Every league should now be in the fantasy playoff mode, unless you play in a points only league. There are always means and ways to tinker with your lineup going into a playoff game, and the IDP world allows for you to swap in and out players based on matchup and recent production. I know I will be modifying my rosters all week long as injury information and practice time details become available. Plus, here are my recommendations for those players to pick up for Week 15, and those to put on the bench or cut.
Good luck if your team is still in the playoff hunt. And if your playoffs begin this week, and run through Week 17, you seriously need to consider leaving that league or getting the commissioner (and the rest of the league) to agree that in 2017 your playoffs begin in Week 14. You do not need the headache of trying to figure out who will be on the field in Week 17. Expect this rant to continue until the season is done. By the way, I will publish up through Week 17, just because of my dedication to the IDP way of life, so do not fret if you need to pick someone up for the final week of the regular football season.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Bud Dupree PIT -- Gotta love a guy on the defensive side of the ball who goes by the moniker of "Bud." Plus, he put up seven total tackles in Week 14 against the Bills in a blowout win (five solo, three for a loss) with a pair of QH (QB hits) tossed in for good measure. If you can grab him off the wire, do so now. He was a first round pick by the Steelers in the 2015 draft.
Mike Hull MIA -- Hull has been tagged to play in place of Kiko Alonso who is injured, and against the Cardinals, he had eight total tackles (only two solos), with a PD (pass deflection) and an INT. So long as Alonso is on the shelf, Hull provides a nice fill-in LB option.
Sean Lee DAL -- Lee is a perennial stud on defense, and it is good to see him back in action. Against the Giants in Week 14, he collected a massive 18 total tackles, with 11 of those being of the solo variety. He also had a TFL (tackle for a loss of yards), a QH and a fumble recovery. If by some chance he is available in your league, you should rush to add him…RIGHT NOW!
DeAndre Levy DET -- Levy did not see a full complement of snaps against the Bears, but still acquitted himself well in his return to the field in Week 14, picking up four total tackles (three solo). He will be worked back into action, and should be available to pick up as his injury has kept him out of action all season until this recent activity.
Defensive Linemen
DeForest Buckner DE SF -- Buckner was a Week 7 pickup suggestion. If you have been rolling with him, you do not need me to tell you that he is providing great IDP production. His Week 14 stat line: 11 total tackles (10 solo, two TFL), two sacks and four QH. If you play in a dynasty or keeper league, he is a must add to your roster.
Romeo Okwara DE NYG -- Okwara is taking over while Jason Pierre-Paul deals with his injury, and he saw a big uptick in production with the additional playing time. He collected eight total tackles against the Cowboys on Sunday night, (three solo, one TFL), to complement his sack, pass deflection and three QH. If you had Pierre-Paul on your roster, he is one to target on the waiver wire (or even if you didn't have JPP).
Kawaan Short DT CAR -- I looked back through my articles and was amazed that I never profiled Short before now. He is coming off a two sack effort against the Chargers, with three solo tackles (two TFL), two QH and a forced fumble. Those numbers are extremely useful in IDP leagues, obviously and superb for a DT even in non-DT mandatory leagues.
Defensive Backs
Keith Tandy S TB -- Defensive back is where the wealth is in Week 15, and opens with Tandy. Tandy has been playing in place of the injured Chris Conte, and putting up good numbers. In Week 14 against the Saints, he collected nine total tackles (eight solo, one TFL), together with three PD and an INT. Be careful when adding him, as his Week 15 opponent, the Cowboys, are stingy with opposing safeties, ranking 28th in the league.
Sean Davis S PIT -- Davis has shown good cover skills and is also putting up big plays on defense. He is coming off a game against the Bills on the road, where he put up seven total tackles (six solo, one TFL), three QH and 1.5 sacks. His ownership numbers indicate that you should be able to snap him up off the waiver wire in your league, and I would urge you to do so, although as with Tandy, his Week 15 opponent, the Bengals, are ranked low with regard to allowing fantasy points to safeties (27th in the league, just above Dallas).
