Welcome to Week 3 of the '53 Deep' Individual Defensive Player (IDP) sleepers article. Through two weeks we can safely assume one thing in the IDP world ... ASSUME nothing! After playing more than 60 snaps and posting double-digit tackles in Week 1, San Diego linebacker Bront Bird played six snaps in Week 2. Yes, six snaps. There is neither rhyme nor reason to why things happen in IDP leagues (other than, hey it's the Chargers), and as confounding as it can be, it is honestly one of the reasons I love IDP formats. It's also why I love writing this column each and every week because it is akin to Rocky Balboa chasing that chicken in preparation for his rematch with Apollo Creed. The IDP landscape is tricky and constantly shifting and it is so satisfying when we catch ahold of that sweet sleeper choice that propels a team to victory. With that in mind ... LINEBACKERS Joplo Bartu, OLB, ATLANTA at Miami: Bartu saw 63 snaps last week due to the injury suffered by Sean Weatherspoon and finished with six solo tackles as well as a quarterback hurry. Do not sweat the signings of Omar Gaither and Jamar Chaney as they are depth players and Bartu is going to play three downs for the Falcons this week. Miami is a top-five opponent in allowing points to the linebacker position, so Bartu could not fall into a better fantasy situation. He's athletic, and, in watching his performance last week and in the preseason, seems to have a nose for the football. Grab him and insert as a starter right away. Geno Hayes, SLB, JACKSONVILLE at Seattle: Surprisingly, Hayes has played every defensive snap for the Jaguars through two weeks. He's amassed 14 total tackles (11 solos) and defended a pass. This week should be an excellent one for all the Jacksonville fantasy linebacker options and Hayes will get his share. Seattle will pound the ball early with Marshawn Lynch and then most likely late as they sit on a big lead with Robert Turbin. That means a big day tackle wise for Hayes as a three down linebacker. Demario Davis, ILB, NEW YORK JETS vs. Buffalo: Davis finally has been given his chance to be an every down player for the Jets and has responded with 14 total tackles through two games. The Bills will look to get C.J. Spiller on track early in this game and that will give Davis plenty of tackle opportunities. Davis has also been credited with four quarterback hurries this season and there is the chance that he gets a sack this week. Big play numbers could help vault him...

Teams across the National Football League recently conducted organized team activities, and while the biggest fantasy story of OTAs may have been the broken foot suffered by New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks there was plenty of news that could have an impact on the value of several Individual Defensive Players, including a significant injury on the defensive side of the ball as well. That injury was suffered by Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who tore his Achilles' tendon while participating in OTAs on May 10th. Some had predicted a breakout sophomore season for Bowers, who started the last six games of 2011 for the Bucs after a knee injury delayed the beginning of his NFL career. Now, with Bowers quite possibly out for the entire season another major injury has decimated Bowers' fantasy value, leaving veteran Michael Bennett as the starter (and a serviceable IDP DL3) at defensive end for at least one more season in Tampa. Baltimore Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs didn't tear his Achilles' at OTAs, but developments at Ravens OTAs may have shed some light on how the team intends to replace the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, who is out until at least November after suffering the injury while working out in Arizona. When MyFantasyLeague.com released their latest set of positional eligibility changes at the beginning of May veteran Paul Kruger was listed as a linebacker while rookie second-round pick Courtney Upshaw was listed as a defensive end, which would imply that Upshaw would slide into Suggs' "hybrid" role and possess more IDP value. However, Kruger lined up with has hand down at Baltimore's OTAs, while Upshaw was slotted at the SOLB, which would change matters significantly. Granted, this is a fluid situation that could change multiple times between now and opening day. If things hold as they stand today more positional eligibility changes may be in store, and while Kruger's redraft fantasy value would receive a sizable bump as Suggs' replacement Upshaw's short-term IDP value will take a big hit if he stays outside on the strong side of the Ravens' 3-4 defense. That wasn't the only IDP surprise of organized team activities, as Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo pulled an interesting switcheroo at outside linebacker, installing rookie Mychal Kendricks as the first-team strong side linebacker over third-year pro Jamar Chaney, who had 92 tackles for the team in 2011. Given Chaney's ...

undefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefined IDP CHEATSHEET: Week Fourteen Week 14 of the 2011 fantasy football season has arrived, bringing with it the fantasy playoffs in many leagues, so it's time to get down to the business of making a run at Championship glory. To help you prepare for another week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Fourteen of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jared Allen - MIN at DET 2.) Terrell Suggs - BAL vs IND 3.) Andre Carter - NE at WAS 4.) Trent Cole - PHI at MIA 5.) Julius Peppers - CHI at DEN 6.) Chris Clemons - SEA vs STL 7.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG at DAL 8.) Jason Babin - PHI at MIA 9.) Justin Smith - SF at ARI 10.) Justin Tuck - NYG at DAL 11.) Chris Long - STL at SEA 12.) Elvis Dumervil - DEN vs CHI 13.) Charles Johnson - CAR vs ATL 14.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET vs MIN 15.) Jabaal Sheard - CLE at PIT 16.) Israel Idonije - CHI at DEN 17.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX vs TB 18.) Cliff Avril - DET vs MIN 19.) Haloti Ngata - BAL vs IND 20.) Calais Campbell - ARI vs SF 21.) Will Smith - NO at TEN 22.) Greg Hardy - CAR vs ATL 23.) James Hall - STL at SEA 24.) Robert Mathis - IND at BAL 25.) Phil Taylor - CLE at PIT 26.) J.J. Watt - HOU at CIN 27.) Darnell Dockett - ARI vs SF 28.) Lamarr Houston - OAK at GB 29.) DaQuan Bowers - TB at JAX 30.) Ray Edwards - ATL at CAR LINEBACKERS 1.) Derrick Johnson - KC at NYJ 2.) James Laurinaitis - STL at SEA 3.) London Fletcher - WAS vs NE 4.) Curtis Lofton - ATL at CAR 5.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE at PIT 6.) Navorro Bowman - SF at ARI 7.) Paul Posluszny - JAX vs TB 8.) Nick Barnett - BUF at SD 9.) Daryl Washington - ARI vs SF 10.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL at CAR 11.) Colin McCarthy - TEN vs NO 12.) Karlos Dansby - MIA vs PHI 13.) David Hawthorne - SEA vs STL 14.) Desmond Bishop - GB vs OAK 15.) James Anderson - CAR vs ATL 16.) Brian Urlacher - CHI at DEN 17.) Sean Lee - DAL vs NYG 18.) Rey Maualuga - CIN vs HOU 19.) D.J. Williams - DEN vs CHI 20.) Chad Greenway - MIN at ...

