RADIO
As most fantasy managers enter into their playoffs, more and more of you are going to take note of “nagging” injuries that follow your stars into matchups. This is especially true after most of us watched banged-up stars enter and leave games early over the past few weeks. Situations in which players like T.J. Watt and Fred Warner step off the field early can cost managers in a close fantasy contest, and so it makes sense some of you are nervous and asking questions about who is reliable and who isn’t. These things happen frequently, but they are far more frequent and people care far more often when conferences and fantasy titles are on the line later in the season.
While it's impossible to predict injuries or re-injuries ahead of time, it is natural for many to worry more about these things when cash and trophies get within reach. In fact, we are receiving far more questions about these kinds of injuries now than we did early in the year when all of you were still competitive and engaged. That said, people will always worry about whether an injury is "100% healed" or if we are "completely confident" about a player’s health. Of course, the answer to both of these questions will always be a resounding "no." We obviously cannot predict when injuries will happen or how they will impact a player who plays through them. The best advice we can give is to treat every situation on a case-by-case basis, and to listen to team beat reporters as much as you can.
We can also tell you that you should avoid benching every player who carries a “Q” next to his name. Doing so will leave you with few options in the playoffs, as pretty much everyone is banged up at this point. You don't want to lose the four sacks T.J. Watt is capable of producing in a part-time role, nor do you want to give up the upside of Kyle Dugger because he may or may not have residual COVID symptoms. Right now is the playoffs, and you should be starting the same guys who got you there. The only reason to bench such starters is a clear cap limit being placed on them, persistent reports of problems in practice, or an “OUT” designation…. And with that, let’s get on with our Weekly IDP Waiver Priorities. Remember that defenders only qualify if their roster percentage falls below 20% in IDP leagues. Also, remember that our FAAB percentages are based on the amount you have to begin the season. So if you began the season with $100 in FAAB, our recommendation of 3% equates to $3 in FAAB.
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Christian Kirksey, LB, Houston Texans
Rostered in 11.1% of IDP leagues
Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill has been swarming for Houston's defense as of late, accounting for a tackle on 13% of the team's defensive snaps going into the Seattle game. That production will likely be absorbed by someone else in Week 15, as Grugier-Hill was diagnosed with a knee sprain and placed on the COVID-IR.
While Grugier-Hill could come off the COVID list and play with a knee brace this weekend, it seems likely that he will sit for at least one game. That should open up opportunities for Kirksey, who has seen his roster percentage plummet due to injuries and Grugier-Hill’s performance. For those who may be missing starters like Logan Wilson or Azeez Al-Shaair during the first week of your fantasy playoff, Kirksey merits streaming consideration. He is available in nearly 90% of IDP leagues.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 2%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 4%
Khari Willis, DB, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered in 10.2% of IDP leagues
Willis is currently the 42nd most rostered DB in IDP leagues, behind players who are out for the season such as Marlon Humphrey and Jamal Adams. When he has been healthy, like he is now, Willis has been a top-15 DB, meaning he is being vastly undervalued right now. Willis should be held in any league where more than one DB is started, and he will likely help many playoff teams compete for a title in such formats.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 1%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 4%
Rashan Gary, DL/LB, Green Bay Packers
Rostered in 6.8% of IDP leagues
Gary has three sacks in his past four games and a terrific matchup against the Ravens' 29th ranked pass blocking offensive line next week. That Baltimore matchup should be extra attractive with either being a gimpy Lamar Jackson or a rookie lining up under center.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 1%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 3%
Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB, New England Patriots
Rostered in 5.2% of IDP leagues
The matchup between Indianapolis and New England in Week 15 could feature nearly as many run plays as the Week 13 matchup between Buffalo and Belichick's group. That bodes well for linebackers in that game. Bentley is another streamer with a great matchup in the first week of your fantasy playoffs.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 2%
Ernest Jones, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Rostered in 4.4% of IDP leagues
The Rams’ rookie is finally seeing consistent usage for Los Angeles, notching greater than 70% of their defensive snaps in four of his past five games. During that time, he's shown the ability to bring in big plays and tackles, plus he has positive matchups ahead against the Seahawks and Vikings. Those teams have shown a commitment to the run game and frequently use their tight ends.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 1%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 3%
Jevon Holland, DB, Miami Dolphins
Rostered in 3.9% of IDP leagues
Since Week 6, the rookie from Oregon has nine pass deflections, six turnovers, two sacks, and 24 solo tackles. During your playoffs, he has matchups with the turnover-prone Jets, an inconsistent Taysom Hill, and an increasingly pass-happy Titans offense. Holland should be a locked-in DB2 in most formats moving forward and not a waiver find available in 96% of IDP leagues.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 2%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 4%
Germaine Pratt, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered in 2.4% of IDP leagues
Pratt put in a solid performance last week and a terrific one the week before. There's a good chance Logan Wilson will miss more time with his shoulder injury, so Pratt will continue to be fantasy-relevant. He isn't exciting, but there are worse options out there.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 1%
Jaelen Phillips, DL/LB, Miami Dolphins
Rostered in 2.1% of IDP leagues
We recommended you stash Phillips on your bench going into his bye last week. You thought we wouldn't keep him on this list once he's off that bye and ready to go? This week he has an elite matchup against the Jets, and in Week 17 he has another against the Titans. Consider him a DL2 this week and a must-add in sack premium scoring.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 3%
Randy Gregory, DL, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered in 2.0% of IDP leagues
Gregory did a lot with little in his return against Washington. Despite playing on just 46% of Dallas’ snaps this Sunday, the oft-troubled edge rusher collected two turnovers, a sack, and a pass deflection.
While his playing time is far too low to consider him trustworthy in fantasy, there is hope that a healthy rotation of Gregory, Demarcus Lawrence, and Micah Parsons will be too much for opponents to handle. Gregory is a boom-or-bust asset going into your fantasy playoffs, but he’s worth a deep league flyer against the Giants and Washington these next two weeks.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 2%
Bryce Hall, DB, New York Jets
Rostered in 1.7% of IDP leagues
Hall is playing nearly all of the Jets’ defensive snaps this year, and he’s seeing heavy volume as a result. The Virginia product also had his best game of the year against the Dolphins, and it’s reasonable to project he will see a lot of snaps against Jaylen Waddle this week. With Waddle playing more on the outside recently, he and Hall could both see double-digit targets in Week 15. You could do worse than that in deep IDP leagues this week.
FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%
FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 1%
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