DEFENSIVE BACKS

• Lardarius Webb – One week was a fluke. Two straight? A trend? I don’t know, but Webb is starting to make a believer out of me. I expected Jimmy Smith to be the stud that got picked on and put up great numbers. Smith went down and Webb has stepped in. He has 21 tackles (18 solo), a half sack and three passes defensed in two weeks. More than that, he has put up double digit tackles in back to back weeks. Teams cannot run on BMore so Webb could be in for more of this going forward.
• Jarius Byrd – I rarely tout the FS position unless it is a rare talent. I do not consider Byrd to be that. However, while I expected George Wilson to be huge at SS for Buffalo, Byrd has been the one that has stepped up through the first two weeks. Byrd has 15 tackles (13 solo) to Wilson’s 13 tackles. So if you think Wilson is a definite starter, you may have to start thinking the same way about Byrd.
• Sergio Brown – Brown is a sneaky pickup. He should be good for 6-7 tackles per week going forward and with how much the Pats are rolling on offense; teams will have to throw to catch up against NE. That bodes well for Brown.

DEFENSIVE LINE

• Michael Johnson- I have to pat myself on the back for calling this one. Loved him in the preseason and thought many people were overhyping Carlos Dunlap. Seems right so far. Dunlap has totaled exactly 4 tackles and no performance plays through two games. Johnson? In two games he has eight tackles (all solo), a sack, a forced fumble, and interception and 3 passes defensed! If your league lists him as a DL, go get him if he is out there!
• Dave Ball- Each year there always seems to be a DL or two in Tennessee that ends up being great. I thought it would be Derrick Morgan this year. It still may be. However, Dave Ball is laying his claim to be that guy. He has nine tackles (all solo) and a sack in the first two games and he is playing a lot of snaps. He is a nice waiver wire scoop in deeper leagues.
• Matt Roth- Aaron Kampman’s slow recovery from knee surgery is helping Matt Roth get the playing time he needs to excel. I predicted Austen Lane would break out for Jacksonville this year. Right position, wrong guy. Roth has a sack in both of the first two games and is one of the lone bright spots for that front seven so far.

LINEBACKERS

• NaVorro Bowman - Chances are Bowman is not out there in your league. But if he is, go get him. I had him somewhere around 60th in my final preseason LB rankings and he has even outperformed that. Bowman currently has 17 tackles (16 solo) and a pass defensed in two games. By comparison, his teammate Patrick Willis has 14 tackles (13 solo), one pass defensed and one forced fumble. So those of you scoring at home, Bowman has outdone Willis in the first two games. Wow.
• Justin Durant – I admit that I jumped off Durant’s bandwagon when Stephen Tulloch was signed. I had high hopes for him when I thought he was going to be the WILL in Detroit. When he was moved to the SAM spot, I cut him loose. I may have made a mistake there. He has performed wherever they put him. His 15 tackles (and 11 last week) are a welcome surprise. He is definitely worth stashing in deeper leagues.
• Thomas Howard – The question that runs through my head is will Keith Rivers even get his job back when he is healthy? Howard has 16 tackles in two games and he is consistent in that he has tallied 8 tackles in each game. You could do a whole lot worse.

Defensive Linemen:

Michael Johnson- Johnson is ticketed to start for Cincy and will likely be a 3-down DE for them. He will be a decent tackler in run defense and should have many one-on-one pass rushing opportunities opposite of Carlos Dunlap when it comes time to rush the quarterback. He offers some nice DL3 value with DL2 upside.

Related: IDP Sleepers 2011

Derrick Morgan- Tennessee seems to produce one or two great fantasy defensive linemen each year and this year might be Morgan’s turn. He is healthy and has looked solid so far this preseason. While he has not cracked the starting lineup over Jason Jones and Williams Hayes yet, he has a big opportunity to shine with Jones sidelined for the remainder of the preseason with an injured knee. If he can build on his three tackle, one sack effort from the first preseason game then Morgan could be starting before long.   

Jason Pierre-Paul- Pierre-Paul showed signs of greatness late last year and he is picking up right where he left off. He had four tackles and two sacks in his first preseason game and with Osi Umenyiora out injured and looking to be traded, JPP has a great chance to start early in the year for the Giants. If he does, do not be surprised if he hangs on to the job and becomes a top-10 DL in almost all fantasy formats.   

