This is it, the last of the major bye weeks, thank goodney. There are some top IDP players that will be available on your waiver wire, due to owners struggling to field a complete team in Week 9, so if you have the room or are quick on the draw and/or have sufficient FAAB saved up, you can make moves that will help you prosper for the balance of the season. I am not going to go over those players on bye, since the primary purpose of this article is to help you succeed on a weekly basis. I would suggest that you either drop me a line (my e-mail address is at the end of this post) or just take a look at which teams are not playing this coming week (the list is just a few lines below and I am suggesting you target Patriot IDPs, in particular…maybe say Dont'a Hightower).
To those of you fine readers that have been e-mailing me, please realize that I am in Arizona for the balance of the week, watching Arizona Fall League baseball games and hanging out with other fantasy baseball analysts, so my response time may be a tad slower than usual, but I do read my messages every day.
Bye Weeks coming up:
Week 9: Arizona, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, New England, Washington
Week 10: Buffalo, Detroit, Indianapolis, Oakland
Week 11: Atlanta, Denver, New York Jets, San Diego
Week 12: None
Week 13: Cleveland, Tennessee (and we are done with the bye weeks)
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Julian Stanford NYJ -- Stanford was on the field in Week 8 against the Browns for all the defensive snaps, and racked up six total tackles (three solo, one for a loss). So long as ILB Darron Lee is out, he should be a good LB2/3 to employ in tackle-oriented leagues.
Nigel Bradham PHI -- Bradham carries some risk if you decide to snag him, as he may be facing a league-imposed suspension yet this season. Still, he is an every-down LB for the Eagles, and as with the guy just below him on this short list of recommended pickups at LB, he has an important division game pending in Week 9.
Jonathan Casillas NYG -- Casillas does not have the greatest matchup, as the Eagles have been stingy against opposing linebackers this season, but it is a division game and Casillas should be well rested.
Nick Bellore SF -- Bellore has been recommended here previously, and now that his bye week is over and done with, now would be a good time to pick him up if your linebacking crew is decimated with injury or just because of poor performances of late.
Defensive Linemen
Adrian Clayborn DE ATL -- Clayborn is coming off a strong, two sack/three solo tackle/2 QH (quarterback hits) performance against the Packers in Week 8. Two of his tackles were for a loss, as well. He has been impressive for two consecutive weeks now, and while he is not listed as a starter, he does see a starter's snap count, so labels be damned.
Frank Clark DE SEA -- Clark should be seeing more playing time with Michael Bennett looking at surgery, and he made his chances count against the Saints, with six tackles (three solo, one for a loss), a sack and a QH. So long as he is seeing an increase in defensive snaps, his value will be elevated.
Marcell Dareus DT BUF -- Dareus has the benefit of facing Seattle and their atrocious offensive line in Week 9. On that basis alone, I would consider him, but he is also coming off a four solo tackle effort with a sack in Week 8, to boot.
Star Lotulelei DT CAR -- Lotulelei was a defensive juggernaut against the Cardinals in Week 8, being credited with three sacks (the team had eight total), six tackles (five solo, three for a loss of yards), two QH and also forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. I am nearly certain that he will not repeat those numbers this week, but if you lost your DT, he is a fine bye-week replacement.
Defensive Backs
Daniel Sorensen S KC -- Sorenson is not a starting safety for the Chiefs, instead filling the role of nickel linebacker. He is seeing increased time on the field, however, due to his fine play the past few weeks. He had seven tackles against the Colts, with a forced fumble, and now gets to face the Jaguars, who are expected to have to air it out, allowing Sorenson to see plenty of time as the nickel back in Week 9.
Robert Blanton S BUF -- Blanton stepped in as the full time strong safety for the Bills when Aaron Williams suffered a serious neck injury, and he excelled against the Patriots. He had 11 total tackles (eight solo), and in a tackle-heavy IDP league, is certainly someone to consider adding to your roster and starting lineup.
Jude Adjei-Barimah CB TB -- Adjei-Barimah is our sole cornerback this week, but he is well worth pursuing. He is coming off consecutive weeks with a sack, and also had six solo tackles (one for a loss) and a QH to his credit on the stat sheet. His performance on the field is rewarding him addition playing time, and he would be a player to consider in CB-mandatory leagues, although he plays well enough to serve as a general DB, too.
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Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Demario Davis CLE -- Davis' value takes a huge hit with the recent trade for star LB Jamie Collins, coming over to the Browns from the Patriots. He is likely destined for a reserve LB role going forward, as Christian Kirksey was already outperforming him at the team's three down linebacker. If for some reason he is on your roster, get rid of him now.
Defensive Linemen
Ezekiel Ansah DE DET -- I believe the Ansah came back from his injury too quickly, as his production has been terrible with just four tackles (three solo) in the past three weeks. I would not necessarily drop him, but he should not be starting at present.
Corey Liuget DE SD -- Liuget has no sacks on the season, and is not producing any tackles, either. That makes for a useless defensive linesman in IDP leagues, and you would do well to rid yourself of his presence immediately.
Malik Jackson DT JAX -- Jackson has not been credited with a tackle in the past two contests, and the fact that he played 40+ snaps in Week 8 against a Titan team that had 43 rush attempts makes me question his value. He is another DL that is better suited for the waiver wire than your lineup.
