Five weeks into the NFL season, we’re finally getting a clearer picture of which linebackers have earned their defensive coordinators’ trust and which ones are apparently renting their playing time on a week-to-week basis.
This week, we’re doing something different. Instead of focusing exclusively on Week 5, we’re looking at defensive snap counts from Weeks 3, 4 and 5 to spot trends, declining roles and linebackers taking on more responsibility.
One productive game can fool you. Two games might get your attention. Three weeks of consistent usage? Now we’re getting somewhere.
We’re particularly interested in every-down responsibilities, green-dot assignments, tackle efficiency and situations where a linebacker is producing despite limited playing
time.
Of course, some defensive coordinators apparently believe linebacker rotations should be as unpredictable as the lottery.
Let’s examine what the snap counts are telling us heading into Week 6.
Week 5 Linebacker Usage EfficiencyArizona Cardinals
Mack Wilson reclaimed his every-down role this week while Jack Gibbens saw his playing time trimmed to 49 snaps (75.4%) after previously hovering around 90%.
Before anyone starts filing a missing-person report, Gibbens was limited in practice with a shoulder injury. That provides a reasonable explanation for the reduced workload. Even with this week’s decline, Gibbens has played about 91% of defensive snaps over five games. That’s the kind of consistency fantasy managers can and should appreciate.
IDP takeaway: Both Wilson and Gibbens remain playable as LB3 options in medium-sized leagues and deeper formats. Gibbens should return to his normal workload once healthy, assuming the shoulder doesn’t continue limiting him.
Atlanta Falcons
Divine Deablo played all 71 defensive snaps against Baltimore and delivered 12 tackles.
Nobody has ever questioned Deablo’s ability to produce when healthy. The problem is figuring out how long he’ll stay on the field. Before this performance, Deablo had recorded just 14 tackles across the first four games. His Week 5 outing nearly matched that total in one afternoon. That’s impressive, but let’s not confuse a career day with a weekly expectation.
Harold Perkins generated excitement in Week 4, but I wanted another week of evidence before buying into the breakout. That patience paid off when his playing time fell back to 34% in Week 5. That looks much closer to his current baseline.
Kendal Daniels appears to have the LB2 role for now, recording eight tackles on 67% defensive participation. Unfortunately, that’s still a long way from every-down responsibility.
Perkins and Daniels have been exchanging playing time like two kids fighting over the television remote.
IDP takeaway: I’m passing on both Perkins and Daniels until someone establishes a dependable role. Deablo remains frustrating, but his playing time is more predictable. He’s a reasonable flex option in medium-sized and deeper leagues when healthy.
Baltimore Ravens
Roquan Smith remains an automatic starter in every IDP format. His production, defensive alignment and every-down responsibilities make him one of the safest linebackers in fantasy football.
The more interesting situation involves Baltimore’s second linebacker position. That job appears destined for Teddye Buchanan once he’s healthy, but Trenton Simpson continues holding down a reduced role of approximately 56–62% defensive participation.
Despite the limited workload, Simpson has produced 30 tackles over his last four games. That’s not insignificant production for a player whose long-term job security remains questionable.
IDP takeaway: Simpson isn’t someone I’d aggressively chase on waivers, but his recent production makes him a reasonable short-term option for managers navigating injuries or bye weeks. Just understand that Buchanan’s return could change the situation.
Buffalo Bills
Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams gave us another reminder that not all tackles are created equal in IDP leagues.
Dorian Williams finished with nine tackles, which looks like a productive evening until you examine the breakdown. Eight of those tackles were assists, leaving him with just one solo tackle. That’s a significant distinction for managers playing in scoring formats that reward solo tackles more heavily.
Terrel Bernard finished with seven tackles, including three solos and four assists. While Bernard recorded fewer total tackles, the gap in fantasy production may be much smaller depending on your scoring system.
This is exactly why I like digging beyond the final box score. A nine-tackle performance sounds impressive, but the distribution matters.
IDP takeaway: Bernard remains the linebacker I’d prefer moving forward, while Williams can provide useful depth when his defensive workload is substantial. Williams’ nine tackles are encouraging, but eight assists aren’t nearly as exciting in solo-heavy scoring formats.
Chicago Bears
With T.J. Edwards injured, Devin Bush attempted to handle every-down responsibilities and finished with eight tackles. It wasn't a bad performance, although I expected a little more considering his opportunity. His tackle rate remains above 13%, which is encouraging.
