In Week 9, Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings had himself a day.
In a 24-9 win over the Detroit Lions in which the Vikings went all kinds of “Purple People Eaters” and piled up a jaw-dropping 10 sacks, Hunter was a one-man wrecking crew—nine total tackles, 3.5 sacks and a fumble return for a touchdown.
That, folks, is a stat line that wins weeks in IDP leagues.
The explosion bumped Hunter to 11.5 sacks—tops in the NFL and just one off his career high. Per the Associated Press, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer said he really wasn’t all that surprised to see Hunter dominate the game the way he did.
“He’s improved on just being reactive,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “A lot of young defensive linemen, especially because we harp on stopping the run, they’re nervous about, ‘Hey, I’m going to take a chance here, because I think this is a play-action pass’ or something like that. The thing I notice about Danielle, he just lets it rip now, and that’s what makes him good.”
It was the performance of the year by an individual defensive player—and it would have been remiss not to give the 24-year-old some dap after he made Matthew Stafford cry (figuratively).
Yes, that’s right. Hunter’s also just 24 years old.
WEEK 10 IDP WAIVER WIRE
Markus Golden – DE, Arizona Cardinals: Golden had a big game heading into Arizona’s bye, piling up seven solos and a sack in a win over the 49ers. If his surgically-repaired knee is back at close to 100 percent, Golden could have a big second half playing opposite Chandler Jones.
Nigel Bradham – OLB, Philadelphia Eagles: Bradham has been relatively quiet this year—his single-game high in tackles is just eight. But a top-10 fantasy matchup with Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys in Week 10 sets the stage for his best stat line of the season.
TJ McDonald – S, Miami Dolphins: McDonald has quietly had a top 20 season among safeties after a big Week 9 against the New York Jets. With a positive matchup looming and uncertainty swirling around Reshad Jones, McDonald’s a solid plug-and-play option in Week 10 against the Packers.
WEEK 10 IDP INJURY REPORT
Mario Addison – DE, Carolina Panthers (Shoulder): Addison’s been limited in practice ahead of Thursday’s trip to Pittsburgh, but that’s thought to be precautionary more than anything. He’s expected to play against the Steelers.
Kendell Beckwith – ILB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Foot): Beckwith returned to the practice field last week for the first time since the spring. He’s not going to play this week—but he’s getting closer. Close enough to be on the waiver radar in deeper formats.
Eric Berry – S, Kansas City Chiefs (Heel): For a guy who hasn’t played all season, there’s been a lot of column space in this article dedicated to Berry. The problem is that it’s always right here—in the weekly IDP injury report.
Joey Bosa – DE, Los Angeles Chargers (Foot): At some point redraft IDP owners without IR spots are going to have to cut bait on Bosa with no definitive timetable being offered for a potential return. It will be especially true in Week 11 when six teams are on a bye again.
Kentrell Brice – S, Green Bay Packers (Knee); Brice’s knee injury may actually be an IDP blessing—far too many fantasy owners kept rolling him out there hoping that the snaps might finally equal production. At least, or so I’ve heard…from the voices in my head.
Vontaze Burfict – OLB, Cincinnati Bengals (Hip): Coming out of the bye Burfict wasn’t on the field for early-week practices, casting doubt over his status for a big Week 10 showdown with the Saints. If he can’t go, Jordan Evans would draw another start in his stead.
Zach Cunningham – ILB, Houston Texans (Knee): Cunningham’s knee injury isn’t a factor in Week 10 with Houston on a bye. The bigger question is how much longer he might be out when the Texans get back after it in Week 11.
Marcus Davenport – DE, New Orleans Saints (Toe): Just when Davenport was really starting to show some promise, the rookie first-rounder suffered a toe injury that will sideline him in Week 10 and likely multiple weeks beyond that.
Tremaine Edmunds – ILB, Buffalo Bills (Concussion): Edmunds sat out Week 9’s loss to the Bears with a concussion, but the general belief is that the rookie should be able to clear the concussion protocol ahead of Week 10.
Reuben Foster – OLB, San Francisco 49ers (Hamstring): Much like Jaquiski Tartt, Foster got hurt in Week 8 and missed Week 9. Given that and his injury history, it’s hard to be overly optimistic about his status for Week 10.
Randy Gregory – DE, Dallas Cowboys (Knee): Consider this a catch-all for all the Dallas linemen who are hurt. David Irving (ankle) and Taco Charlton (shoulder) are also questionable for Sunday’s trip to Philly. Check back later in the week to see which ones might be able to play.