Linebackers:

Brandon Spikes- Spikes has not played yet this preseason, but his value is still trending upwards. The Patriots seem dedicated to playing more 4-3 defense this year and have added personnel such as Albert Haynesworth and Andre Carter that only fit in that scheme. The Pats currently have Jerod Mayo penciled in as the WLB in that scheme, leaving Spikes as the favorite to start the year as the MLB in NE. He could easily push 100+ tackles if he sticks there. Spikes posted 46 tackles in his 8 starts last year and none of them were as a 4-3 MLB where he was accustomed to playing in college either.

Thomas Davis- Davis’ talent is unquestioned. When he is healthy he is an elite fantasy LB. He has been hurt a whole lot lately, however. So far this preseason Davis has remained healthy and looked comfortable in his comeback. Combine this with Beason’s issues with his Achilles tendon, and Davis could be in for a very big year if he remains healthy and Beason remains dinged up. 

D’Qwell Jackson- Jackson is back in the middle of a 4-3 scheme where he belongs. He has excelled there before and he is likely set to do so again. So far he has eight tackles (all solo) in his two preseason starts. If he can keep his chest healthy and in one piece, he will be a 120+ tackler again. He is also playing for a new contract, which adds even more motivation.

Sean Lee- Lee has finally, officially cracked the Dallas starting lineup as a replacement for the aging Keith Brooking. So far he has five total tackles in his two preseason appearances. A declining Brooking has been able to rack up 106 and 97 tackles in that spot next to Bradie James over the past two seasons. Lee should at least match that and could push 110 tackles if he stays on the field enough.  

Defensive Backs:

Jimmy Smith- Smith finally got on the field and started his first preseason game this week. He tallied three solo tackles in limited time and looked decent in coverage. He was moved around a lot and he was targeted early and often. He could have the recipe for fantasy success as a rookie CB that will be targeted often this season.

Kurt Coleman- Coleman has started both preseason games at FS for the Eagles. The second game, he put in a huge tackling effort as he totaled 11 tackles (seven solo). While Nate Allen was considered the front-runner to start at FS, Allen has currently been playing out of position at SS and Coleman has made the most of his opportunity. Allen is also admitting that he lacks burst and range of motion in his return from his injury to his patellar tendon. As such, Coleman may end up sticking as the starting FS. If he does he will have many chances to make plays as teams pick on the middle of the Eagles defense and try to stay away from their talented corners on the edges. 

Aaron Ross & Corey Webster- Ross becomes a starter following Terrell Thomas’ season ending ACL injury. Webster now becomes the CB1 for the Giants. While rookie Prince Amukamara remains sidelined and with Bruce Johnson already out for the year, these two will get a ton of playing time and lots of balls thrown their way during the season.   

FALLERS

Defensive Linemen:

Osi Umenyiora- Osi is still talented and a relative stud at the DL position. However, he has started shooting himself in the foot and killing his value in the process. First he demanded a contract. Then a trade. Then said his knee hurt. Then had surgery on the knee. Now he is out for a few weeks and the young kid (Jason Pierre-Paul) is doing a great job replacing him. Suddenly Osi is expendable and he knows it. Now he will have to fight for snaps and at a bare minimum will have fewer opportunities to rack up points then he had last season. His value is certainly trending down.

Mario Williams- Williams was already trending down as most fantasy software started officially listing him as a LB and not a DL. Now after seeing him a bit, I am not so certain his transition to OLB will be a smooth one. He doesn’t look comfortable standing up. He seems a bit out of place in space. I have yet to see the light go on rushing the passer from his OLB spot. Truthfully, the rookie Brooks Reed looks a lot better than Williams does. Williams may be in for a long year and will not justify being rostered as a LB until he starts looking like DeMarcus Ware. That may be a long time away, if ever.

Austen Lane- Lane was one of my favorites to be a nice sleeper and a breakout candidate. Well so far he has yet to record any statistics whatsoever this preseason. The Jags once again have no pass rush through the first couple games, and they have now tried to add Matt Roth to the mix to help their pass rush. Lane’s chances are dwindling and he may end up just being a situational player now, which will significantly limit his upside potential.    

Linebackers:

Casey Matthews- The clock might be ticking on Matthews’ time as the MLB in Philly. He has looked lost and has had a hard time shedding blocks so far this preseason. Pittsburgh abused Philly’s defense in week 2 and Matthews only has three total tackles in two preseason starts thus far. With a few solid free agents on the street (Lofa Tatupu, Kirk Morrison) and with a solid replacement in-house (Jamar Chaney), Matthews’ time might be numbered. Let someone else reach for him.

