Goodbye sweet prince, see you next season.
Week eleven has come and gone, playoffs start in just a few short weeks and the finish line is in sight. I made my first major mistake of the season this week by not setting my usual alarm for the Bears-Rams game. Everyone I had going was healthy and nothing had come up during the week so I assumed everything was good to go and was deep into death stranding and wasn’t coming up for air. Low and behold Robert Woods (WR) is an inactive due to “personal issues” and now I’m down a WR2 amount of points in several leagues all because I got complacent. That mistake will likely cost me at least one matchup, maybe more, and if that matchup is in Yahoo it could end up lowering my beloved Diamond rating. All because I thought everything was good to go.
Don’t think, don’t assume and don’t trust old information. I’m going to use this screw up as fuel to make sure this doesn’t happen again this season so in a way it’s a blessing. We’re going into week twelve and playoffs are on the line so it’s time to take a shit or get off the toilet and let someone else take a shit. We can’t afford mistakes right now, things are bad enough with injuries and surprise changes in role or playing time plus bye weeks without us making it worse on ourselves by making mistakes. So yeah, just wanted to admit I screwed up this week and hopefully use that as an example of how assuming something can easily lead to a loss. Alright let’s have a look at week eleven and diagnose another weeks in IDP production across the league and see if we can find some waivers going forward.
Be sure to follow all the IDP writers at idpguys.org for a faster take on waivers and to make sure you’re covered from all angles with your IDP information, @IDP_Dude and @Joeythetooth are must follows. Apologies that this article comes out after waivers but it’s either ALL of the detail and it comes out late or NONE of the detail and you’ll have it for Tuesday night waivers. Anyone that knows me knows I don’t do things “some of the way”. Anyways, let’s get into it and prepare to have our cheeks clapped by the football gods again this week.
Joe Schobert had a ridiculous week.
Steelers @ Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
Performed as expected: Javon Hargrave (DT) Cameron Heyward (DT) T.J. Watt (EDGE) Devin Bush (LB) Bud Dupree (EDGE)
Possible waiver adds: NA, no new producers or significant changes in role or playing time.
Flash in the pan: Vince Williams (LB) only played 45% of snaps this week and usually plays far less then that so we can ignore this weeks slightly elevated production, he still stinks and still doesn’t play enough.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Devin Bush (LB) saw his playing time rebound this week to 77% of snaps played and he saw better production than the week prior where he was only at 45% of snaps. He’s still been playing and producing less overall the last two games so we should temper our expectations going forward, I’m still good with him as a linebacker two until the end of the season though, we’ll keep an eye on it.
Cleveland Browns
Performed as expected: Joe Schobert (LB) Browns Cornerbacks, Morgan Burnett (S) Mack Wilson (LB) Larry Ogunjobi (DT)
Possible waiver adds: Chad Thomas (DE) took over for the injured and out Olivier Vernon and played 77% of snaps and had a nice box score, he will likely see this many snaps and more with Garrett gone for the season so he could be worth a speculative add but we won’t know for sure until we see their next game and get to look at snaps and production afterwards.
Flash in the pan: Juston Burris (CB) had a nice week but only played 57% of snaps this week and isn’t named Ward or Williams so I’m not interested, does’t play enough for any kind of consistency either, pass. He could end up playing safety though from some things I’ve read since starting this article, if you have the room he could be worth an add especially if he keeps his corner designation and ends up playing safety next to Randal. We won’t know for sure one way or the other until after the next game though.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Myles Garrett (DE) is obviously done for the season due to stupidity, Olivier Vernon (DE) may see a bump in snaps when he returns from injury but at the moment I am not aware of anyone who will be stepping into his role and playing time that will put up numbers even in the same solar system as him. It sucks all around. Morgan Burnett (S) had a massive game but is likely done for the season with an achilles injury, Damarious Randal (S) will likely be even more valuable going forward. As for who the other starting safety will be I don’t know yet but if that player sees the same amount of playing time they might end up being productive by default, so I’ll be monitoring that as well, the Browns defense is going to look a lot different this week and we’ll break it down after we see the changes.
Zach Cunningham was the lone bright spot for the Texans this week.
Texans @ Ravens
Houston Texans
Performed as expected: Zach Cunningham (LB) Brennan Scarlett (LB) Benardrick McKinney (LB) D.J. Reader (DT)
Possible waiver adds: Brennan Scarlett (LB) continues to be nice waiver wire linebacker option, he played 79% of snaps this week and had a really nice box score.
