Week 5’s first game was an object lesson in how maddening fantasy football can be for IDP owners.
With rookie linebacker Darius Leonard (the top IDP overall in many scoring systems over the season’s first month) on the shelf with an ankle injury, Anthony Walker of the Indianapolis Colts appeared primed for a huge game against the New England Patriots. So did strong safety Clayton Geathers, who had been a top-10 defensive back over the first four weeks of 2018.
Instead, by the end of the first quarter, both were in the NFL’s concussion protocol—in Geathers’ case after helmet-to-helmet contact that was initiated by New England tailback Sony Michel. Neither would return. In their stead, reserve linebackers Najee Goode and Zaire Franklin combined for 18 total tackles against the Pats. Backup safety Matthias Farley tallied six stops and added an interception.
It was literally insult added to injury—a great matchup (and for many fantasy owners the entire week) spoiled in the blink of an eye. In at least one of my leagues it was the difference between a win and a loss.
The moral of this story isn’t that life isn’t fair. That rather goes without saying. No, the point to all this is that when fate kicks you in the, um, area, all you can do is catch your breath, get back up, shake it off and keep moving forward.
That’s what we’re going to do here, by moving on to the Week 6 edition of IDP Nation.
WEEK 6 IDP WAIVER WIRE
Ndamukong Suh – DT, Los Angeles Rams: After his seven tackles and a sack in last week’s win over the Seahawks, Suh now has a sack in three straight games. He had just 4.6 in 16 games with the Dolphins in 2017. Sounds like he’s settling in well in his new home in La-La land.
Haason Reddick – ILB, Arizona Cardinals: Reddick played more snaps for the Cardinals in last week’s victory over the 49ers than in Arizona’s first four games combined. The big question now is whether that was an aberration or the beginning of a trend.
Devin McCourty – S, New England Patriots: McCourty exploded against the Colts in Week 5 to the tune of 11 solos and 14 total tackles. With a matchup with the pass-wacky Chiefs next on the slate, another big stat line could be in the offing this weekend.
WEEK 6 IDP INJURY REPORT
Ezekiel Ansah – DE, Detroit Lions (Shoulder): After leaving midway through Detroit’s Week 1 loss to the New York Jets, Ansah hasn’t played a down since. At least this week’s zero will be the result of a bye week and not yet another missed game.
Jaire Alexander – CB, Green Bay Packers (Groin): The rookie corner had played his way into IDP relevance over the first month of the season, but he missed last week’s loss in Detroit with a groin injury. The Packers are hopeful he’ll return this week against the 49ers.
Eric Berry – S, Kansas City Chiefs (Heel): With Mark Barron making his 2018 debut this past weekend in Seattle, Berry is now one of two players who has been on this list each and every week this season. It’s time to move on in the vast majority of formats.
Joey Bosa – DE, Los Angeles Chargers (Foot): Bosa joins Berry as the other player I keep having to type new blurbs about each week even though he hasn’t played at all this season. The best-case for his 2018 debut is reportedly after LA’s Week 8 bye.
Morgan Burnett – S, Pittsburgh Steelers (Groin): Burnett’s been relegated to spectator status for most of his first season with the Steelers. He can’t be trusted in IDP lineups until he makes through a week of practice—and maybe a game.
Taco Charlton – DE, Dallas Cowboys (Hand): Charlton had a cast on his hand Tuesday, although he declined to elaborate on what happened. Until we know more, Charlton’s the definition of questionable for Week 6.
Matthias Farley – S, Indianapolis Colts (Hamstring): Yep. In addition to losing Geathers, the Colts also lost his backup late in late Thursday’s loss to the Pats. His availability for Week 6 won’t be known until later in the week.
Reuben Foster – ILB, San Francisco 49ers (Shoulder): Foster hurt his shoulder in last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but stayed in the game, It’s tentatively expected that he’ll be good to go next Monday night in Green Bay.
Clayton Geathers – S, Indianapolis Colts (Neck): More concerning than Geathers leaving the field to be tested for a concussion was the fact he injured his neck…again. Given that the Colts signed Mike Mitchell Tuesday, Geathers Week 6 availability looks dicey at best.
Tashaun Gipson – S, Jacksonville Jaguars (Hamstring): Gipson left Sunday’s loss in Kansas City after pulling his hammy. If he’s unable to this week in Dallas against the Cowboys, rookie Ronnie Harrison would receive a bump in playing time.
