This is it, Championship Week for Fantasy Football! And if it is not for your league, here is a suggestion: Change your settings and stop using Week 17 for your championship (unless you combine results for Weeks 16 and 17, then maybe it is agreeable). Off the soapbox, now, and on to the profiles of those IDP that can potentially bring home the trophy for you.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Jerome Baker MIA
Baker returns to the IDP Report, as he was featured here way back in Week 3. He has been an every down LB on a team that finds itself playing a huge number of snaps on defense every week. He leads his team in total tackles (TT) with 105 on the season, an average of 7.6 per contest. In Week 15, he collected another 12 TT (six solo) along with an INT and pass deflection (PD). He is just 22 years old and could be a building block for the Dolphins as well as his fantasy owners.
Kamalei Correa TEN
With a sack in the last game against the visiting Texans, he now has one in each of the past three contests he has participated in, despite playing in about half of the defensive snaps. He also contributed four solo tackles in Week 15, one for a loss of yards (TFL) and also picked up a QB hit/hurry (QH).
Ryan Anderson WAS
Anderson saw an uptick in playing time (PT) last week, with Ryan Kerrigan going down with an injury that has landed him on the IR. He responded with a big effort, gathering two sacks to go with his five TT (four solo, one TFL). He also padded the big play portion of his stat sheet with a pair of QH and three forced fumbles (FF). He has a great matchup in store this week, facing the leading team in terms of allowing fantasy production to opposing LBs, the Giants at home.
Mack Wilson CLE
Wilson has been increasing his tackle effort of late, and is coming off a seven TT game (six solo), where he also picked up an INT and a PD. Once Christian Kirk sey hit the IR after Week 2, he has been an every down LB along with Joe Schobert , who generally gets most of the press for his defensive prowess. Wilson is quietly increasing his utility, though, and is available on most waiver wires.
Austin Calitro JAX
Jacksonville is not an inspiring NFL team, by any measure, but injuries to a slew of LBs on the Jag defense has made Calitro a starter for the nonce. He collected 11 TT in Week 15’s tilt against the Raiders on the road, and also was credited with a sack. Not the most skilled LB available, his opportunity makes him a valuable asset for the playoffs in fantasy.
Defensive Linemen
Yannick Ngakoue DE JAX
Continuing the theme of Jaguar IDPs, Ngakoue seems to like to collect his sacks in groups, with three two sack games in the five contests where he has gotten to the opposing QB. He has a decent matchup in Week 16 with the Falcons hosting the Jags, and he will look to build on his prior week’s big stat line: five solos (four TFL), two QH and PD to go with his pair of sacks.
Montez Sweat DE/LB WAS
Sweat has dual eligibility in Yahoo leagues, but is limited to LB in the ESPN platform, reducing his IDP value in those leagues. He gets to face a less than mobile QB in Eli Manning , and that could help him add to his five sacks on the season.
Kenny Clark DT GB
Clark has stepped up his pressure on opposing QBs, gathering 3.5 sacks over the past two games, including two in Week 15. He also had eight TT in that contest against the visiting Bears (six solo, three TFL) with a QH as well. This coming week he has a great matchup against the Vikings, the third most generous offense in allowing points to opposing DTs.
Defensive Backs
Marcell Harris S SF
Harris is now the starting strong safety for the 49er defense, with Jaquisky Tartt sidelined due to a rib injury, as indicated in the injury report below. He should continue to put up strong results in the San Fran defensive scheme.
Terrell Edmunds S PIT
Edmunds is an inconsistent IDP, putting up excellent weeks and following those with virtual disappearances from the stat sheet. The Week 16 opponent ranks one slot after his Week 15 matchup, so perhaps another week of big production could be on tap. High upside is possible, but be wary of the potential for a bust in fantasy production, too.
Marlon Humphrey CB BAL
On the other side of the coin, Humphrey has been remarkably consistent this season in the Raven defensive backfield. He is coming off a four-solo effort against the Jets at home where he also racked up two PDs. The Browns are just one slot removed from a top-five matchup for opposing CBs, so if you need a CB, look no further than the widely-available Humphrey.
