It is upon us, a six-team bye week. Time to scramble and attempt to fill those empty roster slots in this important point in the fantasy season. There are a number of linebackers profiled below that can provide assistance, although the selections in the DL and DB areas are much less bountiful.
Bye Weeks coming up: Current Week Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington; Week 11 Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans; Week 12 Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Joe Walker ARI
With Haason Reddick underperforming, Walker steps in as the starting inside LB for the Cards. He put up 10 total tackles (TT), eight solos, against the 49ers in Week 9, one of those for a loss of yardage (TFL).
Brennan Scarlett HOU
Taking on Jacksonville, he collected two sacks, and with J.J. Watt on the IR, the Texans will be needing someone to put pressure on the opposing QB. He was productive overall in Week 9, also post two solo tackles (one TFL), two QB hits/hurries (QH) and forcing a fumble (FF).
Harold Landry TEN
The Titan’s lead outside LB had 8 TT against the host Panthers (two solo, two TFL) and added in a sack, QH, INT and pass deflection (PD). He is seeing nearly every snap on defense, and should continue to post helpful fantasy stat lines going forward.
Brandon Copeland NYJ
In the loss to the host Dolphins, Copeland was a bright point with nine TT (eight solo, two TFL). He also was credited with a sack and a QH, helping add to his value in big play leagues. He gets a great matchup against the most generous team in the NFL in terms of allowing fantasy production to opposing linebackers, the Giants, in Week 10.
Bud Dupree PIT
Dupree has edge rushing skills, as demonstrated by the pair of sacks he had in Week 9 against the visiting Colts. He had three solo tackles as well (two TFL), forced and recovered a fumble (FF and FR respectively) and was credited with three QH on top of those numbers.
Devin White TB
White put up double-digit tackle numbers while on the road in Seattle last week (six solo, six assists) but also contributed big-play stats, too: half a sack, two QH and a pair of FF. Note that those 12 tackles came against an offense that only attempted 22 rushes all game.
Mack Wilson CLE
The Brown’s rookie LB is starting to pick up attention, as a nearly every-down defensive presence. In Week 9, he collected a sack, a QH and PD to go along with his five solo tackles (two TFL). Joe Schobert is the star in Cleveland, but Wilson is producing like a future LB1.
Smith was featured in this space back in Week 4, and after a two game stretch without a sack, he righted the ship with a sack against the Chargers in Week 9, along with a QH and seven TT (five solos, one TFL). He is still available in most leagues, and well worth adding short term at least prior to the Packers’ bye in Week 11, as he has a great matchup against the Panthers this week.
Patrick Onawuasor BAL
Another low-percentage owned LB who is coming off a big week: 8 TT (six solo, one TFL), a sack, a QH and a FF. Those impressive stats come while playing less than 50% of the defensive snaps, although his snap count should increase as the Ravens ease him back into action.
Sean Lee DAL
Leighton Vander Esch sits out, and Lee returns to a prominent role on defense for the Cowboys. Monday night saw him put up a dozen TT (nine solo). Keep an eye on Vander Esch’s status (he is listed as questionable as of publication) and if he sits again, snap up Lee as a replacement plug-in.
Dre Greenlaw SF
Kwon Alexander has landed on the IR, and Greenlaw is now an every-down weakside LB for the 49ers, playing next to Fred Warner . He picked up a sack against the Cardinals in Week 9 together with four tackles, and that makes him a potential six-team bye week fill-in.
Defensive Linemen
Melvin Ingram DE LAC
Ingram had missed three games with injury, but snagged 1.5 sacks and a pair of QH in Week 9’s win against the Packers. He only posted three TT (two solo), replicating his tackle production from the previous week when he returned from his injury. He does not have great matchups on the schedule, but he and Joey Bosa can get after the QB on a regular basis.
Defensive Backs
Minkah Fitzpatrick S PIT
The Steeler safety was featured here in this series of articles way back in Week 4, but he continues to produce and deserves another mention. He is owned in approximately one third of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, but if he is still a free agent in your league, that may not be the case long as he comes off a full Week 9 stat line: seven TT (four solo), an INT, a PD and a bonus TD.
Erik Harris S OAK
Harris was an every-down defensive back against the visiting Lions, despite being limited in practice during the week, and collected double digit tackles (nine solos, two assists, one TFL). He also had a PD to his credit in Week 9.
Josh Norman CB WAS
If you play in a CB-mandatory league, then look to add the veteran Norman to your roster. He is a tackle-producing DB, with seven TT (six solo) in Week 9, where he also produced a FF and a pair of PD against the host Bills.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
None to speak of except for those in the Injury Report below.
Defensive Linemen
Ezekiel Ansah DE SEA
The Seattle D is just not as productive as it once was, including Mr. Ansah. He has a mere five TT over the past four games played, and no sacks in the stretch, either. He has forced a fumble and recovered a pair of fumbles over the past three contests, but with just a single tackle in Weeks 8 and 9 each, he is certainly not worth starting or even holding on your bench, should you have that luxury.
Denico Autry DT IND
Coming off a goose egg in terms of tackles produced, and not putting up anything in the way of sacks either over the past six games played, effectively tells you to cut the Colt DT and seek out better DL help, even in DT-mandatory leagues.
