UPGRADES
DE Olivier Vernon, MIA (7 solos, 3 asst, 2.5 sacks)
While Cameron Wake gets most of the attention on the defensive line in Miami, Vernon has looked like the better player for most of this season. He came up with his best game of the year this week in a win over the lifeless Jets, posting 10 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks. He’s now up to 9 sacks on the year but 4.5 have come in the past 3 weeks so he’s heating up in time for the fantasy playoffs.
DE Justin Tuck, NYG (4 solos, 1 asst, 4 sacks)
Tuck has looked like a shell of his former self for some time now, but he is trying to make a comeback. He posted a sack last week against the Cowboys and followed that up with an amazing 4-sack outing against Washington this week. The matchup obviously helped as Robert Griffin is struggling under center, but if Tuck can put the back issues behind him there’s still enough time for him to become an impact player again.
DE Julius Peppers, CHI (5 solos, 3 asst, 2.5 sacks, 1 PD)
The Bears playoff hopes are fading quickly due in part to a rash of injuries and a terrible run defense, but Peppers has actually been putting up some of his best numbers of late. He posted 2 sacks a few weeks ago and then added 2.5 more this week in an overtime loss to the Vikings. Unfortunately, his inconsistency has likely made it difficult to consider him for a starting lineup so it’s likely most owners had him on the bench during this recent hot streak.
LB Jason Worilds, PIT (6 solos, 4 asst, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
Not many people expected Worilds to make a big impact this year as the Steelers spent a first round pick on Jarvis Jones and it was assumed he would take over for James Harrison in the lineup. Jones wasn’t quite ready to Worilds got his chance and appears to be making the most of it. He has 6 sacks in his last 8 games and is also helping to stop the run with 17 solos and 6 assists over the past 3 weeks.
LB Jon Beason, NYG (13 solos, 4 asst)
It was certainly a favorable matchup this week against the running game of Washington, but Beason exceeded everyone’s expectations with a 17 tackle performance. He was all over the field and a key part of the Giants game plan to keep Alfred Morris in check. The Washington crew has a reputation for handing out plenty of assisted tackles, but Beason still managed to collect 13 solo stops. Could be in for a solid finish with the Chargers, Seahawks, and Lions offenses coming up on the schedule.
LB Nick Roach, OAK (10 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
The Raiders defense has faced almost 80 snaps per game over the past 3 weeks and that has helped Roach to a small spike in his production. However, it’s mostly been the big plays that he’s come up with of late that have really helped him stand out. With a huge game on Thanksgiving this week, he’s now posted 3.5 sacks, 2 FF, and an interception in the past 3 games to go along with 20 solo tackles.
LB Rey Maualuga, CIN (9 solos, 1 asst, 1 sack)
Maualuga has generally been a disappointment for fantasy owners but he returned to the starting lineup this week and that sent Vincent Rey mostly back to the bench. Maualuga looked pretty good and quick in his return and even added his first sack of the year. Perhaps the play of Rey will help push him to better things.
LB Trent Cole, PHI (2 solos, 2 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD)
A lot of fantasy owners probably wrote off Cole this year as he came off a down year in 2012 and was being moved to LB from DE in the Eagles new 3-4 defense. Although his fantasy value is certainly diminished with the position change, he’s been showing signs of life lately. With his second 2-sack game in a row, he’s now picked up 15 solo tackles and 5 sacks in his past 4 games.
S Jonathan Cyprien, JAX (9 solos, 1 asst, 1 INT, 1 PD)
While the Jaguars continue to play hard despite a rough season overall, Cyprien is clearly a player on the rise. He plays in a system that gives him plenty of time up in the box so he should be a great source of tackles, but he also is showing very good playmaking instincts. He picked up his first interception this week but also has 3 forced fumbles and a sack to show that he can fill up the stat sheet.
S Eric Weddle, SD (6 solos, 1 asst, 1 FR, 1 INT, 1 PD)
Weddle has long been one of the more reliable fantasy options at safety and that has remained the same this year. What’s different is he has really turned it up of late with some big plays. Over the past 3 games, he has a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, and INT to go along with 19 solo tackles. He’s looking like a top-5 fantasy safety again.
S Craig Steltz, CHI (9 solos, 3 asst)
The veteran backup got a chance to start this week thanks to an injury to Major Wright and responded with a 12 tackle game. The Bears run defense is a mess right now so whoever winds up playing at strong safety figures to be very active. Wright suffered a pulled hamstring in practice last week and might be able to return next week but it’s worth watching.