Justin Durant- When Durant first signed in Detroit he looked like he was poised to be a nice sleeper. He was destined to be a WLB in a Tampa-2 scheme and looked like he would have a chance to re-live his success from 2009 when he had 98 tackles in 13 starts in Jacksonville. However, once Detroit signed Stephen Tulloch, things began looking ominous. Now Tulloch is running at MLB, DeAndre Levy has been bumped over to WLB and Durant has become the new SLB in Detroit. Durant will have to fight Bobby Carpenter for time at SLB and on top of that there isn’t much in the way of fantasy success to be had as the SLB in Detroit anyhow.  

Daryl Smith- Smith has been very successful as the SLB in Jacksonville for years. He has averaged 88 tackles per 16-game season over the past six seasons and he has racked up 106 and 97 tackles the past two years. This year, however, he has some serious talent around him that will steal his thunder. Paul Posluszny and Clint Session will not leave many tackles on the table for Smith and as a result his long-standing success as a contributing IDP from the SLB spot is in jeopardy.

Defensive Backs:

Jaiquawn Jarrett- Jarrett was widely expected by many (myself included) to be destined to be the Eagles’ opening day starter at SS. Scrap that idea. Jarrett has been brought along slowly and the Eagles are now using Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman at safety. Allen has been starting at SS and even with Allen admitting he isn’t 100%, the Eagles are talking about giving more reps to Jarrad Page. Jarrett still has great dynasty value, but his re-draft value is going down.  

Adrian Wilson- Depending who you listen to, either Wilson is “just hurt” (Wilson’s words) or he has a torn bicep tendon (Coach Wisenhunt’s words). Either way he is significantly less than 100% and is likely to miss the entire preseason and maybe even some regular season time. Let someone else take him early as their DB1. He isn’t worth much more than a DB3 right now.   

Terrell Thomas- Thomas was widely considered the top overall fantasy CB and one of the best overall DBs in the game from a fantasy perspective. After the unfortunate leg-whip he sustained from Jason Pierre-Paul last night, Thomas tore his ACL and is now done for the season. As such, do not even consider him in re-drafts and only take a late round flyer as a stashing candidate in dynasty leagues.   

Downtown Crusher Brown, D'Qwell Jackson is back!

Welcome to the third and final installment of our IDP over and under articles. If you play in leagues that use Individual Defensive Players (IDP) then you probably already know that unlike the more mercurial defensive linemen or defensive back positions, the Linebacker position is the most straight up to draft for. Players offer more consistency year to year. There is greater depth, and really only one scoring consideration: solo tackles.

A handful of Linebackers do put up double digit sacks like their DL counterparts, and their names are good to know; James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley in Pittsburgh, Clay Matthews in Green Bay, Demarcus Ware in Dallas, Elvis Dumervil in Denver and Brian Orakpo in Washington. Of these six guys, only the two Steelers eclipsed 50 solo tackles, and while I’m not suggesting you discount these potential fantasy studs, keep in mind none of them broke into the top 10 at their position, and only three made it into the top 20.

So as my mantra has become, look for the guys with the high solo tackle numbers and opportunities. Save the “sack” guys for your DL position unless you find a real value where he is taken in your draft.

When you get to the IDP point in your draft the difference between a player’s ADP is usually around one full round. So the 28th linebacker off the board is going a full two rounds after the 26th. So do the math on just what a 5-10 ADP difference can mean. So relative to all other fantasy positions none has a greater need for finding value.

–Undervalued–

D’Qwell Jackson, CLE - It’s hard to image a tackle beast like D’Qwell being undervalued, but it seems last year’s injury has put him in an almost sleeper like draft state. FFToolobox.com and Fantasy Knucklehead’s both have him ranked at #7. IDPGuru.com has him at #5. Yet his ADP is 15th–a difference of 50 picks, or 5 rounds.

Michael Boley, NYG – Boley is a guy who can get you 90+ solo tackles with a 2-3 sacks thrown in. He was on his way to a 100 tackle season in 2009 before he got hurt. I currently have him ranked at 29th, and his ADP is 41st.

Justin Durant, JAX - J.D. lost some of his value when the Jags brought in Kirk Morrison, but he put up 81 solo tackles in 13 games last season, meaning a full 16 games could bring him to the century mark. His team will spend a lot of time on defense, so the opportunity is there for a big year. I have him ranked at 34 and his ADP is 45.

Demorrio Williams, KC - Williams ranked 33rd in LB fantasy points in 2009, but he was 9th overall in solo tackles with 95. If he can repeat those numbers, or come close–perhaps add a sack or two, you’ve got a very undervalued pick at ADP 52

Chad Greenway, MIN – Greenway is one of those quiet producers who puts up 80+ solo tackles each season. In his first three seasons he’s placed 21st, 13th and 29th in fantasy production, yet he goes into season four, with an ADP of 40. That’s not just undervalued– that’s sleeper territory.