It's Week 13 of the 2011 fantasy football campaign, and this week brings with it the conclusion of the regular season in many leagues, making this a do-or-die game for many an IDP owner across the land. To help you prepare for another week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Eleven of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jared Allen - MIN vs DEN 2.) Terrell Suggs - BAL at CLE 3.) Julius Peppers - CHI vs KC 4.) Trent Cole - PHI at SEA 5.) Andre Carter - NE vs IND 6.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG vs GB 7.) Justin Smith - SF vs STL 8.) Chris Long - STL at SF 9.) Elvis Dumervil - DEN at MIN 10.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET at NO 11.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX vs SD 12.) Haloti Ngata - BAL at CLE 13.) Chris Clemons - SEA vs PHI 14.) Jason Babin - PHI at SEA 15.) Will Smith - NO vs DET 16.) J.J. Watt - HOU vs ATL 17.) Robert Mathis - IND at NE 18.) Greg Hardy - CAR at TB 19.) Calais Campbell - ARI vs DAL 20.) James Hall - STL at SF 21.) Charles Johnson - CAR at TB 22.) Cliff Avril - DET at NO 23.) Ahtyba Rubin - CLE vs BAL 24.) Ray Edwards - ATL at HOU 25.) Darnell Dockett - ARI vs DAL 26.) Justin Tuck - NYG vs GB 27.) Israel Idonije - CHI vs KC 28.) Lamarr Houston - OAK at MIA 29.) Brian Robison - MIN vs DEN 30.) Robert Geathers - CIN at PIT LINEBACKERS 1.) Patrick Willis - SF vs STL 2.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE vs BAL 3.) Derrick Johnson - KC at CHI 4.) James Laurinaitis - STL at SF 5.) Curtis Lofton - ATL at HOU 6.) Paul Posluszny - JAX vs SD 7.) London Fletcher - WAS vs NYJ 8.) Nick Barnett - BUF vs TEN 9.) Daryl Washington - ARI vs DAL 10.) Chad Greenway - MIN vs DEN 11.) Ray Lewis - BAL at CLE 12.) Navorro Bowman - SF vs STL 13.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL at HOU 14.) Pat Angerer - IND at NE 15.) Karlos Dansby - MIA vs OAK 16.) Brian Urlacher - CHI vs KC 17.) Sean Lee - DAL at ARI 18.) Brian Cushing - HOU vs ATL 19.) D.J. Williams - DEN at MIN 20.) DeMarcus Ware - DAL at ARI 21.) David Hawthorne - SEA vs PHI 22.) Kevin Burnett - MIA vs OAK 23.) Perry Riley - WAS vs NYJ 24.) James...

It's Week 11 of the 2011 fantasy football season, which means the stretch run has arrived, making every game and lineup choice vitally important as teams jockey for position or try to keep their sinking playoff aspirations afloat. This is also the last of the bye weeks, so don't go starting any players from the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints or Pittsburgh Steelers, because that would be bad. To help you prepare for another week's action, here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs for Week 11 of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jared Allen - MIN vs. OAK 2.) Andre Carter - NE vs. KC 3.) Trent Cole - PHI at NYG 4.) Julius Peppers - CHI vs. SD 5.) Terrell Suggs - BAL vs. CIN 6.) Justin Smith - SF vs. ARI 7.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG vs. PHI 8.) Chris Clemons - SEA at STL 9.) Chris Long - STL vs. SEA 10.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX at CLE 11.) Justin Tuck - NYG vs. PHI 12.) Cliff Avril - DET vs. CAR 13.) Charles Johnson - CAR at DET 14.) Osi Umenyiora - NYG vs. PHI 15.) Haloti Ngata - BAL vs. CIN 16.) Jason Babin - PHI at NYG 17.) Calais Campbell - ARI at SF 18.) Richard Seymour - OAK at MIN 19.) James Hall - STL vs. SEA 20.) Greg Hardy - CAR at DET 21.) Marcell Dareus - BUF at MIA 22.) Ahtyba Rubin - CLE vs. JAX 23.) Kyle Vanden Bosch- DET vs. CAR 24.) Ndamukong Suh - DET vs. CAR 25.) Israel Idonije - CHI vs. SD 26.) Ray Edwards - ATL vs. TEN 27.) Jabaal Sheard - CLE vs. JAX 28.) Michael Bennett - TB at GB 29.) Darnell Dockett - ARI at SF 30.) Carlos Dunlap - CIN at BAL LINEBACKERS 1.) Desmond Bishop - GB vs. TB 2.) Brian Urlacher - CHI vs. SD 3.) Patrick Willis - SF vs. ARI 4.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE vs. JAX 5.) Nick Barnett - BUF at MIA 6.) Ray Lewis - BAL vs. CIN 7.) Navorro Bowman - SF vs. ARI 8.) David Hawthorne - SEA at STL 9.) James Laurinaitis - STL vs. SEA 10.) London Fletcher - WAS vs. DAL 11.) Curtis Lofton - ATL vs. TEN 12.) Derrick Johnson - KC at NE 13.) Paul Posluszny - JAX at CLE 14.) Karlos Dansby - MIA...