Flash in the pan: NA, all the right names at the top of the box score along with Scarlett who is a waiver add and has been for three weeks now.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Justin Reid (S) continues to stink up the joint and saw his snaps drop again this week to 62% of snaps so it would appear that the coaches are seeing his terrible play as well and pulling playing time. Whitney Mercilus (EDGE) only had two solo tackles this week while playing a massive 93% of snaps this week. We have this conversation every week this is the deal with playing these edge guys. It will always be feast or famine, diarrhea or constipation, boom or bust, drunk or sober, you get the idea. If you play these guys in a specific OLB or EDGE slot that’s one thing, you’re taking the same risk as your opponent every week but if you play these guys in a regular linebacker slot you need to make peace with weeks like this. Abandon ship on Reid, remain calm on Mercilus unless you’re playing him as a regular linebacker, if that’s the case I would invest in ice packs cause your cheeks will continue to get clapped every week he doesn’t put up a sack or some other kind of huge splash play which has been often recently.
Baltimore Ravens
Performed as expected: Matt Judon (EDGE) Chuck Clark (S)
Possible waiver adds: NA, too much inconsistency in playing time, production and roles from week to week.
Flash in the pan: Patrick Onwuasor (LB) only played 15% of snaps this week and only saved his week with a sack, not nearly enough playing time for any consistency and he’s been losing snaps every week since returning from injury three weeks ago.
Abandon ship or remain calm: It’s time to abandon ship on Patrick Onwuasor (LB), he’s been losing snaps every week since he returned from injury against the Patriots. He may have had a decent box score with the sack but 15% of snaps just isn’t going to cut it as far as consistency is concerned. This Ravens defense in general hasn’t been conducive to IDP this season, they look more like the Patriots defense in regards to changing schemes, roles and production each week, there are no studs or every week producers on this defense unfortunately. Anyone besides Chuck Clark (S) and occasionally Matt Judon (EDGE) is hard to find for IDP relevancy. I’ve personally abandoned ship on the entire defense unless it’s as a team DS/T in FanDuel or something like that.
James Bradberry is back and clapping cheeks once more.
Falcons @ Panthers
Atlanta Falcons
Performed as expected: De’Vondre Campbell (LB) Deion Jones (LB) Falcons Cornerbacks, Ricardo Allen (S) Falcons Pass Rush
Possible waiver adds: NA, no knew producers this week.
Flash in the pan: Foyesade Oluokun (LB) only played 40% of snaps this week and hasn’t played much more then that all season, not nearly enough for any kind of consistency, pass still.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Grady Jarrett (DT) had a down week but is having a career season overall and played 67% of snaps in a blowout where he likely sat a significant portion of the fourth quarter. The only concerning thing here is that it was an ideal matchup against CMC but McCafferey did most of his damage in the short passing game and wasn’t running up the gut nearly as much once they got behind thereby taking away the easy run stopping tackles for Jarrett so it makes sense at least. He’ll be fine and everyone else who was supposed to put up numbers did so this week.
Carolina Panthers
Performed as expected: Tre Boston (S) Eric Reid (S) Luke Kuechly (LB) James Bradberry (CB) Shaq Thompson (LB) Donte Jackson (CB) Gerald McCoy (DT) Mario Addison (EDGE) Dontari Poe (DT)
Possible waiver adds: James Bradberry (CB) has been injured and out for over a month so it’s entirely possible he’s been dropped in your leagues, if that’s the case absolutely grab him he’s a top five streaming cornerback in a division that throws the ball a shitload with the Falcons, Saints and Bucs. I own him everywhere, you should as well.
Flash in the pan: NA, all the right names at the top of the box score.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Everyone who was supposed to produce did so this week. Shaq Thompson (LB) could’ve had a better week but the Falcons aren’t exactly known for their run game these days so not a huge shocker. Besides that it was smooth sailing this week. Remain calm across the board.
The Hot Boyz pounded another nail into the Lions coffin this week.
Cowboys @ Lions
Dallas Cowboys
Performed as expected: Jaylon Smith (LB) DeMarcus Lawrence (DE) Leighton Vander Esch (LB) Robert Quinn (DE) Michael Bennett (DE)
Possible waiver adds: Darian Thompson (S) will be playing significant snaps while Jeff Heath (S) is injured and out, should be a short term thing only though and he’s not the most consistent guy on the planet even with 100% of snaps each week so deep leagues only. Micheal Bennett (DE) has seen about double the playing time he was getting on the Patriots since he joined the Cowboys and he’s been putting up numbers, he’s a perfect defensive end option if you need waiver wire help going forward.