Corey Graham – S, Philadelphia Eagles (Hamstring): After stepping into the lineup for an injured Rodney McLeod, Graham was himself forced from last week’s loss to Minnesota with a hamstring pull. On a short week, he’s an iffy bet to take the field on Thursday.
Everson Griffen – DE, Minnesota Vikings (Personal): Griffen is away from the team receiving treatment for a mental health condition. No timetable has been given for a potential return, but it doesn’t sound like it will be any time soon.
Micah Hyde – S, Buffalo Bills (Groin): Hyde sat out last Sunday’s last-second win over the Tennessee Titans with a groin injury. His availability for this week’s trip to Houston is unknown—check Hyde’s practice participation later this week.
Marshon Lattimore – CB, New Orleans Saints (Concussion): The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is in the league’s concussion protocol after being forced from the first quarter of Monday night’s win over the Washington Redskins.
Sean Lee – OLB, Dallas Cowboys (Hamstring): Stephen Jones told a Dallas radio station this week that it’s a “stretch” to expect Lee to be available when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town Sunday. But he hasn’t been officially ruled out yet.
Darius Leonard – ILB, Indianapolis Colts (Ankle): Everyone’s favorite IDP newcomer missed the loss in New England, but reports early in the week suggest the young tackle machine should be back at it this weekend against the Jets.
Kenny Vaccaro – S, Tennessee Titans (Knee): Vaccaro sat out Week 5 with a knee injury suffered the week before. The injury isn’t a season-ender, but the veteran safety will probably be out at least a couple of more weeks.
Olivier Vernon – OLB, New York Giants (Ankle): Vernon hasn’t played this season after suffering a high-ankle sprain in August, but there’s some optimism he’ll play Thursday after he was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday.
Cameron Wake – DE, Miami Dolphins (Knee): Wake sat out last week’s loss to Cincinnati after missing practice all of last week with a knee injury. His status for this week’s home tilt with the Chicago Bears remains to be seen.
Anthony Walker – ILB, Indianapolis Colts (Concussion): Darius Leonard isn’t the only player who has been piling up tackles for the Colts of late, but before he can rack up any more Walker will have to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Kyzir White – OLB, Los Angeles Chargers (Knee): After undergoing what was deemed a “minor” procedure on his knee, White sat out last week’s win over the Oakland Raiders. The rookie is considered week-to-week.
Vince Williams – ILB, Pittsburgh Steelers (Hamstring): Williams missed last week’s win over the Falcons with a hamstring pull. If he can’t go in this week’s big matchup with the Bengals, LJ Fort and Tyler Matakevich would again platoon in his stead.
Tavon Wilson – S, Detroit Lions (Back): Wilson missed last week’s big win over the Packers with a back injury. He’ll have the bye week to get right, but if he can’t both Quandre Diggs and Glover Quin would once again be every-snap players in Week 7.
Wesley Woodyard – ILB, Tennessee Titans (Shoulder): Woodyard missed last week’s loss to the Bills with a bum shoulder. The injury isn’t believed to be serious though, and there’s a chance that he could return in Week 6.
KJ Wright – OLB, Seattle Seahawks (Knee): Wright’s knee injury was supposedly no big deal. He had it scoped in the preseason and was supposed to miss a few weeks. Now here we are in Week 6 and Wright’s already ruled out for Sunday’s game in London.
THE WHAT THE HECK DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE WAIVER PLAY OF THE WEEK
Marquel Lee – OLB, Oakland Raiders (vs. SEA)
Lee has seen his playing time rise steadily as the season has worn on. Per Eddie Paskal of the team’s website, that increase in PT has been earned on the field. “I think he’s been improving every week,” Guenther said. “He’s gotten more snaps every week. He’s a smart guy. He understands all the calls. He understands the grand scheme of things on the defense. He’s gotten better every week and that’s why he’s earned more snaps.”
Lee played a season-high 75 percent of Oakland’s defensive snaps in Week 5, but parlayed those snaps into just four total tackles against the Chargers. Assuming he sees a similar workload this Sunday in London Lee should fare quite a bit better—not team in the NFL is giving up more fantasy points to linebackers this season.
GUYS I LIKE IN WEEK 6
DeForest Buckner – DT, Green Bay Packers (at GBP): Not a lot has gone right for the Niners in 2018, but Buckner has been a bright spot. The Packers are third in the NFL in sacks allowed and sixth in fantasy points given up to defensive linemen.
