Who are some names to know in your IDP leagues after a wild Week 16? Let’s take a look at a list of players who make for potential waiver wire Week 17 additions to your IDP squads.
It's Championship Week! The fantasy playoffs have been beyond challenging with the number of injuries and players hitting the Covid list. If you made it to the big game, I send you the biggest of hat tips on a job well done. Hopefull the final week of waiver wire pickups treats you kindly!
We still have one more game to cap this week off as the Miami Dolphins take on the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. The waiver wire Week 17 IDP article was written before the conclusion of that game, so unfortunately it doesn’t include those players. Now it’s time to dive into some potential waiver wire Week 17 IDP additions!
Disclaimer: All league sizes and formats are different. Meaning some of these players may or may not be available in your league. Each week I’ll be doing my best to cover a wide enough base of scenarios. If you ever have any league-specific questions, I’m always willing to help and so is our fantastic team here at IDP Guys.
Linebackers
Troy Reeder, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Week 16 Stats: 6 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended
Troy Reeder saw his role grow this week after rookie standout Ernest Jones was forced out of this week's game with an ankle injury. Reeder had been playing second fiddle to Jones in recent weeks but was heavily relied upon after Jones' exit. Leading all off-ball linebackers, Reeder played 54 defensive snaps (86%) which were his highest total since Week 12.
Right now, Jones' ankle injury is being balled "week-to-week". If Jones were to be unable to go this week, Reeder would likely step in as the main man for the Rams. If you're looking for linebacker help, Reeder is a solid waiver wire add with a potential boosted role again this week. Just make sure you monitor Jones' status as the game approaches.
*Ernest Jones was placed on IR after the writing of this article and will be out the rest of the regular season. It should be wheels up for Reeder this week with Jones out.
E.J. Speed, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Week 16 Stats: 9 tackles (8 solos), 1 pass defended
With Darius Leonard out this week on the Covid list, it was E.J. Speed who stepped in next to Bobby Okereke. Speed had seen very little time on defense to date but played all 65 defensive snaps this week with Leonard out. Capitalizing on his first start of the season, Speed turned in a team-high nine tackles (8 solos) on Sunday. Well done good sir, well done indeed.
If Leonard is unable to clear protocols before this week's game, Speed would once again be called upon to step up. Speed is worth a waiver wire addition for all IDP managers but is definitely a priority pickup for Leonard managers. I expect Leonard's status to be heavily covered this week and make sure you check our IDP injury report to keep you up to date.
Kevin Minter, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 16 Stats: 5 tackles (4 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 QB hit
With fellow linebacker Lavonte David recently placed on IR with a foot injury, Kevin Minter was thrust back into a starting role. Minter had filled in for David earlier this year but went back to his reserve role when he returned. In Week 16, Minter played 49 defensive snaps (70%) and would have likely seen a few more reps if the game had been more competitive. With David out the rest of the regular season, Minter will start again this week and is worth an add in deeper leagues.
Robert Spillane, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 16 Stats: 13 tackles (5 solos)
The Steelers turned to Robert Spillane this week with Devin Bush placed on the Covid list. Spillane played a season-high 66 defensive snaps (96%) and his 13 tackles (5 solos) paced the team. With the Steelers playing Monday night this week, IDP managers relying on Bush should grab Spillane as a backup plan. In deeper leagues where the waiver wire is bare, Spillane is someone to scoop up in case you have to roll the dice at the position this week.
Defensive Line/Edge
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 16 Stats: 1 QB hit
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka got his fourth start of the year this week with Jason Pierre-Paul out with a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay’s pass-rushing unit suffered another loss this week as Shaquil Barrett is reportedly out for the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. Even if Pierre-Paul does return, Tryon-Shoyinka will be leaned on with Barrett now out.
