Week 1 IDP Notable Performances from Sunday: Ed Oliver, Harold Landry, Julian Love and More
Looking at some notable performances from defensive players from Sunday's NFL games.
After looking at some notable performances from offensive players from Sunday's week 1 games, now let's check in on some defenders.
We'll highlight players excelling and sitting atop several different stats.
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Most Tackles
Giants' Bobby Okereke leads the NFL with 16 total tackles going into the Monday night game.
New York dominated Miami, and Okereke was a stellar IDP option on tackles alone. He's likely to remain a good IDP asset this season.
Miami's Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson had 14 and 13 total tackles, respectively. Each player had a tackle for loss as well.
With New York dominating the game, it makes sense for a couple Miami defenders to be near the top of the tackle list. If Miami continues to struggle, guys like Brooks and Dodson could remain high-level IDP guys.
Green Bay's Edgerrin Cooper had 12 total tackles, as did Cincinnati's Jordan Battle. Battle also picked off a pass.
Cooper flashed some big-time upside as a rookie and continued improving to kick off his second year. He's going to be a high-end IDP option this season, so I'd advise you to buy into him before it's too late.
Battle starred on Sunday. He had solid rookie and sophomore seasons in the NFL, but could be trending toward breaking out in year three, so he's someone to add in some leagues and keep a close eye on in others.
Raiders' Devin White, Panthers' Tre'von Moehrig and Buccaneers' Tykee Smith had 11 tackles each on Sunday. White had a tackle for loss, while Smith knocked down a pass.
White could deliver big-time tackle totals in the heart of the Raiders' defense this season. He's worth looking into, if he's available in your IDP league.
Moehrig was stellar in his first game for Carolina. Maybe the move is going to help him emerge as a good weekly IDP option, so it's probably time to buy into him if he's available in your league.
Smith had 58 tackles across 13 games in his rookie season, this performance was a bit of a surprise. He's worth an add in deeper IDP leagues, and is worth tracking in all leagues, in case he breaks out in his sophomore year.
Sack Leaders
Patriots' Harold Landry III has 2.5 sacks to lead the NFL going into the Monday night game.
He had five total tackles and three tackles for losses. Landry has been a pretty underrated IDP option over the years, and could be destined for a monster year in a defensive-lead Patriots' team in 2025. I'm for adding him going into week 2, even though this kind of production isn't going to continue every week.
Cleveland's Myles Garrett, New York Giants' Brian Burns and New York Jets' Will McDonald IV all finished with two sacks.
Garrett had five tackles in total, with four going for losses. It was a great start to the season for the elite pass rusher. He's a must-own IDP asset.
Burns had six tackles in total, with two going for losses. He's coming off a career season in his first go round with the Giants, and could be destined for even better marks in 2025. I'd heavily consider adding Burns as week 1 ends and week 2 starts up.
McDonald had three total tackles on the day. He's also coming off a breakout season in which he had 10.5 sacks. McDonald only had 28 total tackles last season, so outside sacks, his IDP value is a bit low, which means he's a better option in deeper leagues, or where sacks have a ton of value.
TFL Leaders
Garrett leads the way with his four tackles for losses.
Landry tied with Buffalo's Ed Oliver, San Francisco's Nick Bosa and Houston's Will Anderson Jr. with three TFLs.
Oliver had six tackles in total, including a sack and forced fumble. Oliver is off to a hot start after a bit of a down year in 2024. He could be headed toward a repeat of 2023, when he had 51 tackles and 9.5 sacks, so he's an underrated IDP option to look into.
Bosa is a big-name player, and delivered in the opener. He had six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Bosa is one of the most-owned IDP guys already, and these performances show why.
Anderson is another big-name and highly-owned IDP asset. He had four tackles and a sack in the opener. Anderson is not a big-time tackler, but with sacks and TFLs, he has plenty of IDP value.
Passes Defensed Leaders
Jacksonville's Jourdan Lewis, Tampa Bay's Jamel Dean and Arizona's Will Johnson had three passes defensed each on Sunday.
Lewis had five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery as well, so it was really a stellar day for him. He's been a solid IDP option over the years, and should remain that with the Jaguars in 2025. Don't expect these kinds of performances each week, but if he can keep recording a handful of tackles and passes defensed, Lewis can be a sneaky good IDP option.
Dean had six tackles to go along with his passes defensed. He's been between 53-62 tackles in five straight seasons, so you know what to expect with him. Dean can add value with passes defensed, and is an underrated IDP option in deeper setups.
Johnson had just one tackle in his NFL regular season debut, but he proved to be a strong corner right away. It might not lead to him being a good IDP option, but he's definitely a boost for the Cardinals' defense.
Other IDP Standouts
Jacksonville's Foyesade Oluokun had 10 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble on Sunday. He showed why he's a top-end IDP asset, and needs to be rostered in every IDP setup, even if you only have one slot in your league.
Las Vegas' Isaiah Pola-Mao had seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a pick on Sunday. He's coming off an 89-tackle campaign in 2024, and this performance should get his name on the map even more.
Seattle's Ernest Jones IV had eight tackles, a TFL, a pick and two passes defensed. He's been a stellar IDP option over the past three years, and is off to a strong start in 2025. Make sure he's owned in your league.
LA Rams' Nate Landman had 10 tackles and a forced fumble on Sunday. On tackles alone, Landman is a pretty good IDP asset. He could be on his way to a big season in his first year with the Rams.
Denver's Talanoa Hufanga had 10 tackles and a forced fumble on Sunday. He's been a good IDP option when healthy, and could star in Denver. Hufanga needs to be rostered in most IDP setups, at least while he's out there.
Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton had nine tackles, a forced fumble and two passes defensed on Sunday night. He's a good IDP option and should deliver another good all-around season in 2025.
Green Bay's Rashan Gary had 1.5 sacks among his seven total tackles. He looked good in his first game playing with Micah Parsons, and could be headed for a breakout year with the star playing alongside him.
New Orleans' Carl Granderson had 1.5 sacks among his six tackles - he also knocked down two passes. He's an underrated IDP option, and deserves to be rostered in a lot of leagues.
New England's Jaylinn Hawkins had five tackles, a pick, a sack and two TFLs. He's in his sixth season and hasn't been a huge IDP asset to this point. Hawkins is a name to track after his stellar opening game.
Seattle's Julian Love had a sack among his 10 tackles. He's already a top-end IDP option at safety, and showed why with his week 1 performance.
New York Jets' Quinnen Williams had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble on Sunday. He's a pretty steady IDP asset, and is off to a strong start, and possible career season.
