We are getting down to the nitty gritty time as playoff berths are being secured during these next 2 or three weeks. Bye weeks end after this week's games are done, and it is essential that you shore up any weaknesses in your rosters now, not later. With those concepts in mind, who should you target on the wire and who should be dropped? Read on.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Bruce Carter DAL
Sean Weatherspoon ATL
Brad Jones GB
Shaun Phillips DEN
DannyTrevathan DEN
Carter is the main guy still in the Dallas D. With Sean Lee and Justin Durant useless to us for several more weeks, if you can grab Carter do so with enthusiasm. Weatherspoon is a good pickup against the Saints tonight, and I like him to put up nice numbers from this point on. Jones, if he can play, is an excellent LB to target, as he should see the majority of the snaps on the Packers defense going forward, with good tackles and the occasional sack. Phillips is a better pickup than Von Miller, who was essentially MIA last week. He and Trevathan are putting up much better numbers than Miller, with teams scheming to negate Miller's presence.
Defensive Linemen
Cameron Heyward DE PIT
Julius Peppers DE CHI
Akiem Hicks DE NO
Olivier Vernon DE MIA
Gerald McCoy DT TB
Heyward has a good match up against the Browns, and I would not be surprised to see him reward his owners with a sack or more this week. I was guilty of writing off Peppers earlier on this season, but he has bounced back well, and if he's sitting on the wire, grab him and start him from this point on. Hicks is more of a future pickup to stash, as his predominate value comes in being a run stopper. With the Panthers and Seahawks coming up on the schedule, he will prove valuable in the right match up. Vernon is someone I have been touting this season, and like Heyward, I like his chances to record at least a half a sack this week. McCoy is a great DT if you like your DLs to post sacks, with a handful of tackles tossed in for good measure. Facing a pass oriented offense like Detroit should be a fine opportunity this week.
Defensive Backs
Andrew Sendejo S MIN
Jamarca Sanford S MIN
Jarius Byrd S BUF
Orlando Scandrick CB DAL
Zack Bowman CB CHI
Tramon Williams CB GB
Cortland Finnegan CB StL
Sendejo, together with Jamarca Sanford, has been getting it done in the Viking secondary, and with Harrison Smith going IR, both these guys should be rostered. I prefer Sendejo, but if he's not available, look to see if you can add Sanford. Byrd is arguably one of the best defensive players in the NFL, let alone at his position. I've commented on how high I am on the Buffalo D overall, but Byrd is a step above. Sacks and interceptions help take the sting out of the fact that the front lines of the Bills' D don't allow many tackle opportunities for Byrd and the rest of the secondary. Facing Eli Manning may lead to an interception or more for Scandrick on Sunday, and the beat up Cowboys' linebacking corps will lead to more tackling by the secondary, including Mr. Sandrick. Bowman is going to fill in for Tillman, and that alone makes him worth picking up. He has the talent to excel, and now has the opportunity. Williams had 8 tackles, 1 INT and a PD in week 11. Assuming the Packers' D will be on the field more with their offense lacking it's best playmaker in Aaron Rodgers, I expect good numbers this week with the Vikings as the opponent. Finnegan has been coming on strong for the past couple of games and I expect him to cover Brandon Marshall this week, and therefore have ample opportunity to rack up tackles.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Zach Brown TEN
Akeem Dent ATL
Brown is losing snaps, with Colin McCarthy replacing him in the Titan nickel package. This is a bad thing for a linebacker, as I tend to shy away from LBs that don't play close to every down. Dent is also losing PT, with the return of Sean Weatherspoon (who I recommend you grab). Loss of snaps means loss of value.
Defensive Linemen
Robert Ayers DE DEN
Ayers is another IDP that is seeing a decline in his time on the field. Avoid him, or drop him if you've been sitting him on the bench.
Defensive Backs
Antonio Allen S NYJ
Dashon Goldson S TB
Patrick Peterson CB ARI
The pickup of Ed Reed portends bad tidings for Allen. Given the affection the Jets' head coach has for Reed, you can stop using Allen in your backfield. Goldson makes the list because he has been suspended for an illegal hit. You can bench him if you have room, since he will be back in Week 13, but he is worthless this week. Peterson is a shutdown corner, and like Darrelle Revis, QBs and Offensive Coordinators avoid him. He can put up decent enough numbers here and there, but as a steady source of fantasy points, he is not worth rostering. Look for someone that is being targeted and reap the benefits of tackles, interceptions and passes defensed.
