2010 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 12

Man, talk about a hectic week. I’ve been trying to prepare for my move to Chicago which happens in less than a week. I went up to the Windy City this weekend to look at studio apartments and I actually ended up submitting an application to rent one today. So hopefully that all goes well.

One of the best parts about being in a big city is you can pretty much find any type of bar you want. With this being said, I made sure to find a Dallas Cowboys fan bar. It was a great time. Nothing like watching your 2-7 team go to 3-7 while surrounded by a bunch of fellow Cowboys fans.

Well, this article is late enough as it is, so let’s get to the IDP stuff!

Here are a few IDP news tidbits from Week 11:

Fantasy superstar LaRon Landry did not make the trip to Tennessee this past weekend and is looking like a long shot to play this week against the Vikings. This is horrible news for owners of Landry as he has single handedly carried many fantasy defenses this season.

Zac Diles did not travel with his team either has he was hospitalized with heart palpitations. The doctors seem to have the issue under control however and Diles is likely to play this week.

Greg Toler was inactive with a back injury. His fantasy value is starting to be seriously questioned as he was benched the previous week and now he is struggling with this injury.

Jon Beason (6-3) was the leading tackler amongst the Carolina linebacking crew with both James Anderson and Nic Harris falling back down to Earth. I expect this trend to continue as Anderson eases back into the mid-LB2 range and Beason rises into the low-LB1 range.

After a monstrous game last week, Derrick Johnson responded with his worst fantasy performance of the season (2-2-0) leading many owners to panic. This below average performance was due to the matchup, not Johnson getting lazy after signing a big, long-term contract. Arizona doesn’t run the ball or control the time of possession enough for most linebackers to register many fantasy points against them. It’s important to mention however that Johnson does have two bad matchups in the next two weeks and may not be a guy that can be counted on for huge production during those weeks.

Sean Weatherspoon returned to the lineup after missing the last 5 weeks with a knee sprain. He only played on passing downs and failed to register a tackle but at least he was on the field. I would hold off on starting him until he shows that he’s healthy and effective enough for an every-down role.

Pat Angerer continues to impress as he had 12 tackles against the Pats on Sunday. He remains a low LB1 option if Brackett and Session are both out.

Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams suffered a concussion in the Broncos Week 11 contest against the Chargers and his status for Week 12 in unclear at this point.

Here are the waiver wire suggestions for Week 12:

1. RDE Charles Johnson (CAR) @ CLE – Johnson has really stepped up his play in recent weeks especially when it comes to stopping the run. He’s had 13 solo tackles in his last two games to go along with a sack. He has the Browns this week which is an above average matchup. I’m expecting 3-5 solos with about a 40% chance of a sack (wow, I sounded like a weatherman there).

2. RDE Matt Shaughnessy (OAK) vs. MIA – With Trevor Scott done for the season with a torn ACL, Shaughnessy finally gets the opportunity to have an expanded role at defensive end. The Dolphins probably won’t pass much this week, but “Shag Nasty” is strong against the run and should rack up a decent amount of tackles. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the Dolphins QB situation is in shambles right now.

3. LDE Justin Smith (SF) @ ARI – Smith has been perhaps the best 3-4 defensive end in the league over the last several seasons. He’s always good for 6-7 sacks and 3-4 solo tackles per game (pretty good for a defensive lineman). He has a tasty matchup against the drunken Derek Anderson-led Cardinals. This is a matchup you have to exploit when given the chance.

***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK***

RDE Jared Allen (MIN) @ WAS – This is the third week in a row that I’ve mentioned Allen in my waiver wire article. Redundant? Maybe. Pointless? Absolutely not. Allen is still not being started in all leagues and is still not owned in some leagues. This is a mistake. He’s a top level IDP talent and he has perhaps the best fantasy schedule of all defensive lineman the rest of the season. He squares off against Donovan McNabb and the Redskins this week and I look for Allen to school rookie LT Trent Williams a few times throughout the game. The ‘Skins have given up nearly 3 sacks per game and are tied for the league lead with 66 QB hits allowed. Get Allen is your lineups.

1. WLB Justin Durant (JAX) @ NYG – Durant rebounded from a poor performance in Week 10 with 7 total tackles last week against the Browns. He has a nice matchup this week against the Giants who I expect to run the ball a ton since Eli Manning’s top targets in Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks are both out. If Durant plays like he’s capable of, he should be in line for 8 or 9 total tackles.

2. MLB Barrett Ruud (TB) @ BAL – Ruud has been less than spectacular this season, but he’s still a solid option in the tackle department against good matchups. And a good matchup is what he has this week in the Baltimore Ravens. Looking ahead to next week, he also has an excellent matchup as the Bucs face off against the Falcons. Ruud should be in line for a solid couple of weeks.

3. WILB Joe Mays (DEN) vs. STL – Starting WILB D.J. Williams suffered a concussion in last week’s MNF game against the Chargers and my guess is he misses at least one game. Mays has had 18 tackles over his last two games and will likely be the every-down weak inside linebacker in Williams’ absence making him a solid LB2. He’s likely to be one of the more sought after waiver wire linebackers this week in deeper leagues.

4. SILB James Farrior (PIT) @ BUF – As Lawrence Timmons tackle numbers have faded in recent weeks, Farrior’s have risen. This shouldn’t come as a huge shock as Timmons has been slowed by injuries and Farrior traditionally improves his play greatly during the 2nd half of the season. The Bills are an average matchup, but they have been running the ball much better the last two weeks and Farrior is likely available on most waiver wires. He’s a nice LB3 option this week. As Jim Carrey was said, “senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.”

***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK***

ILBs Keith Brooking/Bradie James (DAL) vs. NO – No team has given up more fantasy points to linebackers over the last six weeks than the New Orleans Saints. Brooking has been on fire as of late (47 tackles in his last 5 games). The Saints love to run a lot of intermediate crossing routes which usually bodes well for the tackles numbers of the inside linebackers. Bradie James has been solid as well and would be my next choice if Brooking was not available.

1. S Nedu Ndukwe (CIN) @ NYJ – With Chris Crocker on IR and Roy Williams questionable for Week 12, Ndukwe will slide into either the starting free safety or strong safety role in Cincinnati. When given enough snaps, “Chinedum” has been one of the better fantasy safeties in tackle-heavy fantasy leagues. He has a very nice matchup this week against the Jets and is one of the sneakier waiver wire plays of the week.

2. LCB Terrence Newman (DAL) vs. NO – Newman, in the right matchup, is usually good for 5-7 solo tackles. With the Cowboys challenging the Saints this week, I expect Newman to have one of his better fantasy performances of the season as Drew Brees will likely air it out a ton against a suspect Cowboys secondary.

3. SS Cody Grimm (TB) @ BAL – Grimm has cooled off a bit since his solid string of fantasy performances in weeks 3-6. He’s still decent in the tackle department and can be a solid DB3 in the right matchup. If ever there was a time to plug him, this week is the week against a very strong matchup in the Baltimore Ravens. Consider Grimm a DB3+ this week.

***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK***

RCB Dimitri Patterson (PHI) @ CHI – Since entering the starting lineup in Week 9, Patterson has been quite good in both real-life terms and fantasy terms. So good in fact that he’s managed to take away the starting job from Ellis Hobbs permanently. He faces a team in the Bears that week who are likely to put the ball in the air quite a bit and with Jay Cutler throwing the ball, there’s always a good chance for an interception. Keep riding Patterson while you can.

Thanks a bunch for reading and feel free to ask me any specific questions. I want to help you dominate your fantasy leagues!

Until next time, this is The IDP Guru signing off.

Last Updated: November 23 , 2010