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We are already on Week 10 of this crazy NFL season, and you know what that means! That's right. We are out of original ideas for our intros already! That's why we took a moment in our last column to ask you, our readers, for questions and problems with which you needed help. You guys responded, and now we have ample ammunition for this week's columns!
Here in our IDP Waivers column, we will cover your more general questions. Later this week, in our IDP Rankings column, we will address the more specific and fantasy transaction centered questions.
Sound good? No, it doesn’t sound good? I thought you would say that. So let’s get started with the questions anyways!
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IDP Mailbag - Part 1
Question 1: Is the ‘Legion of Boom’ back?
The broad answer to this general question is… sort of.
If the question were whether the ‘Boom’ is back in terms of real football, the answer would be an unequivocal no. The old Legion of Boom was the best pass defense in the NFL during the early 2010s. This year’s version is perhaps the worst of 2020. Today’s unit is dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (362.1), which is a figure that Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman never would’ve come close to allowing on their path to two NFC titles.
However, if the question is whether the ‘Boom’ is back for fantasy purposes, then the answer is actually yes. Earl Thomas was arguably a top-five fantasy DB in five different seasons as a Seahawk, and Jamal Adams has been just as good or better (for fantasy) when healthy this year. Quandre Diggs is also a close fantasy equivalent to prime Kam Chancellor, while Shaquill Griffin is actually a better fantasy prospect than Richard Sherman was in Seattle.
Question 2: What is the fantasy value of Pittsburgh’s interior linebackers for the rest of the season?
We covered this topic, at least when it comes to Avery Williamson, in our IDP columns last week. Week 9 was no real gauge on how Williamson will impact this unit either since he couldn't practice with the team all week due to COVID restrictions. That said, Williamson’s strength is not in pass coverage or as a pass rusher. Opponents have targeted the former Jet 39 times this season and completed 37 of those attempts. Pittsburgh won’t love their inside linebacker allowing a 94.8% completion rate to the intermediate area of the field where QBs love to dump it off when pressured.
More interesting than Williamson's impact is the fantasy potential of Robert Spillane. The Western Michigan alum has played at least 75% of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps in each of the past three games. During that span, he has had one huge game against Baltimore, one okay game last week against Dallas, and a stinker against Tennessee. While fantasy managers should exercise caution, knowing Spillane’s snap count could dip with Williamson in town, there is reason to believe he will continue to see the field enough to be a significant contributor in Deep Defense fantasy leagues. He is a more effective coverage ‘backer than Williamson, and that talent should earn him significant opportunities on this particular unit.
Question 3: What defenders have the best playoff schedules? I’m in the playoffs already and planning ahead.
This is an excellent question. Assuming your playoffs run from Week 14 to Week 16, like most do, here are a few defenders who are rostered in less than 20% of IDP leagues and have a favorable fantasy playoff schedule….
- Defensive Linemen: Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, Akiem Hicks, Trey Hendrickson, Demarcus Lawrence, Haason Reddick, Kerry Hyder Jr., and Aldon Smith
- Linebackers: Malik Harrison, Neville Hewitt, Jon Bostic, Dre Greenlaw, Robert Spillane, and Bobby Okereke
- Defensive Backs: Jabrill Peppers, Kendall Fuller, Rodney McLeod, Jalen Mills, Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson
IDP Settings
If you skipped my weekly rant, as many of you do, then you made a wise choice! You skipped the ramblings of a madman and now get to drink the nectars of his sweet, sweet brain! And you’ll likely notice that those nectars taste an awful lot like our waiver rankings for this week!
As a reminder, we will use the following IDP designations/league settings for our FAAB recommendations:
- Standard Scoring Leagues: This system usually rewards 1-point per tackle, 3-points per sack, 4-points per turnover, and sometimes offers 2-points for a tackle for loss (TFL) or pass deflection (PD). Standard leagues also usually only start one DL, LB, and DB, respectively. You will always prioritize your FAAB budget towards offensive players in Standard Scoring IDP leagues, though you shouldn't underestimate the value of adding a great defender in them.
- Defense Premium Leagues: Defense Premium leagues tend to try to make defensive players worth as much as offensive players. Commissioners often accomplish this by rewarding 2-points per tackle, 3-points for TFL or PDs, 4-points per sack, and 6-points per turnover. In these leagues, you don't necessarily prioritize offensive players on waivers. While it is a case-by-case analysis, defenders in these leagues can often be worth as much as most offensive waiver additions.
- Deep Defense Leagues: These are leagues that have you start a full defense, or require you to start CBs and DTs, or they are leagues so deep (think 16 team leagues) that at least 32 players at each position (DL, LB, and DB) start every week.
- Dynasty Leagues: This is self-explanatory to most. Dynasty leagues are those in which every player you draft/add is on your team until you trade or release him.
Now that we have that explanation out of the way, let's get to this week's top adds! Remember that we will only address defenders who are rostered in less than 30% of IDP leagues on ESPN, Yahoo, or other prominent sites. We will also do our best to avoid obvious additions. While players like Myles Garrett are somehow rostered in only 31% of ESPN IDP leagues, we assume that anyone reading this material knows to add Garrett if they can.
