Taking a look at the NFL Week 15 from a IDP perspective; notes on what our writer @Orangeman3142 saw this weekend.
It's playoff time which means no more bye weeks, no more short term guys and far fewer spot starts. You dance with the girl that you brought with you. The analysis series I've done all year is pretty much done, at this point we all know who we're playing during playoffs and the only questions left are basically start or sit type stuff. I'll still be putting that weekly start or sit article out this Sunday morning and we'll be doing the weekly start or sit live show on Twitter and Periscope with Gary Van Dyke, Sam Lane, myself and Joe Haggan this week at 11am Eastern time. That's a great place to go for last minute questions for your lineup, we cover inactives on that show also. This weeks instant reaction series is going to be very short since there aren't a ton of new developments and my new job is eating up any time I have free besides that. So let's get into it.
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
Seahawks:Â New weakside linebacker Austin Calitro (LB) playing for the injured KJ Wright (LB) and Mychal Kendricks (LB) led the Hawks this week in IDP production, he's a nice addition if you need linebacker help in the title game this week. Bobby Wagner (LB) had a decent day and remains a tier one auto start. Frank Clark (DE) also had an excellent game and has been awesome all season, keep playing him as a tier one defensive end. Bradley McDougald (S) got hurt in this one and is doubtful for this week, he's had a great season overall though and will be back next year. Jarran Reed (DT) had a terrific game and is a solid tier two defensive tackle. There are others but none should be an option for the title games this week.
49ers:Â Deforest Buckner (DT) had a monster game this week and has been a top five defensive tackle all season and is a weekly auto start. Elijah Lee (LB) has cemented the WLB role and has been startable the last couple weeks, plug him in if you need linebacker help this week. Fred Warner (LB) had a nice game as well and has had a nice rookie season, if you have him as a linebacker two or three you're looking good. Antone Exum (S) has been decent while Jaquiski Tartt (S) has been injured and out but with Tartt due back anytime I would find another option if you need safety help this week. Richard Sherman (CB) had only 3 combined tackles and is better at talking behind a podium than playing football. Solomon Thomas (DE) was a nice short term option this season but you're in deep trouble if you have to play him this week.
New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Patriots:Â Trey Flowers (DE) had an off game this week but has been an end of tier one option at defensive end all season and is the only Patriots IDP option I trust weekly. Devin McCourty (S) and Patrick Chung (S) are spotty hit or miss safety options that you could play, I just wouldn't recommend it. Kyle Van Noy (LB) saved his day with a sack and is playable as a linebacker two but ideally three or four. Everyone else is far too inconsistent to even consider.
Steelers:Â Terrel Edmunds (S) and Sean Davis (S) are decent options at safety on this team and both had serviceable games this week, ideally you would have them as a safety two or better yet three or four in deeper leagues. Cameron Heyward (DT) had a serviceable game and is the best IDP option on this team in my opinion, he's a solid tier two defensive tackle. TJ Watt (LB, EDGE) had a sack to save his day but did nothing besides that, he's a massive boom or bust risk to play in anything other than a specific OLB or EDGE slot.
Jon Bostic (LB) and Vince Williams (LB) both had god awful weeks and LJ Fort (LB) was nowhere to be seen, Steelers linebackers in general are spotty and generally unreliable. Joe Haden (CB) had a massive game but hasn't been mentioned by me this season cause his production is usually garbage, while there is usually a Steelers corner with tier one production every week it's always a different guy so it's too big a risk to roll the dice on any of them.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Chargers
Eagles:Â Malcolm Jenkins (S) and Nigel Bradham (LB) both had monster games this week and have been terrific all season, continue to play Jenkins as a rock solid end of tier one safety and Bradham as a solid linebacker two. Fletcher Cox (DT) had a great game this week and has been a top ten IDP defensive tackle all season, he remains an auto start. Jordan Hicks (LB) becomes an end of tier one option at linebacker if he's healthy this week but besides that, while there are other guys I've talked about this season, none of them should be played in a title game scenario.
Rams:Â John Johnson (S) had another monster game and remains a top ten option at IDP safety and an auto start going forward, same thing with Cory Littleton (LB) at linebacker. N'Damakong Suh (DT) had a nice game and remains a tier one option at defensive tackle. Aaron Donald (DE) had an off game but we all know what he's capable of so you need to keep plugging him in. There are also many other IDP relevant guys on this squad as well but they shouldn't be considered unless in super deep leagues and by this point if you're playing Marc Barron (LB) or Micheal Brockers (DE) you know who they are and what they are capable of and their limitations. If you're playing guys that deep down the waiver wire you're swimming with the big fish and don't need my advice this week.
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
Saints:Â Demario Davis (LB) and Vonn Bell (S) both had monster games this week but Davis remains a spotty tier two guy overall and for Bell that was only his third excellent game this season, the majority of them have been either just serviceable or pretty crappy, plan accordingly. Cameron Jordan (DE) didn't have a sack this week but had five combined tackles so his production was still serviceable, he remains a tier one auto start weekly. Sheldon Rankins (DT) had a down week but is still a solid tier two defensive tackle.
Marcus Davenport (DE) has been rusty since returning from injury and is still mostly a futures prospect in dynasty unless in a super deep league. Eli Apple (CB) has been awesome since joining the Saints and is a terrific streamer against teams that throw the ball well. Marcus Williams (S) had a serviceable game but is still just a tier two safety like he has been all season.
Panthers:Â Both Luke Kuechly (LB) and Thomas Davis (LB) had monster games and remain tier one and two auto starts respectively going forward. Eric Reid (S) had a terrific game as well and has been an absolute stud off the waiver wire this season, play him as an end of tier one safety in the title game. James Bradberry (CB) and Captain Munnerlyn (CB) have been two great streamers at corner when the matchup is correct, and it will be this week with the Falcons on the schedule, play either for a good shot at excellent corner production.
Mike Adams (S) had a serviceable game and is still best used as an end of tier two safety. Kawan Short (DT) had a serviceable game and has been a tier one option at defensive tackle all season so keep plugging him in as well.
Good luck in all your title games this week and remember to trust your gut, after all a good portion of all this comes down to luck. No one has a crystal ball and I'd rather trust myself and my instincts and lose than listen to something I don't agree with and kick myself afterwards. Thank you all for reading this series all season, it will be back again next year. Those of you that have read these all year have consumed literally tens of thousands of words of IDP information and I hope it's helped all of you get ahead of your leaguemates when it came to the next rising IDP stud. See you all next season.
Keep an eye out for my weekly start or sit article dropping Sunday and catch our weekly start or sit periscope live show this Sunday @ 11AM Eastern.
If you have any questions or need some advice feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@OrangeMan3142) or use the "Contact Us" box on our website (idpguys.org) to reach us. Our team of writers has over 100 combined years of experience in IDP fantasy football and we are always accessible and transparent with both our hits and misses.
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