Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 4
Demario Davis, Inside Linebacker
Demario Davis always seemed to be a “close, but no cigar” kind of prospect with the New York Jets, who drafted him in 2012. 2014 was his halcyon year, with 115 total tackles, 5.0 stuffs, and 4.0 sacks picked up, not to mention 5.0 passes defended. Prior to that, though, he never had the big-play numbers to go with him tackle volume, and afterward he lost a fair amount of tackles to go with his big-play production. Part of that was playing time: after his stellar 2014 season in which he played 1,006 snaps, he played just 855 in 2015. Now with the Cleveland Browns, strong-side inside linebacker Davis has a wide-open path to playing time in one of the worst defenses in the league.
He’s not going to be a coverage player, or rack up a ton of tackles on the fringes; Davis plays downhill and attacks the inside well. Against Washington in Week 4, his run defense prowess should provide a stable base, but he may also be able to make a big play or two. The Washington offensive line is allowing the 10th-most quarterback hurries in the league, despite the third-lowest sack percentage allowed to opposing defenses. If Davis can get sent on an A-gap blitz or two, he may be able to get home and cause some disruption in addition to what should be a steady diet of run tackles when Washington inevitably drubs the Browns and needs to run out the clock.
Davis is available in 97.3% of ESPN IDP leagues, and we project him for 6.26 tackles, 0.08 sacks, 0.10 passes defended, and a total score of 6.64 fantasy points in Week 4.