Deep IDP Waiver Adds of the Week
Worth noting is the fact we received several requests from our readers this week, each of them asking us to tailor one of our waiver wire columns towards deeper fantasy formats. With an eye on pleasing our fans, we are granting your request by tailoring this week’s column towards deeper leagues. Accordingly, we are limiting this week’s list of players to those rostered in less than 5% of IDP leagues. We will return to our usual 25% rostership standard next week.
1. Trey Hendrickson, DL, New Orleans Saints
While it may surprise some to see Hendrickson on this deep waiver wire list, the FAU alum is rostered in less than 2% of all IDP leagues. That is low, considering that this ascending pass rusher already has 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits this year.
Hendrickson has been surprisingly consistent in the sack department this season, registering at least a half-sack in six of eight games. He should be rostered in 12-team redrafts, Deep Defense, and Defense Premium leagues.
Standard League FAAB: 1%
Defense Premium FAAB: 3%
Deep Defense FAAB: 3%
Dynasty FAAB: 1%
2. Romeo Okwara, DL, Detroit Lions
Okwara has surprisingly been Detroit’s best pass rusher so far this year, despite his younger brother appearing to be the high potential player for them coming into the year. Okwara has notched five sacks and 11 quarterback hits over his past six games, with one of his best performances coming against a tough Colts offensive line. He also has four above-average matchups left on his schedule. That combination of performance and opponents mean the older Okwara should be rostered in more than the 4.5% of leagues he is right now.
Defense Premium FAAB: 1%
Deep Defense FAAB: 2%
Dynasty FAAB: 1%
3. Robert Spillane, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
As we covered before, Spillane has had an inconsistent first three weeks as a starter in Pittsburgh. Expect him to continue to get significant snaps on this incredibly talented defense, thanks to his edge over Avery Williamson in the passing game. Spillane showed how high his fantasy ceiling could be against Baltimore, and that ceiling is worth an investment. Add him in Deep Defense leagues if he is available.
Defense Premium FAAB: Wait
Deep Defense FAAB: 2%
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
4. Malik Reed, DL/LB, Denver Broncos
Reed has totaled five sacks, 14 tackles, and nine QB hits in his past four games. Those are terrific numbers for fantasy managers playing in Defense Premium setups. Reed is currently taking advantage of the attention Bradley Chubb gets from offenses, and he is an interesting fantasy prospect in all but the shallowest of leagues. While the Nevada product is still young and has flashed a lot of talent, Von Miller's inevitable return in 2021 cloud's Reed's long-term fantasy value.
Defense Premium FAAB: 1%
Deep Defense FAAB: 2%
5. Neville Hewitt, LB, New York Jets
Hewitt isn’t the most impactful or efficient defender in real-life football, but he is one of the only Jets left to get tackles, and so he has fantasy relevance. With Avery Williamson now gone, expect Hewitt to continue offering you a high fantasy floor in tackle premium leagues. He should get you a minimum of seven tackles each game. Those who play in deeper redraft leagues and don’t need INTs or sacks from their LB should pick him up. However, it would be best to fade him in shallow redrafts, dynasty, and Defense Premium leagues.
Standard League FAAB: Wait
Deep Defense FAAB: 3%
6. Malik Harrison, LB, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens used a relatively high pick to secure Harrison, but he hadn't seen more than 29% of his team's defensive snaps in any game before this week. That changed against the Colts, where we saw Harrison step in for L.J. Fort and put up solid fantasy stats while playing on only 49% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps.
After playing some of his best football over the past two weeks, Harrison may have carved out more playing time for himself even when Fort is available. If the rookie can see half his team’s snaps over the final six games of the season, Harrison will be a worthwhile addition in both Deep Defense and 16-team dynasty setups.
Deep Defense FAAB: 1%
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
7. Jaquiski Tartt, DB, San Francisco 49ers
The combination of Tartt’s versatility and the 49ers’ lack of playmaking options could make the strong safety an excellent fantasy prospect for the rest of 2020. The only real question should be whether the athletic freak can stay healthy.
Against the Packers, the 49ers allowed Tartt to make plays in coverage, on the blitz, and in the run game. That diverse usage allowed him to total seven tackles, one PD, and a QB pressure in less than one half of football.
As we stated in our rankings last week, Tartt is an underrated pass rusher who should see more blitzing opportunities now that the 49ers are dipping into their third-string defensive line. Expect Tartt to be a mid-tier DB2 in 14-team IDP formats for the rest of the year, if he can remain on the field.
Deep Defense FAAB: 1%
8. Jalen Mills, DB, Philadelphia Eagles
Mills has had quite the NFL career so far. Initially, he was considered a raw but talented late-round steal. Since then, the LSU alum has been anything but a steal. In fact, for the first four years of his career, opposing passers and fantasy managers have been stealing stats from him (see what I did there?) with impunity. Luckily for Mills, he appears to have turned a corner in his fifth season.
In 2020, Mills has been surprisingly decent in coverage and as a pass rusher. While this improvement hasn’t turned Mills into a stellar fantasy option so far, it has helped keep him on the radar of deep league managers. He is currently averaging five tackles per game and has added five big plays (turnovers, PDs, etc.) this season. That kind of floor and big-play possibility make Mills a low-end DB2 in 16-team leagues.
Deep Defense FAAB: 1%
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