Fantasy Football IDP Report: Week 6 Elevator System
Published: Oct 14, 2021
There are a true wealth of options to consider adding to your IDP roster(s) this week. There are also a few teams on bye this week, which keeps the number of choices to a more manageable level. That being said, we have plenty of defensive players to profile, so let’s just get to that, shall we?
Bye Weeks coming up: Week 6-Atlanta, New Orleans, New York Jets, San Francisco; Week 7-Buffalo, Dallas, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota, Pittsburgh; Week 8-Baltimore, Las Vegas
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Jordyn Brooks SEA
Brooks played better than 90% of the snaps on defense, and racked up 11 total tackles (TT) in the contest last Thursday against the Rams, one for a loss of yards (TFL). So long as he continues to see increased playing time (PT) for the Seahawks, he becomes a useful LB candidate to snag off the wire.
Makik Reed DEN (DE only in ESPN leagues)
Reed filled up his stat sheet big time in Week 5, with 6 TT, a sack, a QB hit/hurry (QH) and a forced fumble (FF).He is playing nearly every snap now that he is filling in for the injured Bradley Chubb (out until November after ankle surgery), so more full stat sheets are potentially in his future.
Jaelan Phillips MIA (DE only in ESPN leagues)
Phillips gets a bump in value on the ESPN platform, as it is a bonus to be able to obtain LB production from a DL, in general. Phillips picked up four TT (three solo, one TFL) in Tampa Bay in Week 5, with a sack and QH to pump up the big play value. He now gets to face off against the Jaguars in Week 6.
Perryman is owned in 70% of leagues on both ESPN and Yahoo, so it may be difficult to add him to your team. After collecting 12 TT (10 solo) at home against the Bears, together with a QH, his availability may be waning further, so act quickly if he is available to pick up.
Micah Parsons DAL
Also qualifies as DE in ESPN leagues, which improves his value on that platform, as it is always nice to be able to play a linebacker as a DL in IDP fantasy (see the comments about Jaelan Phillips above). His move to LB occurs due to the departure of Jaylon Smith from Cowboys. The three QH in Week 5 added to his team-leading eight TT (six solo) are a great start to his new role on the Dallas defense.
Reggie Ragland NYG
Ragland is benefitting from the loss of the injured Blake Martinez by the Giant defense, and was credited with a pass deflection/defense (PD) against the Cowboys in Week 5, to go along with his seven TT (five solo, one TFL). The fumble recovery (FR) was another nice big play plus.
The 27-year-old is now looking like a full-time LB for the Texans going forward, which pumps up his value tremendously. Especially playing for a team that will be on defense plenty in the near future. He is coming off a five solo tackle effort in Week 5, and should be a steady source of tackle production going forward.
David Long TEN
Long is another LB that is stepping up to a every down role for his team. He had 12 TT (10 solo) in Week 5’s game at Jacksonville. He has another good matchup in store with the Bills coming to visit Week 6.
Kevin Mintner TB
Mintner gets a chance to start at ILB for the Bucs on Thursday, with Lavonte David on the sidelines in Week 6. The opponent on the slate is not a great matchup, but if you are desperate for LB help, and need some tackle production, Mintner is a short-term option.
Defensive Linemen
Trey Flowers DE DET
The absence from the field in Weeks 3 and 4 has resulted in him being less interesting to IDP owners, but he is back and playing significant snaps for the Detroit defense. Facing off against the Bengals in Week 6 at home is a nice matchup, an offense that allows plenty of sacks on the season.
Everson Griffen DE MIN
Griffen is back with the Vikings and enjoying playing opposite Danielle Hunter. He is coming off a multi-sack game against the Lions (two sacks) that makes him intriguing, as a waiver wire addition. The other stat production from Week 5-four TT (two solo, one TFL), a pair of QH, a FF-makes him well worth a roster add.
