IDP Defensive Playbook - Week 8

Oct 28, 2015

Welcome to your Week 8 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 7 is in the books, and there were both some fine performances and some stinkers thrown about. Antoine Bethea was the big injury of the week, so we’ll let you know who to replace him with. Before I look at Week 8, here's how my Week 7 waiver targets performed:

Lawrence Guy, DE, BAL: Three solo tackles
Allen Bailey, DE, KCC: Five tackles
Damontre Moore, DE, NYG: No stats
Dannell Ellerbe, OLB, NOS: Seven solo tackles
Ramik Wilson, ILB, KCC: No stats
Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, SDC: One tackle
Bashaud Breeland, CB, WAS: 13 tackles
Devin McCourty, FS, NEP: Four tackles
Michael Mitchell, FS, PIT: Six solo tackles

Defensive Line

Kawann Short, DT, CAR: Short is looking like a decent target in leagues requiring a defensive tackle. Since the bye week, he’s produced 0.39 points per snap in his last two games and has seen a spike in his snap usage.

William Hayes, DE, STL: Hayes is a good streamer option as long as Chris Long is out. Hayes saw a bump in snaps and produced a 25-percent QB pressure rate in Week 7. If you can pick up Hayes for this week’s matchup, there’s upside against the 49ers.

Corey Liuget, DE, SDC: Liuget was looked as a top-20 DL this season, but hasn’t produced as such. After producing single-digit fantasy points in his first five games, he’s recorded double-digit points in back-to-back games. If an owner got impatient, now might be the time strike.

Linebacker

Justin Durant, OLB, ATL: Durant missed the last two games, but came back in Week 7 and recorded six solo tackles. He’s recorded four games of 12 or more fantasy points and has a 14.7-percent tackle rate.

Devon Kennard, OLB, NYG: Kennard could be an injury casualty, as he’s missed two games before returning in Week 7, where he recorded seven solo tackles. He’s another player who can make plays (one INT/four defended passes last week). When on the field, he’s producing 0.24 points per snap, so he’ll provide double-digit points.

Aaron Lynch, OLB, SFO: Lynch has helped make Aldon Smith a distant memory with this rush ability. Lynch is producing a 15-percent QB pressure rate and has notched five sacks. He’s a big play scoring format addition, since his sacks can come in bunches.

Defensive Back

Mark Barron, SS/LB, STL: Barron is going to have DB eligibility, but is playing the weak-side linebacker spot with Alec Ogletree injured, and he’s produced similar numbers at an IDP-friendly spot. He recorded a 0.35-points per snap rate, leading to 16 total tackles. I really like the divisional matchup this week against the 49ers.

Jaquiski Tartt, SS, SFO: Tartt should be a top DB add with Antoine Bethea going down to a shoulder injury for the year. In 143 defensive snaps, he’s recorded a 0.30-points per snap rate. He should be a top priority for Bethea owners.

Trumaine Johnson, CB, STL: Johnson will be worth a look in CB-required leagues. Since Week 3, he’s been racking up tackles (five or more solo tackles in three straight). It’s led to double-digit fantasy points in three straight games and a 0.25-points per snap rate. The tackles are nice and the 49ers are allowing opposing CBs to record nine solos per game.

Marcus Gilchrist, FS, NYJ: Since the bye week, Gilchrist has recorded 11 or more fantasy points in three straight games. He’s not producing other-wordly numbers, but enough to draw consideration for a bye-week or injury fill-in.