Ballhawkin': Cooper's Explosion

Think IDP leagues are the way to go? Then Ballhawkin' is for you. Here, we pick out a few Individual Defensive Players that could have huge weeks and are possibly sitting in your free-agent pool.

Those of you that picked up Stephen Cooper heading into Week 1 were treated to a pleasant surprise, as the San Diego linebacker notched 13 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two passes defended. In my league, he earned me 19 points, which was good enough for the top defensive performance of the week. Other great calls were Louis Delmas with 15 points, James Laurinaitis with 14 points, and E.J. Henderson with 9.5 points. I wasn't so lucky with Kerry Rhodes and Jason Taylor, although Taylor did get a sack in his game.
Linebackers

1. Stephen Tulloch, Titans. In the kickoff game, we were privy to some interesting information. The loss of Albert Haynesworth opens up the middle for RBs, and that's going to lead to big tackle games from Tulloch. He had 12 total tackles and a fumble recovery against Pittsburgh and should be owned in most leagues, but he's still universally available. He'll rack up the tackles against Steve Slaton this week, so hop aboard before it's too late.

2. David Harris, Jets. It appears Harris is going to fill the "Ray Lewis" role of coach Rex Ryan's defense, which is great news for his potential performance. He translated the role to 11 total tackles and a sack in the first game against the Texans, and he should be a great add for the rest of the season. Once one of the elite young linebackers in IDP leagues, Harris is well on the way to re-earning that crown.

3. Justin Durant, Jaguars. How is he still available in most leagues? The young middle linebacker plays in front of a leaky defensive line and should see ample opportunity for tackles each week. He racked up 10 solo tackles and an assist against the Colts, a line that could become the norm for Durant. Keeper/dynasty leagues especially want to grab the guy off the waiver wire or free agent list.

Defensive Backs

1. Abram Elam, Browns. In the Mark Sanchez-to-New York trade, coach Eric Mangini felt he must have three of his former players. One of those was Elam, which should indicate to us that Mangini trusts him and wants him on the field at all times. I picked him up in a dynasty league on Friday after Troy Polamalu went down, and I couldn't be happier with his first game. Nine total tackles and a sack won't be his regular line, but he should challenge for the top scoring DB some weeks.

2. Chris Hope, Titans. Those that are leaving Hope on the free agent list obviously don't remember his 2008 season, where he had 78 total tackles and 4 interceptions, along with 8 passes defensed, on the season. He picked it right back up against the Steelers, posting 11 total tackles. Again, that's too high to consider it his average, but it does prove he has the ability to give you big-tackle games.

Defensive Lineman

1. Tamba Hali, Chiefs. Hali is one of those rare commodities you find every so often in fantasy football, a guy that qualifies for one position but plays at a different position that scores much more points (anyone that had Marques Colston in his tight end-eligible rookie year know exactly what I mean). Hali plays outside linebacker, but he's eligible to be started at DE. That means you should get better tackle numbers than you usually would from a DL (he had five in Week 1), while still making the possibility of a sack or two very real. If you play in DL-required leagues, grab Hali now.