Flash in the pan: NA, all known producers at the top of the box score.
Abandon ship or remain calm: The Cowboys corners, Awuzie, Jones & Lewis all had a sub par week but that was to be expected as their opponent was a backup quarterback who wasn’t going to complete nearly as many passes as Matthew Stafford (QB) would have, I called it a sub par matchup in my start or sit article and encouraged people to stream elsewhere so I hope everyone listened. They should bounce back nicely as a unit this week with the Patriots on the docket. Brady will likely complete a million short passes to James White (RB) and Julian Edelman (WR) all game long as the Cowboys bleed out from death by a thousand cuts and I scoop my eyes out with a fork. Remain calm, this is why we stream corners, for matchup and this wasn’t a good one.
Detroit Lions
Performed as expected: Lions Corners, Jarrad Davis (LB) Tracy Walker (S) Damon Harrison (DT)
Possible waiver adds: Tavon Wilson (S) becomes an option once again if the Tracy Walker (S) re-injury is bad enough to sideline him this week or any significant length of time.
Flash in the pan: Devon Kennard (LB) plays a decent amount each week but is reliant on the occasional sack to put up a decent week, and he doesn’t get those all that often. He has no floor and there a ton of other actual EDGE guys I’d rather play over him, pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Besides the two of three guys I listed above the entire Lions defense sucked ass this week, no pass rush at all and the Cowboys cleaved them up from the first minute and turned their assholes inside out on national television. It was truly embarrassing. Lmao for real though, just taking shots at my Lions Twitter people. Seriously though there was no pass rush at all this week, Trey Flowers (DE) had no stats of any kind on 74% of snaps and Kennard had the only sack all game long. Flowers has been hot recently and should bounce back so I’m not worried about him, Snacks Harrison had a decent game and no one else is really counting on the other members of this defensive line if we’re being honest here. Remain calm with Flowers, you’re in trouble if you’re counting on guys like Okwara or Robinson or Daniels.
Myles Jack did something this week!
Jaguars @ Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Performed as expected: Myles Jack (LB) Jaguars Cornerbacks, Jarrod Wilson (S) Ronnie Harrison (S) Najee Goode (LB) Yannick Ngakoue (DE) Josh Allen (DE)
Possible waiver adds: Najee Goode (LB) is still being projected at zero points per week by Yahoo and other sites, they haven’t gotten the memo that he’s the other inside linebacker next to Myles Crap (LB) and is playing 95% of snaps a week. Great option if you need linebacker help.
Flash in the pan: NA, all the right names at the top of the box score.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Calais Campbell (DE) was the only known Jags IDP producer who didn’t put up numbers this week. He still played 79% of snaps and is having a solid season like usual, nothing to see here he’ll be fine. Defensive end isn’t an every week producing position, even guys like Danielle Hunter (DE) have slumps, Campbell will be fine, remain calm. Everyone else did what they were supposed to do.
Indianapolis Colts
Performed as expected: Colts Cornerbacks, Anthony Walker (LB) Darius Leonard (LB) Justin Houston (DE)
Possible waiver adds: Khari Willis (S) suffered a concussion and left early but has taken Clayton Geathers (S) role and playing time so when he’s back to healthy plug him back in as a nice option if you need safety help.
Flash in the pan: Marvell Tell (CB) only got significant playing time this week due to the Pierre Desir (CB) injury, he will be back to irrelevant as soon as Desir returns to the lineup which could be as soon as tonight. Pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Jabaal Sheard (DE) and Denico Autry (DT) both had sub par games again this week, I’ve given up on Autry but Sheard is still a decent defensive end two preferably three in deeper leagues and still has some nice games left in him this season. He played 73% of snaps so the playing time is still there and opposing offensive lines will still be concentrating on Justin Houston (DE) so he should be able to put up numbers a few more games before the season is done.
Tremaine Edmunds remains as hot as post Chipotle diarrhea.
Bills @ Dolphins
Buffalo Bills
Performed as expected: Tremaine Edmunds (LB) Matt Milano (LB) Bills Cornerbacks, Jordan Poyer (S) Jordan Phillips (DT) Jerry Hughes (DE) Shaq Lawson (DT)Star Lotulelei (DT) Ed Oliver (DT)
Possible waiver adds: Shaq Lawson (DE) outsnapped Trent Murphy (DE) this week 62% to 49%, this could be the prelude to him becoming their second defensive end next to Jerry Hughes (DE) in terms of playing time, he’s always been a darling of the IDP Twitter community anyways so this is something people have predicted for awhile, regardless grab him if you need defensive line help in deeper leagues.
