The fantasy playoffs are finally arriving, at least in most leagues. Whether you are leading your league and have a bye, or are scrambling to win in the first round, it is important to keep an eye on the waiver wire. You really do need to fill in for injured or underperforming players, plus you need to keep your opponent from snagging that IDP that will let him best you during these important late-season matchups.

With all that in mind, let us take a look at who distinguished themselves this past week, whether for better or worse. Plus, of course, the injury list so you can prepare for your Week 14 games and adjust your lineups accordingly.

Elevator Going Up

Linebackers

Jamie Collins NE

Denzel Perryman SD

James Anderson NO

Stephone Anthony NO

Telvin Smith JAX

Jake Ryan GB

Jamie Collins returned to the field after a four game illness-induced absence. Boy, did he ever, putting up eight total tackles (three solos), while also forcing a fumble and deflecting a pass. If he was languishing on the wire during his illness, you should make a claim for him as he will be a prime part of the Patriot defense going forward. Denzel Perryman had a fine Week 13, and has been a bright spot in the San Diego defensive effort since the bye in Week 10. He put up 10 tackles against the Broncos, although he is more valuable in a tackle-oriented league than one that rewards for big plays. In dynasty leagues, you should be keeping an eye on his trends as we head into the end of the season to make sure he is not just a flash in the pan.

James Anderson took advantage of a favorable matchup against his former team this past Sunday, rolling up 11 combined tackles (seven solos). He is starting and playing the bulk of the snaps on defense, and along with Stephone Anthony, is a bright spot on a defense that does not have a lot to recommend itself to fantasy players. Speaking of Anthony, he also was credited with double digit tackles against the Panthers (four solos, six assists), and ended up in the end zone on a fumble he forced and took in for a touchdown. He also scored on a blocked extra point attempt that he ran back to the end zone, something that has not happened since the rule was altered to allow for a two-point blocked conversion score. While I do not expect him to be scoring points every week, he is coming off a pair of double-digit tackle weeks and his floor right now is extremely favorable in IDP leagues.

Telvin Smith had a fine effort against the Titans on Sunday, racking up a pair of sacks and a forced fumble to go with his nine combined tackles (seven solo). The second year player has a good chance to break the 100-tackle level this season, and should be rostered in all IDP leagues. If your league has fallen asleep, grab him and think about making him your keeper for 2016. The rookie Jake Ryan is someone I grabbed in my keeper IDP leagues this season, and while it has been tempting to drop him when he was not playing, it was a good decision to hold on to the youngster. Nate Palmer is on IR, and Ryan will now become a starting inside linebacker for the Packers. He had 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery in Week 13. He should be available on your waiver wire, unless you play in a league against me.

Defensive Linemen

Malik Jackson DE DEN

Michael Bennett DE SEA

Olivier Vernon DE MIA

Khalil Mack DE OAK

Dan Williams DT OAK

Aaron Donald DT StL

Eddie Goldman DT CHI

Denver has been strong on defense all season long, and Malik Jackson has been a big part of that. He not only provides steady tackle numbers, but also has been a decent source of big plays. The sacks have fallen off as teams have schemed against his pass rush, but he has been picking up pass deflections in their place, with five in the past six games. Michael Bennett picked up a sack against the Vikings, his first since he had 3.5 in Week 7 against the 49ers. He also picked up four tackles, a nice bump up from his pedestrian production in Weeks 10-12. Seattle has a good matchup against the struggling Ravens in Week 14, and I like Bennett to continue his Week 13 production. Oliver Vernon is dominating on defense, having sacked the QB 2.5 times in Week 13. He also had six total tackles against the Ravens (four solo). He was not useful for IDP purposes early this season, but has picked things up over the past six games. He was a high draft pick this season, and is playing as advertised now. Khalil Mack has not been featured here lately, but as a LB with DE eligibility, he is too valuable to ignore. His ownership numbers are below 50 percent in both Yahoo and ESPN and that is a crime. With back to back two-sack games, and 14 total tackles in those two games, he is far too productive to ignore if he is hanging around on your waiver wire.

Dan Williams leads off the DT candidates this week, and he is coming off a four tackle (three solo) effort with half a sack against the Chiefs. Oakland may be sputtering at the end of games on offense, but the defense is still performing well on a weekly basis and he should get a decent chance to continue his good play when the Raiders head to Denver in Week 14. Aaron Donald was a draft day darling, getting taken early for a DT in non-mandatory IDP leagues. He has started to come on again after fading a bit in the middle of the season. He has 3.5 sacks in his past four games, and is racking up serious tackles on a weekly basis. If his owner panicked in the midst of his slump and dropped him, and if no one else has wised up, snag him now. Eddie Goldman has been providing a pass rush aspect that no one expected of the nose tackle. He had two sacks against San Francisco in Week 13, to go with three solo tackles. He is a fine addition to your lineup in a DT-mandatory league.