–Overvalued–

Demarcus Ware, DAL - As mentioned above, Ware was one of only six linebackers to break into double digit sacks, but he still failed to break into the top 25 at his position. This is due to his sub-50 solo tackle numbers. Ware is always a threat to put up double digit sacks, but not 100 solo tackles.  His ADP is a current 17th. That’s just not good value.

Dumervil

Elvis Dumervil, DEN – Dumervil transitioned from defensive end to linebacker and exploded to lead the league with 17 sacks. While there is decent reason to believe Elvis can hit double digit sacks again, it’s rather probable that it won’t be 17, and a dozen seems like the ceiling.  So if you figure in his low tackles numbers (less than 40) with a dozen sacks, you get his 2007 numbers which were good for 42nd place overall. His current ADP is 30th.

Brian Orakpo, WAS – Orakpo’s rookie season ended with 11 sacks, and a 54th place fantasy ranking. Heading into 2010 he’s likely to replicate those numbers, and with a defensive scheme change to the 3-4, he could see an extra sacks or two. However, his tackles totals will really have to bump to get him close enough in scoring to match his ADP of 37.

Brian Cushing, HOU – Cushing is a brutish fantasy stud, and should destroy defenses for years to come. He’s a top 10 LB pick for me in Dynasty/Keeper leagues, but in 2010 redraft leagues an ADP as the 5th linebacker taken overall is big time crazy. he’ll miss a quarter of the season to suspension, and it will take him another few games to get into a groove. I’ve dropped his ranking to 12th, and that may still be too optimistic.

David Hawthorne, SEA - Talk about a fantasy revelation. Hawthorne stepped in for an injured Lofa Tatupa last season and destroyed other fantasy teams putting up 93 solos, 3 sacks and 3 interceptions for savvy fantasy owners. Tatupa is back this season, and Hawthorne moves to WLB (a less productive position usually). He also faces competition from Leroy Hill. I like Hawthorne’s chance to be a beast again in 2010, but there are enough question marks surrounding this season that an ADP of 22 seems a bit overvalued. That said, of all the guys on this list of overvalued players, I think D.H. has the best chance to prove me wrong.

Yearly stats are taken from FFToday.com, and ADP results from MyFantasyLeague.com

The Jags will need more Wins to get more fans in the stands.

Despite the Tennessee Titans woeful start in 2009, they still managed to come back and usurp the Jacksonville Jaguars for 3rd place in the AFC South. With the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans ahead of them I’m not expecting any better results this year, especially given their tough schedule. On the bright side, their whole division faces a similarly tough schedule this season.

That said, for fantasy teams, there are still some productive players you’ll want on your teams, so let’s take a look at the best the Jaguars have to offer in that department.

Division: AFC South – Projected Finish: 4th Place

Strength of Schedule - #5 = 5th worst. The scheduling Gods have not been nice to the Jags this season

QUARTERBACK

David Garrard is the Jaguars defacto QB1. Despite offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s suggestion in May that the Jag would open their quarterback position to competition, backup Luke McCown is under the impression that he’s not getting a chance to unseat Garrard.

So most fantasy GM’s are wondering, “who cares?” It’s David Garrard. Well for the record Garrard was the 15th best fantasy QB in 2009 ahead of Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, and Carson Palmer; all guys likely to get drafted before David. It might be more surprising to know he was within less than 10 fantasy points of Kurt Warner, and within 2 of Donovan McNabb. Food for thought. I currently have him ranked at #19.

RUNNING BACK

Maurice Jones-Drew, the Pocket Hercules is the league’s #3 RB, and he’s the feature back in Jacksonville. No committee. He could even out perform Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson this season. Just remember to cuff him with Rashad Jennings.

WIDE RECEIVER

Torry Holt is gone so who is left to pick up the slack downfield for the Jags this year?

• Mike Sims-Walker – Walker sort of came out of nowhere last season to make a fantasy name for himself. This year he’s the team’s #1 WR. I currently have him ranked at #19.
• Mike Thomas – He’s out of the top 50 going into 2010, but he could be a nice sleeper name to keep in your hat. He came on in his last few games last year.
• Troy Williamson – T.W. had a wicked pre-season last year then lost his year to an injury in week two. Is there still a spark there? Keep him on the radar.