Sam Beal CB NYG
Beal takes over a starting role, with Janoris Jenkins being waived by the Giants. He had a fine breakout with 11 TT (eight solo, one TFL) and a PD. His matchup is not as favorable as Humphrey, but he has been productive when playing a majority of the snaps on defense, so there is that to consider.
Danny Johnson CB WAS
The Washington CB led his team with 10 TT in what seemed a poor matchup against a depleted receiving corps on the Eagles (nine solo) last week. He now gets to face the Giants at home in Week 16, a similar ranked opponent.
TreDavious White CB BUF
White flashed good pass defensive skills in Week 15’s game against the host Steelers, deflecting a pair of passes and picking off two passes. He also had four TT (three solo, one TFL) giving him value in both tackle-oriented and big play leagues. His Week 16 opponent, New England, is ranked seventh in fantasy points by opposing CBs through the first 15 weeks of the season.
Jourdan Lewis CB DAL
Lewis has been getting the job done lately, averaging six TT per contest over the past three weeks, 12 of those being of the solo variety. He has also collected three sacks and a trio of PD over that stretch, too. The Philly offense is a top-ten opponent for cornerbacks to date, a point to keep in mind if you are looking for a replacement CB.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Kyle Van Noy NE
The Patriots’ starting right outside LB continues to see plenty of PT, but his production for fantasy owners is underwhelming. Outside of big-play potential, he is likely to disappoint if you employ him in your starting IDP lineup.
Defensive Linemen
Henry Anderson DE NYJ
Anderson showed an ability to get to the QB last season with seven sacks, but has just one to his credit this season, reducing the supposed pass rushing defensive end’s value tremendously. This week’s opponent, the Steelers, are a poor matchup, a point working against him as the fantasy playoffs proceed.
Defensive Backs
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix S CHI
The former Packer DB managed just one solo tackle against his former team in Week 15. He also has not provided much in the way of big-play value, with zero sacks this season and no PD since he collected a pair in Week 3. The move to the Windy City has not paid dividends for the safety or his fantasy owners in 2019.
Jalen Ramsey CB LAR
Ramsey has cooled off significantly since he was initially traded to the Rams from the Jags, with just five TT over the past three games (all solo) and no big plays whatsoever. Coupled with his time out of the lineup prior to the trade, he has been a general disappointment over this season.
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 Colts, but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Ravens or a Saint DL that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
New York Giants @ Washington
Carolina Panthers @ Indianapolis
Cleveland Browns vs Baltimore
Defensive Ends
Carolina Panthers @ Indianapolis
Tennessee Titans vs New Orleans
New York Jets vs Pittsburgh
Defensive Tackles
Tennessee Titans vs New Orleans
Miami Dolphins vs Cincinnati
Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay
Safeties
Atlanta Falcons vs Jacksonville
Los Angeles Chargers vs Oakland
Chicago Bears vs Kansas City
New York Giants @ Washington
Cornerbacks
Cincinnati Bengals @ Miami
Miami Dolphins vs Cincinnati
Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Houston
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco
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. 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
