Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 3
Devin Taylor, Defensive End
I remember being very, very afraid of my Green Bay Packers having to play the Detroit Lions when I was a kid. The Lions became a defensive force under head coach Jim Schwartz during my teenage years and had one of the most terrifying defensive lines in the NFL. That run of defensive dominance ended a year ago, when they allowed Pro Bowl defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley to leave in free agency.
Since then, the defensive ends -- including Devin Taylor -- have had to carry the load for the Lions’ pass rush. Taylor was selected in the late fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but that hasn’t stopped him from slowly working his way up from developmental pass rusher to half of the most feared blitzing bookend duo in the NFL. In 2016 alone, Taylor has earned himself an every-down role and is on pace for 104 total tackles and 12 sacks. Those numbers should obviously slow down, but it’s a testament to how exciting of a player he is, and how dominant he has become.
In Week 3, the Lions take on their NFC North rivals, the Packers. The Pack allowed three sacks to Minnesota Vikings defensive ends last week, including two to the left end -- Taylor’s spot. The Packers currently hold the fourth-highest sack percentage allowed in 2016, and even if teammate Ezekiel Ansah is hindered in Week 3, Taylor should be able to slip through the Green Bay offensive line.
Taylor is available in 95.4% of ESPN IDP leagues, and we project him for 3.69 tackles, 0.76 sacks, and a total score of 6.15 fantasy points in Week 3.