Haason Reddick DE CAR
He is coming off another big week, and is a DL that you should snap up off the wire if he is hanging around Eight TT (six solo, two TFL), a pair of QH and sacks each against the visiting Eagles will excite some interest, so move quick to add him now.
Gregory Rousseau DE BUF
A huge week for the Bill defensive end lit up the stat sheet Week 5: five TT (four solo, one TFL), a sack, a QH, a PD and one INT makes for a productive game. He is putting up those numbers in a part-time role, but even at that, he is a fine addition to an IDP roster with the bye-weeks now showing up.
Austin Johnson DT NYG
The sole DT here this week, he is playing slightly better than half the snaps on defense for the Giants, and putting up good production even so. He had a sack to go with his four TT (three solo, two TFL) and a QH to add the extra big-play bonus. In DT-mandatory leagues, his potential for tackle and big-play production makes him of potential value going forward. Perhaps not in Week 6, as the matchup against the Rams is not prime, but Week 7 against the Panthers at home looks more promising.
Defensive Backs
Kevin Byard S TEN
Byard is demonstrating value in all formats, racking up tackles and big plays. In Week 5, he collected 10 TT (eight solo) with a FR, INT and a pair of PDs. The TD he scored is sauce for the goose, but not to be counted on, obviously.
Tracy Walker S DET
With a return to significant PT in the Lion defense, he led the team with nine TT (seven solo, one TFL). He was credited with a PD as well in Minnesota, a pass deflection that led to an INT.
Derwin James S LAC
It is not likely he will gather 17 TT again in Week 6 (nine solo, one TFL). He added a sack, a QH and a FF to add big-play production to a superb tackle effort. He is poised to be one of the top DBs in IDP leagues this season, should this production consider even at a reduced rate.
Darius Slay CB PHI
He has been putting up at least three tackles per game while playing man coverage for the Eagles, and with the Bucs on the schedule this week, he should see additional opportunities to collect some tackles and perhaps a few big plays. He is coming off a two INT effort in Week 5 with a pair of PDs as well.
Taron Johnson CB BUF
Johnson is much more of a presence against the run than in coverage, as witnessed recently in a 12 TT effort against the Chiefs (eight solo). He did have one PD in Week 5, so his production is not entirely bereft of big-play production.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Kenny Young LAR
Young has been extraordinarily productive this season, but saw his PT cut in Week 5. If that continues to be the case, his value as a useful LB will take a severe hit.
Eric Wilson PHI
Wilson had his PT downsized in Week 5, resulting in him collecting just one assist while playing 41% of the defensive plays.
Chandler Jones ARI
Jones is coming off goose egg in defensive production in Week 5, and did not even have one assisted wrap-up in Weeks 2, 4 and 5. He is best cut loose unless and until his counting stats start picking up.
Defensive Linemen
Emmanuel Ogbah DE MIA
Coming off single assist effort in Tampa Bay, and with just 1.5 sacks on the season, his value is quickly falling off in 2021. He is also seeing a significant drop in the number of defensive snaps he is on the field, playing just 50% of the snaps the past two games.
Jarran Reed DT KC
Reed has no sacks to his credit this season, and just six TT on the year (four solo). The Chief defense is not exactly firing on all cylinders, and Reed is part of that lack of production. Lack of sacks and tackles makes him expendable.
Defensive Backs
Eli Apple CB CIN
Another example of a PT decrease damaging IDP value, Apple has gone from an every-down DB to one taking the field for less than 50% of the defensive plays. He had just a single solo tackle in Week 5, and that is not the stuff starting CBs are made of.
