2010 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 8
BREAKING NEWS: Stewart Bradley sucks. I had high hopes for Bradley heading into this season, but he just doesn’t seem to be attacking the line of scrimmage like he did in previous years. He is joining Keith Brooking on my s*** list which is quickly becoming littered with slow, white linebackers. In his and my defense, the Titans threw the ball much more than anyone expected and it clearly hurt Bradley’s tackle numbers. The emergence of Kenny Britt makes the Titans no longer an elite matchup for opposing linebackers.
For a second week in a row, I lost money on my football bets. As I stated on my Facebook status, “all the Broncos needed to do is win to win the 2nd part of my teaser bet and they end up giving up 59 points to the Raiders at home…what a joke.”
How do you give up 59 points to the Raiders? Josh McDaniels needs to join Wade Phillips in the unemployment line and soon.
Here are a few IDP news tidbits from Week 7:
In week 7, we saw an NFL record 9 “pick-sixes” including a 92 yarder by DeAngelo Hall (one of his four interceptions on the day).
In a somewhat surprising move, the Texans have stated that they are sliding SLB Brian Cushing into the MLB spot vacated by DeMeco Ryans. Kevin Bentley will be inserted into Cushing’s old starting position and Zac Diles will remain on the weakside. The only two linebackers to own here are Cushing and Diles as they will be the three-down linebackers.
Patrick Chung left the game in the 2nd quarter with a knee injury and may miss a couple of weeks. His replacement, James Sanders, could be a sneaky pickup for those in very deep leagues as he should have good tackle opportunities.
Ed Reed had two interceptions in his first game back off the PUP list. I still don’t like him in tackle-heavy leagues, but he’s definitely worth a flier in formats that reward heavily for big plays.
Jonathan Vilma had yet another disappointing fantasy performance against Cleveland. I feel as though his lack of production is due to some scheme changes and health issues. His value is trending downward.
Stephen Tulloch continues to be a beast. He had 10 solo tackles and 2 assists against a mediocre matchup in the Eagles. Tulloch is a top 5 linebacker in tackle-heavy leagues moving forward.
Lance Briggs had to leave the game after re-injuring his ankle. He should be healthy coming out of the bye week. Watch your waiver wire to see if anyone drops him as he has solid LB2 value.
Also, before I get to my waiver wire picks for this week, I would like to welcome aboard a new IDP writer to The IDP Guru, David Larkin. He will be writing a weekly column entitled “IDP Game Notes” which will be published every Wednesday during the regular season. David is one of the more prominent members of the IDP community and I’m super excited to have him join the team. If you want to learn more about David head on over to the Staff page.
Here are the waiver wire suggestions for Week 8:
DL
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1. LDE Alan Branch (ARI) vs. TB – Good fantasy lineman are extremely hard to come by and consistency from the position is nearly impossible to find. Branch probably isn’t going to be an elite IDP option at his position, but he’s seen an increased role the last couple of weeks and came through with 2 sacks last week. The ends in Arizona have proven to be very productive and Branch has an opportunity to continue that trend. He’s a DL3 with mid to low DL 2 upside. |
| 2. LDE James Hall (STL) vs. CAR – What’s gotten into this 33 year old undrafted free agent out of Michigan? He’s on pace to have the most sacks in a season during his entire 11 year career. He draws a very nice matchup against the Panthers this week and should be in your starting lineups. With that being said, Chris Long should be a solid play this week as well. |
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3. NT Kyle Williams (BUF) @ KC – If you’re in need of some steady production this week in DT-required leagues, Williams could be a nice solution. He’s been productive in the tackle column all season. The Chiefs are a top 10 matchup. |
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***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK*** RDE Chris Clemons (SEA) @ OAK – If this guy is still on your waiver wire, it’s time to pick him up. He’s registered a sack in four straight games and has a juicy matchup against the Raiders this week. His schedule is favorable the rest of the season as well. |
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LB
| 1. SILB Bradie James (DAL) vs. JAX – James seems to be gaining momentum each and every game week. He’s had five solid weeks in a row and has a good matchup against Mojo and the Jags this week. With Tony Romo sidelined, the Cowboys will likely struggle to move the ball as effectively as they did in past weeks meaning the defense will be on the field more often. James should remain a solid LB3 the rest of the season. |
| 2. WILB Desmond Bishop (GB) @ NYJ – This is the third straight week in which I’ve pimped Desmond Bishop in my weekly waiver wire article. And for good reason. He’s got yet another great matchup this week against the Jets and seems to be gaining more confidence with each game. Also, it was encouraging to see that Bishop remained in the game for the majority of nickel snaps. This makes him a LB2+. |
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3. WLB Zac Diles (HOU) @ IND – Even though Diles is NOT moving to the middle linebacker position, he still has low-end LB2 value moving forward. We’ve seen what he’s capable of in a three-down linebacker role (e.g. weeks 1-4 of this season) and will more than likely be the hottest IDP waiver wire selection this week. |
| 4. SILB Stephen Cooper (SD) vs. TEN – Cooper has largely flown under the radar this season due to injury issues. However, Cooper seems to be back to full health and has had two solid fantasy performances in a row (6-0-0, 9-0-0). There isn’t much competition for tackles within San Diego’s front seven and this position has proven to be fruitful in years past. He has Tennessee this week which I’m not considering an elite matchup anymore due to their change in offensive philosophy (i.e. more deep throws, less Chris Johnson), but he’s still a nice flex play. |
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***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK*** MLB Dhani Jones (CIN) vs. MIA – I recommended Jones in my waiver wire article last week with the Bengals squaring off against the run-heavy Falcons and he had through with 7 solo tackles and 1 assist. Jones has another desirable matchup against the Dolphins this week and the Steelers in Week 9. Jones should be a good plug and play linebacker for your team the next couple of weeks. |
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DB
| 1. SS Courtney Greene (JAX) @ DAL – The Jaguars safety situation has been as clear as mud for most of the season, but after the release of Gerald Alexander and trade of Anthony Smith, it looks like the roles in the secondary are becoming more obvious. Greene has started at strong safety the last two weeks and had 12 total tackles last week against the Chiefs. There is definitely fantasy value to be had here and I would consider Greene a DB3 with DB2 upside. |
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2. SS Craig Dahl (STL) vs. CAR – He’s been bouncing in and out of the starting lineup due to injuries, but with the recent injury to James Butler, Dahl will likely get the start this week against the Panthers. He’s been productive when given the chance and should be a nice bye week fill-in this week in tackle-heavy scoring formats. |
| 3. SS Charlie Peprah (GB) @ NYJ – If Bigby still isn’t healthy enough to play, Peprah is the safety to own in Cheese City. He’s had three pretty good weeks in a row and teams are going to continue to run to his side of the field as long as he’s on the field.
NOTE: Make sure Peprah is the starter this week. Obviously, he has no value if he doesn’t start. |
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***THE GURU’S LOCK OF THE WEEK*** Nate Clements (SF) vs. DEN – Clements is having a solid season so far this year. He has 35 solo tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and a sack. He has the one dimensional, pass happy Broncos this week in London and should see a ton of balls thrown his way. I’m expecting 6-9 solo tackles and a good chance for a big play. |
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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: October 27, 2010
