In most leagues, this is the final week before the fantasy playoffs. It’s also the final week for byes and it doesn’t make it easy on us as six teams have the week off (Green Bay, Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Washington, and New Orleans). I did my best to navigate through the snaps and stats to find some potential waiver wire options for your IDP leagues. Please keep in mind there are many fun ways to play this IDP game we love, and if you ever have any league-specific questions feel free to reach out. Alright, let’s get to it.
Linebackers
Denzel Perryman, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 13 Stats: 7 tackles (2 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit
Denzel Perryman's role seems to be trending back in the right direction for his IDP outlook. Perryman now has back-to-back outings with a snap rate at or above the 80% mark, playing 54 defensive snaps (83%) in Week 12 and 60 snaps (80%) in Week 13. In Week 13, it marked the first time Perryman out-snapped teammate Jayon Brown (50 snaps/67%) over the last three games.
Perryman continuing to hover around that 80% snap share mark is what we are hoping for here. While it's only a two-week sample size, It's a positive increase from his 67.5% average from Weeks 7-11. The bump in playing time could lead to some solid production down the stretch. If Perryman is sitting on the waiver wire, he's worth a claim.
Dylan Cole, Tennesee Titans
Week 13 Stats: 5 tackles (4 solos)
In Week 12, Dylan Cole seemed to solidify his role alongside David Long in the Tennessee defense. Cole drew his fifth start of the season that week and played 55 defensive snaps (79%). In Week 13, Cole once again got the starting nod, playing a season-high 56 defensive snaps (77%).
Unfortunately, defensive anchor David Long went down with a hamstring injury after just 23 snaps this week. If Long is forced to miss time, Cole would be the top linebacker to target out of the Titan linebacker group. Long's status will be one to monitor throughout the week.
Micah McFadden, New York Giants
Week 13 Stats: 9 tackles (4 solos), 1 forced fumble
Jaylon Smith has been getting most of the love lately IDP-wise as far as Giants linebackers go. From Weeks 11-12, Smith donned an 89% average snap share, producing 15 tackles (8 solos) and one tackle for loss. However, rookie Micah McFadden has seen his involvement grow as well of late. In Week 13, McFadden played a season-high 57 defensive snaps (67%), clocking in just behind Smith's 63 snaps (74%). As you can see, the two were separated by a mere six snaps in Week 13.
McFadden produced his most productive IDP-outing to date with his added snaps, recording nine tackles (4 solos) and forcing a fumble. With six teams on bye this week, managers may be looking for spot-start candidates in deeper leagues. McFadden has a solid matchup against Philadelphia in Week 14 and is worth a flier in those deep roster leagues where the wire is barren.
Tony Fields, Cleveland Browns
Week 13 Stats: 4 tackles (3 solos), 1 interception (for TD), 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
In unfortunate news, Sione Takitaki suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season. A tough loss for the Browns' defense and IDP mangers alike, as Takitaki was really starting to come on. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (51 snaps/78%) led the Cleveland linebackers in snaps in Week 13, but it was Tony Fields (33 snaps/51%) who came in second ahead of Deion Jones (19 snaps/29%).
In just looking at the box score, you can see Fields' output was aided by a pick-six. However, over the last three weeks, Fields has out-snapped Jones 75 to 47. With Takitaki now unavailable, there is a chance its Fields who gets some extra run. Of course, Deion Jones is still in play here as well. Fields is only worth considering as a dart throw in the deepest of leagues. The Browns' linebacker snaps will be one to check in on after they take on rival Cincinnati in Week 14.
Defensive Line/Edge
Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts
Week 13 Stats: 9 tackles (6 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 QB hit
It's been a frustrating season for Kwity Paye as he's dealt with injuries off and on throughout the year. However, when available, Paye has been a solid producer. Paye made his return in Week 13 after being out since injuring his ankle back in Week 10. Paye played 46 defensive snaps (68%) in his return, producing a season-high nine tackles (6 solos) and notching his fifth sack on the year.
The Colts are on bye in Week 14, so Paye won't be available for your lineup this week. However, his schedule coming out of the bye is enticing for the fantasy playoffs. In Week 15, Paye draws a Minnesota offensive line who have allowed 30 sacks on the year. It gets even better after that with two very exploitable matchups against the Chargers in Week 16 and the Giants in Week 17. If Paye is sitting on your waiver wire after being injured, pick him up for a potential strong run down the stretch.
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