety, but in leagues that highly reward impact plays (MLFS), he could go off for another huge day.

YOU COULD DO WORSE – Injury Fill-Ins that Could have a Big Day

CB – Antonio Allen (NYJ) – Allen might be listed as a safety in your league, but he makes a good DB fill in as he has slid over to CB due to injuries in the Jets secondary. His week 3 opponent is Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears who boast the highest TD/game this season at three. Jay will looking to be forcing the ball downfield to one of his big receivers and this will provide opportunity for Allen to make some impact plays.

S – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (GB) – Clinton-Dix had been playing major snaps alre ady, but with the knee injury to Micah Hyde, he should slide into the starting FS role. He has picked up a sack, Fumble recovery and a PD this season and could be in a for a big day in Detroit with Matt Stafford and company likely to be tossing the ball around the field.

ON THE REBOUND – Players Bouncing Back from Underwhelming Performances

CB – Darius Slay (DET) – After a big start in Week 1 with three PDs against the Giants, Slay was quiet in Week 2 only notching 4 tackles against the Panthers. I attribute a lot of that due to the fact that Carolina was just looking to control the clock throughout. I expect Aaron Rodgers to be testing Slay as he is no Richard Sherman. This will give him plenty of chances to make impact plays.

S – TJ McDonald (STL) – TJ hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t been making impact plays thus far this season. He had a respectable rookie campaign in 2013, but now its time to step it up and make some impact. What better way to do this but to face Tony Romo and the Cowboys? Romo still isn’t quite right and the front 7 of the Rams should hold the running game in check. This should give more opportunity for McDonald to bounce back and impact your fantasy team.

LOOKING DEEPER – Dynasty League Targets

CB – Chimdi Chekwa (OAK) – Call this a gut feeling. Call it a response to ha ving one of the coolest names in the league. Chimdi is a not a starter but will be in the rotation, especially with Tarell Brown not 100%. If you are looking for a deep flyer at CB due to injury, Chekwa might be worth a shot. I imagine Tom Brady will be tossing the ball around and that could give Chekwa plenty of chances at making some impact plays.

S – Robert Blanton (MIN) – Blanton has apparently won the starting SS position in the Vikings backfield, yet he has not made any impact plays thus far this season. He is averaging 7 tackles per game and should get every opportunity to add to this with the Saints coming in averaging 41 pass attempts per game. The Minnesota defense has been respectable against the pass. With Ingram out and coming off a tough loss, I expect Drew Brees to be airing it out and give Blanton the chance to bounce back from a slow start. Key in dynasty leagues is the players being on the field. Blanton has played nearly all the defensive snaps thus far and could be in line for a big day.

Bryan Luhrs

Real Deal Dynasty Sports, Creator & Executive Commissioner

MajorLeagueFantasySports.com, Fantasy Baseball and Football Writer

@realdealdynasty

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