Well, Week 5 wasn't my best week ever recommendation-wise, but it certainly wasn't my worst either, so after a few hits and a few misses (it happens with IDPs...no matter how educated the guess at the end of the day it's still just that) it's back into the basement to consult my trusty Krystal Ball. (I have to keep it there, the last time I left it upstairs it killed every plant in the house, and never mind the titanium suit I have to wear...long story, but thankfully the antidote for Krystal Ball poisoning just so happens to be cold beer.) Remember, this is the second of the bye weeks, so don't go starting any players from the Chiefs, Chargers, Titans, Broncos, Seahawks, or Cardinals. No huge losses there anyway, so no tears this week. In the spirit of onward and upward here's a look at some players you should give serious consideration to getting into your lineups or who could outperform expectations (Studs) and some that, for whatever reason, you may want to consider leaving alone, or at least take into account that they may be a relative disappointment this week. (Duds) STUDS Cliff Avril -- DE, Detroit Lions (vs. SF): Avril responded in a favorable matchup last week, logging four total tackles and a sack (and having another nullified by penalty), and with another solid pass rush matchup on tap there's no reason not to keep riding the hot hand. Chris Long -- DE, St. Louis Rams (at GB): Howie's kid is off to a strong start this year, and while the Packers aren't a great pass rush matchup they have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing defensive linemen to this point in the season. Brian Robison -- DE, Minnesota Vikings (at CHI): The fifth year pro has notched a pair of sacks in two of his past three games, and just in case you missed last Monday night's game (or any Bears game from the past two seasons) the Chicago offensive line kind of, um, sucks at pass protection. Jamar Chaney -- MLB, Philadelphia Eagles (at WAS): No one is going to confuse Chaney with Patrick Willis any time soon, but he's the closest thing the Eagles have to a competent linebacker and should see ample tackle opportunities against the run-first Redskins, who have allowed the fifth most in the NFL so far this year. James Farrior -- ILB, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. JAX): The grizzled vet stepped up in a big way with James Harrison sidelined last week, tallying 13 total stops against Tennessee, and so long as he's playing every down in the heart of the Steelers defense ...

undefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefined We're five weeks into the 2011 season, and as is often the case with IDPs there's as much down that is up and as much up that is down. Injuries keep piling up, journeymen are playing like studs (fantasy-wise anyway), studs are barely showing up, and sometimes when setting your IDP lineups it's hard to know whether to scratch your watch or wind your butt. (Double points if you know that movie reference, as it's not one that our crowd would generally get) To assist you in doing so here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Six of the 2011 season. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jared Allen - MIN at CHI 2.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG vs BUF 3.) Terrell Suggs - BAL vs HOU 4.) Osi Umenyiora - NYG vs BUF 5.) Brian Robison - MIN at CHI 6.) Greg Hardy - CAR at ATL 7.) Robert Mathis - IND at CIN 8.) Jason Babin - PHI at WAS 9.) Julius Peppers - CHI vs MIN 10.) Charles Johnson - CAR at ATL 11.) Ndamukong Suh - DET vs SF 12.) Will Smith - NO at TB 13.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET vs SF 14.) Richard Seymour - OAK vs CLE 15.) Justin Smith - SF at DET 16.) Haloti Ngata - BAL vs HOU 17.) Cliff Avril - DET vs SF 18.) Chris Long - STL at GB 19.) Michael Bennett - TB vs NO 20.) Ray Edwards - ATL vs CAR 21.) Michael Johnson - CIN vs IND 22.) Israel Idonije - CHI vs MIN 23.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX at PIT 24.) Ahtyba Rubin - CLE at OAK 25.) Dwight Freeney - IND at CIN 26.) Darryl Tapp - PHI at WAS 27.) Andre Carter - NE vs DAL 28.) J.J. Watt - HOU at BAL 29.) Jabaal Sheard - CLE at OAK 30.) John Abraham - ATL vs CAR LINEBACKERS 1.) Ray Lewis - BAL vs HOU 2.) Pat Angerer - IND at CIN 3.) Patrick Willis - SF at DET 4.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE at OAK 5.) Sean Lee - DAL at NE 6.) Desmond Bishop - GB vs STL 7.) James Laurinaitis - STL at GB 8.) Nick Barnett - BUF at NYG 9.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL vs CAR 10.) Brian Urlacher - CHI vs MIN 11.) Paul Posluszny - JAX at PIT 12.) James Anderson - CAR at ATL 13.) Navorro Bowman - SF at DET 14.) Stephen Tulloch - DET vs SF 15...