TIGHT END

Marcedes Lewis is the man for the Jags, but that’s not saying much. They don’t use their TE’s very much. He ended 2009 as the 21st best TE in fantasy. I have him ranked at 25th heading into 2010.

KICKER

Josh Scobee had a miserable 2009 going 18 for 28 in FG attempts, and he also missed a point after. You have to wonder how secure his job is. An easy decision to avoid him in 2010 in shallow leagues.

DEFENSE

The Jags defense were dead last in fantasy points last season. However, they do have some quality IDP names to know: Kirk Morrison, Justin Durant, Aaron Kampman and Derrick Harvey.

2010 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Wk	Date	Game	Stadium	Time (ET)
1	Sep 12	DEN @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	1:00 PM
2	Sep 19	JAC @ SD	Qualcomm Stadium	4:15 PM
3	Sep 26	PHI @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	4:05 PM
4	Oct 03	IND @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	4:05 PM
5	Oct 10	JAC @ BUF	Ralph Wilson Stadium	1:00 PM
6	Oct 18	TEN @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	8:30 PM
7	Oct 24	JAC @ KC	Arrowhead Stadium	1:00 PM
8	Oct 31	JAC @ DAL	Cowboys Stadium	1:00 PM
9	Bye
10	Nov 14	HOU @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	1:00 PM
11	Nov 21	CLE @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	1:00 PM
12	Nov 28	JAC @ NYG	New Meadowlands Stadium	1:00 PM
13	Dec 05	JAC @ TEN	LP Field	1:00 PM
14	Dec 12	OAK @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	1:00 PM
15	Dec 19	JAC @ IND	Lucas Oil Stadium	1:00 PM
16	Dec 26	WAS @ JAC	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	1:00 PM
17	Jan 02	JAC @ HOU	Reliant Stadium	1:00 PM

Time to get serious for Del Rio

COACHING STRATEGY

OFFENSE

Coach Jack Del Rio said at a recent press conference that winning the division is their goal this year. Well isn’t that every team’s goal every year? The team made decided strides towards improving their defense this off-season, but the team isn’t going to go very far if the crux of their offense has to be carried primarily on the shoulders of Maurice Jones-Drew. Garrard has to step up and some of the younger guys are going to have to exceed expectations for the team to stay out of the AFC South cellar.

DEFENSE

While a lot of blame gets heaped on David Garrard for the teams woes of late, the Jaguars defense was absolutely pitiful. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is moving the team to a 4-3 base scheme this season. The team brought in Kirk Morrison and Aaron Kampman, and spent their first four draft picks on rookie defensive linemen, including the exciting DE Tyson Alualu. Addressing their horrendous pass rush will be pivotal to the defensive success of the team this season.

Is Rolando McClain 2010's version of James Laurinaitis?

UPDATED: September 5, 2010

The Linebacker position is the easiest Individual Defensive Player (IDP) spot to draft for. There is more consistency at the position than Defensive Back, and greater depth than Defensive Lineman. And more so than the other two positions, stud rookie Linebackers tend to surface each season like Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, Brian Cushing and James Laurinaitis.

Which rookie linebacker is most likely to surprise this season with 100 tackles? We like Rolando McClain for the Oakland Raiders, but we think Darryl Washington could be a nice sleeper pick as well for the Arizona Cardinals.

Some may question my reasoning for putting David Hawthorne before Lafu Tatupa, but as we’ve already seen in camp this summer, Tatupa cannot stay healthy, making Hawthorne even more valuable.

Top 50 IDP Defensive Lineman Rankings

Top 50 IDP Defensive Back Rankings

For each position (DL, LB, DB), I will recommend 3 Starts and 2 Sits in addition to my “Start of the Week” and “Sit of the Week.” Also, for each position, I have listed players that I consider to be every week starters or, in other terms, “matchup independent.”

I hope everyone was successful in their respective playoff matchups last week (if you had one). My philosophy, at this point in the season, is to start defensive players based primarily on their matchups. There’s no use in holding on to “big name” players any longer in hopes of them panning out. It’s guys like Reed Doughty and James Anderson that are going to win you the ‘ship, not DeMeco Ryans or Osi Umenyiora.