Matchups to Exploit
Remember, the first team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Bengals or Lions, but certainly you will do well if you own a top DL on the Vikings or Bills that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Inside Linebackers
Detroit Lions vs Cincinnati
Cleveland Browns vs Arizona
Cincinnati Bengals @ Detroit
Outside Linebackers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Philadelphia
Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver
Washington Football Team vs Kansas City
Indianapolis Colts vs Houston
New York Giants vs Los Angeles Rams
Defensive Ends
Carolina Panthers vs Minnesota
Chicago Bears vs Green Bay
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago
Baltimore Ravens vs Los Angeles Chargers
Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo
Defensive Tackles
Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo
Cleveland Browns vs Arizona
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis
Carolina Panthers vs Minnesota
Safeties
Baltimore Ravens vs Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots vs Dallas
Cleveland Browns vs Arizona
Los Angeles Rams @ New York Giants
Cornerbacks
New England Patriots vs Dallas
Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee
Philadelphia Phillies vs Tampa Bay
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Miami
Waiver Wire Targets
This section is intended to serve as a shortened cheat sheet listing those waiver wire targets you should be considering if you need to plug a hole in your starting lineup. 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 commented on are here, however, as there is no need 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
Jordyn Brooks SEA
Makik Reed DEN
Jaelan Phillips MIA
Micah Parsons DAL (owned in 51% of ESPN leagues, only 25% of Yahoo leagues)
Reggie Ragland NYG
David Long TEN
Kevin Mintner TB
Defensive Linemen
Trey Flowers DE DET
Everson Griffen DE MIN
Haason Reddick DE CAR
Gregory Rousseau DE BUF
Austin Johnson DT NYG
Defensive Backs
Kevin Byard S TEN
Tracy Walker S DET
Derwin James S LAC (Owned in 52% of Yahoo leagues, 45% on Yahoo)
Darius Slay CB PHI
Taron Johnson CB BUF
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
Tanner Vallejo ARI hand
Zeke Turner ARI shoulder IR
Jordan Hicks ARI toe
Chandler Jones ARI IR-COVID
Daelin Hayes BAL ankle IR
L.J. Fort BAL knee-ACL IR
Matt Milano BUF hamstring
Shaq Green-Thompson CAR foot
Khalil Mack CHI foot
Christian Jones CHI back
Jeremiah Attaochu CHI pectoral IR
Caleb Johnson CHI knee
Jordan Evans CIN knee IR
Malcolm Smith CLE abdomen
Jacob Phillips CLE biceps IR
Montrel Meander CLE Achilles IR
Francis Bernard DAL hamstring IR
Jonas Griffith DEN hamstring IR
Bradley Chubb DEN ankle IR
Josey Jewell DEN pectoral IR
Natrez Patrick DEN leg IR
Trey Flowers DET knee
Romeo Okwara DET Achilles IR
Shaun Dion Hamilton DET undisclosed IR
Chauncey Rivers GB knee-ACL IR
Za’Darius Smith GB back IR
Randy Ramsey GB leg IR
Kamu Grugier-Hill HOU hip
Kevin Pierre -Louis HOU hamstring IR
Darius Leonard IND ankle
Jordan Glasgow IND concussion IR
Myles Jack JAX oblique
Dylan Moses JAX knee