IDP CHEATSHEET: Week Five Four weeks into the 2011 season and injuries are mounting (With Trent Cole, Jerod Mayo, James Harrison, Antoine Winfield, and Chris Hope going down just last week alone), and that combined with the arrival of the bye weeks that makes setting IDP lineups as daunting a challenge as ever. To assist you in doing so here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Five of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG vs SEA 2.) Jared Allen - MIN vs ARI 3.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET vs CHI 4.) Jason Babin - PHI at BUF 5.) Will Smith - NO at CAR 6.) Robert Mathis - IND vs KC 7.) Osi Umenyiora - NYG vs SEA 8.) Julius Peppers - CHI at DET 9.) Charles Johnson - CAR vs NO 10.) Ndamukong Suh - DET vs CHI 11.) Chris Clemons - SEA at NYG 12.) Justin Smith - SF vs TB 13.) Michael Johnson - CIN at JAX 14.) Calais Campbell - ARI at MIN 15.) Greg Hardy - CAR vs NO 16.) Dwight Freeney - IND vs KC 17.) John Abraham - ATL vs GB 18.) Cliff Avril - DET vs CHI 19.) Darnell Dockett - ARI at MIN 20.) Derrick Morgan - TEN at PIT 21.) Justin Tuck - NYG vs SEA 22.) J.J. Watt - HOU vs OAK 23.) Cullen Jenkins - PHI at BUF 24.) Lamarr Houston - OAK at HOU 25.) Israel Idonije - CHI at DET 26.) Ray Edwards - ATL vs GB 27.) Darryl Tapp - PHI at BUF 28.) Richard Seymour - OAK at HOU 29.) Michael Bennett - TB at SF 30.) Antonio Smith - HOU vs OAK LINEBACKERS 1.) Desmond Bishop - GB at ATL 2.) Patrick Willis - SF vs TB 3.) Rolando McClain - OAK at HOU 4.) Pat Angerer - IND vs KC 5.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL vs GB 6.) David Hawthorne - SEA at NYG 7.) Nick Barnett - BUF vs PHI 8.) Stephen Tulloch - DET vs CHI 9.) Rey Maualuga - CIN at JAX 10.) Curtis Lofton - ATL vs GB 11.) Navorro Bowman - SF vs TB 12.) Daryl Washington - ARI at MIN 13.) Paul Posluszny - JAX vs CIN 14.) Brian Urlacher - CHI at DET 15.) D.J. Williams - DEN vs SD 16.) Lawrence Timmons - PIT vs TEN 17.) David Harris - NYJ at NE 18.) Kavell Conner - IND vs KC 19.) Barrett Ruud - TEN at PIT 20.) James Anderson - CAR vs NO...