Flash in the pan: Taron Johnson (CB) had a decent day but only played 90% of snaps and isn’t named Wallace or White so I’m not interested, that extra 10% of snaps could be the difference between a win or a loss and corners that play every snap are a dime a dozen, pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Everyone who was supposed to put up numbers did so this week including Ed Oliver (DT) which was a pleasant surprise. Trent Murphy (DE) had a quiet day but saw his snaps drop to just 49% this week which isn’t ideal but he’s only a bye week roll of the dice in most leagues and a defensive end two preferably three in deeper or all IDP leagues, if his snaps are this low again next week we’ll start talking about boarding the life boats for now remain calm.
Miami Dolphins
Performed as expected: Jerome Baker (LB) Dolphins Cornerbacks, Reshad Jones (S) Davon Godchaux (DT) Vince Biegel (LB) Christian Wilkins (DE)
Possible waiver adds: Reshad Jones (S) is back baby! He played 66% of snaps in his first game back but still had six combined tackles and a tackle for loss. He was playing 100% of snaps prior to the injury that kept him out for the last month plus. Even with the limited snaps in his first week back he was still the highest playing time safety for the Dolphins and anyone with a pulse who’s been playing IDP for more than a couple years knows who this guy is and what he’s capable of when he gets playing time and opportunity. He will get both on this god awful Dolphins team so grab him if you need safety help. ***DISREGARD, JONES TO IR THIS MORNING***
Flash in the pan: Jomal Wiltz (CB) might be, I have no idea, these guys march out a different set of corners it seems like every other week I’ve been avoiding them all like the plague cause I’m sure the second I trust one and start him he’ll end up a healthy scratch. Knock yourself out if you want but I’m good there are plenty of other corners that have a solid job to stream every week.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Taco Charlton (DE) was inactive with an elbow injury, or at least that’s what it looks like happened. I don’t own any shares cause I’m not insane and I don’t follow the Dolphins so that’s just an educated guess. Regardless if you’re in a position where you need to trust him weekly you’ve got problems man. He’s been an abandon ship for a few weeks now.
Todd Davis delivered the goods in a perfect matchup.
Broncos @ Vikings
Denver Broncos
Performed as expected: Todd Davis (LB) Broncos Cornerbacks, A.J. Johnson (LB) Justin Simmons (S) Von Miller (EDGE)
Possible waiver adds: Shelby Harris (DT) played 55% of snaps this week, had three sacks and is the third guy with that same last name on this team’s defense. Overall he’s been a decent bye week roll of the dice or a defensive tackle two preferably three in deeper leagues this season but he’s just getting on my radar recently which is a screw up on my part, this guy’s hit his projection or beat it the majority of games this season.
Flash in the pan: Mike Purcell (DT) only played 40% of snaps this week and is a nose tackle which is traditionally not a IDP relevant position. Plus I’ve never seen his name before so the consistency isn’t there, pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: DeMarcus Walker (DE) was a healthy scratch this week. He was hyped up by many in the IDP Twitter community but I was shoveling dirt on this guy from day one. Alas I have emerged victorious. Abandon ship, find another option at defensive line, even if this guy does play again he was only averaging around 30% of snaps per game which is obviously not ideal. Pass, abandon ship, blow him out the airlock, etc.
Minnesota Vikings
Performed as expected: Andrew Sendejo (S) Anthony Barr (EDGE) Eric Kendricks (LB) Vikings Cornerbacks, Everson Griffen (DE)
Possible waiver adds: NA, possibly Jaleel Johnson (DT) but Linval Joseph (DT) will be back sooner rather than later so I wouldn’t do it.
Flash in the pan: Jaleel Johnson (DT) only played 58% of snaps this week because Linval Joseph (DT) was injured and out, he’ll be back to irrelevant as soon as Joseph returns, pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Danielle Hunter (DE) is in a bit of a slump, it’s been a few weeks now since a monster game. He’s still getting the playing time, 95% of snaps this week, and is still causing enough havoc that his brother in arms Everson Griffen (DE) has been able to continue to get sacks fairly often as opposing offenses concentrate on Hunter so it’s not all bad. He’s still easily a top three defensive end in dynasty and is always capable of putting up a monster game, I don’t care what kind of slump he’s in if you own him you start him every week end of story. Hunter is that good. Remain calm.
