Have your playoffs started, or do they start this week? If either scenario applies to your league, then it is time to consider who
can help you dominate on the IDP side of fantasy. As ever, there are injuries forcing owners to adjust on the fly, but fortunately, there are plenty of options on the wire to help you compete for those essential end of season victories. Take a look below for suggestions to bolster your roster as we roll into December.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Jameel McClain NYG
Nigel Bradham BUF
Jason Worilds PIT
Jerrell Freeman IND
Jelani Jenkins MIA
Lansanah stepped in to replace the injure Lavonte David, and collected 14 total tackles in Week 13, 13 of those being solos. So long as David is out, he is well worth rostering and starting. McClain is a prime waiver wire candidate for tackle heavy leagues, as he has posted 38 total tackles over the past four games (31 solo). He does have one forced fumble over that span, but is not your guy in big play leagues. Bradham is just one of the Bills hot players. He had nine solos as part of his 12 total tackles in Week 13, and also tossed in a sack and pass deflection for good measure. There is a lot to like on the defensive side of the ball in Buffalo. Collins contributed a sack and forced fumble to go with his 13 tackles in last week, splitting his tackles nearly evenly with seven solos. Worilds name may be tough to spell, but he is a tackling machine, and even had a sack in Week 13 to go with his double digit tackles (eight solo). The Pittsburgh defense is not one you want to raid for much this season in IDP, but Worilds is certainly worth your consideration going into the prime playoff period. Freeman, in addition to his 10 total tackles (five solo), put up a sack and pass deflection in Week 13. Facing Cleveland in Week 14 should be a decent matchup. Jenkins had 15 total tackles facing the Jets in Week 13, and while the matchup this week against Baltimore is not nearly as tasty, the Ravens are in the top third in giving up points to linebackers this season. A good option for a LB2/3 in Week 14, to be sure.
Defensive Linemen
Cameron Jordan DE NO
Jared Allen DE CHI
Robert Quinn StL DE
Chris Long StL DE
William Hayes StL DE
Jonathan Newsome DE IND
Jerry Hughes DE BUF
Corey Liuget DE SD
Jordan had a bevy of stats in Week 13, collecting a sack, an interception and two pass deflections to go with his six tackles (five assists). Facing the Panthers this week should provide good opportunities to shine again. Allen has finally been paying off for the Bears, who signed him for big money this past offseason. He has been getting to the QB for sacks, but facing the Cowboys and Saints in the next two weeks means you might want to reign in your expectations for big plays. Quinn, Long and Hayes were a trio to be reckoned with in Week 13. Facing the Raiders will do that for your IDP. Fortunately, they get to head to Washington, DC this week, and their DL friendly offense. If any of the three are available on the wire, grab them. Newsome has had 3.5 sacks over the past two games, and now gets to face the Browns, and a muddled QB situation. The matchup could be better, but the guy has talent and should be considered if you have a hole at DL. Hughes is available on most league wires, and has been very productive of late. As I said above, I like the Buffalo IDPs. Liuget had a great week against the Ravens and now gets to face the Patriots who are traveling across the nation to play in San Diego. New England does provide decent tackle opportunities to DLs, although sacks may be rare.
Defensive Backs
Da’Norris Searcy S BUF
William Moore S ATL
George Wilson S TEN
Glover Quin S DET
Greg Toler CB IND
E.J. Gaines CB StL
Another Bill IDP? Yep, Searcy is starting to heat up, and he gets to face the Broncos, who are fifth in allowing points to defensive
backs through the first 13 weeks of the season. His early season lack of production probably means you can grab him in nearly every league. Moore is another former IDP star starting to get his feet underneath him this season after coming off IR last week. Act quick and roster him for your playoff run. Wilson continues to produce, having collected nine tackles last week and now gets to face the struggling Giants. Quin was a veteran signing by the Lions who has solidified a dominant defensive squad. He had an interception to go with his six solo tackles in Week 13 on Thanksgiving Day while facing the Bears, and now gets to take on the Buccaneers on Sunday. With a nose for the ball, he is a good candidate for an interception or a few pass deflections. Toler owners have to hope that Vontae Davis is able to play, as this would lead to better chances for him to shine than if Josh Gordy gets the start on Sunday. Toler could also be matched up on Josh Gordon, and that would certainly result in increased tackle and PD opportunities. Gaines has seen plenty of action this season, as offenses target him, leading to tackle opportunities. He did have two pass deflections, one INT and six solo tackles last week, and assuming he will be covering the No. 1 receiving option for Washington, he should put up good numbers again.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Bjoern Werner IND
Brian Cushing HOU
A.J. Hawk GB
Werner’s snap count is still high, but he is not doing much with the opportunity. He was absent from the stat sheet in Week 13, and could find his time on the field diminishing. Cushing just is not healthy yet, and while he is still a candidate to hold on your bench, you need to see him as a long-term keeper, not a player to start in the playoffs. Hawk saw his playing time drop in favor of Sam Barrington last week, but that could have been a function of the Packers taking on the Patriots. Monitor his production going forward before relying on him.
Defensive Linemen
Wallace Gilberry DE CIN
Cameron Wake DE MIA
Both Gilberry and Wake were essentially no shows in Week 13. While I would leave them on your bench I would not drop them based on one week’s lack of stats.
Defensive Backs
Antoine Cason CB CAR
Cason was being targeted by offenses early this season, and that led to good production thru the first third of the season. The team is now taking more of a look at future production from their roster, with Bene Benwikere benefiting from Cason’s lack of playmaking. He is safe to drop now.
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
Lance Briggs CHI (groin-IR out for season)
Lavonte David TB (hamstring)
Ryan Kerrigan WAS (wrist)
Jadeveon Clowney HOU (knee)
Defensive Linemen
Allen Bailey DE KC (concussion)
Chandler Jones DE NE (hip)
Brett Keisel DE PIT (torn triceps)
Robert Ayers DE NYG (pectoral)
Muhammad Wilkerson DE NYJ (toe)
George Selvie DE DAL (thumb)
Jeremiah Ratliff DT CHI (knee)
Sharrif Floyd DT MIN (knee)
Marcell Dareus DT BUF (groin)
Defensive Backs
Tyrann Mathieu S ARI (thumb)
Brandon Meriweather S WAS (toe)
Tashaun Gipson S CLE (knee)
Desmond Trufant CB ATL (neck)
Vontae Davis CB IND (concussion)
Aqib Talib CB DEN (hamstring)
Sam Shields CB GB (concussion)
Johnathan Joseph CB HOU (Achilles strain)
Cortez Allen CB PIT (thumb)
Tracy Porter CB WAS (shoulder-IR out for season)
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
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Cowboys are finalizing a trade for Steelers WR George Pickens.
The move, which includes a 2026 third round pick and a 2027 fifth round pick sent to the Steelers, comes after another ESPN report saying Pickens, 24, wanted to remain in Pittsburgh. Acquiring Pickens — who has 2,841 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over three NFL seasons — addresses an area of acute need for the Cowboys, who have one of the league’s weakest wideout room behind CeeDee Lamb. Pickens and Lamb will make for one of the NFL’s best receiver duos, with Pickens functioning as a viable downfield threat for Dak Prescott, who last season ranked 15th out of 40 qualifying quarterbacks in deep ball accuracy. Pickens in 2024 was third in deep targets and second only to Alec Pierce in receiving yards on downfield receptions. Pickens will have far more upside in the Dallas offense than he did in Pittsburgh. DK Metcalf, meanwhile, will enter the 2025 season as the unquestioned No. 1 wideout for the run-heavy Steelers. His fantasy prospects look much brighter with Pickens in Dallas.
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.