The more interesting development involves D’Marco Jackson. Jackson went from a speculative waiver consideration to a legitimate candidate for Chicago’s second linebacker role. He played 79% of the defensive snaps and recorded four tackles. Jackson has filled in before, so the responsibilities aren’t entirely unfamiliar. With Edwards dealing with a hamstring injury, additional playing time could be available.
IDP takeaway: Waiver claim: Jackson is worth adding in deeper leagues. His Week 5 tackle production wasn’t particularly exciting, but the 79% snap share is what catches my attention. If Edwards misses additional time, Jackson could develop into a useful LB2 or flex option. This is a situation where you’re buying the opportunity before the production arrives.
Cincinnati Bengals
Demetrius Knight increased his defensive participation back to 84%, restoring confidence in Cincinnati’s linebacker rotation. Both linebackers (Barrett Carter being the other) are playable again, and there’s no major change to report. Sometimes the best news in fantasy football is that the defensive coordinator didn’t do anything unusual.
Moving on.
Cleveland Browns
Both Quincy Williams and Carson Schwesinger handled every-down responsibilities this week, which is particularly encouraging for Williams.
The concern is Schwesinger’s ankle injury. His Week 6 availability remains uncertain, and Cleveland could suddenly find itself needing another linebacker to step into a significant role.
Enter Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. Mascarenas-Arnold becomes an intriguing waiver-wire claim if Schwesinger misses time. The opportunity could be there for an expanded workload, and that’s exactly what we’re hunting for this time of year.
IDP takeaway: Waiver claim: Williams remains the safer starting option, but Mascarenas-Arnold deserves consideration as a speculative waiver claim. His value depends on Schwesinger’s availability and how Cleveland distributes the vacated snaps. In deeper leagues, I’d rather grab him a week early than fight the entire league for him a week late.
Dallas Cowboys
If you’re looking for a linebacker rotation guaranteed to make IDP managers nauseous, congratulations. Dallas has apparently opened an amusement park. The green-dot rotation between Shemar James and Jaishawn Barham is now confirmed.
Barham played 52 snaps (80%) and recorded seven tackles for a 13.5% tackle rate. Of those 52 snaps, 29 came against the run. James played 27 snaps (41.5%) and finished with three tackles for an 11.1% tackle rate.
Then there’s Dee Winters, who apparently decided this rotation needed another suspect. Winters played 41 snaps (63.1%), down from 80.8% the previous week, but somehow delivered 10 tackles. That’s an outstanding 24.4% tackle rate, the best among linebackers with at least 40 snaps in the supplied weekly comparison.
Dallas has managed to create a situation where the player with fewer opportunities can still deliver the most impressive fantasy performance. Wonderful. Exactly what fantasy managers needed.
IDP takeaway: Barham offers the strongest playing-time outlook of the group, but the rotation creates weekly uncertainty. Winters demonstrated impressive efficiency, although relying on that tackle rate every week is dangerous. James remains difficult to trust with such limited playing time.
Denver Broncos
Alex Singleton remains an every-down linebacker and an automatic starter across IDP formats. If you needed another reason to trust Singleton, consider his defensive alignment. In Week 5, he played 65 of his 67 defensive snaps in the box, an incredible 97% rate.
Combine that with 54 tackles on 346 season-long snaps and a 15.6% tackle rate, and you have exactly the type of linebacker IDP managers should appreciate. Singleton doesn’t just show up for work. He practically lives at the line of scrimmage.
But there’s another name worth considering in deeper leagues: Justin Strnad. Strnad has played approximately 90% and 85% of Denver’s defensive snaps over the last two games, producing 13 tackles during that stretch, including eight last week. That’s the kind of workload that deserves attention.
IDP takeaway: Singleton remains the preferred option, but Strnad is a legitimate deeper-league LB2 consideration. With consecutive weeks of substantial playing time, he’s becoming more than a desperation waiver pickup.
Detroit Lions
No meaningful changes to Detroit’s linebacker rotation this week. We’ll save everyone a few minutes and move along.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay has frequently deployed three-safety looks this season, but Edgerrin Cooper’s injury has forced additional changes. The Packers have leaned more heavily on nickel and dime packages, leaving their second linebacker position in a rotation.
Zaire Franklin remains largely unaffected. Like it or not, he’s still receiving 90% or more of the defensive snaps while delivering relatively ordinary fantasy production.
The other linebacker position is considerably less appealing. Isaiah McDuffie played 47% of the snaps while Ty’Ron Hopper received 55%. Hopper entered the league with an impressive college résumé, including recognition as a Butkus Award finalist, but he hasn’t established consistent professional playing time.