Deion Jones – ILB, Atlanta Falcons (Foot): Jones isn’t going to play in Week 10. He probably won’t play in Week 11 either. But he is eligible to come off injured reserve and start practicing, which opens at least the possibility for a stretch run return.
Christian Kirksey – OLB, Cleveland Browns (Hamstring - IR): Kirksey went down early in last week’s loss to the Chiefs and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. He was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. Tanner Vallejo figures to see a big bump in snaps moving forward.
Sean Lee – OLB, Dallas Cowboys (Hamstring): Yep. Sean Lee‘s hurt again—he’s expected to miss at least a few weeks after re-aggravating his injured hamstring Monday night against the Titans. In related news, water is wet and the sky is blue.
Khalil Mack – OLB, Chicago Bears (Knee): Mack has missed the last two games with a banged-up knee, but IDP owners will be on a bended one hoping he can give it a go Sunday against a Lions team that just gave up double-digit sacks.
Brandon Marshall – ILB, Denver Broncos (Knee): The Broncos are on a bye this week, but it will be interesting to see what the Broncos do at inside linebacker if Marshall’s healthy enough to play again in Week 11. Marshall hasn’t played well this year even a little.
Blake Martinez – ILB, Green Bay Packers (Ankle): Martinez rolled his ankle in Sunday night’s loss at New England, but was able to return later in the game. Check back later in the week just in case that ankle stiffened up on Green Bay’s tackle leader.
Bradley McDougald – S, Seattle Seahawks (Knee): After missing practice all week, McDougald tried to give it a go last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. But he didn’t make it past halftime, and his Week 10 status is as iffy as iffy can be.
Damarious Randall – S, Cleveland Browns (Groin): Randall sat out last week’s loss to the Chiefs with a groin injury. Until we see him make it through a practice or two, it has to be assumed he’s questionable at best for Week 10.
Eric Reid – S, Carolina Panthers (Shoulder): Reid has played very well since joining the Panthers, and he played through his sprained shoulder in the second half of last week’s win. But with the Panthers playing on a short week, there’s some concern here.
Joe Schobert – ILB, Cleveland Browns (Hamstring): Schobert has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, but with Christian Kirksey now nursing one of his own there’s going to be increased impetus to get him back on the field.
Andrew Sendejo – S, Minnesota Vikings (Groin): Sendejo now hasn’t played in a few weeks, and the Vikings have the depth at safety to have successfully weathered the absence so far. He’s become expendable in shallower IDP leagues despite a nice start to the season.
Jaquiski Tartt – S, San Francisco 49ers (Shoulder): Tartt missed last week’s blowout win over the Raiders with a recurrence of his shoulder injury. Given his history in that regard, he’s the wrong side of questionable in Week 10.
Nick Vigil – OLB, Cincinnati Bengals (Knee): A struggling Bengals Defense could certainly use Vigil back on the field Sunday against the Saints, but early returns regarding his potential return from an MCL sprain aren’t encouraging.
Denzel Ward – CB, Cleveland Browns (Hip): Ward was another of the legion of Browns defenders who were either already hurt or got injured in last week’s home loss to the Chiefs. His Week 10 status appears to be toward the doubtful side of questionable.
THE WHAT THE HECK DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE WAIVER PLAY OF THE WEEK
Foyesade Oluokun – ILB, Atlanta Falcons (at CLE)
As Matt Winkeljohn reported for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Oluokun said he’s starting to pick things up at the line of scrimmage with experience—to learn by doing. “It’s like a golf swing,” he said. “When you start swinging for the first time, you might be worried about your hand needs to be here, your arm needs to be there, your follow through. At week seven, you’re not thinking, you’re just reacting and doing.”
The Yale product has apparently made an impression on the Atlanta coaching staff—he’s gone from just eating into Duke Riley‘s snap count to supplanting him altogether. The rookie was on the field for almost 75 percent of the snaps last week against the Redskins—a season-high. And with a top-10 fantasy matchup coming with the Browns and Oluokun’s snaps growing by the week, he’s looking like a nice Week 10 plug-in for LB-needy IDP teams.
GUYS I LIKE IN WEEK 10
DeForest Buckner – DT, San Francisco 49ers (vs. NYG): The Niners pass rush looked like gangbusters in Week 9, piling up eight sacks against the Raiders. Only two teams have allowed more fantasy points to defensive linemen this year.
Jerry Hughes – DE, Buffalo Bills (at NYJ): As bad as the Bills have been defensively, Buffalo has a top-five defense and a solid pass-rush anchored by Hughes. He should feast Sunday in a favorable matchup with a struggling rookie quarterback.