Defensive Backs
Kemal Ishmael S ATL -- I will admit I bought in on Ishmael as a DB that was playing at LB earlier this season, but he has now been relegated (demoted) to special teams, and that sucks all his value away.
Matchups to Exploit
I received no input, negative or positive on the new matchup format I adopted last week, so let's go with it again and see what develops. Remember, first team listed is the team you want to use the IDP listed against.
Linebackers
Colts @ Packers
Jets @ Dolphins
Jaguars @ Chiefs
Vikings vs Lions
Defensive Ends
Chargers vs Titans
Bills @ Seahawks
Dolphins vs NYJ
Defensive Tackles
Titans @ Chargers
Broncos @ Raiders
Safeties
Chargers vs Titans
Saints @ 49ers
Browns vs Cowboys
Giants vs Eagles
Cornerbacks
Buccaneers vs Falcons
Panthers @ Rams
Saints @ 49ers
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Waiver Wire Targets
All these players are spotlighted above, and you can read my comments about them in the "Elevator Going Up" section of this article. Not all the players I comment on are necessarily here, however, as I am not going to waste your time searching for players that are heavily owned. This group consists of those that you may have a chance of locating on your league's waiver wire in that they are owned in significantly less than 50% of leagues. Happy claiming for your weekly matchups.
Linebackers
Julian Stanford NYJ
Nigel Bradham PHI
Nick Bellore SF
Defensive Linesmen
Adrian Clayborn DE ATL
Frank Clark DE SEA
Marcell Dareus DT BUF
Star Lotulelei DT CAR
Defensive Backs
Daniel Sorensen S KC
Robert Blanton S BUF
Jude Adjei-Barimah CB TB
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
Alex Okafor ARI calf
Terrell Suggs BAL biceps
Elvis Dumervil BAL foot (just give up on this guy)
C.J. Mosley BAL thigh
Lorenzo Alexander BUF hamstring
Jamari Lattimore BUF nose
Shaq Thompson CAR thumb
Jackson Jeffcoat CLE hamstring
Tank Carder CLE concussion
Ryan Davis DAL hamstring
Brandon Marshall DEN hamstring
DeAndre Levy DET knee
Clay Matthews GB hamstring
Brian Peters HOU quadriceps
Josh McNary IND neck
Curt Maggitt IND ankle
Stephone Anthony NO hamstring
Bruce Carter NYJ quadriceps
Darron Lee NYJ ankle
Kamu Grugler-Hill PHI hamstring
Jeremiah Attaochu SD ankle
Denzel Perryman SD hamstring
Jatavis Brown SD knee
Kevin Pierre-Louis SEA ankle
Aaron Lynch SF ankle
Kevin Dodd TEN foot
Defensive Linemen
DE
Ed Stinson ARI toe
Dwight Freeney ATL quadriceps
Wallace Gilberry DET abdomen
Kendall Langford IND knee
Henry Anderson IND knee
Jared Odrick JAX quadriceps
Stacy McGee OAK ankle
Cameron Heyward PIT hamstring
Michael Bennett SEA knee
Glenn Dorsey SF knee
Arik Armstead SF shoulder
William Gholston TB biceps
DT
GRady Jarrett ATL shoulder
Vernon Butler CAR ankle
Eddie Goldman CHI ankle
Haloti Ngata DET shoulder
Vince Wolfork HOU groin
Michael Brockers LA thigh
Sharrif Floyd MIN knee
Woodrow Hamilton NE shoulder
Bennie Logan PHI groin
Taylor Hart PHI ankle
Tony McDaniel SEA undisclosed
Clinton McDonald TB hamstring
Defensive Backs
S
Tyrann Mathieu ARI shoulder
Lardarius Webb BAL hamstring
Kurt Coleman CAR thumb
Barry Church DAL arm
Chris Banjo GB hamstring
Quintin Demps HOU calf
Lonnie Ballentine HOU groin
Mike Adams IND groin
Andrew Sendejo MIN ankle
Darian Thompson NYG foot
Shamarko Thomas PIT groin
Jahleel Addae SD collarbone
Kam Chancellor SEA groin
Rashad Johnson TEN neck
Kyshoen Jarrett WAS shoulder
Will Blackmon WAS thumb
Duke Ihenacho WAS concussion
CB
Tharold Simon ARI ankle
Brian Poole ATL foot
Shareece Wright BAL back
Tavon Young BAL concussion
James Bradberry CAR foot
Bryce Callahan CHI hamstring
Deiondre' Hall CHI ankle
Marcus Burley CLE hamstring
Morris Claiborne DAL sports hernia
Aqib Talib DEN back
Kayvon Webster DEN hamstring
Darius Slay DET hamstring
Damarious Randall GB groin
Quinten Rollins GB groin
Vontae Davis IND concussion
Jalil Brown IND ankle
Tevin Mitchel IND hamstring
Aaron Colvin JAX calf
D.J. White KC hand
Trumaine Johnson LA ankle
Xavien Howard MIA knee (meniscus)
Captain Munnerlyn MIN foot
Marcus Sherels MIN wrist
Sterling Moore NO abdomen
Delvin Breaux NO lower leg
Buster Skrine NYJ knee
Sean Smith OAK shoulder
Craig Mager SD concussion
DeAndre Elliott SEA hamstring
Rashard Robinson SF knee (MCL)
Perrish Cox TEN 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 match ups 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.