Anthony Hitchens KC knee
Cory Littleton LV shoulder
Javin White LV knee IR
Nicholas Morrow LV ankle IR
Darron Lee LV undisclosed
Drue Tranquill LAC chest
Kenneth Murray LAC ankle IR
Justin Hollins LAR pectoral IR
Anthony Barr MIN knee
Ja’Whaun Bentley NE shoulder
Kyle Van Noy NE groin
Ronnie Perkins NE ankle
Anfernee Jennings NE undisclosed IR
Cameron McGrone NE knee-ACL
Terez Hall NE undisclosed PUP
Raekwon McMillan NE knee-ACL
Quentin Poling NO undisclosed
Kwon Alexander NO elbow IR
Chase Hansen NO groin IR
Cam Brown NYG hamstring IR
Elerson G. Smith NYG hamstring IR
Blake Martinez NYG knee-ACL IR
T.J. Brunson NYG knee-ACL IR
Hamsah Nasirildeen NYJ undisclosed IR
Jarrad Davis NYJ ankle IR
Marcell Harris SF thumb
Dre Greenlaw SF groin IR
Bobby Wagner SEA knee
Ben Burr-Kirven SEA knee-ACL IR
Lavonte David TB ankle
Jason Pierre-Paul TB shoulder
Bud Dupree EN knee
Monty Rice TEN groin
Rashaan Evans TEN quadriceps
Jayon Brown TEN knee IR
Rashad Weaver TEN lower leg IR
Derick Roberson TEN knee IR
B.J. Bello TEN ankle IR
Cole Holcomb WAS shoulder
Jared Norris WAS neck
Jon Bostic WAS pectoral IR
Defensive Linemen
DE
Marlon Davidson ATL ankle
Derek Wolfe BAL back IR
Bryan Cox BUF Achilles IR
Austin Larkin CAR groin
Akiem Hicks CHI groin
Khalid Kareem CIN shoulder IR
Joseph Ossai CIN knee-Meniscus IR
Wyatt Hubert CIN pectoral
Myles Garrett CLE knee
Takkarist McKinley CLE ankle
Jadeveon Clowney CLE knee
Randy Gregory DAL knee
Dorance Armstrong DAL ankle
Demarcus Lawrence DAL foot IR
Da’Shawn Hand DET groin IR
Joel Heath DET knee-ACL IR
Kemoko Turay IND groin
Kwity Paye IND hamstring
Dayo Odeyingbo IND Achilles
Roy Robertson-Harris JAX ankle
Chris Jones KC wrist
Joshua Kaindoh KC ankle IR
Malik Herring KC knee-ACL
Aaron Donald LAR knee
Janarius Robinson MIN lower body IR
Henry Anderson NE pectoral IR
Marcus Davenport NO shoulder IR
Kyle Phillips NYJ ankle PUP
Vinny Curry NYJ illness
Carl Lawson NYJ Achilles IR
Brandon Graham PHI Achilles IR
Camerson Heyward PIT neck
Calvin Taylor PIT undisclosed
Stephon Tuitt PIT undisclosed IR
Tyson Alualu pit ankle IR
Jordan Willis SF suspension
Darrell Taylor SEA ankle
Pat O’Connor TB calf
Sam Renner TB undisclosed
James Smith-Williams WAS toe
Jalen Jelks WAS undisclosed IR
DT
Jordan Phillips ARI undisclosed IR
Xavier Williams ARI undisclosed
Jack Crawford ARI undisclosed IR
Deadrin Senat ATL undisclosed IR
Xavier Kelly BAL Achilles IR
Malik McDowell CLE elbow
Malik Jackson CLE knee
Neville Gallimore DAL elbow IR
Trysten Hill DAL knee-ACL IR
Mike Purcell DEN back
Kevin Strong DET concussion IR
Ross Blackock HOU illness IR-COVID
Vincent Taylor HOU ankle IR
Rob Windsor IND hip IR
Johnathan Hankins LV hip
Quinton Jefferson LV back
Gerald McCoy LV knee IR
Justin Jones LAC calf IR
Michael Pierce MIN elbow
Jaylen Twyman MIN pelvis
Byron Cowart NE undisclosed PUP
Jalen Dalton NO triceps IR
David Onyemata NO suspension (out until Week 8)
Carlos Davis PIT knee
Kevin Givens SF ankle IR
Marcus Webb SEA undisclosed IR
Sam Renner TB undisclosed
Larrell Murchison TEN elbow IR
Trevon Coley TEN foot IR
Jonathan Allen WAS knee
Defensive Backs
S
Charles Washington ARI hamstring IR