Cre'von LeBlanc CB CHI -- LeBlanc almost won the game for Chicago in Detroit with his late interception in Week 14, but then the comeback kids, the Lions, went and spoiled his celebration by winning the game with another come from behind 4th quarter victory. Nevertheless, he also had four PDs to go with his pick six, and four total tackles (two solo). The Packers head to Chicago in Week 15, and have the seventh highest fantasy point total for opposing CBs through Week 14. You cannot expect LeBlanc to put up huge point totals every week, and playing outdoors in the winter could slow his production, so do not go crazy and add him over a proven commodity, but if you are thin at DB, he is a decent option.
Valentino Blake CB TEN -- Blake saw better than 90% of the defensive snaps in Week 14, stepping in to replace the departed (via waiver, nothing terminal) Perrish Cox. He had six solo tackles and a PD against the Broncos last week, and can be counted on for similar results going forward so long as he is seeing a large number of snaps.
Jimmie Ward CB SF -- Ward filled up the stat sheet in Week 14: 11 total tackles (eight solo, one TFL), a sack, a QH, an INT and three PD. His ability to play inside allows for more tackle opportunities, making him seem like a S/CB hybrid, extremely useful in leagues that require a CB position.
Damarious Randall CB GB -- Randall is finally looking close to 100%, as evidenced by his numbers against the Seahawks: five total tackles (three solo), and a pair of INT and PD both. He has been dealing with a groin injury, but is not listed on the injury report as of the writing of this article. He did have 58 tackles as a rookie in 2015, and led the team with 14 PD during that season, so if he is back in form, he is a sneaky option as the fantasy playoffs move forward.
Daryl Worley CB CAR -- Worley, as with many rookie corners, is being targeted by every QB he faces. That is a great thing for IDP point production purposes, naturally, but he is also acquitting himself well. In Week 14, he tallied 10 total tackles (eight solo) and also picked off a pass and added a PD for good measure. He does not have the greatest Week 15 matchup against Kirk Cousins and the Washington offense (ranked 24th in the league as allowing points to opposing CBs), but as noted above, you can expect the opponent to test his mettle and thus, he should be able to post useful stats for his owners. Speaking of which, I would be surprised if he is not available in your league as he is owned in virtually no leagues on ESPN and only 8% on Yahoo.
Lamarcus Joyner CB LA -- Joyner winds up the cornerback profiles this edition of the IDP Report. Joyner gets to face off against the Seahawks, and while I do not expect Russell Wilson to be intercepted five times, a PD or two could be in future for a starting CB on the Rams (Joyner has 5 on the season). I am not rushing out to add him to my teams, but if injuries are limiting your options, he is someone to consider adding for a week or two and praying for some fantasy production.
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Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Jerry Hughes BUF -- Hughes suffered a benching in Week 14 in favor of rookie linebacker Shaq Lawson. If he is not starting, there is obviously no reason to keep him in your lineup, and he should be cut in redraft leagues at this point.
De'Vondre Campbell ATL -- Campbell is a big play potential IDP at linebacker, but his tackling numbers are nothing to write home about. You can take a flier on him if you need PD numbers, but the steady production from tackles will not be there. He is a risky play going forward.
Defensive Linemen
No players except those listed on the injury list below.
Defensive Backs
Kenny Vacaro S NO -- Vacaro is starting his four game suspension, so his season for fantasy purposes is done. The Saints turned to Roman Harper to take his place in Week 14, and while I do not like him as a stud IDP option, he could put up decent numbers going forward if you are desperate for a safety.
Matchups to Exploit
Remember, the first team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Colts on the Viking squad (or vice versa this week), but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Vikings or Colts that you can plug in against the Colts or Vikings, as the case may be, for the most part.
Linebackers
Indianapolis @ Minnesota
Minnesota vs Indianapolis
Philadelphia @ Baltimore
New England @ Denver
Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh
Defensive Ends
Arizona @ New Orleans
San Diego vs Oakland
Buffalo vs Cleveland
Defensive Tackles
Arizona @ New Orleans
Los Angeles @ Seattle
Cleveland @ Buffalo
Safeties
New Orleans @ Arizona
Philadelphia @ Baltimore
San Diego vs Oakland
Cornerbacks
Arizona vs New Orleans
Jacksonville @ Houston
New York Jets vs Miami
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Waiver Wire Targets
All these players are spotlighted above, and you can read my comments about them in the "Elevator Going Up" section of this article. Not all the players I comment on are here, however, as I am not going to waste your time searching for players that are heavily owned. This group consists of those that you may have a chance of locating on your league's waiver wire in that they are owned in significantly less than 50% of leagues. Happy claiming for your weekly matchups.