Demario Davis & Cam Jordan put in work this week.
Saints @ Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints
Performed as expected: Demario Davis (LB) Saints Cornerbacks, Marcus Williams (S) Cameron Jordan (DE) Vonn Bell (S)
Possible waiver adds: Kiko Alonso (LB) saw an uptick in snaps to 67% played this week and had decent production along with it, personally I can’t stand Alonso but if you’re in a deeper league it could be good idea if you need linebacker help in deeper leagues.
Flash in the pan: NA, all the right names at the top of the box score.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Marcus Davenport (DE) and Sheldon Rankins (DT) both had sub par weeks, Rankins has been a shell of what he was last season I’ve had him as an abandon ship for weeks now. Davenport has been OK this season but he saw his snaps fall to 34% this week which isn’t ideal at all. He also hasn’t delivered like many people thought he would this season but still remains a decent defensive end two preferably three in deeper leagues assuming this dip in playing time was just an outlier. Next week will tell us more but for now he’s a remain calm.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Performed as expected: Devin White (LB) Lavonte David (LB) Ndamukong Suh (DT)
Possible waiver adds: Andrew Adams (S) is back to playing 100% of snaps as the other starting safety next to Jordan Whitehead (S). He makes a decent option if you need safety help in medium to deeper leagues.
Flash in the pan: Mike Edwards (S) is only playing 70% of snaps and has fluctuated with his playing time recently, bottom line is I don’t trust him entirely yet and he’s currently their third safety and doesn’t play enough for the kind of consistency we want. Pass for now.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Shaquil Barrett (EDGE) and Jason Pierre-Paul (DE) both had sub par days. JPP played a massive 96% of snaps this week so that’s nice to see, I’m sure there are more explosive games in store for him this season so remain calm. Shaq Barrett (EDGE) is what I’ve said he is all season, a good option if your league has a specific OLB or EDGE slot and a bad idea if you play him as a linebacker. He had exactly zero stats of any kind this week despite playing 93% of snaps. OJ Howard (TE) had more tackles than Barrett this week lmao. He will straight up win you weeks as a regular linebacker I can’t deny that, but he will also lose you weeks as a regular linebacker much like he did for a shitload of people this week. I avoid this issue altogether and play guys with a decent tackle floor in my regular linebacker slots so I never have to deal with shit like this. You live by the Barrett you die by the Barrett. Anyways, he’ll be fine he’s got some more monster weeks left in him but he also likely has just as many weeks like this one left in him as well, buyer beware.
As predicted, James Burgess survived the purge and remains a solid waiver wire linebacker.
Jets @ Redskins
New York Jets
Performed as expected: James Burgess (LB) Neville Hewitt (LB) Jamal Adams (S)
Possible waiver adds: Neville Hewitt (LB) if he got dropped due to being injured and out the last month or so, him and Burgess are the two IDP relevant linebackers to own going forward.
Flash in the pan: Brandon Copeland (LB) was the loser from the return of a healthy Neville Hewitt (LB), Copeland saw his playing time reduced to just 23% of snaps played this week. Hewitt and Burgess are clearly the two inside linebackers with the playing time and production to make them relevant going forward.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Quinnen Williams (DT) didn’t do anything in the box score this week but still played 65% of snaps and has been decent lately, he’s still more of a dynasty option but if you have him as your defensive tackle two preferably three in deeper leagues that’s about where he should be at. I wouldn’t expect him to be really dominant for another season or two just like Ed Oliver (DT).
Washington Redskins
Performed as expected: Jonathan Bostic (LB) Cole Holcomb (LB) Landon Collins (S) Da’Ron Payne (DT) Ryan Kerrigan (EDGE)
Possible waiver adds: Montae Nicholson (S) is healthy for the first time in a long time and has displaced the short term replacement Troy Apke (S) as the rightful owner of the other starting safety slot next to Landon Collins (S). He played 99% of snaps in his first week back and had a decent box score, he’s a solid option going forward if you need safety help in deeper leagues.
Flash in the pan: Cole Holcomb (LB) still isn’t getting the kind of playing time that will lend to any sort of consistency, only 61% of snaps this week and although he had a decent box score we’ve seen his production suffer from this lack of playing time recently. Buyer beware.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Matthew Ioannidis (DE) and Jonathan Allen (DT) both had down weeks after both being red hot for the better part of a month now. No reason to bail out after one bad week when they’ve both been super productive all season. Besides, their “bad” weeks were three combined tackles each, I’ll take their bad day over Shaq Barret (EDGE) bad day any day of the week and twice on Sunday, at least they got us something and didn’t just put up a donut. Remain calm.
