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What's up RotoBallers. Welcome to our weekly columns to help you win on the defensive side of the ball. Today we are here to review some IDP waiver wire pickups for Week 6. 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.
Once you're done here, be sure to read about more Week 6 waiver wire recommendations, for all other positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS
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Linebackers - Week 6 IDP Waiver Adds
Markus Golden, Cardinals
Matchup: vs. Jets (Monday)
Ownership: 2%
Golden was a second-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2015 draft, and had an inconsistent rookie campaign at best. Year two, however, has been a different story. Believe it or not, the Missouri product is third in the NFL in sacks through the first five weeks with 6.0, and has yet to record a game without a sack this season. He faces a Jets offensive line that has allowed 7.0 sacks over the past two weeks, the majority of which came to opposing linebackers, making Golden a solid bet on Monday night to add to his impressive sack total.
Whitney Mercilus, Texans
Matchup: vs. Colts (Sunday night)
Ownership: 4%
Mercilus got off to a strong start this season, with 2.0 sacks in the opener, but failed to register another sack until this past week, when he notched another 1.5 to his total. So why is he on this list as a pass rushing linebacker with only 3.5 sacks? The matchup. It has been widely reported this season, but the Colts offensive line is that bad, and cannot protect Andrew Luck on a weekly basis. Look for Houston’s top pass rushers to feed off the energized home crowd on Sunday evening and get after Luck plenty.
Christian Kirksey, Browns
Matchup: @ Titans
Ownership: 8%
Kirksey has been a “sleeper prospect” in IDP leagues since entering the NFL in 2014 as a third-round pick. After two solid but unspectacular seasons, Kirksey fell off many IDP radars this summer. It appears that Kirksey has put it together in 2016, logging heavy snaps as the Browns clear-cut best linebacker (enter jokes here) and is already closing in on a career-high in tackles through only five weeks following 16 total in this weeks loss. Kirksey gets a nice matchup on Sunday against the Titans ground-led offense, which should give him multiple chances at stops this week.
Lorenzo Alexander, Bills
Matchup: vs. 49ers
Ownership: 10%
Quick: The NFL’s sack leader heading into Week 6 is? J.J. Watt? No. Von Miller? Closer, but still wrong. The answer is Alexander, a 10-year journeyman linebacker that was signed by the Bills for depth and special teams help. A guy who, prior to this season, has played in 127 NFL contests, starting in only 16 of them. In 5 games for the Bills this year (all starts), Alexander leads the NFL with 7 sacks after a dominant Week 5 performance against the Rams that featured 3.0 sacks and 7 solo tackles. Like Golden, Alexander has yet to record a game where he has not appeared in the sack column this season, and has a favorable matchup against a 49ers offense that still doesn’t know who to start at quarterback.
Vince Williams, Steelers
Matchup: @ Dolphins
Ownership: 13%
In the absence of teammate Ryan Shazier in Week 4, Williams logged heavy snaps and compiled 16 tackles (14 solo), 2 tackles for loss, and a sack. Last week, I urged IDP owners to monitor this situation and deemed Williams a guy who should not only be picked up, but started if Shazier was inactive. Once again, Shazier did not suit up and Williams delivered another huge performance that included 9 tackles (8 solo), a sack and a whopping 3 tackles for loss (a nice bonus if your league rewards this stat). His ownership level has jumped from 1% at this time last week to 13% at the current time, so now is the time to pounce if he is still available. Start Williams with confidence as a LB1 this week should Shazier miss another game.
Defensive Linemen - Week 6 IDP Waiver Adds
Joey Bosa, Chargers
Matchup: vs. Broncos (Thursday)
Ownership: 8%
Bosa’s NFL debut in Week 5 was one to remember from a statistical standpoint. Against the division rival Raiders, Bosa recorded 5 total tackles, 2.0 sacks, and chipped in 3 tackles for loss. Thursday night’s matchup is far from ideal, as the Broncos offense is built quite differently than the Raiders, so chances for sacks will surely be limited. However, at a position where production can be hard to project, you have to like the talent and upside of the third overall pick in this years draft.
Jadeveon Clowney, Texans
Matchup: vs. Colts (Sunday night)
Ownership: 11%
See Mercilus, Whitney above.
Defensive Backs - Week 6 IDP Waiver Adds
Rodney McLeod, Eagles
Matchup: @ Redskins
Ownership: 3%
McLeod was one of the more underrated moves in free agency this spring when he left the Rams for the rebuilt Eagles secondary. Capable of putting up strong tackle numbers for a defensive back (over 70 in his past three seasons) and forcing turnovers (12 in that same span), McLeod has been an integral part of the Eagles defense in 2016, averaging over 5.0 tackles per game and intercepting 2 balls. Look for the pass-happy Redskins, who have thrown the ball 35 or more times in four of five games thus far to give McLeod plenty of opportunities.
Keanu Neal, Falcons
Matchup: @ Seahawks
Ownership: 4%
Neal has been a nice piece for the Falcons secondary since making his NFL debut in Week 3, and has increasingly become a more viable option for IDP owners in need of DB help. Neal has improved his stat lines in three straight weeks, and figures to be a big part of the game plan against head coach Dan Quinn’s former defense in Seattle. The hard-hitting safety has been compared to Seahawks thumper Kam Chancellor since being drafted, and will look to showcase himself this week in that role.
Jonathan Cyprien, Jaguars
Matchup: @ Bears
Ownership: 13%
Cyprien has been a major factor in IDP leagues as a DB for years, primarily due to his tackle numbers. He is an aggressive safety both against the run and in coverage, and faces a Bears offense that should still be led by Brian Hoyer, who has actually looked competent, but in the end is still Brian Hoyer. The Bears offense has been kind to safeties to this point, so look for Cyprien to be in on a bunch of tackles this week when Hoyer drops back and to help solidify the Jaguars run defense against the upstart RB Jordan Howard.
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