undefinedundefinedundefined undefined undefinedundefinedundefined undefined undefinedundefinedundefined undefined undefinedundefinedundefined undefined As we gear up for week three of the 2011 season some IDP storylines are taking shape, from studs in the making to fading stars to injuries and lineup switches. Plenty of drama, loads of action...all we need is some popcorn and a cold one and we'll be set. With that in mind, here's a look at some players you should give serious consideration to getting into your lineups or who could outperform expectations (Studs) and some that, for whatever reason, you may want to consider leaving alone, or at least take into account that they may be a relative disappointment this week. (Duds) STUDS Chris Clemons -- DE, Seattle Seahawks (vs. ARI): Clemons has been off to a bit of a slow start this season, but a home date against a shaky Cardinals offensive line should be just what the doctor ordered. Michael Johnson -- DE, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. SF): Coming off a rock-solid seven solo, one sack, forced fumble effort last week and gets a favorable matchup with superstar quarterback Alex freaking Smith. Derrick Morgan -- DE, Tennessee Titans (vs. DEN): Looked pretty good last week, and if Morgan can stay on the field maybe he'll start living up to the potential that got him drafted so early. James Anderson -- OLB, Carolina Panthers (vs. JAX): Anderson's the last man standing among the Panthers starting linebackers, and the folks that reached for him in IDP drafts may not have done so much reaching after all. Jamar Chaney -- MLB, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. NYG): Chaney's been bumped back to the middle for the Eagles and matches up with Bradshaw, Jacobs, and the Giants running attack this week. Derrick Johnson -- ILB, Kansas City Chiefs (at SD): Given that the Chiefs offense can't stay on the field and the Kansas City defense can't get off it Johnson's been a disappointment to this point, but that changes this week in sunny San Diego. Tim Jennings -- CB, Chicago Bears (vs. GB): Jenning's been a pleasant IDP surprise to this point, and there's no reason to believe that will stop this week against Green Bay's potent offensive attack. Johnathan Joseph -- CB, Houston Texans (at NO): Joseph's a bit dinged up but reportedly good to go, and Drew Brees has a tendency to keep opposing cornerbacks plenty occupied, especially at the Superdome. Charlie Peprah -- SS, Green Bay Packers (at CHI): With Nick Collins out Peprah's back in the ...

The 2011 NFL preseason is in the rearview mirror, and now just a few scant sunsets stand between us and getting down to the nitty-gritty of the 2011 fantasy football campaign. So, as you're counting down the hours to opening night's game, here's an update on some injuries and player news of significant interest to Individual Defensive Players league owners, as well as a quick peek at Thursday's New Orleans Saints-Green Bay Packers tilt from a Start/Sit standpoint. Ladies and gentlemen, let's get it on! The Indianapolis Colts rested a multitude of starters in their preseason finale, among them injured defensive stalwarts Robert Mathis and Antoine Bethea. Mathis is expected to be fine, but the Colts may rotate the defensive end early on to avoid re-aggravating his hamstring injury, leaving Mathis in DL2 territory on opening weekend in a so-so matchup with the Houston Texans. The matchup is a better one for Bethea but his health status is cloudier, and while there have been no reports that Bethea's hamstring could cause him to sit out he played very sparingly in the preseason, so if you have comparable alternatives to the low-end DB1 it's time to explore them, at least for Week 1. We'll start our trip around the linebacker recovery ward in Charlotte, with Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Jon Beason. Beason, who was ranked as high as second overall in my Redraft LB Rankings before Aug. 22, when Beason had surgery on an injured foot, says he intends to play in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. The doctors say otherwise, and while the fifth-year pro has yet to miss a start in his career it looks like it will be Dan Connor in the middle for the Panthers in Week 1. Connor will almost certainly leave the field in the nickel in favor of James Anderson and Thomas Davis, however, so he's a deep-league LB3 play at best. The news isn't any better in Denver for Broncos WILL linebacker D.J. Williams, who got a January DUI trial date to go along with the dislocated elbow suffered in Denver's third preseason game, which is expected to sideline him for up to a month. Wesley Woodyard will step into an every down role on the weak side in Williams' stead, and with a tilt against Oakland on tap that should showcase a whole lot of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. You could do worse than Woodyard as a desperation start at linebacker. Despite a so-so preseason, all indications are that the Philadelphia Eagles intend to roll out rookie Casey Matthews at middle...