Enough preaching, here are my IDP recommendations for Week 15:

Starts

*The IDP Guru’s Start of the Week*

WLB Keith Bulluck – I actually like both WLB Keith Bullock and MLB Stephen Tulloch this week against Miami. I chose Bullock as my start of the week over Tulloch because he stays in for nickel packages whereas Tulloch does not. Therefore, if Miami starts throwing, Bullock will obviously have more tackle opportunities than Tulloch. Look for Bullock to have 9-11 total tackles this week.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Every Week Starters:
Jared Allen
Julius Peppers
Elvis Dumervil
Justin Tuck
Trent Cole
Mario Williams
Robert Mathis
Andre Carter
Dwight Freeney
Will Smith
Brian Orakpo

1. DE/WLB Terrell Suggs – Suggs had missed the last 3 weeks with an injury but he returned last week against the Lions and had 4 solo tackles. Suggs is a great value because of the high tackling capability he brings from his hybrid DE/WLB spot. Chicago gets sacked a decent amount as well. Sounds like a good combination to me.

2. LDE John Abraham – I know, I know. Abraham sucks this year. I agree completely. I drafted him for God’s sake! But, he has a matchup this week against the Jets which is just too good to pass up. The Jets give up the most fantasy points to opposing defensive lineman and Abraham has a little extra incentive to do well playing against his old team. And hell, he hasn’t had a full sack since Week 5, he’s due. Isn’t he?

3. RDE Aaron Schobel – I’ve recommended Schobel a few times in my weekly waiver wire articles this year and for good reason. He plays in a division that has teams who get sacked a lot! This week the Bills play the New England Patriots, who are actually in the Top 5 for fantasy points given up to opposing defensive lineman.

LINEBACKERS

Every Week Starters:
Patrick Willis
James Harrison
Jon Beason
Barrett Rudd
London Fletcher
D.J. Williams
Curtis Lofton
Kirk Morrison
Brian Cushing
David Harris
David Hawthorne
James Laurinaitis
Karlos Dansby – INJURED (PROBABLE)
Clint Session
Paul Posluszny

1. LOLB LaMarr Woodley - I recommended Woodley in my blog as a waiver wire pickup last week and he came up big with 6 solo tackles and a sack. He has a superb matchup against the Packers this week, so expect a similar stat line.

2. WLB Michael Boley - Boley really impressed me last week by going 10-1-0 against the Eagles, who are one of the stingiest teams in the NFL when it comes to giving up fantasy points to opposing linebackers. He’s got a great matchup against the ‘Skins this week. Look for Boley to have a very solid game.

3. WLB James Anderson – If you’re in need of a one-week filler, Anderson may be your guy. He’s been thrown into the WLB position because of the season-ending injury to Thomas Davis a few weeks ago. To a certain extent, it’s Carolina’s Cover 2 defensive scheme that makes the WLB position valuable, not the actual player. With this being said, Anderson has the Vikings this week who  are a fantasy linebackers dream come true. He should be able to produce at least 7-9 total tackles this week.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Every Week Starters:
Eric Weddle - INJURED (QUESTIONABLE)
Charles Woodson
Troy Polamalu - INJURED (OUT)
Darren Sharper
Tyvon Branch
Antoine Bethea
Yeremiah Bell
Oshiomogho Atogwe - INJURED (PLACED ON IR 12/9)
Dashon Goldson
Bernard Pollard
Bryan Scott

1. SS Reed Doughty – Doughty has been one of the more consistent tackling strong safeties in the league. He has a great matchup this week against the New York “Football” Giants. Get him in your lineup!

2. SS Erik Coleman – Coleman has cooled off the last three weeks after a hot start to the season. However, I think he will bounce back this week against the Jets who will look to run the ball a lot. Seriously, what else are the Jets going to do except hand the ball to Thomas Jones? Let Mark Sanchez (or possibly Kellen Clemens) throw? I think not.

3. LCB William James – James is coming off a nine tackle week against the Ravens last week and this week he has the best matchup an opposing fantasy CB can have: The Arizona Cardinals. He should be good for 7 or 8 solo tackles.

Sits

*The IDP Guru’s Sit of the Week*

WLB Daryl Smith – Smith is on pace for about 100 total tackles this season. Not bad. However, he is the 2nd best fantasy linebacker in Jacksonville behind Justin Durant and he has to face the Colts this week who are extremely stingy when it comes to giving out fantasy points to opposing linebackers. Don’t even think about Smith this week. Look somewhere else. 

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

1. RDE Stylez White – “The Artist formerly known as Greg” had a nice game last week against the Jets. But, I could probably manage a sack (or two) against the Jets, so that isn’t saying a whole lot. White gets the Seahawks this week who have allowed the 2nd fewest points to defensive lineman over the last 8 weeks. I would shy away from White this week.