Defensive Backs

Malcolm Jenkins S PHI

Isa Abdul-Quddus S DET

Mike Adams S IND

Bacarri Rambo S BUF

Kurt Coleman S CAR

Ross Cockrell CB PIT

Marcus Peters CB KC

Marcus Roberson CB StL

Patrick Robinson CB SD

Let’s not plan on Malcolm Jenkins scoring a 99-yard interception return every week, especially since he has only two interceptions on the season. He is a good source of tackles, though, and with the occasional big play, makes for a solid DB2 most weeks. Isa Abdu-Quddus looks to be the starting strong safety in Detroit for the near future, having racked up 11 tackles against the Packers (nine solos), with a forced fumble and a pass deflection to pad his stat line. He should be available on the wire, and it seems possible the Lions will continue to play strong through the end of the season. Mike Adams is back to his routine after missing the past couple of weeks prior to an 11-tackle effort against the Steelers in Week 13. If he was dropped in your league, you should claim him for the playoff run, for the generally solid tackle numbers and the potential for big plays. Bacarri Rambo is a valuable player in big play leagues, having picked up a sack and three pass deflection against Houston, to go with six combined tackles (four solos). His tackle numbers are sporadic, so he is more of a big play option. Coleman now has an interception in four consecutive games, and the knock on him that he could not provide coverage appears to be incorrect. Use him in big play leagues only, though, as his tackle numbers are all over the board.

Ross Cockrell is a corner you want only in big-play leagues, as his tackle number are terrible. He does have eight pass deflections on the season, and is good for the occasional INT or forced fumble. He is a DB3/4, and can provide the occasional big game and with the Steelers facing Cincy in Week 14, should see action in the defensive backfield. Marcus Peters has had a typical rookie season, struggling at times, shining at others. Week 13 was the latter, as he racked up six solo tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a pair of pass deflections. He could well end up as the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and is especially productive in a big-play IDP league. Marcus Roberson played every snap against the Cardinals in Week 13 and the rookie saw a lot of action as Carson Palmer went after him. He picked up six solos and three pass deflections, and if he continues to start, should see plenty of action. Facing Matthew Stafford and the Lions in Week 14, expect him to see plenty of opportunity to put up stats again. Patrick Robinson gets an opportunity with Brandon Flowers potentially out for Week 14 with a knee injury. He had seven solo tackles (eight total) against the Broncos, and also added a pass deflection. If he plays all game, his numbers should be worth a roster slot.

Escalator Going Down

Linebackers

Nate Palmer GB

James Laurinaitis StL

Kwon Alexander TB

Mychal Kendricks PHI

Nate Palmer was replaced in the starting lineup by rookie linebacker Jake Ryan in Week 13. The Packers were quite high on Ryan’s future, and it looks like that came at Palmer’s expense finally. Palmer was solid but not spectacular this season, but Green Bay is looking toward the future here. James Laurinaitis was expected to play a bigger role in the Ram defense when an injury put Alec Ogletree on the sidelines, but it never truly materialized. Despite playing 84 snaps last week, he only managed four combined tackles (one solo). He has likely been retained based on name recognition, but there are better weekly options available on the wire. Kwon Alexander is on the downslide as he begins to serve his four-game suspension. That makes him unavailable for the fantasy playoffs, and thus is dead to IDP owners for the balance of this season. On a brighter real NFL note, he should be back for the playoffs if Tampa Bay makes it that far. It pains me to advise you to drop Mychal Kendricks, as he was a plug-n-play LB for many of us. No longer, it would appear, as the Eagles are limiting his snaps and thus reducing his value. There are hints of injury affecting his performance but nothing definite. No matter the reason, his production continues to fall, and he should be off your roster going into the playoffs.

Defensive Linemen

No one to speak of this week, except for those on the injury report below.

Defensive Backs

Cary Williams CB SEA

Williams stock is really plummeting, as he was released by the Seahawks on Monday, following being a healthy scratch in Week 13. Feel free to drop him from your rosters or watch lists.

Ouch (My Aching Roster)

All the injury reports below need evaluation prior to kickoff.  Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. Consider the list below as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.

Linebackers

Paul Posluszny JAX (hand)

Michael Wilhoite SF (ankle)

Anthony Barr MIN (groin)

Aaron Lynch SF (concussion)

NaVorro Bowman SF (concussion)

Defensive Linemen

Mike Catapano DE KC (foot)

Jason Hatcher DE WAS (concussion)

Robert Thomas DT MIA (elbow)

Defensive Backs

Nate Allen S OAK (knee)

David Bruton S DEN (knee)

Harrison Smith S MIN (hamstring)

Antone Exum S MIN (broken rib-season-ending IR)

Omar Bolden CB DEN (groin)

Delvin Breaux CB NO (hamstring)

Brandon Flowers CB SD (knee)

Stephon Gilmore CB BUF (left shoulder)

Janoris Jenkins CB STL (concussion)

As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy matchups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. If you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, I can be reached at ia@fantasyalarm.com.