CB Sam Shields, GB (6 solos, 2 asst, 1 INT, 2 PD)
After sitting out the past two weeks with a hamstring injury, Shields returned to the lineup this week and picked up right where he left off. He posted 7 solo tackles in his last game and added 6 solos plus an interception this week. With the Falcons and Cowboys coming up the next two weeks, he could be a nice option for the fantasy playoffs.
DOWNGRADES
DE Derek Wolfe, DEN (DNP)
Wolfe suffered some seizure-like symptoms on Friday and was taken to the hospital for observation. It was determined that he didn’t suffer a stroke but he was kept out of the game against the Chiefs this week for precautions. He had picked up a couple sacks in recent weeks and ranks among the Broncos leaders in snaps for defensive linemen, but his production has generally been disappointing.
DE DeMarcus Ware, DAL (1 solo, 2 asst)
Ware missed a few games with an injury earlier this year and hasn’t been very productive since returning to the lineup. Even though he’s been getting some pressure, he has just 1 sack in his last 3 games and is not playing to the same level we came to expect. It seems like the move from OLB to DE might be hindering him a bit.
DE Cameron Wake, MIA (1 solo, 3 asst)
Wake continues to be one of the most disappointing IDPs of the year. Apart from a couple of huge games, including a 3 sack effort over a month ago, he has been injured or neutralized. Fantasy owners will have a tough decision deciding whether to start him in the playoffs as Miami faces the Steelers and Patriots in the next two weeks. Obviously he can put up huge numbers at any moment but the low points have been much more frequent than expected.
DT Nick Fairley, DET (1 asst)
The Lions defensive numbers have all been limited somewhat lately by a low number of snaps they have faced, but Fairley has been reduced to a non-factor. Over the past two games combined, he’s been credited with just 1 assisted tackle. It looks he’s only played an average of about 30 snaps or so during that time period so you may want to consider benching him if you have better options.
LB Sio Moore, OAK (0 tackles)
Despite playing nearly the entire game against the Steelers this week, Moore was held completely off the stat sheet. The rookie has flashed his ability at times this year and remains a promising IDP prospect but inconsistency is common among young players.
LB Ahmad Brooks, SF (0 tackles)
It would have been tough to find a player on a better hot streak than Brooks over the past few weeks, but he was shut out completely by the Rams this week. He saw a similar number of snaps as he normally does but generated no pressure with them and also was a non-factor against the run. He’ll try to rebound next week in a big matchup against the Seahawks.
LB Terrell Suggs, BAL (1 solo)
Suggs appeared to be headed for a career year earlier this year as he posted 9 sacks in his first 8 games. Since then, however, he’s gone completely cold. He has 0 sacks in his last 4 games (3 of them at home) and has just 5 solo tackles during that span as well. Doesn’t look like he can be relied upon for much in the fantasy playoffs.
LB Vincent Rey, CIN (2 solos, 1 FR)
With Rey Maualuga back in the lineup at MLB this week, Rey was reduced to a situational role. He still saw a decent number of snaps and put up some numbers, but you’ll probably want to sit him for the time being until the situation becomes clearer.
S Major Wright, CHI (DNP)
Wright’s numbers appear to have tailed off a bit in recent weeks compared to what he was doing earlier in the year, but he was still generally a reliable starter with a chance to have a big week at any point. After missing the game this week with a hamstring injury suffered in practice though, he might be too risky to use going forward as that is the type of injury that could easily flare up again during a game.
S LaRon Landry, IND (4 solos)
There was a time back when he played in Washington when LaRon Landry was considered to be the #1 overall safety in the league from a fantasy perspective. He had an ideal combination of size and speed that made him an ideal weapon for defenses to use in any way they wanted to. Injuries have robbed him of his old form though and he just hasn’t been nearly the impact player in Indianapolis this year that many were probably hoping for. His tackle numbers have been decent when he’s been able to play but he has yet to record any big plays and that really limits his upside.
CB Cortland Finnegan, STL (DNP)
Although expensive, this looked like a solid signing a year ago when he posted 80+ solo tackles. He’s been a disaster this year, however, and was put on injured reserve last week with a fractured orbital bone. The Rams could save quite a bit of money by releasing him in the offseason so it looks like his days in St. Louis could be coming to an end soon.
CB Brandon Boykin, PHI (1 PD)
Headed into the bye week, Boykin looked great for fantasy owners as he had picked off passes in back to back games and seemed to be putting up good tackle numbers each week as well. He’s the team’s nickel corner though so his playing time can fluctuate dramatically based on the matchup and situations each week. He didn’t see much action against the Cardinals this week but that might change when the Lions visit next week.