Hopefully, you are still playing to win your league. It is time to bolster your lineup, and deal with the problems that late season injuries bring about by adding IDP that are heating up, either through increased playing time (injury replacements) or just getting hot at the right time. Not so many options available on the wire with regard to defensive linesmen, but plenty of defensive backs to target and a nice group of linebackers to consider as well. Plus, all should be available in most leagues as free agents.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Jatavis Brown LAC
Robert Quinn LAR
Preston Brown BUF
Nick Kwaitkoski CHI
Brown took advantage of an injury to denzel Perryman in Week 15, being credited with eight total tackles (seven solo) against the Chiefs in Kansas City. If Perryman misses action in Week 16, look for him to continue to provide tackle goodness for another week.
Quinn picked up a pair of sacks last week against the Seahawks, as well as two solo tackles, one for a loss of yards (TFL). He also added a quarterback hit (QH) and forced a fumble to fill out his stat line. The Titans are on deck and have yielded the seventh most fantasy points to linebackers through Week 15.
The second Brown on the list this week is heading to a stadium where the stat crew is generous when it comes to crediting tackles. Brown has racked up 47 tackles over his last five games, including 10 combined tackles against Miami in Week 15 (seven solo), so look for him to continue producing this coming week.
Kwiatkoskibroke out against the Lions on the road, racking up eight combined tackles (six solo) in Week 15 and seeing significant snaps on defense. He has a great matchup in Week 16 against the Browns, who yield the fourth most points to opposing LBs though Week 15.
IDPs to consider that have been previously profiled: Antonio Morrison IND (Weeks 7 & 8), Lamarr Houston CHI (Week 14), Matt JudonLB/DE BAL (Week 6), Zach Vigil WAS (Week 15), Wesley Woodyard TEN (Week 4), Ruben Foster SF (Week 10), Brian Cushing HOU (Week 14), Kendell Beckwith TB (Weeks 4 & 5)
Defensive Linemen
Ryan Davis DE BUF
Anthony Lanier II DE WAS
Lawrence Guy DT NE
Davis is in a time-share at defensive end in Buffalo, but even with limited playing time, snagged six total tackles (four solo, two TFL), a sack and a QH against Miami in Week 15. He has picked up a sack in each of his last two games, and will look to continue that trend against the Patriots this coming week.
Lanier has picked up five sacks over the past four games, and gets to face the Broncos at home this coming week, a team that has had its troubles protecting whoever is under center for them. He is not much in the tackle department, but in big play leagues he has tremendous value.
Guy is someone to target if you need to start a DT in your league. He is coming off a seven combined tackle effort in Pittsburgh (four sol, one TFL), with a sack and QH to pad his numbers. His Week 16 opponent, Buffalo, ranks sixth in terms of points allowed to DTs.
IDPs to consider that have been previously profiled: Calais Campbell DE JAX (Week 2), Geno Atkins DT CIN (Week 2), DeForest Buckner DT SF (Week 4), Trey Flowers DE NE (Week 2), Kenny Clark DT GB (Week 14)
Defensive Backs
Eddie Jackson S CHI
Marcus Maye S NYJ
Andrew Adams S NYG
Adrian Phillips S LAC
Darius Slay CB DET
Marcus Peters DB KC
Xavien Howard CB MIA
James Bradberry CB CAR
Ronald Darby CB PHI
Leonard Johnson CB BUF
Jackson led the Bears in tackles with eight total in Week 15 (seven solo). Facing the Browns this coming week should allow him to continue his dominance in the Chicago defensive backfield.
Maye is severely under owned for a player that is averaging better than five tackles per game this season. Granted, the Chargers are not a great matchup for Week 16, but it is difficult to ignore his steady production.
Adams value is dependent upon the absence of Landon Collins from the Giant defensive backfield. With the Giants out of the playoff picture, it is possible that the team will just shut down Collins, and that makes Adams worth consideration against the Cardinals, known for their generosity to opposing safeties in terms of points allowed (ranked 3rd through Week 15).
