December 21, 2016

Bryan Levin takes you through the waiver wire to highlight the top waiver wire adds for Week 16 in IDP leagues.

Week 16 IDP Waiver Wire Adds

Happy Championship Week, Rotoballers. If you are reading this, congratulations! You have likely made the finals in your league, and are looking for some help in a pivotal IDP matchup. In the final installment of our weekly column to help you win on the defensive side of the ball, we are here to review some IDP waiver wire pickups for Week 16.

The following players are not necessarily “must start” players for IDP leagues, but rather, players that currently have below 25% ownership levels (in Yahoo! Leagues) and are suggested deep-league IDP additions for this week.

Linebackers - Week 16 IDP Waiver Adds

Ramik Wilson, Chiefs

Matchup: vs. Broncos

Ownership: 1%

Wilson was one of my top waiver wire adds for Week 14 for his recent surge in production. Much of his productivity has come as a result of veteran Derrick Johnson’s season-ending Achilles injury, opening the door for Wilson. He has certainly seized his opportunity, with 23 total tackles in the previous three weeks (including 21 solo). In a huge division showdown against the Broncos with playoff implications at hand on Christmas night, Wilson should be able to continue his strong tackle numbers and contributions for IDP owners.

DeAndre Levy, Lions

Matchup: @ Cowboys (Monday)

Ownership: 3%

Has there been a more curious and frustrating IDP player than Levy over the past two seasons? Likely a top-ten IDP pick in 2015, Levy essentially missed the entire season with a hip injury. Returning in Week 1 this season to limited production, Levy’s stock took an absolute dive in the ensuing weeks as he battled through multiple injuries. He returned in a limited role in Week 14, then saw an increased workload against the Giants in Week 15, where he managed eight solo tackles. Levy can go down at the drop of a hat, but his talent alone makes him worthy of a pickup. He gets a strong matchup against the run-heavy Cowboys on Monday night.

Melvin Ingram, Chargers

Matchup: @ Browns (Saturday)

Ownership: 3%

Ingram is a real boom-or-bust play this season. Playing him on the right week leads to double-digit point production in most IDP formats. However, playing Ingram the wrong week can really be a detriment to your lineup. Ingram needs sacks to be productive, and given how often he is used to rush the passer, his tackle numbers generally remain quite low. With that said, Ingram is a strong bet to record at least one sack this weekend against the lowly Browns who have allowed a league-high 3.8 sacks per game this season, including an average of five sacks allowed over their previous three contests.

Preston Brown, Bills

Matchup: vs. Dolphins (Saturday)

Ownership: 16%

In championship week, some like to live dangerously and roll the dice on a boom-or-bust option like the aforementioned Ingram, while others go for the safe, conservative option like Brown. Always aided by the Bills friendly home-scoring staff, Brown has had another productive season with over 100 total tackles, and after this week should set a new career-high in solo stops. While he likely won’t reach double-digit points, he is a safe bet against a Miami team that should look to rely on the ground game this week, ensuring that Brown will continue his usual trend of five-to-eight total tackles and not much else. If you feel good about the rest of your title week roster and are merely looking for sure points and a safe bet with a high floor and low ceiling, Brown is your guy.

Ryan Shazier, Steelers

Matchup: vs. Ravens

Ownership: 22%

The freakishly athletic and fast linebacker has managed to stay healthy during the second half of the season, and figures to be a huge part of the AFC North showdown on Christmas day. Shazier is playing some great football of late, accumulating at least five tackles and a sack in each of his previous two games. Good players make big plays in big games, and Shazier, who has averaged 8.8 tackles in his last four games against the Ravens, most likely won’t leave the field on Sunday.

Defensive Linemen - Week 16 IDP Waiver Adds

Trey Flowers, Patriots

Matchup: vs. Jets (Saturday)

Ownership: 1%

Flowers has been a nice surprise for the Patriots this season and a valuable defensive lineman for IDP owners of late. With 3.0 sacks in his previous two games, and a team-high 7.0 for the season, Flowers has emerged as the Patriots' top pass rusher. This weekend, the Patriots get a home tilt against the Jets, whose offense remains both inept and short-handed. Last week, I urged owners to start Cameron Wake against the Jets offense, and he had a dominant game. The Jets have now allowed nine total sacks over their last two games, both Bryce Petty starts. If Petty is able to go on Saturday night (he sustained a chest injury late in Week 15), I like the odds of Flowers getting to Petty, who has shown a propensity to hold onto the ball for too long.

Cliff Avril, Seahawks

Matchup: vs. Cardinals (Saturday)

Ownership: 21%

Avril has cooled off considerably since an absolutely dominant stretch from early October to early November where he was about as unblockable as anyone in the league. He got back on track against the Rams on Thursday night with 1.5 sacks, and faces a turnover-prone Arizona offense that has allowed just under 4.0 sacks per game on the road. Given the hostile conditions for road teams in Seattle, there is a great chance that the Seahawks can hit that number this week, if not more.

Defensive Backs - Week 16 IDP Waiver Adds

Keith Tandy, Buccaneers

Matchup: @ Saints (Saturday)

Ownership: 0%

I feel really good about this one. Tandy has been relatively unknown for much of the 2016 season, and was barely logging much playing time for the Tampa Bay defense during the first half of the season. However, injuries and lack of production in their defensive backfield gave Tandy a chance to make his mark, and he has been one of the keys to the Bucs’ defensive surge over the previous month. Tandy has scored at least 10 or more points in three straight weeks in most IDP formats, strengthened by impressive tackle numbers (28 combined in that span), and a nose for the ball (2 INT and 4 pass deflections). The Saints offense and their high-octane approach has led to opposing safeties racking up big numbers against them, and Tandy appears to be next in line.

Jahleel Addae, Chargers

Matchup: @ Browns

Ownership: 1%

Addae is one of the least-known commodities in the IDP world, and at only 1% owned, there is a great chance the San Diego safety is available in your league. Suffering a broken clavicle in Week 2, the already unfamiliar Addae completely fell off the IDP map, missing eight straight games before finally returning in Week 12 following the bye. When Addae has been on the field, however, he has been a valuable asset, piling up at least six tackles in five of his six contests. He is tied for third (with four others) over the last four weeks in solo tackles with 26. The matchup against the Browns this week isn’t ideal for safeties, but you never know what Cleveland is going to do to throw a game away, and Addae has been one of the most productive IDP defensive backs in the entire league for a month now. You can do worse.

Kurt Coleman, Panthers

Matchup: vs. Falcons (Saturday)

Ownership: 12%

Coleman was one of the best IDP defensive backs in 2015, but started this season extremely slow, and his lack of production dropped him completely off the radar. Since Week 11 however, Coleman has been one of the strongest IDP plays primarily for his tackling prowess, totaling 37 combined stops over his last four games. Coleman has contributed not only tackles, but been able to diversify his stat lines too in that span, with three interceptions and five pass deflections. He gets a great matchup against the high-flying Falcons on Saturday night, allowing for plenty of chances to see action.