Week 12 is now in the books. There are numerous storylines to track, but perhaps the most significant is the overlooked IDP players who showed out in Week 12. There were a lot of defensive fireworks in Week 12, so there are more than a few intriguing names on the waiver wire in leagues of all sizes. Let’s take a look at some of the names that may be worth some of your free agent budget.
Week 13 IDP Waiver Wire
Linebacker
Nicholas Morrow (LB – PHI): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Morrow impressed in Week 12, racking up seven solos, five assists, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended. He is back to starter snaps with Nakobe Dean back on IR and should be rostered in all competitive leagues, especially for the heaviest bye of the season. Morrow was a strong LB2 option in his last spell as a starter, and while his snap rate has not been as high this time around, he is still an LB2 option for Week 13. Start him with confidence for a plus Week 13 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Damone Clark (LB – DAL): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Clark was excellent in Week 12, racking up seven solos, two assists, and one tackle for loss. Damone has been inconsistent since stepping in as an every snap player but has shown flashes of elite LB2 upside. He has recorded seven or more solos in four of seven starts since Leighton Vander Esch went down. Clark is an LB2 option for the heavy bye and should be added and started where available for a plus Week 13 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks,
Kaden Elliss (LB – ATL): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Eliss was solid in Week 12, recording four solos, two assists, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended. Elliss has been a strong LB3 with LB2 upside but is starting to heat up. He had five or more solos in four straight leading up to this game, becoming consistent enough to trust as an LB2 for Week 13. Add and start him where needed for a plus matchup against the New York Jets.
Christian Harris (LB – HOU): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Harris was excellent in Week 12, racking up seven solos, five assists, and one tackle for loss. He continued to see 97 percent of the snaps with Henry To’oTo’o active and is worth a stash where roster size permits. Denzel Perryman is back for Week 13, so we will need to see Harris’ role before plugging him into lineups with Blake Cashman and To’oTo’o also expected to be available. Make the add where possible.
Cody Barton (LB – WAS): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Barton is healthy for Washington and back to an every snap role. He finished Week 12 with four solos, two assists, and one tackle for loss and should be rostered in all competitive leagues going forward. His rostership numbers suggest that he is still on the wire in quite a few competitive leagues, so Barton should be a priority add ahead of Week 13. Start him with confidence as an LB2 option for a plus Week 13 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Others to consider: Zach Cunningham (LB – PHI): 2%, Isaiah McDuffie (LB – GB): 1%, Micah McFadden (LB – NYG): 2%, Mykal Walker (LB – PIT): 0%, Henry To’oTo’o (LB – HOU): 0%
Defensive Line
Rashan Gary (DE/LB – GB): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Gary was sensational in Week 12, reeling off five solos, two assists, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Gary has officially emerged from his mini four game sack slump and now has four sacks in his last two games. Up to 8.5 sacks on the season, Gary is now worth consideration as a DL1 option for Week 13’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Those still playing IDP on providers where Gary qualifies as an LB only should view him as an LB2/LB3 option. Gary needs to be started universally as long as he is cooking. Plug him in as a DL2 everywhere.
Samson Ebukam (DE/LB – IND): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Ebukam broke out of his sack slump in a big way in Week 12, racking up three solos, two assists, two sacks, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. He is up to six sacks on the season and has been a solid DL3 option this season and can double as a DL2 play when he is playing well and byes are on hand. Treat him as such for the heaviest bye of the season in Week 13. Make the add where possible.
Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE/LB – NYG): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Kayvon was excellent in Week 12, posting four solos, one assist, 0.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Kayvon is up to 11 sacks on the season (sixth in the NFL), with seven coming in his last six games. He is way too hot to be sitting on the wire in competitive leagues, even on providers where he qualifies as an LB only. Start Kayvon everywhere when he comes off bye in Week 14.