Phillipshas been playing at linebacker instead of safety for the Chargers, and looks to continue that trend with Denzel Perryman likely out of action in Week 16. He racked up eight solos against the Chiefs and will look to continue that production against the Jets in Week 16, admittedly a tougher matchup.
Slayseemed destined to leave the Week 15 contest against the Bears, but only missed three snaps on defense. He had a pair of interceptions in the game, with three passes defended (PD) and five solo tackles. The Lions will be fighting for their playoff hopes against a reeling Bengal team this coming week.
Petershad a great game, coming off a suspension by the Chiefs in Week 14, with two INT, three PD, a forced fumble and three solo tackles. He has an excellent matchup against a top-10 team in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing cornerbacks in the Dolphins in Week 16.
Speaking of the Dolphins, Howard has finally been coming on as a second year player as the season progresses, picking up four solo tackles in Week 15 (two TFL), with a sack and a QH against the host Bills. The Chiefs will be a tougher test for him, as they are the best through Week 15 at limiting opposing cornerback production, so use caution if you are going to rely on him to win your championship.
Bradberryhas been playing at another gear the past three weeks, with 19 combined tackles (12 solo), and four PD over that period as well. His Week 16 opponent (Tampa Bay) is a top-10 team as far as opposing cornerback points are concerned.
Darbyhas been racking up more than his fair share of solo tackles the past five games since returning from an ankle injury in Week 11 with 26 solo tackles, five PD and a pair of INT. Oakland is a middle of the pack team when it comes to allowing opposing cornerbacks to pick up fantasy points, though, but do not discount his abilities to provide well-rounded production as a CB.
Johnsonwould be a nice play in Week 16 if E.J. Gaines cannot take the field. Look for the Patriot offense to target him, providing him with ample tackle opportunities. He collected eight solos in Week 15 against the Dolphins, and as noted above in the discussion of linebacker Preston Brown, the New England stat crew is willing to credit plenty of tackles to defensive players.
IDPs to consider that have been previously profiled: Eli Apple CB NYG (Week 6), Jeff Heath S DAL (Week 15), Bradley McDougald S SEA (Week 15), Sean Davis S PIT (Week 6), Johnathan Cyprien S TEN (Week 12), Quandre Diggs CB DET (Week 14)
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Lawrence Timmons MIA
Timmons is losing out on snaps to younger players as Miami looks to see what the other linebackers on the roster can do for them going forward. With his snap count being reduced, his tackle numbers are hurting the past couple of weeks, and that looks to be the trend as the season winds down.
Defensive Linemen
Chris McCain DE LAC
McCain has collected just three solo tackles over the past five games he has played, and has not had a sack credited to him since Week 7. That dearth of production should tell you to drop him if you have him on your bench for someone likely to provide better stats.
Defensive Backs
Harrison Smith S MIN
Vonn Bell S NO
Smith has seen his value decline drastically since Week 10, with just 12 total tackles over the past five weeks, and limited big plays. The Minnesota defense has been dominant, and playing free safety limits his potential for picking up tackles or big plays. Not that he is a bad player, just one that is providing limited production when it matters most in fantasy.
Bell has been hit or miss this season, and it has been mostly miss the past three weeks. His usage on defense is primarily as a dime back, which limits his potential to put up tackle numbers, although the Falcons are on deck for Week 16, a team that is ranked eighth in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing safeties, so there is some hope he can break out of his funk. Do you feel lucky?
