This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
RISING
Anthony Walker, LB 
Walker played every defensive snap for the first time of the season in Week 7, and he has now registered 35 stops through four appearances. With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (ankle) out for at least two more games, Walker's workload isn't going anywhere. The Browns play the Steelers in Week 8. Although the Steelers don't run the ball too much, QB Ben Roethlisberger checks down the ball a ton, providing enough opportunities for Walker to pay off for fantasy purposes this week.
Bobby Okereke, LB 
Okereke averaged 8.5 tackles through the first six games of the season before winding up with just four stops in Week 7. Don't fret, as the third-year linebacker should get back on track soon enough, and he has a strong opportunity this week. The Titans lead the league with 32.7 rushing attempts per game, providing plenty of opportunities for Okereke to pad his tackle numbers.
Head coach Ron Rivera has been vocal about his strategy with Collins, as the 27-year-old is playing more as a linebacker than a safety. This is massive for his tackling ceiling, and he has produced a steady floor thus far with seven tackles per game over the last six weeks. In that stretch, he posted at least six stops every time, so that steady floor makes him an intriguing fantasy option moving forward.
The Texans have counted on Greenard for big things with J.J. Watt in Arizona, and
RISING
Anthony Walker, LB
Walker played every defensive snap for the first time of the season in Week 7, and he has now registered 35 stops through four appearances. With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (ankle) out for at least two more games, Walker's workload isn't going anywhere. The Browns play the Steelers in Week 8. Although the Steelers don't run the ball too much, QB Ben Roethlisberger checks down the ball a ton, providing enough opportunities for Walker to pay off for fantasy purposes this week.
Bobby Okereke, LB
Okereke averaged 8.5 tackles through the first six games of the season before winding up with just four stops in Week 7. Don't fret, as the third-year linebacker should get back on track soon enough, and he has a strong opportunity this week. The Titans lead the league with 32.7 rushing attempts per game, providing plenty of opportunities for Okereke to pad his tackle numbers.
Head coach Ron Rivera has been vocal about his strategy with Collins, as the 27-year-old is playing more as a linebacker than a safety. This is massive for his tackling ceiling, and he has produced a steady floor thus far with seven tackles per game over the last six weeks. In that stretch, he posted at least six stops every time, so that steady floor makes him an intriguing fantasy option moving forward.
The Texans have counted on Greenard for big things with J.J. Watt in Arizona, and the 2020 third-round pick has not let them down. Through five games this year, he has produced 17 tackles and six sacks. He's offering a decent tackle floor for leagues that utilize a DL spot, and his ability to take down the QB only adds to his value.
Houston-Carson made the spot start in Week 7 because Tashaun Gipson (hip) was inactive, and he capitalized on the opportunity with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery in the blowout loss to the Buccaneers. There's no way to know if Gispon will be ready for Week 8 against the 49ers, but he's at least questionable after not practicing all week. The 49ers are dedicated to the ground game, so a downhill safety like Houston-Carson has a high ceiling if he lucks into another start. Houston-Carson is a streamer and not a long-term option.
C.J. Mosley (hamstring), Blake Cashman (groin), Quincy Williams (calf) and Jamien Sherwood (concussion protocol) are all banged-up, meaning Del'Shawn Phillips is the highest-ranking Jets linebacker with a clean bill of health. Of course, the Jets have a full week to get healthy, but the soft-tissue injuries often take a bit longer to heal. Phillips is worth keeping an eye on as a result, as he put up seven tackles -- two for a loss -- and a sack in Sunday's blowout loss to the Jets. Phillips is more of a streamer, as he'll be on special-teams duty once the other backers get right.
FALLING
Eric Wilson, LB 
Wilson is still the Eagles' starting middle linebacker, but he hasn't played more than 40 percent of the defensive snaps in three straight weeks. During that stretch, Wilson has posted just eight tackles across three games. He can't be trusted, and he's droppable since he's splitting snaps with T.J. Edwards at this point.
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB 
Coach Kyle Shanahan said there's a good chance that Dre Greenlaw (groin) is back in Week 8. Greenlaw could take a few games to get back to a full workload, but he should cut into Al-Shaair's playing time nonetheless. Al-Shaair has been excellent with Greenlaw out, posting 37 tackles across the last five games. To be fair, there's a chance Al-Shaair can hold onto the starting role outright. But if you have depth at the IDP spot, flipping Al-Shaair in a trade could be a wise move.
Patrick Queen, LB 
Queen posted 14 tackles (nine solo) across the last four games. That's a disappointing stat line for the 2020 first-round pick who racked up 106 stops during his rookie season. Queen simply hasn't taken the next step like we would've liked him to, so it's tough to justify holding onto him through the Week 8 bye if you're short on roster spots.
