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Mitch Blatt's top IDP waiver wire adds and defensive streamers for Week 14 of the 2023 fantasy football season. These LB, DL, and DB have matchups worth exploiting.
Each week, I list about a dozen IDP players you should add to your fantasy football team from the waiver wire.
Miami edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel was one of my top waiver wire recommendations for Week 13. Yesterday, he intercepted a Sam Howell pass and returned it for a touchdown. He also made five tackles. Another pick, Chargers end Tuli Tuipulotu, forced and recovered a fumble.
This week, I will try to identify 12 DLs, LBs, and DBs who are likely going to be just as good.
Editor's Note: Stay competitive in IDP fantasy football leagues with RotoBaller’s IDP rankings, sleepers, and waiver wire pickups for individual defensive players.
IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Shallow Leagues
Will Anderson Jr., DE, HOU
The Texans' first-round edge rusher is starting to produce like the guy the team drafted. He had made four sacks in the past five games. He just made five tackles and two sacks against the Broncos. The victory was the first multi-sack game of his career.
In Week 14, he faces the New York Jets, who are a mess. The Jets benched Zach Wilson for Tim Boyle, then benched Boyle for Trevor Siemian last week. They are allowing about 4.3 sacks per game on the season and five sacks per game in the past four.
Eric Kendricks, LB, LAC
Kendricks is almost a tackle-only player. He's averaging 7.3 combined tackles in games in which he has played, but he only has two impact plays: one sack (which he made this past week) and one forced fumble. He's rostered in 36% of leagues, but you may want to check to see if he is available for Week 14. The Denver Broncos are one of the most favorable matchups for opposing linebackers.
Alex Singleton, LB, DEN
Singleton is piling up tackles like he is known to do. He has made double-digit combined tackles in four straight games, and he put a sack on Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.
Stroud did get him back later when he initiated a face-to-face shoving match with the linebacker, leading to a penalty being called on him and a first down. Although it was bad for the Broncos (and arguably a bad call), it showed Singleton's ferocity. He also has two fumble recoveries over the past four games.
Robert Spillane, LB, LV
While Spillane was on bye this past week, he remains one of the most productive linebackers over the season. He has made five or more solo tackles six times this season, including in four of the past six games. This is a situation where the Raiders had a lot of void opportunities at the position, and someone had to emerge to fill it.
IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Deep Leagues
Percy Butler, S, WAS
Since Darrick Forrest went down in October, Butler, a 2022 fourth-round pick, has been getting a lot of playing time. He played a season-high 83 snaps in Week 6, and since then, he has played 54 or more snaps every game. He has had a mixed record in pass coverage. He has only allowed a 52.4% completion percentage, but he has given up four touchdowns.
His box line IDP production, however, has been relatively solid. Since Week 8, he has made 21 solo tackles and about six assists while breaking up three passes.
Corey Ballentine, CB, GB
With Jaire Alexander (shoulder) missing a fourth straight game, Corey Ballentine started against the Chiefs and made five solo tackles and five assists. He also made six solo tackles the previous week, and he has made four pass breakups on the season. He has played over 60 snaps every game since Week 10, and he has played by far the most snaps of any season since his rookie year.
He's being targeted often -- 11 times against the Chiefs, nine of which resulted in completions and one for a touchdown -- because he's giving up a 64.3% completion percentage. For IDP purposes, that just means he has a lot of tackle opportunities.
YaYa Diaby, LB/DE, TB
The rookie linebacker has been making an impact lately. He has made five sacks since Week 8. In Week 13, he added another sack and five other tackles in the Bucs' victory over the division-rival Panthers.
Although he's listed as a linebacker, he's actually an edge rusher. He has lined up on the defensive line 318 times, mostly as an outside linebacker, and he has only lined up in the box as an inside linebacker seven times. He should be listed as an LB/DL in Sleeper's next update. He is listed as a DE on MyFantasyLeague.
TK McLendon Jr., DL, TEN
Jeffery Simmons left the Week 13 game against the Colts. If he misses time, Lendon, who was signed to the team's practice squad three weeks ago, could see increased playing time.
IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Big Play Leagues
Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, LAC
Tuipulotu will continue to see a high volume of playing time as Joey Bosa (foot) remains on the IR. Tuipulotu only made a single tackle this week, and he hasn't made more than four tackles since Week 2. If he hadn't made the play on the fumble, he would have had a terrible week. So, I would prioritize him in deep leagues or big play-oriented leagues.
Andrew Van Ginkel, LB/DL, MIA
While Van Ginkel didn't make a sack in Week 13, he did make a pick-six. Van Ginkel is so dynamic that you never know what he's going to do, but he'll probably do something every week.
Leonard Floyd, DL, BUF
Floyd has made multiple sacks in four games this season. He has only made more than two tackles four times, but if you're playing in a big-play league, you don't care much about the down weeks. You want him for the week where he makes two sacks, three QB hits, and a forced fumble. He comes off his Week 13 bye to face the Chiefs.
Shaquille Leonard, LB, PHI
The former Colt signed with the Eagles this week, and he is expected to rise to LB1 on the depth chart. Leonard was still productive with the Colts this year, including making 30 combined tackles in the past three games he played. But the Colts had found capable replacements in Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed, and they wanted to move on from Leonard as he faced frequent injuries.
Leonard was known for forcing fumbles and making big plays before the injuries disrupted his season last year. Will a new start on a new team help make him a playmaker again?
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