Fred Warner is doing work in the post-Alexander era.
Cardinals @ 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
Performed as expected: Budda Baker (S) Jordan Hicks (LB) Cardinals Cornerbacks, Jalen Thompson (S) Chandler Jones (EDGE)
Possible waiver adds: Joe Walker (LB) and Haason Reddick (LB) continue to flip flop every week between who gets more snaps and is the second inside linebacker with Jordan Hicks (LB) otherwise known as the other IDP relevant linebacker besides Hicks. Playing either is risky but both have value especially in deeper or all IDP leagues. I’m avoiding the entire situation personally.
Flash in the pan: NA, all known producers at the top of the box score.
Abandon ship or remain calm: NA, everyone who was supposed to put up numbers did so this week, Terrell Suggs (EDGE) had a bit of a down week but still gave you a decent game. He’s at the ass end of good EDGE guys in my personal record book anyways, Stugotz army represent. Remain calm everywhere.
San Francisco 49ers
Performed as expected: Fred Warner (LB) Dre Greenlaw (LB) Jimmie Ward (S) Dee Ford (EDGE) DeForest Buckner (DT) Arik Armstead (DT)
Possible waiver adds: NA, Dre Greenlaw (LB) if he’s still available, that ship has likely sailed though, I told you guys as soon as it was known though so I did my part.
Flash in the pan: K’waun Williams (CB) only played 60% of snaps and isn’t named Sherman or Moseley so I’m not interested, not enough playing time and not someone I’ve ever heard of so no consistency.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Nick Bosa (DE) had another quiet week but at least put up a serviceable game with three combined tackles, a tackle for loss and a QB hit playing 84% of snaps this week. He’ll be fine, defensive end isn’t an every week producing position. Remain calm. Everyone else who was supposed to put in work did so. Good job guys!
Nick Vigil has been doing work of late.
Bengals @ Raiders
Cincinnati Bengals
Performed as expected: Nick Vigil (LB) Shawn Williams (S) Darqueze Dennard (CB) Jessie Bates (S) Carlos Dunlap (DE) Geno Atkins (DT) Carl Lawson (DE)
Possible waiver adds: Germaine Pratt (LB) played 69% of snaps this week, nice, and saw an uptick in both playing time and production after the Bengals released Preston Brown (LB) last week. This was predicted here and came true here. Grab him if you need linebacker help in medium to deeper leagues. He should see this much playing time and probably more going forward.
Flash in the pan: Josh Tupou (DT) had a nice game but only played 56% of snaps at nose tackle and isn’t named Geno Atkins (DT) so I’m not interested. Not enough playing time, wrong type of defensive tackle, no consistency, pees sitting down.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Of course the only IDP relevant member of the Bengals defensive line to go without a monster game this week was Sam Hubbard (DE) because that’s how the fantasy gods work, they are cruel and vindictive and seek to punish us mere mortals by striking down our heroes in their prime. He still played 90% of snaps and overall is having a really nice season. He is in a bit of a slump recently though. Personally I will not be abandoning ship, I’ll ride this one to hell if I have to. It took me half the season to get even one share of Hubbard so I sure as shit am not giving up on him now. Normal, sane people though might want to start looking at other options though. He still is getting the playing time and opportunity and he’s shown he can put up the numbers. It’s tough to ignore all that and go with the kind of garbage you’re going to find on waivers for defensive line this far into the season. If we’re being honest here so we’re probably all in the same boat. Let’s hope he figures it out.
Oakland Raiders
Performed as expected: D.J. Swearinger (S) Maxx Crosby (DE) Eric Harris (S) Tahir Whitehead (LB)
Possible waiver adds: I said DJ Swearinger (S) was signed and taking over for the injured and out for the season Karl Joseph (S) in last weeks article, he only played 60% of snaps this week but led the Raiders in combined tackles and was likely just being eased in, I expect more playing time and similar production going forward, good option if you need safety help. Everyone with a pulse is raving about Maxx Crosby (DE) so it’s a good thing I talked about him in this article weeks ago and you guys pulled the trigger on it then cause he’s probably gone now. Great option if still available and you need help at defensive line in deeper leagues.
