There are many injuries that you need to be aware of this week, so take a careful look down below to see if any of your IDPs are questionable or worse for your important Week 15 playoff matchup. Fortunately, some players are returning to dominance or simply showing what they can do with opportunity and increased snap counts. Scour the wire after you review the below information that is presented to help you make wise choices.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Craig Robertson CLE
Vincent Rey CIN
Jameel McClain NYG
Dumerville was a sack monster in Week 14, racking up 3.5 QB takedowns in Week 14 against Miami, tying him with Justin Houston for the league lead. He also tossed in four total tackles and a forced fumble. He has quietly regained top form as a LB1. Robertson has been on fire since taking over the middle spot in the Cleveland linebacking corps with Karlos Dansby out of action. He had 10 solos as part of his 12 total tackles last week, and also deflected a pass, recovered a fumble and scored a TD. Rey is readily available on the wire, and has been an excellent source of tackles since Vontaze Burfict went out at the end of October. If you do not need your LB to provide big plays, you should snag him. McClain is racking up sacks lately, with two in the past two games, and he is a good source of tackles, as well. Facing off against Washington in Week 15 should only result in another superb stat line.
Defensive Linemen
Jacquies Smith DE TB
Damontre Moore DE NYG
Fletcher Cox DE PHI
Corey Liuget DE SD
Frostee Rucker DT ARI
Smith has been credited with five sacks in the past four games, along with a forced fumble. He is not much for tackles, but in a big play league, he is well worth grabbing off the wire. Moore, like Smith, is a big play defensive end. He snagged two sacks last week, and gets to face Washington this week, who are third among points allowed to DLs on the season. Cox had 12 total tackles in Week 14, and best of all, 11 were solos. He gets Dallas this week, and he had two sacks against the Romo-led Cowboys in their recent meeting two weeks ago. Liuget has been solid, especially if your league scoring favors tackles over big plays. Just keep an eye on his status, as he was sporting a stylish walking boot early this week. I love typing Rucker’s name, especially around the winter holidays (PC correct, that’s me). I should send him a thank you note for his two sack performance in Week 14 for giving me the excuse to highlight him here. With him facing the Rams this week, in a league that requires a DT in your starting lineup, he is a good bet to provide another sack, as the St. Louis O-line does not protect their QB all that well.
Defensive Backs
Charles Woodson S OAK
Pierre Warren S NO
Jim Leonhard S CLE
Robert Blanton S MIN
Ryan Clark S WAS
Orlando Scandrick CB DAL
Corey Graham CB BUF
Bene Benwikere CB CAR
Woodson will be a Hall of Fame member once he decides to hang up the cleats, but so long as he keeps racking up the tackles and making big plays, his owners are in no rush for him to retire. In addition to a pass deflection and eight tackles in Week 14, he also managed to snag an interception. At 38, we should enjoy the performance while we can. Warren is one of those defensive backs that has great value due to his being targeted based on his lack of NFL experience. He had two pass deflections in Week 14 to go with his six solo tackles and two assists. Love those DBs that offensive coordinators target in their game schemes. Leonhard will lose playing time once Tashaun Gipson returns to the field, but in the meantime, he is providing both decent tackles and big plays on a weekly basis. Check out the reports but if Gipson is out in Week 15, expect another big week as the Browns take on their in-state rivals, the Bengals. As a bonus, he is widely available on the wire. Blanton was extremely effective the last time he faced the Lions, this week’s opponent. He is coming off a nine total tackle performance in Week 14, with seven of those being solos. Clark is filling in for Brandon Meriweather, and gets to face the Giants and Eagles in the next two weeks, who are first and second in terms of points allowed to defensive backs. Go grab him now, this article will still be here when you return. Scandrick is coming off a game where he had a pass deflection, an interception and nine solo tackles. He faces off against the Eagles in a division rivalry, and you need to look just a bit above to see how beneficial the Philadelphia offense has been to defensive backs this season. I have said before how much I love the Buffalo defense this season, and Graham is one of the reasons why. Six total tackles (five solos), an INT and a fumble recovery in Week 14 make him a player to snap up if you are having problems with your DBs. The rookie Benwikere is now a starter for the Panthers, and he put on a display in Week 14: eight total tackles (six solo), an interception and two pass deflections. I like him in a redraft league, but really want him in my dynasty/keeper leagues going forward.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Sio Moore OAK
Bruce Carter DAL
Sure, Moore mouthed off about the 49ers’ QB, but I hate him for the limited production he provided last week. It seemed obvious.jpg)
his hip was limiting him, and fantasy owners certainly rued his decision to take the field. Keep an eye on his injury status, but right now, he is not listed as questionable or worse. Carter is being held out of passing situations, and that severely limits his value. There are better options at linebacker than someone who plays limited snaps.
Defensive Linemen
Charles Johnson DE CAR
Justin Tuck DE OAK
Haloti Ngata DT BAL
Johnson was dud for fantasy purposes, but he was an active participant last week, as he pressured the QB plenty in Week 14. Hope that this was simply an aberration and that he will return to his usual role as a DL1. Tuck may just be running on empty these days, as he does not appear to be his former dominant self. Save yourself the remorse, and drop him, despite his name recognition. Ngata was suspended for four games for a substance abuse policy violation. He was not lighting up the stat sheet in any event.
Defensive Backs
Rashad Johnson S ARI
Brent Grimes CB MIA
Johnson was another player who goose-egged the stat sheet in Week 14. He did lose a forced fumble and and fumble recovery due to instant replay, so maybe we give him a pass, unless his fantasy points (or rather, lack thereof) caused you to lose your playoff matchup. In that case, feel free to blast him. Grimes has been playing like an elite corner, but Week 14 was not kind to his owners. Part of that is the recognition that he is an elite cover corner, so teams are avoiding him. He should be fine going forward, but you may want to search out someone with better projections as the playoffs proceed.
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
Anthony Barr MIN (knee)
Lavonte David TB (concussion)
Larry Foote ARI (foot)
Koa Misi MIA (hamstring)
Dont’a Hightower NE (shoulder)
James Harrison PIT (knee)
Mason Foster TB (Achilles)
Keenan Robinson WAS (knee)
Defensive Linemen
Muhammad Wilkerson DE NYJ (toe)
Mario Williams DE BUF (illness)
Allen Bailey DE KC (concussion)
Robert Ayers DE NYG (chest)
Sharrif Floyd DT MIN (knee)
Gerald McCoy DT TB (knee)
Clinton McDonald DT TB (hamstring)
Defensive Backs
Da’Norris Searcy S BUF (hamstring)
William Moore S ATL (ankle)
Kemal Ishmael S ATL (concussion)
Louis Delmas S MIA (torn ACL-out for the season, on IR)
Robert Blanton S MIN (leg)
Brandon Meriweather S WAS (toe)
Antonio Cromartie CB ARI (ankle)
Desmond Trufant CB ATL (hand)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB TEN (shoulder separation)
Ike Taylor CB PIT (shoulder)
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.