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There’ll be scary ghost stories haunting Chiefs opponents. And Jameis Winston making angels out in the snow. And tales of the glories of fantasy playoffs long, long ago.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year -- no more byes. There are four weeks to decide NFL playoff berths and fantasy championships.
To help you through these festive times, here are my picks for a fantasy baller’s dozen of linebackers, defensive linemen, and defensive backs to add to your IDP fantasy football team, including a former Pro Bowl safety who has returned from injury.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for the 2025 playoffs:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Week 15 Waiver Wire Adds For Linebacker
Dre Greenlaw, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered in 11% of Leagues
Dre Greenlaw has missed all season after hurting his Achilles in the Super Bowl, but his return may be coming soon. He practiced in a limited fashion every day of Week 14, but he did not suit up on game day. He began Week 15 with another limited practice on Monday.
The Niners’ next game is a Thursday Night Football clash with the Los Angeles Rams, so Greenlaw might still not have enough time to recover on a short week. But he should be back before the fantasy championships.
Micah McFadden, LB, New York Giants
Rostered in 10% of Leagues
Micah McFadden is one of the lesser-known 90%-snap linebackers because -- let’s face it -- who pays attention to the New York Giants? But he’s been efficient as a tackler and strong as a blitzing pass-rusher, compiling an 18% pressure rate in his three seasons.
With Bobby Okereke sidelined with a back injury, McFadden has seen an increase in snaps from his usual 40-55 to 68 snaps in Week 14. He made 11 tackles, making last week his fourth game with 11 or more tackles.
As Okereke missed practice every day of Week 14, his injury seems serious, and he might miss Week 15, too. However, even if Okereke does play, McFadden is still in line for over 40 snaps.
Luke Gifford, LB, Tennessee Titans
Rostered in <1% of Leagues
Luke Gifford, a five-year veteran who has mostly played on special teams, started in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and made 11 tackles on 59 snaps.
With Kenneth Murray Jr. (hamstring) and Jerome Baker (neck) both having suffered serious injuries, Gifford will almost certainly play a significant role next week as either Tennessee’s No. 1 or No. 2 linebacker.
Neither Murray nor Baker were able to practice at all last week, so it is a strong possibility that both of them will miss Week 15, too, and it is extremely unlikely that both will be healthy.
Kyzir White, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered in 24% of Leagues
Kyzir White’s tackle-making production is volatile. He just made 13 tackles against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, his fourth game of the season with double-digit tackles. But he's also had four games with five or fewer tackles despite playing over 50 snaps almost every game.
He only occasionally adds impact plays. This is by no means a roaring endorsement of White. He’s one of the worst every-down linebackers you could start in IDP. But he is an every-down linebacker who wears a green dot, nonetheless, and he should be rostered in deep leagues and started in those leagues that require three starting LBs.
Matt Milano, LB, Buffalo Bills
Rostered in 7% of Leagues
Like a couple of other names on this list, Matt Milano is a big name who has gone unrostered in most leagues because of injury.
He hurt his biceps in the preseason and returned in Week 13, only playing 37 snaps. Now, he's back to a full-time role, having played 65 snaps this past week against the Rams. He only made three tackles, but he could regress positively next week. Check that phrase off your fantasy analyst bingo cards.
Terrel Bernard is still the best linebacker on the Bills, and Milano should only be rostered in slightly deeper leagues that start two LBs. But Milano’s return has effectively killed off whatever value Dorian Williams once had.
Week 15 Waiver Wire Adds For Defensive Line
Alex Highsmith, EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered in 17% of Leagues
Alex Highsmith returned from an ankle injury that caused him to miss three games. In his first game back, Highsmith made one sack and three total tackles in a win over the Cleveland Browns.
He played nearly 60% of the team’s snaps, which is slightly fewer than he usually does. The emergence of Nick Herbig as a pass-rushing force might limit Highsmith’s volume, but he is such a talent that he will still make sacks regularly.
Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered in 43% of Leagues
At age 35, Cam Heyward continues to produce at an elite level. He has made eight sacks and 55 tackles this season. In the past three games, he has made 16 tackles and three sacks.
Cam Heyward is playing some of the best football of his career... at 35 years old. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/L2sghhjrde
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) December 2, 2024
The only word of caution about starting him is that the Steelers face a brutal slate of mobile quarterbacks who are difficult to sack -- Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes -- in the next three weeks. Even with those tough matchups, he's still a top-notch starter in leagues that require DTs.
Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Green Bay Packers
Rostered in 4% of Leagues
After being drafted No. 13 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Lukas Van Ness did not transition immediately into a productive starter. He only made four sacks and got to the quarterback on fewer than 10% of his pass rushes.
But Van Ness has strung together a series of quality games. In the past three games, he has made six pressures and been involved in three total sacks (including assisted sacks). Since Week 10, Van Ness has the second-highest pass-rush grade in the league.
Is Van Ness the beneficiary of a random stretch of good luck, or has something clicked that has allowed him to meet his potential? He only played two years at Iowa before going pro, and edge-rushers often take longer to peak than players at other positions, so he’s worth taking a flier on and hoping his growth continues.
Chop Robinson, EDGE, Miami Dolphins
Rostered in 6% of Leagues
Continuing on the theme of young, breakout edge-rushers, let’s look at Miami’s Chop Robinson. The No. 21 pick in this year's draft, Robinson took half a season to get started.
Robinson didn't make his first sack until Week 9, but he's been on fire since then. From Week 9 to Week 12, Robinson chopped down opposing quarterbacks four times. He made a whopping 10 pressures against the New England Patriots in Week 12.
While his sack streak ended in Week 13, he still made three pressures this past week, and he ranks No. 5 in PFF pass-rush grade since Week 10.
Week 15 Waiver Wire Adds For Cornerback and Safety
Talanoa Hufanga, S, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered in 45% of Leagues
Talanoa Hufanga returned in Week 14 after missing eight games with a wrist injury. He made five tackles in the Niners’ resounding victory over the Chicago Bears. Hufanga only played 39 total snaps in a game in which the 49ers were leading 24-0 at halftime. He made five tackles and no impact plays.
Hufanga will likely be on the field for more snaps in San Fran's upcoming must-win games against the L.A. Rams, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions.
Keisean Nixon, CB, Green Bay Packers
Rostered in 38% of Leagues
Nixon continued his strong season by making 10 tackles and an interception in the Packers' heartbreaking loss to the Detroit Lions. The hard-hitting cornerback is one of the best DBs at forcing fumbles and making sacks. He has added value in leagues that score for punt and kick return yardage.
Ugo Amadi, CB/NB, New Orleans Saints
Rostered in 10% of Leagues
The highest-graded Saints in Week 14 vs the Giants:
🥇 Chase Young - 89.6
🥈 Ugo Amadi - 80.3
🥉 Carl Granderson - 79.9
🏅 Demario Davis - 75.9
🏅 Cameron Jordan - 74.2 pic.twitter.com/24kMzy9psx— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) December 9, 2024
Ugo Amadi, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, has taken over as the Saints starting nickelback and has played over 60 snaps in three of the past four games. In that role, he has become one of the Saints’ leading tacklers. He made eight or nine tackles in each of those games and earned a team-high 80.3 PFF grade in Week 14.
Renardo Green, CB, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered in 2% of Leagues
Second-round rookie Renardo Green has shined as a starting outside cornerback, earning a 76.9 PFF coverage grade this season. He has played over 40 snaps every single game since Week 6 and played over 50 snaps in three games.
In particular, since the Niners’ Week 9 bye, Green has been balling out for IDP purposes. He leads the league with six pass breakups since Week 10.
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