Linebackers
Bud Dupree PIT
Mike Hull MIA
DeAndre Levy DET
Defensive Linesmen
DeForest Buckner DE SF
Romeo Okwara DE NYG (owned in 30.3% of ESPN leagues, only 20% of Yahoo leagues)
Kawann Short DT CAR (owned in 37.4% of ESPN leagues, just 5% of Yahoo leagues)
Defensive Backs
Keith Tandy S TB
Sean Davis S PIT
Cre'Von LeBlanc CB CHI
Valentino Blake CB TEN
Jimmie Ward CB SF
Damarious Randall CB GB
Daryl Worley CB CAR
Lamarcus Joyner CB LA
Ouch (My Aching Roster)
All the injury reports below need evaluation prior to kickoff. Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. Consider the list below as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
Jamari Lattimore BUF nose
Lerentee McCray BUF concussion
Luke Kuechly CAR concussion
David Mayo CAR concussion
Jackson Jeffcoat CLE hamstring
Brandon Marshall DEN hamstring
Todd Davis DEN oblique
Nick Perry GB hand
Kyler Fackrell GB hamstring
Blake Martinez GB knee (MCL)
John Simon HOU chest
Robert Mathis IND biceps
Derrick Johnson KC Achilles (out for the season)
Kiko Alonso MIA knee
Jelani Jenkins MIA knee
Edmond Robinson MIN hamstring
Craig Robertson NO shoulder
Mark Herzlich NYG concussion
Lorenzo Mauldin NYJ ankle
Shilique Calhoun OAK knee
Brock Coyle SEA foot
Sean Spence TEN ankle
Will Compton WAS knee (PCL)
Su'a Cravens WAS elbow
Defensive Linemen
DE
Robert Nkemdiche ARI elbow
Adrian Clayborn AT knee (meniscus)
Kyle Williams BUF back
Charles Johnson CAR hamstring
Wallace Gilberry CIN calf
Ezekiel Ansah DET shoulder
Zach Kerr IND concussion
Matt Longacre LA heel
Mario Williams MIA ankle
Jason Pierre-Paul NYG groin
Owa Odighizuwa NYG knee
Stacy McGee OAK ankle
Joey Bosa SD neck
Damontre Moore SEA foot
Noah Spence TB ankle
Jurrell Casey TEN foot
Karl Klug TEN Achilles
DT
Eddie Goldman CHI ankle
Rakeem Nunez-Roches KC back
Steve McLendon NYJ hamstring
Darius Latham OAK ankle
Javon Hargrave PIT head
Quinton Dial SF elbow
Defensive Backs
S
Tyrann Mathieu ARI shoulder
Kemal Ishmael ATL shoulder
Robenson Therezie ATL ankle
Derron Smith CIN thigh
J.J. Wilcox DAL thigh
Peyton Thompson JAX ankle
Maurice Alexander LA concussion
Harrison Smith MIN ankle
Jordan Richards NE knee
Shiloh Keo NO hamstring
Nat Berhe NYG concussion
Karl Joseph OAK toe
Mike Mitchell PIT knee
Shamarko Thomas PIT concussion
Chris Conte TB chest
Kyshoen Jarrett WAS shoulder
Will Blackmon WAS concussion
CB
Tharold Simon ARI ankle
Marcus Cooper ARI back
Jalen Collins ATL knee
Jerraud Powers BAL concussion
Jimmy Smith BAL ankle
Tracy Porter CHI illness
Johnthan Banks CH ankle
Morris Claiborne DAL sports hernia
Ladarius Gunter GB general soreness (that's a new one)
Johnathan Joseph HOU ribs
Tevin Mitchel IND hamstring
E.J. Gaines LA thigh
Chimdi Chekwa MIA hamstring
Xavien Howard MIA knee (meniscus)
Marcus Sherels MIN ribs
Trae Waynes MIN concussion
Eric Rowe NE hamstring
Delvin Breaux NO shoulder
Buster Skrine NYJ concussion
Brandon Flowers SD concussion
Craig Mager SD elbow
Keith Reaser SF head
As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy match ups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. If you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, I can be reached at ia@fantasyalarm.com.