Melvin Ingram – DE, Los Angeles Chargers (at CLE): Without Joey Bosa opposite him, Ingram’s gotten off to a slow start. But this week’s matchup is about as good as it gets—only the Bills have surrendered more sacks than the Browns.
JJ Watt – DE, Houston Texans (vs. BUF): It goes without saying that Watt’s a must-start in IDP leagues right now, as he has six sacks over the last three games. This week against a Bills team allowing the most sacks in football Watt may have six by halftime.
Zach Cunningham – ILB, Houston Texans (vs. BUF): The Bills are a bad football team with an even worse offense. And yet five weeks into the 2018 season only two NFL teams have given up more fantasy points to linebackers.
Denzel Perryman – ILB, Los Angeles Chargers (at CLE): Wildly varying snap counts have made it difficult to trust just about any Chargers LB this year. But if ever there was a week for a big game from Perryman this is it—the Browns lead the AFC in fantasy points surrendered to linebackers.
Tahir Whitehead – ILB, Oakland Raiders (vs. SEA): Whitehead is Oakland’s only true every-down linebacker. That portends good things in London against a Seattle Seahawks that has committed heavily to the run in recent weeks.
Kentrell Brice – S, Green Bay Packers (vs. SFO): Brice’s production has been down of late, but he’s still playing every down and gets a 49ers team Monday night that is hemorrhaging points to defensive backs right now.
John Johnson – S, Los Angeles Rams (at DEN): Johnson’s IDP owners have been grumbling of late after a dip in production from the young safety. A very nice road matchup with the Broncos in Week 6 should shut them up—for now.
Marcus Maye – S, New York Jets (vs. IND): When healthy and in the lineup, Maye’s been productive this season. The Colts have also been kind to the position, allowing the second-most fantasy points to defensive backs in 2018.
GUYS I DON’T LIKE IN WEEK 6
Trey Flowers – DE, New England Patriots (vs. KCC): This week’s big showdown with the Chiefs is a lousy matchup for Flowers—the Chiefs are tied for the fewest sacks allowed in the NFL (6) and last in the AFC in fantasy points given up to defensive linemen.
Cameron Heyward – DE, Pittsburgh Steelers (at CIN): One of this week’s deciding factors in this AFC North showdown will be Cincinnati’s ability to protect Andy Dalton—something that the Bengals are much better at than last year.
Stephen Weatherly – DE, Minnesota Vikings (vs. ARZ): Weatherly has a sack in two of three starts since taking over for Everson Griffen. But this week’s matchup isn’t a great one—the Redbirds are 31st on the league in fantasy points given up to D-linemen.
Eric Kendricks – ILB, Minnesota Vikings (vs. ARZ): How to put this diplomatically—the Arizona offense is hot garbage. They can’t sustain drives, and that depresses the tackle opportunities available to their opponents.
Brandon Marshall – ILB, Denver Broncos (vs. LAR): Marshall’s one of the more disappointing every-down LB in the NFL from a statistical perspective, and this week’s matchup is a bad one—no team gives up fewer fantasy points to the position.
Roquan Smith – ILB, Chicago Bears (at MIA): Smith and batterymate Danny Trevathan are a formidable one-two punch at inside linebacker in the Windy City. But the Dolphins have fallen to the bottom of the AFC in fantasy points given up to linebackers in 2018.
Adrian Amos – S, Chicago Bears (at MIA): Matchup-wise, things aren’t any better for Amos this week than they are for Smith and Trevathan. It’s almost as if the Dolphins offense stinks or something. Free Kenyan Drake! Free Kenyan Drake!
Matthias Farley – S, Indianapolis Colts (at NYJ): This applies to Clayton Geathers, Malik Hooker or whoever is playing safety for the Colts in Week 6. A floundering Jets offense is last in the NFL in fantasy points given up to defensive backs.
Harrison Smith – S, Minnesota Vikings (vs. ARZ): Smith’s a great safety and a fine fantasy option most weeks. You know, the weeks where the Vikings play a team that has some prayer of moving the ball. The Cardinals most likely do not.
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.
Bene Benwikere, Arizona Cardinals (at MIN): Benwikere has everything a streamer could want in a corner. He’s a sure tackler. He’s average in coverage—on a good day. He plays opposite one of the best in the business in Patrick Peterson. And this week he faces one of the league’s most potent passing games in the Minnesota Vikings.
