Who Should I Start? Nik Bonitto or Malcolm Rodriguez

Friday, October 27, 10:35 AM

Denver Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto has a poor matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 and should be sat in IDP leagues that score sacks heavily. Bonitto is leading the Broncos with 5.5 sacks. His production is extremely sack-dependent, as he has only made 16 solo tackles and nine QB hits. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, however, is one of the most-difficult quarterbacks to bring down. Mahomes has only been sacked seven times this season, fewer than any quarterback who has started six or more games, and his sack rate (2.6%) is also the lowest in the league. When they faced the Broncos two weeks ago, the Chiefs only allowed two sacks, and Bonitto did not make one. Bonitto should be sat if a capable replacement exists in Week 8.

Friday, November 29, 1:08 PM

Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) suffered a torn right ACL in Thursday's Thanksgiving Day win over the division-rival Chicago Bears and will miss the rest of the season. It's a tough blow for Rodriguez, who had started six games this year while picking up 43 tackles and two sacks. The 25-year-old's season-ending injury came in the fourth quarter of the eventual 23-20 victory over Chicago on Turkey Day. He had five tackles and one pass breakup in the game before departing. Rodriguez will certainly need surgery and could be in danger of missing the start of the 2025 season, depending on how his rehab goes in the offseason. The Lions defense also lost a key piece of their linebacking corps recently when Alex Anzalone broke his forearm. The 30-year-old is expected to miss six to eight weeks and was placed on Injured Reserve.