Melvin Ingram – DE, Los Angeles Chargers (at OAK): Ingram’s numbers are way down in 2018 without Joey Bosa opposite him. But his “way down” and Oakland’s “way down” aren’t in the same zip code—the Raiders are a dumpster fire-plus at this point.
Mark Barron – ILB, Los Angeles Rams (vs. SEA): Barron appears to be just about 100 percent, playing almost 90 percent of the snaps last week against the snaps. If he gets a similar workload against the Seahawks, he’ll have a solid stat line.
Mason Foster – ILB, Washington Redskins (at TBB): The Buccaneers have been a top-five fantasy matchup for linebackers this year, but you want the guy who gets the sub-package snaps against Tampa’s pass-heavy offense. This year in DC, that’s been Foster.
Darron Lee – ILB, New York Jets (vs. BUF): Avery Williamson is a no-brainer start in Week 10, but if ever there was a week when Lee will produce this is it—the Bills are hot garbage offensively but a goldmine for opposing linebackers, because I have no idea why.
Jamal Adams – S, New York Jets (vs. BUF): The Bills, again, are an eye-bleedingly bad offense to watch. But they now rank as the No. 1 team in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to defensive backs thanks to all the turnovers they hand out on a weekly basis.
Damontae Kazee – S, Atlanta Falcons (at CLE): Kazee has been a pretty reliable producer in Keanu Neal‘s stead this year, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be again in a top-five Week 10 fantasy matchup against the Browns.
Eric Reid – S, Carolina Panthers (at PIT): This brings with it the caveat of Reid’s bum shoulder, but assuming he guts it out he’ll likely be productive again in a favorable IDP matchup. As it turns out, Eric Reid can play football.
GUYS I DON’T LIKE IN WEEK 10
Jurrell Casey – DE, Tennessee Titans: You won’t find a bigger Casey backer among IDP wonks than this guy, but he has a tendency to be matchup dependent. That’s a problem in Week 10, because Tom Terrific and the Brady Bunch ain’t been a good one in about a decade.
Carlos Dunlap – DE, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. NOS): You can say all this about Geno Atkins too—the Saints have allowed the least sacks in the league and just shut down Aaron Donald. Starting either guy is paddling upstream.
Chandler Jones – DE, Arizona Cardinals (at KCC): Jones is a great IDP option and a hard player to sit. But the Chiefs are dead last in fantasy points allowed to defensive linemen and toward the bottom of the NFL in sacks allowed.
Josh Bynes – ILB, Arizona Cardinals (at KCC): Whether it’s Bynes or Haason Reddick, consider giving the Redbirds linebackers the week off. The Chiefs are both a high-octane offense and a lousy matchup for linebackers—dead last in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to the position.
Demario Davis – OLB, New Orleans Saints (at CIN): With AJ Green out, maybe the Bengals will go run-heavy against the Saints. I would, if only to keep the ball away from Brees. Except New Orleans leads the NFL in run defense, and the Bengals rarely do things that make sense.
Jarrad Davis – ILB, Detroit Lions (at CHI): This is rather a perfect storm of reasons to stay away from Davis where possible in Week 10—a matchup with a Bears team that ranks 30th in fantasy points allowed to linebackers and a dinged-up player prone to under-performing.
Adrian Amos – S, Chicago Bears (vs. DET): After a big game against the Bills, many IDP owners might be considering Amos as a Week 10 play against Detroit. Don’t—no team in the NFC has been stingier to defensive backs this year.
Justin Evans – S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. WAS): I am admittedly a big fan of Evans as a young, talented safety. But this isn’t a good matchup for him—especially if you watched what passed for Washington’s offense last week.
Devin McCourty – S, New England Patriots (at TEN): Both McCourty and Patrick Chung have long been defensive backs capable of big stat lines—if the matchup’s right. This one isn’t—the Titans are 30th in fantasy points surrendered to defensive backs.
THE SCRAP-HEAP STREAMING CORNERBACK PLAY OF THE WEEK
In recent years the number of dependable weekly fantasy starters at the cornerback position has dwindled to just about zero. So, as a service to those hearty souls who play in IDP leagues that require them, each week I’ll point out a player at that position available in many leagues who should serve as a fine streaming option.
Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. NOS): There’s an easy theme that’s developed this year for targeting a streaming CB play—just target whatever unfortunate soul is going to get peppered with targets when Drew Brees throws to Michael Thomas. This week that should be Kirkpatrick. May he rest in pieces.
