2010 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 15

Some leagues have their fantasy football championship this week and therefore this week becomes one of the most important weeks of the year. It’s do or die time. With this being said, I will get right to the IDP stuff.

Here are a few IDP news tidbits from Week 14:

Takeo Spikes had another amazing game and could be a good boom or bust pick for owners looking for the potential to put up a lot of points this week.

Stewart Bradley is out for the rest of the regular season with an elbow injury. He will not be placed on IR, however, since the Eagles are hoping to get him back for the playoffs.

The Chargers SILB position remains cloudy as both Stephen Cooper and Brandon Siler got playing time at the position. Optimally, fantasy owners would like to see Siler in there full time as he has shown that he is the better producer from a fantasy standpoint.

With both Jason Williams and Nic Harris out, Jordan Senn got the start at WLB for the Panthers and had 5 total tackles. I don’t see much value here, however.

Bucs SLB Quincy Black is done for the year with a broken forearm. The Buccaneers will use a rotation of Dekoda Watson and Adam Heyward to fill the position.

Chinedum Ndukwe is out for the season with a knee injury. He will be a free agent in 2011.

ILB Gerald Hayes was a healthy scratch last week. Daryl Washington got the start in his place and is expected to start the rest of the season. He may be worth a flier in deeper leagues for the rest of the season.

Everette Brown was placed on IR after suffering a fractured wrist.

Here are the waiver wire suggestions for Week 15:

1. LDE John Abraham (ATL) @ SEA – Abraham isn’t likely waiver pick in the majority of leagues, but I just wanted to let it be known that he should be a starter this week against the Seahawks. He’s been pretty consistent all season long and has had 4 multiple sack games this season. There’s a decent chance that Abraham will not only register a sack in this game, but register his 5th multiple sack game this week.

2. NT Sione Pouha (NYJ) @ PIT – Pouha started the season off decently but quickly cooled off. He has bounced back in his last two games with 18 total tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. This is likely due to the Jets defense being on the field for a longer period of time with their offense struggling as of late. The Jets will likely be on the field a good portion of the game again this week against the Steelers and Pouha should see a heavy dose of Rashard Mendenhall up the middle. Plus, he has an increased possibility for a sack going up against Big Ben.

3. RDE Charles Johnson (CAR) vs. ARI – With the departure of Julius Peppers and injuries along the defensive front, Johnson has had a chance to establish himself as the Panthers most dominant force on the defensive line. He’s had four straight games with a sack and has a solid 43 solo tackles so far on the season. The Arizona Cardinals are coming to town this week which bodes very well for Johnson and his owners.

***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK***

RDE Jared Allen (MIN) vs. CHI -After a slow start to the season, Allen has had six straight games with a sack. Pretty impressive. He gets Jay Cutler this week which means he could end up having his best game of the year. Allen is a must start and is perhaps the top DL option this week.

1. SILB Akinola Ayodele (BUF) @ MIA – I mentioned last week that Ayodele is one of the sneakier waiver wire selections right now as he is getting a ton of tackle opportunity and has proven that he is one of the more dependable two-down linebackers in the IDP fantasy football arena. He has a pretty decent matchup against Miami this week and I would expect something similar to his 6-4-0 stat line from last week.

2. WLB Tyjuan Hagler (IND) vs. JAX – For those in deep leagues, the pickins can be quite thin this time of year at the linebacker position. Hagler probably isn’t owned in many leagues and has the chance to put up decent LB3 numbers this week if Clint Session remains out. He’s had two solid fantasy performances since taking over on the weak side. Look for that trend to continue against MJD and the Jags.

3. SILB Paris Lenon (ARI) @ CAR – Lenon has been solid, although not spectacular, this season. Come playoff time, many fantasy owners are looking for one thing in particular: consistency. This is what Lenon gives you. He’s been a solid bet for 5-7 solos and a couple of assists all season. Plus the Cardinals face the Panthers this week who have gotten their running game going as of late and should provide better than expected tackle opportunity.

4. MLB Jamar Chaney (PHI) @ NYG – Chaney could be a nice pickup in deeper leagues as he will be filling in for the injured Stewart Bradley as the Eagles three-down middle linebacker. He doesn’t have a ton of competition for tackles and he has a solid matchup against the Giants this week.

***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK***

WLB David Hawthorne (SEA) vs. ATL – It’s unlikely that Hawthorne is available on your waiver wire but if he is, it’s time to scoop him up. He’s been quite consistent in the tackle department over the last four games and he has one of the best matchups for opposing fantasy linebackers. Expect big numbers.

1. SS Craig Dahl (STL) vs. KC – Last week I recommended Dahl as my “Lock of the Week” and received some concerned emails because of it. I told people not to worry and that he was in for a solid week. Hopefully they took my advice since Dahl had 9 solo tackles to go along with an interception. He’s starting at strong safety in base packages and linebacker in nickel packages which is giving up a lot of tackle opportunities. He should continue his strong play this week against the Chiefs.

2. CBs Cortland Finnegan/Alterraun Verner (TEN) @ HOU – Both Finnegan and Verner had big games against the pass-heavy attack of Peyton Manning and the Colts. I see similar results this week as they face Matt Schaub. After the debacle with Finnegan and Andre Johnson in Week 12, I have a feeling the Texans will be out to pick on Mr. Finnegan a bit.

3. SS Roy Williams (CIN) vs. CLE – Williams couldn’t cover my grandmother, but he sure likes to come up into the box and lay a licking on ballcarriers. With Nedu Ndukwe done for the season, Williams will have less competition for tackles. He’s coming off an 11 tackle performance and should see plenty of Peyton Hillis this week.

***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK***

SS Reed Doughty (WAS) @ DAL – With LaRon Landry officially out for the year. Doughty becomes one of the more valuable DB waiver wire options for the playoffs. At this point in time, he’s matchup independent and can usually be trusted for 5-7 solos with a couple of assists each game. I would feel confident with his as a mid-level DB2.

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: December 15, 2010