2. RDE Will Smith – For as inconsistent as the Cowboys offense has been this year, the offensive line has managed to protect Romo fairly well. Add to that the fact that Romo is an elusive QB to begin with and you have a recipe that opposing defensive lineman don’t like tasting. I don’t see Smith being successful in his “Pursuit of Happiness” (bad pun, I know).

LINEBACKERS

1. WLB Will Witherspoon – Since be traded to the Eagles in Week 7, “Spoon” has been a fairly solid fantasy producer. His value took a slight hit when the Eagles decided to move him from MLB to WLB a few ago though. And he has bad matchup this week against the 49ers and their west-coast offense. Don’t expect more than 4-6 total tackles this week.

2. MLB Dhani Jones – It was just last week that I recommended you start Mr. Jones and he came through with 10 total tackles. However, he just isn’t good enough to overcome bad matchups like the one he has against the Chargers this week. Look somewhere else for a linebacker this week. 

DEFENSIVE BACKS

1.  SS Brian Dawkins – Dawkins is coming off a huge game last week (7-3-0, 2 INTS). However, the Raiders are just not good enough to 1) control the ball for an extended period of time, and 2) get to the 2nd level of the opposing team’s defense which is bad news for a secondary player like Dawkins. The last time Dawkins played the Raiders he only had 3 total tackles. Not good.

2. SS Nedu Ndukwe – Gotta love that name! Ndukwe has filled in well for Roy “Horse Collar” Williams, but he’s probably going to hit a brick wall this week against the Eagles. The Eagles are pretty stingy when it comes to giving up points to opposing DBs.

I hope you found this article to be helpful and enjoyable!

Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or derogatory remarks!

Thanks!

Ryan Sitzmann (The IDP Guru)

If you liked this article, make sure to check out our other great Week 15 articles:

• QB Rankings (Start/Sit)
• RB Rankings
  
• WR Rankings (Start/Sit)
• Waiver Wire Sleepers
  

For each position (DL, LB, DB), I will recommend 3 Starts and 2 Sits in addition to my “Start of the Week” and “Sit of the Week.” Also, for each position, I have listed players that I consider to be every week starters or, in other terms, “matchup independent.”

Here are my IDP recommendations for Week 14:

Starts

*The IDP Guru’s Start of the Week*

MLB  Justin Durant - If you only read my articles once in a great moon, you will still probably know that I am a big fan/believer in Justin Durant. I truly believe he is a Top 10 LB when healthy. He has struggled with injuries this season, but those concerns seem to have dissipated after his strong performance last week (6-0-1, INT, 1 TFL). Durant has a great matchup against the run-heavy Dolphins this week and should have a superb game.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Every Week Starters:
Jared Allen
Julius Peppers
Elvis Dumervil
Justin Tuck
Trent Cole
Mario Williams
Robert Mathis - INJURED (QUESTIONABLE)
Andre Carter
Dwight Freeney
Will Smith

1. RDE Greg “Stylez” White – You have to love a guy who legally changes his first name to “Stylez.” You also have to love that he plays the Jets this week, who have given up more fantasy points to opposing defensive lineman then any other team in the NFL (including the Packers). Look for Mr. White to give Mark Sanchez a couple of “style” tips this week, if you know what I mean. And by that I mean sack him.

2. WLB Trevor Scott – Scott is a sneaky play. He was moved from his DE position to WLB in Week 12 against the Cowboys and has remained there ever since. In the two games at that position, he has 9 total tackles and 3 sacks. It looks as though he will remain there this week as well. He’s got a good chance for a sack this week against the Redskins and should put up good tackles numbers (for a DL) as well. FYI, most league management systems lock in players at the position they start at in the beginning of the year and therefore Scott will still be listed as DE in most systems. What a steal!

3. RDE Randy Starks – The former 3rd round pick of the Tennessee Titans has performed admirably this season registering 6 sacks so far. He should be able to increase that number this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I expect Starks to have 3-4 solo tackles and a sack this week.

LINEBACKERS

Every Week Starters:
Patrick Willis
James Harrison
Jon Beason
Barrett Rudd
London Fletcher
D.J. Williams
Curtis Lofton
Kirk Morrison
Brian Cushing
David Harris
David Hawthorne
James Laurinaitis
Karlos Dansby – INJURED (PROBABLE)

1. RILB Jerod Mayo – Mayo was my on my “Start” list last week and he came through in a big way with 12 total tackles and a 1/2 sack. He consistently produces against run-heavy teams and he plays an extremely run-heavy team this week in the Carolina Panthers. I don’t expect Mayo to put up the same numbers he did last week, but he should have a solid game nonetheless.

