IDP Defensive Playbook - Week 6

Oct 14, 2015

Welcome to your Week 6 IDP Defensive Playbook. Each week, I'll highlight some of the top defensive waiver wire targets, as well as matchups to exploit and avoid in each game. Week 5 is in the books, and there were both some fine performances and some stinkers thrown about. And as usual, the injury bug just can’t stop, won’t stop. It appears DeAndre Levy could be shut down for the year, and Bobby Wagner suffered a pectoral strain. Before I look at Week 6, here's how my Week 5 waiver targets performed:

Jarvis Jenkins, DE, CHI: No stats
Greg Hardy, DE, DAL: Five tackles/two sacks
Chris Baker, DE, WAS: Two tackles/one sack
Anthony Hitchens, LB, DAL: One tackle
James Laurinaitis, LB, STL: Eight tackles
Aldon Smith, OLB, OAK: Four tackles/one sack
TJ Ward, SS, DEN: Seven tackles
Josh Norman, CB, CAR: Bye
Antwon Blake, CB, PIT: Two tackles/one INT/one defended pass/defensive TD

Defensive Line

Mike Daniels, DE, GPB: Daniels is, quietly, having a solid season. He has sacks in two of five games and double-digit fantasy points in three of five. He’s producing a QB pressure rate of 17 percent and has been on the field for 65 percent of the defensive snaps.

Jabaal Sheard, DE, NEP: Sheard is coming off a multi-sack game against the Cowboys and has a favorable matchup with the Colts this week. He seems comfortable in the New England system and is recording a QB pressure rate of 16 percent. His lack of tackles make him difficult to roster in balanced formats, but he is a good target in big play scoring formats.

Bennie Logan, DT, PHI: Logan is looking like a solid run stuffer up the middle for the Eagles. He recorded three tackles for a loss in Week 5 and has three games of nine or more fantasy points. He’s recorded an 11.2-percent tackle rate, which is a great number for a defensive tackle. I would target him in DT-required leagues.

Linebacker

Wesley Woodyard, ILB, TEN: Woodyard has taken over the starting gig at ILB alongside Avery Williamson. Consider adding Woodyard in deeper leagues only at this point, as he saw 29 of the 55 snaps in Week 5. He was productive with those snaps, however, recording an astounding 31-percent tackle rate.

Thurston Armbrister, ILB, JAC: Armbrister drew the start at MLB for Paul Posluszny and received 64 of 69 snaps. He recorded six total tackles, including five solos. As long as Posluszny is sidelined, Armbrister should be added in all formats.

Rolando McClain, OLB, DAL: McClain has returned from suspension and it looks like it will have a negative impact on Anthony Hitchens. McClain recorded eight tackles, resulting in a 15.1-percent tackle rate. He also recorded a sack and two tackles for loss.

Defensive Back

Kenny Vaccaro, SS, NOS: Vaccaro has three games of 13 or more fantasy points so far and is coming off of a game with nine solo tackles in Week 5. He’s producing a 10-percent tackle rate and I like the matchup this week. The Falcons are allowing nine solo tackles per game to opposing safeties. If Vaccaro is on your wire, grab him.

Jerraud Powers, CB, ARI: Powers now has two games where he’s been thrown at 10-plus times and finds himself in a matchup with the Steelers. I don’t think he draws Antonio Brown, but he should find himself thrown at five or six times. He’s a decent streamer option this week.

Brandon Browner, CB, NOS: Browner is another corner who finds himself picked on regularly and is playing heavy snaps. I like the matchup for him on Thursday night, in what is projected to be a shoot-out.