Matchups to Exploit
Remember, the second team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Ravens, but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Jacksonville or San Francisco (who play one another in Week 16, coincidentally) or a DL on Pittsburgh that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
Jacksonville @ San Francisco
Indianapolis @ Baltimore
San Francisco v Jacksonville
Chicago v Cleveland
New England v Buffalo
Defensive Ends
Pittsburgh @ Houston
New York Giants @ Arizona
Washington v Denver
Baltimore v Indianapolis
Defensive Tackles
Denver @ Washington
Tampa Bay @ Carolina
Pittsburgh @ Houston
Los Angeles Chargers @ New York Jets
Safeties
Kansas City v Miami
Buffalo @ New England
New York Giants @ Arizona
Cornerbacks
Houston v Pittsburgh
Washington v Denver
Chicago v Cleveland
Dallas v Seattle
Cincinnati v Detroit
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 commented on are necessarily 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
Jatavis Brown LAC
Robert Quinn LAR
Preston Brown BUF
Nick Kwaitkoski CHI
Defensive Linesmen
Ryan Davis DE BUF
Anthony Lanier II DE WAS
Lawrence Guy DT NE
Defensive Backs
Eddie Jackson S CHI
Marcus Maye S NYJ
Andrew Adams S NYG
Adrian Phillips S LAC
Darius Slay CB DET
Marcus Peters DB KC
Xavien Howard CB MIA
James Bradberry CB CAR
Ronald Darby CB PHI
Leonard 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
Josh Bynes ARI ankle
Karlos Dansby ARI calf
Gabe Martin ARI hamstring
Shaq Thompson CAR foot
Pernell McPhee CHI shoulder
Nick Vigil CIN ankle
Vincent Rey CIN jaw
Vontaze Burfict CIN concussion
Jordan Evans CIN forearm
Justin Durant DAL concussion
Ahmad Brooks GB back
Vince Biegel GB groin
Nick Perry GB ankle
Jelani Jenkins HOU concussion
Kevin Pierre-Louis KC shoulder
Denzel Perryman LAC hamstring
Mark Barron LAR knee
Brandon Watts MIA back
Ben Gedeon MIN ankle
Kyle Van Noy NE calf
J.T. Thomas NYG groin
B.J. Goodson NYG ankle
Corey Lemonier NYJ foot
K.J. Wright SEA concussion
Bobby Wagner SEA hamstring
K.J. Alexander SEA concussion
Lavonte David TB hamstring
Devante Bond TB neck
Derrick Morgan TEN knee
Zach Brown WAS Achilles
Ryan Anderson WAS knee
Defensive Linemen
DE
Josh Mauro ARI ankle
Robert Nkemdiche ARI wrist
Carl Davis BAL leg
Jarvis Jenkins KC elbow
Andre Branch MIA knee
Trey Henderson NO ankle
Leonard Williams NYJ concussion
Mario Edwards OAK ankle
Treyvon Hester OAK ankle
Robert Ayers TB neck
DT
Andrew Billings CIN leg
Anthony Hitchens DAL knee
David Irving DAL concussion
Quinton Dial GB chest
Corey Liuget LAC knee
Alan Branch NE knee
Corbin Bryant NYG elbow
Nazair Jones SEA ankle
Gerald McCoy TB biceps
Terrell McClain WAS toe
Defensive Backs
S
Anthony Levine BAL thigh
Chris Prosinski CHI concussion
Adrian Amos CHI hamstring
George IlokaCIN shoulder
Ed Reynolds CLE knee
Peyton Thompson JAX foot
T.J. McDonald MIA shoulder
Michael Thomas MIA knee
Andrew Sendejo MIN ankle
Nat BerheNYG hamstring
Landon Collins NYG ankle
Adrian Colbert SF concussion
CB
E.J. Gaines BUF knee
Dre Kirkpatrick CIN concussion
BrieanBoddy-Calhoun CLE knee
Orlando Scandrick DAL back
Davon House GB shoulder
Demetri Goodson GB hamstring
Chris Culliver IND undisclosed
Rashaan Melvin IND hand
Condrea Tankersley MIA ankle
Mackensie Alexander MIN ribs
Tramaine Brock MIN foot
David Amerson OAK foot
Patrick Robinson PHI concussion
Joe Haden PIT upper leg
Justin Coleman SEA chest
Greg Mabin SF calf
Vernon Hargreaves TB hamstring
Logan Ryan TEN ankle
Bashaud Breeland WAS shoulder
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.