Flash in the pan: Curtis Riley (S) only played 40% of snaps so we can ignore his decent production this week, not enough playing time for any kind of consistency and he’ll likely disappear when Lamarcus Joyner (S) returns from injury. Pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Nicholas Morrow (LB) had a down week but still played 94% of snaps this week, this was more a result of the anemic and generally vomit worthy Bengals “offense” and had less to do with Morrows playing time, talent or opportunity. He’ll be fine when they play against a real offense again. Remain calm. Same deal with the two IDP relevant defensive tackles, Maurice Hurst (DT) and Jonathan Hankins (DT), they should both see better production against a team with a real offense that isn’t going three and out every possession and doesn’t lose the time of possession battle 35 minutes to 25 minutes. That’s really bad by the way, it’s usually only a few minutes one way or the other, the Raiders had the ball nearly an entire quarter more than the Bengals this week, that’s not ideal at all for the Raiders IDP purposes, you can’t score points if you aren’t on the field. Remain calm across the board.
Nathan Gerry took advantage of a perfect matchup and put up numbers this week.
Patriots @ Eagles
New England Patriots
Performed as expected: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
Possible waiver adds: None of them unless you like massive inconsistency and to be let down when you need points the most.
Flash in the pan: Literally every single member of the Patriots defense every week all season.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Jamie Collins (LB) had just one pass defended and no other stats of any kind at all this week despite playing 83% of snaps this week. This is what I rant about all the time with the Patriots IDP situation, this shit exactly. There is no consistency at all for this defense anywhere, even with a linebacker that for many leagues is in the top five for IDP points on the season. They morph into exactly what they need to be to win every week. Individual stats and playing time be damned. It is always dangerous relying on any Patriots IDP any time ever. I own exactly zero Patriots IDP players in all my leagues and this is why.
Philadelphia Eagles
Performed as expected: Nathan Gerry (LB) Malcolm Jenkins (S) Eagles Cornerbacks,
Possible waiver adds: NA, possibly Mills or Darby at cornerback if they’re still out there and they get an ideal matchup.
Flash in the pan: I wanted to address this since I’m seeing a ton of overreaction on IDP Twitter in regards to Nathan Gerry (LB). Listen, as long as Nigel Bradham (LB) is injured and out he’s good to go. The second Bradham is back this fairy tale is over. That’s Bradhams job and he will take it back, my guess would be Nathan Gerry (LB) ends up with like 45% of snaps when Nigel Bradham (LB) returns from injury. I read he could be back as soon as this week somewhere so keep that in mind. Also this was more a result of an ideal matchup against a Patriots offense that ran a shitload of plays including many short passes and runs that went nowhere except past the defensive line and into Nathan Gerry’s (LB) arms for a tackle. This was the perfect storm and he took advantage, he’s not actually good, ask Eagles Twitter what they think about him if you need a reality check. He is a short term option at best keep that in mind.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Derek Barnett (DE), Brandon Graham (DE) and Fletcher Cox (DT) all had sub par games this week but all played their normal snaps, no change there. Nathan Gerry (LB) had the only sack on the day for the Eagles. Brady and the Patriots have an excellent offensive line and know how to scheme their protection for any opponent, plus Brady has been doing this long enough and is smart enough that he’ll just throw the ball away and live to play another down rather than hold it and try and make something happen and end up taking a sack. The bottom line is opposing defenses don’t get a ton of sacks on the Patriots, that’s normal. The Eagles pass rush will be fine once they return to facing normal opponents not immortals who suck the life force out of their children to keep playing football deep into their forties. Remain calm.
Aaron Donald keeps on clapping them cheeks week after week.
Bears @ Rams
Chicago Bears
Performed as expected: Roquan Smith (LB) Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S) Eddie Jackson (S) Bears Cornerbacks,
Possible waiver adds: NA, this team is like a rotting corpse in the desert, the buzzards have picked over everything. They were supposed to be a super productive unit and a gift to IDP but that was last year apparently.
Flash in the pan: Eddie Jackson (S) is always a flash in the pan, despite getting 100% of snaps he is massively inconsistent and will let you down when you need him most. There are many other free safeties I would trust over him week to week with much better consistency. This is just a personal feeling, if you own him and are happy with him more power to you. I would rather have a hot sauce enema than start him though personally.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Khalil Mack (EDGE) and the rest of the Bears pass rush never got off the launch pad this week. Between their god awful offense that loses time of possession seemingly every week and constantly leaves their defense worn out and on the field for the majority of every game and the injuries they’ve suffered over the course of the season to guys like Akiem Hicks (DT) and Danny Trevethan (LB) this pass rush is just a shell of what it once was. Mack should be OK but trusting any of the other guys here, Williams, Goldman, Nichols etc isn’t something I would do personally. I guess they do have the advantage of plenty of playing time since their offense is so bad but as a unit overall the Bears defense went from one of the best pass rushing and sack producing units in the league to a forgettable defense in just one season. Abandon ship if you can, Mack should be OK though.
