This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
It was another busy week of shifting roles and injuries on the defensive side of the ball in Week 6. We're here to recap the most fantasy-relevant changes, highlighted by a pair of rookies who stepped into larger roles and could be on the path to big performances for the second half of the campaign.
Risers
Edgerrin Cooper, LB 
For the second straight week, we get a young Green Bay defensive player on this list. The team talked up Cooper as interchangeable with Quay Walker throughout the summer, and while that usage certainly hasn't come to pass, he has seen his snap rate steadily climb. That hit its peak in Sunday's win over the Cardinals when he was on the field for 65 percent of defensive snaps and recorded eight total tackles.
Azeez Ojulari, LB 
Brian Burns deserves a lot of praise for the way he played in the absence of Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist), though Ojulari was the player who stepped into more opportunity. He played a season-high 40 defensive snaps (77 percent) and he delivered two sacks. While Oulari has been a disappointment in recent years, it's worth briefly recalling that he combined to record 13.5 sacks across his first two seasons as a pro.
Krys Barnes, LB 
Kyzir White got banged up with a knee issue in the middle of Arizona's Week 6 loss to Green Bay. It's unclear how serious the issue is, but Barnes was the obvious winner. Entering the game, Barnes had
It was another busy week of shifting roles and injuries on the defensive side of the ball in Week 6. We're here to recap the most fantasy-relevant changes, highlighted by a pair of rookies who stepped into larger roles and could be on the path to big performances for the second half of the campaign.
Risers
Edgerrin Cooper, LB
For the second straight week, we get a young Green Bay defensive player on this list. The team talked up Cooper as interchangeable with Quay Walker throughout the summer, and while that usage certainly hasn't come to pass, he has seen his snap rate steadily climb. That hit its peak in Sunday's win over the Cardinals when he was on the field for 65 percent of defensive snaps and recorded eight total tackles.
Azeez Ojulari, LB
Brian Burns deserves a lot of praise for the way he played in the absence of Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist), though Ojulari was the player who stepped into more opportunity. He played a season-high 40 defensive snaps (77 percent) and he delivered two sacks. While Oulari has been a disappointment in recent years, it's worth briefly recalling that he combined to record 13.5 sacks across his first two seasons as a pro.
Krys Barnes, LB
Kyzir White got banged up with a knee issue in the middle of Arizona's Week 6 loss to Green Bay. It's unclear how serious the issue is, but Barnes was the obvious winner. Entering the game, Barnes had seen no more than 20 defensive snaps but he played 52 in Green Bay. He's an elite waiver addition if Barnes is ruled out.
Nate Landman, LB 
Landman is in the midst of a game of musical chairs in Atlanta's linebacker corps caused by injury, so his IDP value may be short-lived. Kaden Elliss and Troy Andersen (knee) are the starting inside linebackers when healthy, but Andersen has missed two consecutive games. If he misses a third, Landman will step up.
Cooper DeJean, CB 
The Eagles publicly announced that DeJean would take over as the starting slot corner over Avonte Maddox heading into the Eagles Week 6 game against the Browns. That turned out to be accurate. DeJean went from playing seven combined defensive snaps in four games to 48 on Sunday. The results were also strong, as he recorded six tackles and half of a sack.
Tyler Nubin, S
Nothing has changed with Nubin's role since he was highlighted after Week 1 when it was clear that he had won the Giants' strong safety job. However, he's begun to produce more with his full snap count, tallying at least eight stops in each of his last three games after combining to record 13 total tackles in his first three contests.
Howden stepped into significant playing time down the stretch of the 2023 season but was primarily a special teams contributor after the Saints signed Will Harris this offseason. With Harris now on IR due to a hamstring injury, New Orleans will have to turn back to Howden. We saw the first sample of that in Week 6, when Howden racked up 11 tackles.
Ashtyn Davis, S 
Davis was another player who benefited from an in-game injury, but we have the benefit of knowing Chuck Clark (ankle) will be out for at least the next four weeks. Davis has never emerged as a reliable defensive player, so his role will be worth following up on. In the meantime, he managed nine stops Monday against the Bills.
Fallers
Devin Bush, LB 
Bush had a short-lived run of productivity with Cleveland's linebacker corps beat up. The return of Mohamoud Diabate cut Bush's snap rate from 92 to 55 percent, and that's only going to fall further when Jordan Hicks (elbow) is able to retake the field. Diabate is a short-term winner, but he wasn't listed above due to ongoing fluctuation of roles for the Browns' linebacker unit.
Tremaine Edmunds, LB 
Edmunds had a relatively strong opening season in Chicago in 2023, but some of his inconsistent play from his time in Buffalo has reappeared in 2024. He has only one game with double-digit tackles and none other with more than six stops. Edmunds is pacing well below preseason expectations.