While Tryon-Shoyinka didn’t put up much in the stat column this week, he did see a promising snap share playing 52 snaps (74%). Tryon-Shoyinka definitely has game and has flashed it at times during his rookie season. He also has an enticing upcoming matchup against a weak Jets offensive line that has surrendered 43 sacks on the season. I expect a similar snap share this week for Tryon-Shoyinka and also expect it to yield some better results for us IDP degenerates.
Samson Ebukam, Edge, San Francisco 49ers
Week 16 Stats: 4 tackles (3 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits
Samson Ebukam has quietly been putting up some nice production lately. Over his past two games, Ebukam has amassed an impressive seven tackles (6 solos), two tackles for loss, two and a half sacks, and four quarterback hits. Ebukam will look to stay hot in Week 17 against a beatable Houston offensive line.
Ebukam holds a 50% snap share on the season and has exceeded that number in each of the last six games. Starting the last nine games in a row, his role looks solid and consistent for the 49er defense. If you're looking for Edge/DL help and Ebukam is available, he's worth a look off the waiver wire.
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Seattle Seahawks
Week 16 Stats: 5 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble
The 32-year-old veteran has definitely turned on the turbo boosters lately. Carlos Dunlap has been on an absolute tear collecting FIVE sacks over his last two games, while also adding a forced fumble and six QB hits. Talk about a player on a heater, sheesh!
The problem is, he is doing this on a fairly low-volume snap count. Dunlap's snap counts over his last three games look like this; Week 14-28 snaps (35%), Week 15-21 snaps (32%), and Week 16-33 snaps (45%). The less-than-ideal snap counts make it hard to trust this kind of production to continue, but he's certainly getting it done lately. If you're in a pinch and find the DE/DL options are meh on your waiver wire, Dunlap could be a dart throw to consider.
Defensive Backs
L'Jarius Sneed, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 16 Stats: 6 tackles (4 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended
L'Jarius Sneed had missed the last two games after the recent passing of his brother, thoughts and prayers to him and his family. Sneed returned this week and was right back in his starting spot as expected. With the Chiefs completely blowing out the Steelers on Sunday, Sneed only played 45 defensive snaps (62%).
If Sneed happened to be dropped while unavailable, he's a fine waiver wire add for this week. The Chiefs square off against the Bengals this week and I expect plenty of offensive fireworks in the matchup. Sneed is a solid pickup in both CB required and DB combined formats.
M.J. Stewart, CB, Cleveland Browns
Week 16 Stats: 10 tackles (9 solos), 2 tackles for loss
With both John Johnson and Ronnie Harrison missing time lately, M.J. Stewart has found his way into the starting lineup the past two games. Not only has he started, but Stewart has been balling from an IDP lens. In those two starts, Stewart has collected a stellar 21 tackles (17 solos) and two tackles for loss. Not bad at all if I might say so.
Keep an eye on the news this week surrounding Johnson and Harrison. If one and/or both happen to be out, Stewart could be relied upon once again in the Cleveland secondary.
George Odum, S, Indianapolis Colts
Week 16 Stats: 9 tackles (8 solos), 1 pass defended
The Colts safety unit took a hit this week as starters Khari Willis (Covid list) and Andrew Sendejo (concussion) were both unavailable on Saturday. George Odum has filled in for Willis at times this season and was called upon once again this week. Odum turned in a rock-solid nine tackle (8 solos) performance and played all 65 defensive snaps. If Willis isn't elevated off the Covid list before the game, Odum could be a nice waiver wire fill-in this week.
Conclusion
With this week being the finals for the majority of fantasy leagues, it will be my last week writing the IDP waiver wire article for this season. I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who followed along as we tried to mine some fantasy points from the IDP waiver wire this year. Your support is greatly appreciated and I hope I was able to help at least a little throughout the fantasy season. So for one last time, good luck this week everyone, and happy bidding!
To get the low-down on everything IDP relevant from Week 16, make sure you check out Johny The Greek’s “The Monster”!
Thanks for taking the time to read my article, I hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful. You can find my work here at idpguys.org and follow me on Twitter @KBellf54. I’m always available for any questions or feedback you may have and my DMs are always open.
