Week 3 IDP Rankings: Defensive Backs

Defensive backs are the unsung heroes of IDP leagues. They make plays that often turn sure losses into big wins, and widely destroy the hopes and dreams of gamblers confident their team has covered -- only to watch an interception brought to the house in the waning moments. Hey -- I dig ya, DBs. I'm into it. And I'm especially grateful you're not all shutdown corners who scare off opposing QBs. This week, there are several DB matchups that could provide some easy points in leagues that handsomely reward interceptions and passes defended.

The shallower the league, the more conventional you'll have to get with your DB selections, but if your rosters run 2-3 DBs deep and you have some room for reserves, I recommend balancing it out with tackle-strong safeties and not-so-conservative cornerbacks with matchups against inexperienced or notoriously brazen passers.

---

---

1. Bernard Pollard, HOU (vs. DAL)
2. Brian Dawkins, DEN (vs. IND)
3. Charles Woodson, GB (at CHI)
4. Yeremiah Bell, MIA (vs. NYJ)
5. Adrian Wilson, ARI (vs. OAK)
6. O.J. Atogwe, STL (vs. WAS)
7. Charles Tillman, CHI (vs. GB)
8. Tyvon Branch, OAK (at ARI)
9. Troy Polamalu, PIT (at TB)
10. Roman Harper, NO (vs. ATL)
11. Eric Weddle, SD (vs. SEA)
12. Antoine Bethea, IND (at DEN)
13. Terrence McGee, BUF (at NE)
14. Nick Collins, GB (at CHI)
15. Louis Delmas, DET (at MIN)
16. Richard Marshall, CAR (vs. CIN)
17. Quintin Mikell, PHI (at JAC)
18. Leon Hall, CIN (at CAR)
19. Marcus Trufant, SEA (vs. SD)
20. Eric Berry, KC (vs. SF)
21. Dawan Landry, BAL (vs. CLE)
22. Sean Considine, JAC (vs. PHI)
23. Terrell Thomas, NYG (vs. TEN)
24. LaRon Landry, WAS (at STL)
25. T.J. Ward, CLE (at BAL)
26. Patrick Chung, NE (vs. BUF)
27. William Moore, ATL (at NO)
28. Sean Jones, TB (vs. PIT)
29. Terence Newman, DAL (at HOU)
30. Antoine Winfield, MIN (vs. DET)

• So far, the top-scoring DBs in football are Miami CB Jason Allen (17 tackles, 2 INT, 4 PD), San Diego CB Antoine Cason (11 tackles, 2 INT, 5 PD, FF) and Jacksonville safety Courtney Greene (12 tackles, INT, FF, PD), but none of those guys have benefited from a defensive TD, so the numbers aren't too warped by big plays. They should all be on your radar, if not worth a waiver-wire grab.

• Only Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers has returned a pick for a score this season, so keep on the lookout for more possible contenders. This week, I've got my eyes on Charles Woodson, who squares off against Jay Cutler and the Bears. Woodson is still a top-performing DB with oodles of fantasy value.

• Other CBs who'll see lots of action include Charles Tillman, Terence Newman, Terrence McGee, Leon Hall and Marcus Trufant. Not only do these guys rack up the PDs, they're all decent tacklers with big-play ability.

• Hopefully, this will be a week you can plug Falcons DB Erik Coleman in your lineup, but I'm not optimistic. The veteran safety is fighting a knee injury, and it's looking like he might sit out his second consecutive game. If he can't go, 2009 second-round draft pick William Moore starts in his place and should see plenty of opportunities against the Saints, who'll be looking downfield a little more with the devastating injury to Reggie Bush.

• Is anyone else expecting Troy Polamalu and his amazing hair to continue producing in these defensive struggles? He's got 11 total tackles, 2 INT and 2 PD in his first two games. Facing the 2-0 Bucs, I'm anticipating another low-scoring battle. The Bucs will be stacking the box against Rashard Mendenhall while the Steelers put the smack down on Josh Freeman and his cast of overachievers. All of this bodes well for Polamalu, who still has a bunch of stat-sheet-filling performances left in the tank.

• Veteran safety Brian Dawkins has Indy in his sights and is poised for another big week. There's a chance Dawkins finishes with double-digit tackles. Broncos CB Champ Bailey was on crutches after last week's game and is questionable. On the other side, Antoine Bethea remains the DB to start for the Colts.

• T.J. Ward banked another 11 tackles on Sunday and plays much more aggressively than fellow safety Abram Elam. The Browns' 3-4 leaves much to be desired, so expect Ward to do a lot of downfield cleanup. My boy Derek Tompkins, who's got his own site with plenty of excellent fantasy info, was all over this guy heading into our mid-August draft, snagging him in the late rounds. When Derek isn't stocking shelves at the local grocery store he's doing amazing things with his fantasy lineup in our Coxsackie, N.Y. (yeah, that's where I'm from) home league.