Andrew Van Ginkel (LB/DE – MIA): 0% rostered on Yahoo
AVG should be a priority add with the Met Life turf claiming yet another victim. Jaelan Phillips has been lost for the year, and while Emmanuel Ogbah will finally see some snaps, it will be AVG who gets the starts on the edge, a role he flourished in earlier this season. He has just four sacks on the season, but all four came in his five starts. He should have even more time to rush the passer now that Jalen Ramsey is healthy, making AVG a sneaky DL3 with DL2 upside for the rest of the season. There is always a chance Emmanuel Ogbah passes him on the depth chart at some point, but judging by early season usage, this is Van Ginkel’s job until he falls flat on his face. Add the versatile defender wherever available.
George Karlaftis (DE – KC): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Karlaftis had a solid Week 12, posting three solos, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Karlaftis is a monster when it comes to creating pressures, even if they do not always translate to sacks. 16th in the league with 46 pressures; his total is higher than names like Danielle Hunter, Haason Reddick, and Rashan Gary, all of whom have more sacks and are widely regarded as far superior players. His eight sacks on the season tie him with Nick Bosa and Denico Autry for 14th in the league. Suffice it to say that Karlaftis should not be available in any competitive leagues, even though the rostership numbers suggest that he is. Add and start Karlaftis everywhere as a DL2 option, not only for Week 13 but for the remainder of the season.
Others to consider: Michael Hoecht (DT/LB – LAR): 4%, Anfernee Jennings (DE/LB – NE): 0%, Nik Bonitto (DE/LB – DEN): 0%, Kobie Turner (DT – LAR): 0%, Calijah Kancey (DT – TB): 0%
Defensive Back
Jonathan Owens (S – GB): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Owens has been going bonkers for the Green Bay Packers, most recently stacking eight solos, four assists, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. At this point, it would be a surprise if Darnell Savage reclaimed his starting role when healthy, as Owens has been too hot to sit on the pine (and it’s not like Savage has lit the world on fire, anyway). Owens has five or more solos in three of his last four games and has been a DB1 option since entering the starting lineup. Remember, Owens was on the DB1 radar last season as a member of the Houston Texans, so many were disappointed when he did not win a starting job in Green Bay. Add and start Owens wherever possible for a plus Week 13 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tyrann Mathieu (S – NO): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Mathieu was elite in Week 12, recording three solos, one assist, two interceptions, and two passes defended against Atlanta. Mathieu is not quite the IDP force that he was when he first entered the league, but remains a solid DB2 option. Tyrann has strung together three strong games for the first time all season and should be started in all competitive for the heavy Week 13 bye. Add and start him as a DB2 where available.
P.J. Locke (S – DEN): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Locke got the tap to start in place of the suspended Kareem Jackson and responded with an excellent five solos, two assists, one sack, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. Week 11 was his best start of the season (he also started Week 8 and Week 9), and while he flashed some immense upside, he will still be hard to trust as anything more than a DB3. He failed to top three solos in his other two starts, giving him a bench floor. Tap him as a DB3 option despite the tough on-paper matchup against a Houston Texans team allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the safety position.
Jalen Thompson (S – ARI): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Jalen was excellent in Week 12, racking up five solos, two assists, one interception, and one pass defended. He has recorded five or more solos in three of the four games since moving back to safety and is safe to trust as a top-tier DB2 play going forward. Add and start Thompson everywhere as a DB2 for a plus Week 12 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jamal Adams (S – SEA): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Jamal Adams had a strong Week 12, amassing three solos, three assists, and two tackles for loss. Adams has struggled for consistency this season but remains a DB3 option in leagues of all sizes. He was inactive in Week 11, which led to him being dropped in quite a few leagues. Take advantage of your rival managers’ impatience and add and start Adams where needed for a plus Week 13 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Others to consider: K’Von Wallace (S – TEN): 1%, Trenton Thompson (S – PIT): 0%, Marcus Maye (S – NO): 0%, Tashaun Gipson (S – SF): 0%, Jabrill Peppers (S – NE): 2%, Percy Butler (S – WAS): 0%, Brian Branch (S – DET): 5%, Jordan Battle (S – CIN): 3%
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