If forced to choose between the two, I’d lean toward McDuffie. He’s previously demonstrated that he can produce when Cooper is unavailable.
IDP takeaway: Franklin remains playable because of his workload. McDuffie is my preference over Hopper, but neither is particularly attractive at these snap percentages. There are better places to look for dependable fantasy production.
Houston Texans
Azeez Al-Shaair and Jake Hansen continue operating as full-time linebackers and reliable fantasy contributors. There's nothing new to report. Let’s move along before someone decides to introduce a rotation.
Indianapolis Colts
Akeem Davis-Gaither remains an every-down linebacker and continues playing good football. His job appears secure. The injury to Jaylon Carlies, however, created additional opportunities for C.J. Allen and Austin Ajiake.
Allen has yet to establish himself as a dependable option and still has developmental work ahead of him. Ajiake received the majority of the opportunities created by Carlies’ absence, making him the more interesting short-term consideration.
IDP takeaway: Davis-Gaither remains the preferred starter. Ajiake has some deeper-league appeal if Carlies misses another game, but this is a situation best approached cautiously.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville remains one of the easier linebacker situations to understand. Foyesade Oluokun might be getting older, but he continues doing what he’s always done: collecting tackles and making fantasy managers happy. He’s an automatic starter in virtually every IDP format.
Ventrell Miller is a different story. Miller generally sees the field when Jacksonville isn’t operating in dime packages, and the Jaguars have demonstrated a strong preference for those defensive looks.
IDP takeaway: Oluokun remains a weekly starter. Miller is best reserved for deeper leagues or emergency bye-week flex situations because his opportunities are too dependent on defensive personnel packages.
Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas continues featuring both linebackers in every-down roles. Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean remain secure in their responsibilities, with no significant changes to report. Sometimes consistency is a beautiful thing.
Moving on.
Los Angeles Chargers
Not much has changed with the Chargers. Daiyan Henley continues receiving enough playing time to remain fantasy relevant, but his production has been concerning. I’m more comfortable treating Henley as an LB2 rather than relying on him as my top linebacker.
The second linebacker position remains too inconsistent for my liking.
IDP takeaway: Henley remains playable, but expectations should be reasonable. I’m avoiding the other linebackers until someone establishes a dependable workload.
Los Angeles Rams
Welcome back, Nate Landman. After some inconsistent performances and questions surrounding his workload, Landman looked much more like the linebacker fantasy managers expected against Buffalo on Monday Night Football. He finished with eight tackles, including three solos and five assists. The production is encouraging, especially for managers who have been waiting for Landman to return to his usual form.
Omar Speights remains the secondary linebacker to monitor, but his limited playing time makes him difficult to trust as a weekly starter.
IDP takeaway: Landman remains the preferred Rams linebacker, and this performance should help restore confidence in his fantasy value. Eight tackles are a welcome sight, although the five assists are worth remembering in solo-heavy formats. Speights still needs a meaningful increase in playing time before entering the weekly starting conversation.
Miami Dolphins
Miami’s defensive rebuild is becoming one of the more interesting developments to watch. The Dolphins have several intriguing young defensive pieces, including linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who appears to improve every week. Rodriguez wore the green dot and played every defensive snap in Week 5, recording 11 tackles for a 17.5% tackle rate.
That’s after an 18-tackle performance the previous week. Twenty-nine tackles in two games will certainly get your attention. But here’s another reason to get excited about Rodriguez. Through five games, he’s accumulated 57 tackles on 311 defensive snaps, an outstanding 18.3% tackle rate.
In Week 5, he also lined up in the box for 56 of his 64 defensive snaps, an 87.5% box participation rate according to the alignment data. He’s practically paying property taxes inside the tackle box at this point.
The opportunity and production are matching up beautifully.
Jordyn Brooks played 44 snaps (69.8%) and still produced eight tackles, an impressive 18.2% tackle rate.
IDP takeaway: Rodriguez is becoming an increasingly attractive weekly starter thanks to his combination of green-dot responsibilities, heavy box usage and excellent tackle efficiency. Brooks remains productive, but his reduced snap percentage deserves monitoring.
Minnesota Vikings
As previously reported, Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson continue operating as every-down linebackers.
Wilson has played approximately 93.9% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps through five games and recorded 26 tackles. His two-tackle performance this week was disappointing, but I’m not overreacting to one bad outing.
Wilson gets a bye week before returning against Indianapolis.
