We are fully into the playoffs in fantasy football leagues at this point. You may be scrambling to deal with injuries or players that have been demoted and lost the majority of their snaps. There are still options to be found on the wire, fortunately, if you need to pick up a viable starter. Plus, do not forget to look for those players that were previously profiled, as they are listed here because of their recent production in fantasy.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Michael Wilhoite SEA
Zach Vigil WAS
Wilhoite has a chance to pick up significant snaps with both K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner on the injury report this week, when the Seahawks go on the road to face off against the Rams. He was on the field for 47 defensive snaps in Week 14 (another 20 on special teams), and contributed with four total tackles (three solo). If he is an every down LB in Week 15, he could be a sneaky add to your roster, especially if you are dealing with injuries at linebacker.
Vigil has slotted in as the one of the starting inside LBs for Washington, even if Martrell Spaight is back in action against Arizona. He had nine combined tackles against the Chargers (seven solo) in Week 14, and should be in position to provide similar production this coming week.
IDPs to consider that have been previously profiled: Deion Jones ATL (Week 7), Matt Milano BUF (Week 9), Zach Cunningham HOU (Weeks 3 & 6), Bruce Irvin OAK (Week 14), Sean Lee DAL (Week 14)Nigel Bradham PHI (Week 7), Craig Robertson NO (Week 6), Anthony Hitchens DAL (Week 14), Jarrad Davis DET (Week 7), Danny Trevathan CHI (Weeks 4 & 6), Lavonte David TB (Week 7), Vince Williams PIT (Week 12), Denzel Perryman LAC (Week 11)
Defensive Linemen
Michael Johnson DE CIN
Mike Daniels DE GB
Damon Harrison DT NYJ
Dontari Poe DT ATL
Linval Joseph DT MIN
Johnson filled in nicely in Week 14 on a banged up Cincinnati defense that was without four starters. He has six combined tackles (four solo) with three of those being for a loss of yardage (TFL). He also picked up a pair of sacks and added a couple of quarterback hits/hurries (QH) to round out his stat line. So long as the Bengals are without their normal starters on the D-line, he is a useful plug-in piece.
Daniels is another DE to target for steady if not exciting production. He had five total tackles in Cleveland last Sunday (four solo, one TFL) and a QH. He has collected 2.5 sacks over his past five contests played, so he also offers some big play potential.
Harrison continues to rack up tackles at the DT position, making him valuable in leagues that require you to roster a defensive tackle. He has 64 combined tackles through 13 games this season (41 solo), and has also racked up three pass defense play (PD), an INT and 1.5 sacks, making him useful in big play leagues as well.
Poe had a five total tackle effort against the Falcons in Week 14 (two solo, one TFL) with a QH. He also saw a couple of snaps on offense in goal line situations, so that only adds to his value.
Joseph was the Vikings’ leading tackler in Week 14 with 10 total tackles (three solo, one TFL), along with a QH and a sack. Do not expect those numbers every outing, but against run-first opponents, he is useful, especially if you need to start a DT in your league.
IDPs to consider that have been previously profiled: Jerrell Casey DE TEN (Weeks 5 & 6), Malik Jackson DT JAX (Week 6), Michael Brockers DT LAR (Week 7), Mario Addison DE CAR (Week 9), Dean Lowry DE GB (Week 14)
Defensive Backs
Tony Jefferson S BAL
Jeff Heath S DAL
Bradley McDougald S SEA
Daryl Worley CB CAR
Tramon Williams CB ARI
A.J. Bouye CB JAX
Jefferson was a big free agent signing for the Ravens this past off-season, and finally seems to be settling in with his new team. He had 11 combined tackles in Week 14 (eight solo, one TFL) with a QH and half a sack to boot. Now would be a good time to snag him off the wire if your safety production is disappointing you.
Heath is coming off a 10 total tackle effort against the Giants (eight solo), and has a tasty matchup against the Raiders on deck in Week 15. He also had a PD and a QH in Week 14, so he not only offers tackles but also the occasional big play game.
McDougald took over at strong safety when Kam Cameron was lost for the season, and has been a tackle machine, collecting 29 total tackles over the past three weeks (19 solo), including five solos and three assists in Week 14 against the Jags. His Week 15 opponent is a great matchup, with the Rams giving up the seventh most points to opposing safeties through Week 14.
Worley was on the field for 89% of the snaps on defense in Week 14, an indication that he is now healthy, and he picked up nine total tackles (eight solo) with a PD. He also picked off his first pass of the season against the Panthers. If he can stay on the field for the bulk of the snaps on defense, he becomes a useful waiver wire add to your defensive backfield.
Williams can play shutdown cornerback, and that will restrict his ability to provide tackle numbers (two solos in Week 14). He did snag an INT and added three PD against the visiting Titans, though, so the big play ability is there.
Bouye picked off a pair of passes in Jacksonville against the visiting Seahawks last week, giving him six on the season and tying him for the league lead. He also added three PD in a fine big-play effort
IDPs to consider that have been previously profiled: Desmond King CB LAC (Week 13), Quandre Diggs CB/S DET (Week 14), Budda Baker S ARI (Weeks11 & 12), Deshazor Everett S WAS (Week 14)
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Ramon Humber BUF
Mychal Kendricks PHI
Humber looks as though he has lost his full-time role in the Buffalo scheme to Matt Milano. He put up a goose egg in terms of tackles in Week 14, and you should feel free to remove him from your roster.