Los Angeles Rams
Performed as expected: Taylor Rapp (S) Troy Hill (CB) Eric Weddle (S) Michael Brockers (DE) Aaron Donald (DT)
Possible waiver adds: NA, all producers are known already.
Flash in the pan: Sebastian Joseph Day (DT) only played 45% of snaps this week, at nose tackle, and has only caught my eye one other time this entire season. Not enough playing time, wrong kind of defensive tackle, not named Donald, no consistency. Pass.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Cory Littleton (LB) had a down week, I’m not all that concerned, he’s still easily a top ten IDP linebacker this season in most leagues scoring formats and this likely had more to do with the Bears being unable to muster long, sustained drives that lead to IDP points via tackles, pass breakups and other stats, than it did with Littleton suddenly not being talented or lacking playing time. He still played 100% of snaps and is still a super talented and productive linebacker, he should be fine the minute the Rams play a real offense again. That would be this week by the way when the Ravens come to town. Remain calm.
Frank Clark completely turned his season around and has been dominating for weeks now.
Chiefs @ Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
Performed as expected: Anthony Hitchens (LB) Daniel Sorensen (S) Tyrann Mathieu (S) Damien Wilson (LB) Frank Clark (DE)
Possible waiver adds: NA, all known producers.
Flash in the pan: Mike Pennel (DT) only played 29% of snaps this week so we can ignore his sack and three combined tackles, not enough playing time for any kind of consistency.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Chris Jones (DT) had a bad week but still played 78% of snaps and is coming off an absolute monster of a game the week prior. He’ll be fine, this guy literally had at least one sack every single game for thirteen straight weeks last season. He’s a man, he does not sit peeing down unlike Shaq Barrett (EDGE). Besides that everyone who was supposed to put up numbers did so this week, Juan Thornhill (S) could’ve given us more but we’ve all dialed our expectations of him way the hell back after seeing what a massive over hype that was this whole offseason, so it’s business as usual and Frank Clark (DE) continues to clap the cheeks of all his early season doubters.
Los Angeles Chargers
Performed as expected: Thomas Davis (LB) Melvin Ingram (DE) Jaylen Watkins (S)
Possible waiver adds: Adrian Phillips (S) is being activated off IR this week supposedly and Derwin James (S) sometime in the next three weeks I’ve read. Phillips will likely only be relevant for the short term. James, however, could be a late season much needed boost going into playoffs. If some fool dropped him in your league pick him up and get ready to fire him up as a huge bonus heading into playoffs.
Flash in the pan: All Chargers linebackers not named Thomas Davis (LB) this week. Massive inconsistency in playing time, production and role week to week for every linebacker not named Davis, it’s a trap.
Abandon ship or remain calm: Drue Tranquil (LB) looks like was injured and out this week, I wasn’t buying the hype so I wasn’t paying attention to this and frankly still don’t care. I’ve seen the Chargers shitshow of a linebackers situation change so much this season I literally only trust Thomas Davis (LB) and that’s it, everyone else has had their playing time and production fluctuate wildly week to week. Joey Bosa (DE) had a down week but still played his normal snaps and is still Joey Bosa (DE), he’ll be fine, remain calm.
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of my (semi) instant reaction and defensive waivers. I’ll be here all season breaking down the crazy shenanigans that is the week in IDP production, playing time and consistency. Some may want to just know who to pick up off waivers but for the truly committed we want to know WHY. We’ll keep plugging together as we scrape and claw our way to those week sixteen title games just like we do every year.
Be sure to keep an eye out for my weekly start or sit article dropping Saturday mornings every week, for the Thursday night game that start or sit will be in tweet form, follow me @Orangeman3142 for that information. Also, our podcast drops every Wednesday morning or Tuesday night all season long as well. Be sure to follow @IDP_Dude and @Joeythetooth to be sure you get defensive waivers and reactions to the week’s production covered from all sides. All this can be found, for free, at your one-stop shop for all things IDP here at idpguys.org or @idpguys on Twitter. Good luck in your matchups this week.
idpguys.org, leaning into the crazy since 2017
Protect baby yoda
I didn’t forget. Damon Harrison squats and takes a shit in front of tens of thousands of shocked and horrified fans, Detroit USA circa 2019