IDP takeaway: Both Cashman and Wilson remain playable across IDP formats. Wilson’s Week 5 production was frustrating, but his consistent playing time gives me confidence in a rebound.
New England Patriots
Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss each played approximately 82% of the defensive snaps this week. Both remain viable fantasy options, and there’s no major development to report. There were no mysterious disappearances in New England this week.
Moving on.
New Orleans Saints
Finally, a linebacker situation that delivered some answers. With Kaden Elliss injured, New Orleans had to lean on Danny Stutsman and Pete Werner.
Stutsman wore the green dot, played 86% of the defensive snaps, and recorded nine tackles. That’s exactly the kind of production that made him such an interesting college prospect. Stutsman has always demonstrated excellent tackling instincts, although coverage remains an area of concern.
Werner played every defensive snap and delivered 10 tackles. His stronger coverage ability gives him an advantage in passing situations, which is important when evaluating long-term playing time.
IDP takeaway: If Elliss misses additional time, both Werner and Stutsman could offer every-down fantasy value. Werner is my preferred option because of his coverage responsibilities and complete workload, but Stutsman is absolutely worth monitoring.
New York Giants
No major changes to report here. Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese remain playable across IDP formats after both recorded nine tackles.
The exciting part is that both are receiving opportunities to rush the passer, creating additional big-play potential. That’s the kind of defensive alignment fantasy managers love.
IDP takeaway: Both linebackers remain weekly starters thanks to their playing time, tackle production and opportunities to generate splash plays.
New York Jets
Both Jets linebackers played 64 defensive snaps this week. When a defense provides that much opportunity, it’s difficult for productive linebackers not to accumulate statistics. For Demario Davis, who handles the green-dot responsibilities, that’s excellent news.
Jamien Sherwood is a little more complicated. Despite his substantial workload, his production can fluctuate depending on the matchup.
IDP takeaway: Davis remains the more dependable weekly option. Sherwood has enough playing time to remain relevant, but I’d approach him as a matchup-dependent starter rather than automatically expecting a big performance every week.
Philadelphia Eagles
Nothing significant has changed. Zack Baun remains an automatic starter across IDP formats.
Jihaad Campbell is worth considering in deeper leagues, while Jeremiah Trotter Jr. returns to a reserve role.
Trotter's brief opportunity has ended. He has been escorted back to the bench.
Moving on.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Through four games, Patrick Queen played every defensive snap for Pittsburgh. Payton Wilson, meanwhile, participated in approximately 81% of the defensive snaps while delivering stronger production relative to his opportunities.
The season-long tackle rates make this situation even more interesting. Wilson has recorded 40 tackles on 255 defensive snaps, giving him a 15.7% tackle rate. Queen has 35 tackles on 307 snaps, an 11.4% rate. Queen is getting more playing time, but Wilson is doing more with less. Somewhere in Pittsburgh, the employee-of-the-month plaque might need a new name.
It’s a story as old as time. One linebacker gets all the playing time while another makes better use of his opportunities. Sometimes history repeats itself. Sometimes it just rhymes.
IDP takeaway: Queen remains the safer playing-time investment, but Wilson continues making a strong case for fantasy relevance. Both are worth starting depending on league depth, although Wilson’s superior tackle efficiency makes him particularly intriguing. There's nothing else to see here. At least until Wilson starts asking for the green dot.
San Francisco 49ers
Jaden Dugger stepped into an expanded role and played 45 defensive snaps (75%). He made those opportunities count, recording nine tackles, seven solos, four run stops and a sack. That’s an impressive 20% tackle rate.
Why was this opportunity available? Because Dre Greenlaw continues doing Dre Greenlaw things. Dugger’s performance is exactly what makes the waiver wire interesting. He didn’t simply receive additional playing time. He turned those opportunities into meaningful fantasy production.
The question now is whether Greenlaw’s situation creates another week of expanded responsibilities.
IDP takeaway: Dugger is a speculative waiver claim worth pursuing in deeper leagues. His 75% defensive participation and impressive tackle efficiency make him interesting if Greenlaw misses time. Don’t assume that 20% tackle rate is sustainable, but if his workload remains elevated, Dugger could provide immediate LB2 or flex value.
Fred Warner, of course, remains an automatic starter in every format.
Seattle Seahawks
Ernest Jones remains Seattle’s dependable every-down linebacker and a weekly starter across IDP formats. Drake Thomas would normally be the next linebacker to consider, but Seattle’s defensive philosophy makes that difficult.
