Week 1 Linebacker Usage and Review
Steve Hungarter breaks down what Week 1 told IDP fantasy managers about which linebackers confirmed their every-down roles and which ones did not.
Week 1 is over and the rookie linebacker depth charts can be stored away like last season's preseason coach-speak and the tiny Temu user manuals. Clear signs emerged on who claimed the every-down linebacker roles this week while others were left in the dust.
Top performers included Cody Simon and Jack Gibbens for the Arizona Cardinals, Divine Deablo and Kendal Daniels for the Atlanta Falcons, Roquan Smith for the Baltimore Ravens, and T.J. Edwards for the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, Cody Simon, Harold Perkins, Trentdye Buchanan, and Kaleb Elarms-Orr failed to earn consistent playing time.
The Baltimore Ravens' linebacker hierarchy read like a simple memo: Smith is bulletproof, Simpson is risky, and Buchanan is the stash option. This hierarchy suggests that Buchannon could eventually steal Simpson's snaps and solidify his place as a dependable LB2/LB3 option.
Other linebackers like Jaishawn Barham, Dee Winters, and Jaishawn Barham showed promise but still require more data to fully assess their role security. The week provided valuable insights into Week 1 linebacker usage and usage patterns, helping to clarify which players are reliable every-down options and which are risky or bench-worthy.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