Kendricks has been hit or miss, and mostly miss this season. He had just one tackle in Week 14 (an assist), which likely frustrated his owners. End the vexation he is causing and cut him loose.
Defensive Linemen
Solomon Thomas DE SF
Leonard Williams DE NYJ
Thomas has been underwhelming since returning from his knee injury in Week 12, with just four solo tackles and one assist since Week 12. He has great potential as an edge rusher and should be held onto in deeper keeper leagues and certainly in dynasty leagues, but he is not the key to playoff success at the present time.
Williams is seeing plenty of playing time on defense, but the results have been underwhelming at best, and woeful if you are relying on him as one of your starting DLs. He has been credited with just four total tackles (one solo) over the past three games he has played, and can be replaced without worry immediately.
Defensive Backs
None to mention, aside from those listed on the injury report below.
Matchups to Exploit
Remember, the second team listed is the one to use your IDPs against. Do not go crazy, and play a LB5 against the Ravens, Jaguars or Colts, but certainly you will do well if you own a top LB on the Browns, Dolphin, Texans or Broncos that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
Cleveland v Baltimore
Miami @ Buffalo
Houston @ Jacksonville
Denver @ Indianapolis
Defensive Ends
Jacksonville v Houston
Indianapolis v Denver
Washington v Arizona
Defensive Tackles
Arizona @ Washington
Green Bay @ Carolina
New Orleans v New York Jets
Denver @ Indianapolis
Safeties
Buffalo v Miami
Pittsburgh v New England
Washington v Arizona
Cornerbacks
New England @ Pittsburgh
Baltimore @ Cleveland
Indianapolis v Denver
Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle
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 commented on are here, however, as there is no need 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
Michael Wilhoite SEA
Zach Vigil WAS
Defensive Linesmen
Michael Johnson DE CIN
Mike Daniels DE GB
Damon Harrison DT NYJ
Dontari Poe DT ATL
Linval Joseph DT MIN
Defensive Backs
Tony Jefferson S BAL
Jeff Heath S DAL
Bradley McDougald S SEA
Daryl Worley CB CAR
Tramon Williams CB ARI
A.J. Bouye CB JAX
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
Gabe Martin ARI hamstring
Za'Darius Smith BAL shoulder
Shaq Thompson CAR foot
Parnell McPhee CHI shoulder
Nick Vigil CIN ankle
Vontaze Burfict CIN concussion
Justin Durant DAL concussion
Nick Perry GB foot
Jelani Jenkins HOU concussion
Telvin Smith JAX concussion
Tamba Hali KC knee
Denzel Perryman LAC abdomen
Connor Barwin LAR forearm
Brandon Watts MIA back
Emmanuel Lamur MIN foot
Kyle Van Noy NE calf
A.J. Klein NO groin
JT Thomas NYG groin
B.J. Goodson NYG ankle
Bruce Carter NYJ groin
Corey Lemonier NYJ foot
Cory James OAK knee
Joe Walker PHI neck
Tyler Matakevich PIT shoulder
K.J. Wright SEA concussion
Bobby Wagner SEA hamstring
Derrick Morgan TEN knee
Zach Brown WAS foot
Defensive Linemen
DE
Carlos Dunlap CIN chest
Ezekiel Ansah DET ankle
Everson Griffen MIN foot
Trey Flowers NE ribs
Trey Hendrickson NO ankle
Jihad Ward OAK foot
Dion Jordan SEA neck
DT
Corey Peters ARI ankle
Eddie Goldman CHI hip
Danny Shelton CLE ribs
David Irving DAL concussion
Domata Peko DEN knee (MCL)
Corey Liuget LAC toe
Alan Branch NE knee
Corbin Bryant NYG elbow
Nazair Jones SEA ankle
Gerald McCoy TB shoulder
Clinton McDonald TB back
Terrell McClain WAS toe
Defensive Backs
S
Adrian Amos CHI hamstring
DeAndre Houston CHI ankle
Shawn Williams CIN hamstring
Brandon Wilson CIN hamstring
Ed Reynolds CLE knee
Jabrill Peppers CIN knee
Justin Simmons DEN ankle
Jamal Carter DEN undisclosed
Eric Murray KC ankle
Adrian Phillips LAC hamstring
Michael Thomas MIA knee
Kenny Vaccaro NO groin
Landon Collins NYG ankle
Kam Chancellor SEA neck
T.J. Ward TB concussion
Josh Robinson TB hamstring
Su'a Cravens WAS personal
Montae Nicholson WAS concussion
CB
Leonard Johnson BUF knee
Dre Kirkpatrick CIN concussion
Briean Boddy CLE knee
Orlando Scandrick DAL back
Nevin Lawson DET illness
Davon House GB lower back
Demetri Goodson GB hamstring
Chris Culliver IND undisclosed
Rashaan Melvin IND hand
Nate Hairston IND concussion
Trumaine Johnson LAR neck
Cordrea Tankersley MIA ankle
Eli Apple NYG hip
David Amerson OAK foot
Joe Haden PIT upper leg
Ahkello Witherspoon SF knee (MCL)
Vernon Hargreaves TB hamstring
Ryan Smith TB concussion
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.