Ouch (My Aching Roster)
All the injury reports below need to be evaluated at kickoff. Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. The list below is intended as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
Craig Robertson CLE (knee)
Daryl Smith BAL (thigh)
Chase Blackburn CAR (foot)
Lance Briggs CHI (shoulder)
Rey Maualuga CIN (knee)
Craig Robertson CLE (knee)
Sean Lee DAL (hamnstring)
Justin Durant DAL (hamstring)
Nick Perry GB (ankle, foot)
Mike Mohamed HOU (hamstring)
Darryl Sharpton HOU (foot, toe, back)
Jeff Tarpinian HOU (groin)
Kavell Conner IND (ankle)
Erik Walden IND (suspension)
Erin Henderson MIN (not injury related)
Garrett McIntyre NYJ (knee)
Kaluka Maiava OAK (ribs)
Mychal Kendricks PHI (knee)
Jake Knott PHI (hamstring)
Stevenson Sylvester PIT (hamstring)
LaMarr Woodley PIT (calf)
Jarrett Johnson SD (hand)
Korey Toomer SEA (NFI)
Dan Skuta SF (foot)
Mason Foster TB (concussion)
Moise Fokou TEN (knee)
Defensive Linemen
Charles Johnson DE CAR (knee)
Armonty Bryant DE CLE (back)
Israel Idonije DE DET (knee)
Mike DeVito DEKC (knee)
Tyson Jackson DE KC (abdomen)
Brian Robison DE MIN (neck)
Jason Hunter DE OAK (foot)
Brett Keisel DE PIT (foot)
Derrick Morgan DE TEN (groin)
Stephen Bowen DE WAS (knee)
Haloti Ngata DT BAL (knee)
Jeremiah Ratliff DT CHI (groin)
Johnny Jolly DT GB (groin)
Justin Smith DT SF (shoulder)
Defensive Backs
Rahim Moore S DEN (leg)
Glover Quinn S DET (achilles)
LaRon Landry S IND (toe)
Steve Gregory S NE (finger)
Tyvon Branch S OAK (ankle)
Shamarko Thomas S PIT (ankle)
Justin Bethel CB ARI (concussion)
Lardarius Webb CB BAL (abdomen)
Champ Bailey CB DEN (foot)
Greg Toler CB IND (groin)
Will Blackmon CB JAX (shoulder)
Dimitri Patterson CB MIA (groin)
Josh Robinson CB MIN (chest)
Kyle Arrington CB NE (groin)
Aqib Talib CB NE (hip)
Corey Webster CB NYG (groin, ankle)
Cortland Finnegan CB StL (eye)
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.
Player News
NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports Saints QB Derek Carr wants to “see if he can play through with this shoulder injury.”
Slater reports that Carr believes he injured his throwing shoulder in the same Week 14 game against the Giants that he injured his left wrist last season. The shoulder issue was apparently discovered as he ramped up throwing in the spring, not as the season wound down in 2024. Carr has already had surgery on that arm and wants to see if he can play through the injury. Slater adds that Carr made two trips to New Orleans to meet with the team doctor and a decision will be made “sooner rather than later” as the 34-year-old tries to make the best decision for his shoulder and the Saints aim to make the best decision for their franchise. It would be a surprise to see Carr return to start for the Saints, especially without having surgery. New Orleans has signaled an attempt to move on by selecting Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Carr has two seasons left on his four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints and a decision on his future is looming.
9News’ Mike Klis reports free agent QB Desmond Ridder will get a veteran tryout at the Broncos’ rookie minicamp.
Ridder is a former third-round pick of the Falcons in 2022 and started 13 games for them in 2023. Atlanta moved on from Ridder after his 12-touchdown, 12-interception season; he joined the Raiders to play six games and start one in 2024. The 25-year-old is searching for backup jobs around the NFL after throwing for 5.4 yards per attempt and earning a 45.7 PFF grade last season, good for No. 69 out of 75 quarterbacks. The Broncos will bring him into rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, where Ridder looks to earn the chance to compete with Sam Ehlinger for the third-string quarterback spot in Denver.
Bengals DT B.J. Hill was seen in a protective boot at Tuesday’s voluntary workout.
Hill was seen in a protective walking boot for his left foot at the Bengals’ voluntary workout session on Tuesday. It seems to be a new injury for the veteran, though it is not yet clear what the injury is. The Bengals just signed Hill to a three-year, $33 million contract in the offseason and will be hoping one of the investments into their defense gets healthy for the start of the regular season.
The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf reports Brian Schottenheimer was “non-commital” on whether the Cowboys would have a lead back or take a committee approach.
“Schottenheimer wants to see how things unfold during offseason workouts and training camp,” Yousuf continues. It certainly seems to be a situation where Jaydon Blue could carve out a role in a hurry. “If Blue proves himself, he’ll have the chance to carve out a significant role,” Yousuf writes. Certainly nothing we saw from Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders in recent years would lead us to believe that they’ll be blocking Blue if he shows out in training camp.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said he’s “expecting Kyle [Pitts] to take a big jump.”
“Year 2 of the system. Year 2 of understanding what we’re trying to do offensively. All those things that come with it, so expecting a lot of good things from Kyle,” Robinson continued, presumably while trying to sell the people who asked him this question a bridge. The good news for those who would want to buy in on Pitts is, like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody is expecting a Pitts breakout year in his fifth season. He’s now a freeroll. But it’s hard to believe he’ll do any better than low-end TE1 duty this year.
Chiefs signed seventh-round pick Brashard Smith to a four-year contract.
The seventh-rounder figures to be in the passing downs mix after the Chiefs let Samaje Perine walk this offseason. Isiah Pacheco should be the No. 1 back in the room on third downs, but Smith might be the primary competition with Kareem Hunt appearing mostly on run-down snaps last year and Elijah Mitchell having a strong tendency to not be on the field on passing downs in San Francisco. Smith has some intrigue in an Andy Reid offense but will likely have a low floor in 2025 as he attempts to establish himself on the depth chart.