You can feel the shift in the air lately; that mix of crisp, calm wind and the uncertainty that signals fall is fading into winter soon. The same looming chill hangs over several linebacker rooms currently in the NFL. One week, a player may show significant numbers and looks secure as the every-down hammer in fantasy football, and the next, that player is sharing snaps with a rookie/veteran who is still learning how to steer the ship. It brings to mind Primus’ Seas of Cheese, where the boat(or one’s life) drifts through a haze with no clear land in sight. You are sailing against the rough seas of life, or in this case, fantasy football, yet you may never feel entirely sure which direction you or your season are heading. Like in life, what worked last week may not work this week for your fantasy team. With the injuries piling up, coaches must keep tossing new bodies into the mix, hoping someone can steady the course before the fog thickens, closing all possible ways to steer one’s fantasy season.
Much like the strange voyage on the album, driven by the bass and the wonder of frontman Les Claypool, these linebacker units are sailing into uncertain waters filled with shifting identities and unpredictable outcomes. For fantasy managers, survival depends less on talent charts and more on reading the horizon. When the sky turns gray and the air grows cold, all you can do is trust your compass, follow the green dot lights, and hope your lineup makes it through the storm safely.
So orient your maps and shoot an azimuth toward your destination, avoiding the jellyfish blooms and sludge slicks along the way. The seas are rough, the fog is thick, and it’s time to talk and sort out the messiest linebacker rooms in football.
Each week, I’ll spotlight three linebacker groups around the NFL that are either undergoing major shakeups or preparing to welcome key players back. The goal is to cut through the noise, lay out the facts, and form an educated take on what fantasy managers should actually do with the players in these murky linebacker rooms. All stats and snap counts are courtesy of PFF, and any fantasy point data referenced comes from FantasyPros.
Cincinnati Bengals Linebackers (2025 Season)
| Player | Total Snaps | Snap % of Team (540) | Tackles (Solo) | Assists | Sacks | Targets in Coverage | Fantasy PTS (via FantasyPros) | FP/Snap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demetrius Knight Jr. | 410 | 75.9% | 44 | 12 | 0 | 35 | 84.8 | 0.21 |
| Logan Wilson | 362 | 67.0% | 31 | 13 | 0 | 25 | 56.5 | 0.16 |
| Barrett Carter | 275 | 50.9% | 35 | 11 | 0 | 27 | 55.0 | 0.20 |
| Oren Burks | 121 | 22.4% | 10 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 19.3 | 0.16 |
| Shaka Hayward | 7 | 1.3% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
Snap Base: 540 total defensive plays
The fog has rolled into Cincinnati this season. Defensive captain Logan Wilson, once the heartbeat of this defense, has reportedly asked for a trade after being benched in favor of younger talent this season. The Bengals have started to favor rookies Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr., both of whom bring speed and range that the staff seems unwilling to take off the field. Carter plays with twitch and downhill aggression, while Knight’s sideline pursuit is already standing out on film. Oren Burks still handles rotational work and special teams, and Shaka Hayward remains as a ST player as well as an emergency depth piece on defense.
From a fantasy standpoint, the transition is messy but full of upside. Carter and Knight have quietly taken over as every-down backers in the making, and both are worth scooping in dynasty or deeper formats. Wilson’s situation is worth monitoring; if he’s moved before the deadline, it could unlock instant relevance somewhere else, but he could also see sporadic time as the rotational LB until the Bengals figure out what they are going to do with him. For now, the fog belongs to the rookies steering the ship.
Cleveland Browns Linebackers (2025 Season)
| Player | Total Snaps | Snap % of Team (484) | Tackles (Solo) | Assists | Sacks | Targets in Coverage | Fantasy PTS (via FantasyPros) | FP/Snap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Schwesinger | 460 | 95.0% | 42 | 16 | 1 | 21 | 82.0 | 0.18 |
| Devin Bush Jr. | 397 | 82.0% | 40 | 14 | 1 | 20 | 96.3 | 0.24 |
| Jerome Baker | 129 | 26.7% | 6 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 23.3 | 0.18 |
| Mohamoud Diabate | 104 | 21.5% | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 25.5 | 0.25 |
| Easton Mascarenas-Arnold | 8 | 1.7% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
Team defensive plays: 484.
The Browns’ linebacker group had been one of the steadiest in football, but the picture has taken a turn. Carson Schwesinger was playing at an every-down pace before suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 8; he’s expected to miss a few weeks and will be reevaluated after the bye. To make matters worse, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah remains on injured reserve with a neck injury, leaving a major leadership void in the middle of Cleveland’s defense. In Schwesinger’s absence, Mohamoud Diabate stepped in and is expected to be the next man up, joining Devin Bush, who continues to anchor the group with strong efficiency and tackling discipline. Jerome Baker still handles passing-down work but hasn’t done enough to be trusted in most fantasy lineups. For now, Diabate becomes a deep-league pickup worth monitoring, especially if his expanded role sticks while Cleveland waits for its starters to heal.
Dallas Cowboys Linebackers (2025 Season)
| Player | Total Snaps | Snap % of Team (548) | Tackles (Solo) | Assists | Sacks | Targets in Coverage | Fantasy PTS (via FantasyPros) | FP/Snap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Murray Jr. | 543 | 99.1% | 39 | 22 | 1 | 34 | 81.5 | 0.15 |
| Shemar James | 270 | 49.3% | 29 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 56.3 | 0.21 |
| Jack Sanborn | 229 | 41.8% | 23 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 41.5 | 0.18 |
| Marist Liufau | 124 | 22.6% | 11 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 26.3 | 0.21 |
| Damone Clark | 78 | 14.2% | 6 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 10.5 | 0.13 |
Team defensive plays: 548
The Cowboys’ linebacker rotation has been in flux since early October, and it looks like the wind is still shifting. Jack Sanborn started the year beside Kenneth Murray Jr., handling early-down work until a concussion in Week 5 sent him to the sideline. Rookie Shemar James stepped in and hasn’t looked back, flashing athleticism and a knack for finding the football. Sanborn’s return was delayed further by a groin injury that flared up in Week 8, which should keep James on the field for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Marist Liufau and Damone Clark remain rotational depth, used sparingly in sub-packages or special teams roles.
At this point, the pecking order in Dallas appears clear: Kenneth Murray Jr. remains the defensive anchor and signal-caller, Shemar James has climbed into the second spot with growing trust from the staff, and Sanborn slides into third in the order, and we won’t know more until he’s fully healthy. Liufau and Clark are holding depth with limited upside, while Overshown remains on IR. For fantasy managers, Murray remains the only weekly starter, but James deserves roster consideration as a rising playmaker as an LB2/3/FLEX option while Sanborn heals. Watch for Overshown to return, but I am unsure if he will make an immediate impact this season.
When it comes to linebacker rooms this cloudy, patience is the only real play. Depth charts change like the weather, and if you chase every gust of wind, you’ll lose sight of the storm forming in front of you. The trick is knowing when to batten down and when to set sail, because panic drops and impulse adds rarely win seasons. Keep your compass steady, trust the data, and remember this: clear skies do not make great sailors, and calm defenses do not make fantasy champions.
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