Defensive Backs
Tyrann Mathieu S KC
Since posting 10 TT in Week 6 against the Texans, he has totaled just eight TT over the last three contests with no big play production. Not the sort of play you want from the former top DB, and there are far better fantasy producers to seek out on the wire.
Casey Hayward CB LAC
Hayward has become a shutdown corner, which means that opposing offensive coordinators are avoiding him as best they are able. He had exactly zero tackles in Week 9, and the Week 10 opponent, the Raiders, are just middle of the pack in terms of allowing opposing CB production, if they even target his side of the field.
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 Giants, Panthers, Browns, or Falcons but certainly you will do well if you own a top DL on the Chiefs Bay that you can plug in this week, for the most part.
Linebackers
New York Giants @ New York Jets
Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay
Cleveland Browns vs Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans
Defensive Ends
New York Jets vs New York Giants
Tennessee Titans vs Kansas City
Defensive Tackles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona
Tennessee Titans vs Kansas City
Safeties
San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans
Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis
Chicago Bears vs Detroit
Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota
Cornerbacks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona
Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco
Waiver Wire Targets
This section is intended to serve as a shortened cheat sheet listing those waiver wire targets you should be considering if you need to plug a hole in your starting lineup. 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
Joe Walker ARI
Brennan Scarlett HOU
Harold Landry TEN
Brandon Copeland NYJ
Bud Dupree PIT
Devin White TB
Mack Wilson CLE
Patrick Onawuasor BAL
Sean Lee DAL
Dre Greenlaw SF
Defensive Linemen
Melvin Ingram DE LAC
Defensive Backs
Minkah Fitzpatrick S PIT (Owned in 34.5% of ESPN leagues, and 32% of Yahoo leagues)
Erik Harris S OAK
Josh Norman CB WAS
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
Maurice Alexander BUF knee IR
Isaiah Irving CHI quadriceps
Leighton Vander Esch DAL neck
Corey Nelson DEN biceps IR
Quincy Williams JAX hamstring
Denzel Perryman LAC knee
Bryce Hager LAR shoulder
Jordan Jenkins NYJ calf
Neville Hewitt NYJ neck
C.J. Mosley NYJ groin
Blake Cashman NYJ shoulder-labrum IR
Albert McClellan NYJ concussion IR
Nigel Bradham PHI ankle
Ulysses Gilbert PIT back IR
Kwon Alexander SF pectoral IR
Carl Nassib TB groin
Anthony Nelson TB hamstring
Jack Cichy TB elbow IR
Harold Landry TEN shoulder
Defensive Linemen
DE
Zach Allen ARI neck
Olivier Vernon CLE knee
DeMarcus Walker DEN shoulder
Mike Daniels DET foot
Austin Bryant DET pectoral IR
J.J. Watt HOU pectoral IR
Frank Clark KC neck
Alex Okafor KC ankle
Avery Moss MIA ankle
Henry Anderson NYJ shoulder
Josh Mauro OAK groin
Arden Key OAK foot
Jurrell Casey TEN shoulder
DT
Clinton McDonald ARI neck IR
Gerald McCoy CAR knee
Vernon Butler CAR back
Eddie Goldman CHI thigh
Ryan Glasgow CIN knee IR
Daniel Ekuale CLE calf IR
Cortez Broughton LAC illness
Justin Jones LAC shoulder
Brandon Mebane LAC knee
Davon Godchaux MIA shoulder
Christian Wilkins MIA toe
Steve McLendon NYJ neck
Quinton Jefferson SEA oblique
Tim Settle WAS hamstring
Defensive Backs
S
Kurt Coleman BUF hamstring
Eric Reid CAR ankle
Deon Bush CHI illness
Eric Murray CLE knee
Damarious Randall CLE hamstring
Jeff Heath DAL knee
Will Parks DEN hand
Tracy Walker DET knee
Tashaun Gipson HOU back
Malik Hooker IND knee
D.J. Hayden JAX shoulder
Roderic Teamer LAC groin
Nasir Adderley LAC hamstring IR
Walt Aikens MIA hip
Ken Webster MIA ankle
Reshad Jones MIA chest
Patrick Robinson NO hamsring
Kenny Ladler NYG undisclosed
Rontez Miles NYJ neck
Quandre Diggs SEA hamstring
Lano Hill SEA elbow
Tedric Thompson SEA shoulder IR
Deshazor Everett WAS ankle
Montae Nicholson WAS ankle
CB
Desmond Trufant ATL toe
Kevin Johnson BUF knee
James Bradberry CAR groin
Dre Kirkpatrick CIN knee
Bryce Callahan DEN foot
Amani Oruwariye DET knee
Lonnie Johnson HOU concussion
Bradley Roby HOU hamstring
Pierre Desir IND hamstring
Kendall Fuller KC thumb
Xavien Howard MIA knee IR
Aqib Talib MIA ribs IR
Darryl Roberts NYJ calf
Trumaine Johnson NYJ ankle IR
Ahkello Witherspoon SF foot
Carlton Davis TB hip
Chris Milton TEN ankle
Malcolm Butler TEN wrist IR
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. FANation Chat is now live on the site, to help you work through your fantasy football dilemmas. Or if you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, you can also send a message to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a personal response from the writer of this article. Naturally, the more detail you can send about your league, such as number of teams, platform you play in (Yahoo, ESPN, etc.), scoring and roster system, the better the ability to provide accurate advice.