Jerome Baker MIA
Kamalei Correa TEN
Ryan Anderson WAS
Mack Wilson CLE
Austin Calitro JAX
Defensive Linemen
Yannick Ngakoue DE JAX
Montez Sweat DE/LB WAS
Kenny Clark DT GB
Defensive Backs
Marcell Harris S SF
Terrell Edmunds S PIT
Marlon Humphrey CB BAL
Sam Beal CB NYG
Danny Johnson CB WAS
TreDavious White CB BUF
Jourdan Lewis DB DAL
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 prior to Saturday’s games, but should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
Tanner Vallejo ARI ribs IR
Richie Brown ATL undisclosed
Chris Board BAL concussion
Shaq Green-Thompson CAR ankle
Danny Trevathan CHI elbow IR
Roquan Smith CHI pectoral IR
Leighton Vander Esch DAL neck
Luke Gifford DAL arm IR
Joe Thomas DAL ankle
Christian Jones DET shoulder
Devon Kennard DET hamstring
Jarrad Davis DET ankle IR
Blake Martinez GB hand
Brennan Scarlett HOU Achilles
Jake Martin HOU knee
Bernardrick McKinney HOU concussion
Quincy Williams JAX hand IR
Jake Ryan JAX hamstring IR
Myles Jack JAX knee IR
Raekwon McMillan MIA hamstring IR
Ja’Whaun Bentley NE knee
Jamie Collins NE shoulder
Kiko Alonso NO thigh
Chris Peace NYG knee IR
Marquel Lee OAK toe
Kamu Grugier-Hill PHI back IR
Mychal Kendricks SEA hamstring
Ryan Kerrigan WAS calf IR
Defensive Linemen
DE
Takkarist McKinley ATL shoulder IR
Marquis Haynes CAR knee
Olivier Vernon CLE knee
Dre’Mont Jones DEN ankle
Adam Gotsis DEN knee
DeMarcus Walker DEN ankle
Mike Daniels DET arm IR
Da’Shawn Hand DET ankle IR
Dean Lowry GB ankle
Alex Okafor KC pectoral IR
Taco Charlton MIA ankle
Zach Sieler MIA ankle
Marcus Davenport NO foot IR
Henry Anderson NYJ shoulder
John Franklin-Myers NYJ undisclosed IR
Derek Barnett PHI ankle
Dee Ford SF hamstring
Jadeveon Clowney SEA groin
DT
Caraun Reid ARI knee
Rodney Gunter ARI toe IR
Corey Liuget BUF knee
Vernon Butler CAR illness
Akiem Hicks CHI elbow
Renell Wren CIN hip IR
Sheldon Richardson CLE back
A’Shawn Robinson DET shoulder
Denico Autry IND concussion
Gerald Willis MIA hip IR
Sheldon Rankins NO ankle IR
Quinnen Williams NYJ neck
Steve McClendon NYJ knee
Jullian Taylor SF elbow
D.J. Jones SF ankle IR
Al Woods SEA suspension
Beau Allen TB ankle
Jeffrey Simmons TEN knee
Defensive Backs
S
Eric Murray CLE knee
Robert Jackson CLE ankle IR
C.J. Goodwin DAL thumb
Jahleel Addae HOU Achilles
Rolan Milligan IND foot IR
Malik Hooker IND hand
Ken Webster MIA ankle IR
Jayron Kearse MIN toe
Saquan Hampton NO undisclosed IR
Vonn Bell NO knee
Patrick Robinson NO calf
Johnson Bademosi NO foot IR
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson NO concussion
Jabrill Peppers NYG back IR
Jamal Adams NYJ ankle
Jaquiski Tartt SF ribs
Quandre Diggs SEA ankle
Neiko Thorpe SEA sports hernia IR
Jordan Whitehead TB hamstring IR
Landon Collins WAS Achilles
Deshazor Everett WAS shoulder IR
CB
Kevin Peterson ARI shoulder IR
Desmond Trufant ATL forearm IR
Taveze Calhoun ATL undisclosed
Prince Anukamara CHI hamstring
Kenny Moore IND ankle
Quincy Wilson IND shoulder
Morris Claiborne KC shoulder
Troy Hill LAR thumb
Ryan Lewis MIA hamstring IR
Jason McCourty NE groin
Jonathan Jones NE groin
Arthur Maulet NYJ calf
Brian Poole NYJ concussion
Kyron Brown NYJ quadriceps IR
Avonte Maddox PHI knee
Shaquill Griffin SEA hamstring
Adoree’ Jackson TEN foot
Jimmy Moreland WAS foot IR
Quinton Dunbar WAS hamstring
Fabian Moreau WAS hamstring
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. FANation Chat is now live on the site, to help you work through your fantasy football dilemmas. Or 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.