The Seahawks frequently use dime packages, exotic blitzes, and creative secondary alignments. That’s excellent for confusing opposing quarterbacks. It’s considerably less exciting for the second linebacker trying to stay on the field.
IDP takeaway: Jones remains an automatic starter. Thomas doesn’t receive enough dependable playing time for me to recommend him in most leagues.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josiah Trotter continues establishing himself as a dependable fantasy option. He’s played at least 83% of the defensive snaps in four of his five games and recorded seven tackles this week. At this point, seven tackles feels like a reasonable weekly expectation when his role remains intact.
His teammate Alex Anzalone presents a completely different situation. Anzalone has reportedly played every defensive snap in all five games. That’s 100% participation every single week. Unfortunately, he’s produced just 27 tackles during that stretch.
Apparently, showing up for every shift doesn’t guarantee you’re getting any work done.
IDP takeaway: Trotter remains the more attractive fantasy option because his production better matches his opportunity. Anzalone’s playing time provides some security, but the tackle efficiency makes him difficult to trust as anything more than a lower-end option.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee continues featuring Cody Barton and Anthony Hill as its primary linebackers. Hill has played every defensive snap through five consecutive games, while Barton exceeded 97% participation this week.
That leaves Cedric Gray on the outside looking in. Gray has been operating around 40% defensive participation, yet he’s still managed 20 tackles and half a sack in that limited role.
That’s encouraging production for the third linebacker in a defense that clearly prefers two every-down options. It also suggests Gray’s fantasy value might not be completely dead. Of course, getting back into the starting lineup will be difficult.
Hill isn’t leaving the field, and Barton apparently has a lifetime membership.
IDP takeaway: Gray is worth stashing if you have the roster space, particularly in deeper leagues. His production suggests he could be valuable with additional opportunities, but he’ll likely need a Barton injury or a significant personnel change to reclaim a larger role.
Washington Commanders
Here’s an unpopular opinion: despite his playing time, alignment and fantasy production, I still prefer Sonny Styles as an LB3.
The concern is his solo tackle production. Styles recorded 13 tackles this week, but only three were solos. That’s a significant distinction in scoring formats that reward solo tackles more heavily than assists. His defensive alignment provides excellent opportunities, but I want to see more consistent solo production before treating him as a locked-in LB1.
Frankie Luvu played 82% of the defensive snaps and received opportunities to rush the passer. Those two factors are essential to his fantasy value.
IDP takeaway: Styles remains a strong option, but I’d temper expectations in solo-tackle-heavy formats. Luvu is playable when he’s receiving substantial snaps and pass-rushing opportunities. Without both, I’m considerably less interested.
Final Thoughts: Three Weeks of Evidence, One Important Lesson
After examining linebacker usage from Weeks 3 through 5, several themes are beginning to emerge.
First, playing time remains the foundation of dependable IDP production. Players like Jack Gibbens, Alex Singleton and Eric Wilson have demonstrated the value of consistent defensive participation, even when their weekly tackle totals fluctuate.
Second, not every productive performance represents a breakout. Dee Winters can record 10 tackles on 63% participation. Divine Deablo can nearly match his previous four-game tackle total in one afternoon. Neither result guarantees the same production next week.
Third, some linebacker rotations are simply not worth the headache. Dallas, Atlanta and Green Bay have provided enough uncertainty to make fantasy managers question their life choices.
And finally, injuries create opportunities, but they don’t always create permanent jobs. D’Marco Jackson, Danny Stutsman, Austin Ajiake, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Jaden Dugger are all worth monitoring because circumstances have created potential playing-time opportunities.
The question is whether those opportunities survive when the original starters return.
Week 6 Waiver Watch
- Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, CLE: Speculative addition if Carson Schwesinger misses time.
- D’Marco Jackson, CHI: Potential expanded role with T.J. Edwards injured.
- Jaden Dugger, SF: Productive in expanded playing time and worth monitoring if Dre Greenlaw is unavailable.
Week 6 Bye-Week Reminder
Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami and Minnesota are on bye in Week 6. That means fantasy managers will need replacements for players such as Jacob Rodriguez, Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Jack Campbell, and Barrett Carter.
The biggest lesson from these three weeks? Don’t chase the box score. Chase the role.
Fantasy points tell us what happened last Sunday. Defensive snap counts help us determine whether it can happen again. And if your linebacker suddenly loses 30% of his playing time without explanation, don’t panic. There’s probably a perfectly reasonable explanation. Unfortunately, it usually involves a defensive coordinator.
This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Week 5 Linebacker Usage and Review