2. MLB Dhani Jones – Jones is very comparable to MLB Larry Foote. He consistently puts up 6-7 total tackles per week, but not much more. This week, however, may be a different story for Jones as he is facing Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have given up more fantasy points to opposing linebackers than any other team in the league. Look for Jones to have his best fantasy production of the season this week (8-11 total tackles).

3. WLB Clint Session - Who’s accumulated the most fantasy points from the linebacker position over the last 7 weeks? Patrick Willis you say? Jon Beason you say? How about Clint Session. Yah, that Clint Session. Session has been a tackling machine this season and is surprisingly only owned in 22% of ESPN leagues. His matchup against Denver this week is marginal, but at this point in the season, I consider Session close to “matchup independent.”

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Every Week Starters:
Eric Weddle - INJURED (DOUBTFUL)
Charles Woodson
Troy Polamalu - INJURED (OUT)
Darren Sharper
Roman Harper
Erik Coleman
Tyvon Branch
Antoine Bethea
Yeremiah Bell
Oshiomogho Atogwe - INJURED (PLACED ON IR 12/9)
Dashon Goldson

1. SS Melvin Bullitt – This guy has quietly put up 39 total tackles the last 5 weeks and has filled in very nicely for the oft-injured Bob Sanders. He faces the Broncos this week, who have given up the 2nd most points to opposing safeties the last 7 weeks. Sounds like a great combination to me! I expect Bullitt to generate 8 or more total tackles this week and should be a fairly solid play for the rest of the season.

2. CB Richard Marshall – Marshall is often picked on by opposing teams because of his lack of coverage skills and therefore usually puts up decent tackle numbers against pass-heavy teams. With that said, he will have his hands full this week trying to cover the Patriots deadly WR combination of Moss and Welker. Marshall should be in line for 6-8 solo tackles.

3. WLB Bryan Scott – As long as the Bills continue to play Scott at WLB, I will continue to recommend him. You can’t beat the value of having a LB that qualifies at S. Also, he has the Chiefs this week, who are a surprisingly good matchup for opposing fantasy linebackers.

Sits

*The IDP Guru’s Sit of the Week*

WLB Andra Davis – Even though Davis has been overshadowed by fellow linebacker D.J. Williams this year, he has still put up LB3 numbers. However, playing the Colts this week is a death sentence. I wouldn’t expect more that 4 or 5 total tackles.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

1. LDE Leonard Little – Little has registered double-digit sacks in 4 of his 8 years in the league and may come close again this year. However, he faces the Titans this week, who have surprisingly only given up 12 sacks all year.

2. LDE Robert Geathers – The Vikings have done a great job of protecting old man Favre this season and should continue to do so against the Bengals. Honestly, I wouldn’t start anybody on Cincinnati’s defensive line this week.

LINEBACKERS

1. WLB Michael Boley – Boley’s numbers have seen a significant increase since starting MLB Antonio Pierce went on IR with a bulging disk in his neck and he has become the leader (and play caller) on the Giants defense. But all of that becomes irrelevant when one plays the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles just don’t run enough to provide enough tackling opportunities to opposing fantasy linebackers. Make sure Boley is on your bench for this one.

2. WLB Stephen Tulloch – Tulloch has been one of the more consistent tackling linebackers this season, but he has started to show signs of slowing down the last couple of weeks. I also don’t like that he comes out in nickel packages because this obviously limits his tackle opportunities. Tulloch faces the Rams this week, who on the surface seem like a good matchup because their a run-heavy team, but in reality, are one of the worst matchups for LBs.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

1.  FS LaRon Landry – Landry has the Raiders this week, who have absolutely no receivers to throw to, and consequently no one for Landry to tackle. Statistically speaking, the Raiders have given up the least amount of points to opposing DBs this season. Admittedly, it takes some balls to sit a guy who went 12-0-1 the previous week. But those type of moves are what separate the men from the boys as far as IDP fantasy football goes.

2. FS Antrel Rolle – Rolle has been a fairly solid IDP performer this year. He’s put up a decent amount of tackles for a free safety and he’s gathered 4 INTs. However, he faces the 49ers this week on MNF and they haven’t been very fantasy friendly to opposing DBs this year. You may want to think about benching Rolle this week.

I hope you found this article to be helpful and enjoyable!

Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or derogatory remarks!

Thanks!

Ryan Sitzmann (The IDP Guru)

If you liked this article, make sure to check out our other great Week 14 articles:

• RB Rankings (Start/Sit)
  
• WR Rankings (Start/Sit)
  
• Waiver Wire Pickups