Erik Harris ATL calf
Geno Stone BAL thigh
DeShon Elliott BAL quadriceps
Khalil Dorsey BAL undisclosed IR
Myles Hartsfield CAR wrist IR
Damontae Kazee DAL hip
Donovan Wilson DAL groin
Kareem Jackson DEN back
Mike Ford DEN leg
Essang Bassey DEN knee-ACL PUP
Duke Dawson DEN knee-ACL/MCL PUP
Corey Ballentine DET hamstring
Vernon Scott GB knee
Andrew Sendejo IND concussion
T.J. Carrie IND undisclosed IR
Brandon Facyson LV hip
Dallin Leavitt LV knee
Roderick Teamer LV ankle
Nasir Adderley LAC hip
Darious Williams LAR ankle IR
Dayan Ohanwoloku LAR undisclosed
Jonathan Jones NE ankle
Cody Davis NE knee
Kyle Dugger NE hamstring
Joshuah Bledsoe NE wrist
Logan Ryan NYG hip
Nate Ebner NYG quadriceps
Jabrill Peppers NYG hamstring
Joshua Kalu NYG pectoral IR
Marcus Maye NYJ ankle
Adrian Colbert NYJ concussion
Lamarcus Joyner triceps IR
Nathan Meadors PHI hamstring
K’Von Wallace PHI shoulder-AC joint IR
K’Waun Williams SF calf
Jason Verrett SF knee-ACL IR
Tarvarius Moore SF Achilles PUP
Nigel Warrior SEA knee IR
Antoine Winfield Jr. TB concussion
Curtis Riley TB Achilles IR
Amani Hooker TEN foot IR
Brady Breeze TEN ankle IR
Maurice Smith TEN undisclosed
Darrick Forrest WAS hamstring IR
CB
Marco Wilson ARI ribs
Byron Murphy ARI ribs
Avery Williams ATL hamstring
Isaiah Oliver ATL knee
Chris Westry BAL knee-Meniscus IR
Marcus Peters BAL knee-ACL IR
Iman Marshall BAL knee IR
Stephon Gilmore CAR quadriceps PUP
Juston Burris CAR groin IR
Jaycee Horn CAR foot IR
Troy Pride CAR knee-ACL IR
Darius Phillips CIN illness
Trae Waynes CIN hamstring IR
A.J. Green CLE shoulder
M.J. Stewart CLE hamstring IR
Greg Newsome II CLE calf
Greedy Williams CLE shoulder
Denzel Ward CLE neck
Kelvin Joseph DAL groin IR
Trevon Diggs DAL ankle
Reggie Robinson II DAL toe IR
Michael Ojemudia DEN hamstring IR
Amani Oruwariye DET hip
Ifeatu Melifonwu DET thigh IR
Jeff Okudah DET Achilles IR
Kevin King GB shoulder
Jaire Alexander GB shoulder-AC joint IR
Will Redmond GB toe IR
Rock Ya-Sin IND ankle
Xavier Rhodes IND concussion
Tyson Campbell JAX toe
Charvarius Ward KC quadriceps
Damon Arnette LV groin IR
Trayvon Mullen LV toe IR
Xavier Howard MIA shoulder
Byron Jones MIA Achilles
Harrison Hand MIN undisclosed IR-COVID
Cameron Dantzler MIN illness IR-COVID
Jalen Mills NE hamstring
Shaun Wade NE concussion
Keith Washington NO wrist
Ken Crawley NO hamstring IR
RoDarius Williams NYG knee-ACL
Aaron Robinson NYG abdomen PUP
Quincy Wilson NYG ankle IR
Zane Lewis NYJ knee-MCL IR
DeMarkus Acy PIT knee-ACL IR
Tre Brown SEA knee IR
Carlton Davis TB quadriceps IR
Sean Murphy-Bunting TB elbow IR
Kristian Fulton TEN hamstring
Greg Mabin TEN undisclosed
Darryl Roberts WAS quadriceps IR
Greg Stroman WAS undisclosed
Tony McTyer WAS knee-ACL IR
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, you can also send a message to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a personal response from the writer of this article. Naturally, the more detail you can send about your league, such as number of teams, platform you play in (Yahoo, ESPN, etc.), scoring and roster system, the better the ability to provide accurate advice.