This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
RISING
Micah Parsons, LB 
Parsons is a lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he's an elite dynasty option right now. The Penn State product has averaged six tackles (4.5 solo) per game this season while totaling 10 sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles through 12 games. Specifically, in the last five games, he has recorded 30 stops (24 solo), 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. With top-tier athleticism and technique, Parsons has a bright future as an every-down linebacker.
Ryan Neal, S 
Jamal Adams left Sunday's game in the first half and didn't return due to a shoulder injury. Head coach Pete Carroll said it's the same shoulder he had surgery on in January, and DE Carlos Dunlap asked everyone to say a prayer for Adams in the postgame press conference. It sounds like it's a serious injury and should at least force him to miss a couple of games. Neal started all four games that Adams missed last year and recorded 28 tackles (22 solo), three pass breakups and an interception.
Germaine Pratt, LB 
Pratt made the rising list in November when Akeem Davis-Gaither suffered a season-ending foot injury, and now he'll likely handle another uptick in reps with Logan Wilson going down with a shoulder injury. We don't know when Wilson will be back, but it wouldn't be surprising if he misses some time. Pratt should be the most-coveted Bengals linebacker until Wilson returns. Managers in deeper formats should keep their
RISING
Micah Parsons, LB
Parsons is a lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he's an elite dynasty option right now. The Penn State product has averaged six tackles (4.5 solo) per game this season while totaling 10 sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles through 12 games. Specifically, in the last five games, he has recorded 30 stops (24 solo), 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. With top-tier athleticism and technique, Parsons has a bright future as an every-down linebacker.
Ryan Neal, S
Jamal Adams left Sunday's game in the first half and didn't return due to a shoulder injury. Head coach Pete Carroll said it's the same shoulder he had surgery on in January, and DE Carlos Dunlap asked everyone to say a prayer for Adams in the postgame press conference. It sounds like it's a serious injury and should at least force him to miss a couple of games. Neal started all four games that Adams missed last year and recorded 28 tackles (22 solo), three pass breakups and an interception.
Germaine Pratt, LB
Pratt made the rising list in November when Akeem Davis-Gaither suffered a season-ending foot injury, and now he'll likely handle another uptick in reps with Logan Wilson going down with a shoulder injury. We don't know when Wilson will be back, but it wouldn't be surprising if he misses some time. Pratt should be the most-coveted Bengals linebacker until Wilson returns. Managers in deeper formats should keep their eye on Joe Bachie, who posted nine tackles (six solo) on Sunday.
Jaelan Phillips, LB 
Phillips has put up five sacks over the last two games, as the rookie first-round pick out of Miami has officially arrived. He's up to 8.5 sacks through 13 contests. Phillips should be an upside play the rest of the way. The Dolphins don't utilize him in an every-down role. Instead, they keep him fresh to rush the passer. In Week 15, he'll take on Zach Wilson, who has been sacked on 10.1 percent of dropbacks (second-most in the league). In Week 17 (the fantasy championship), he'll face Ryan Tannehill, who has been sacked a league-high 33 times.
Kearse has accumulated a career-high 85 tackles (55 solo) through 12 games in addition to eight pass breakups and two interceptions. Donovan Wilson (shoulder) hasn't been a true threat to Kearse's playing time, and this is Kearse's job for the long haul. He's a high-end DB option for the remainder of the season.
Cory Littleton left early in the game and opened the door for Deablo to handle some consistent defensive playing time. Littleton returned to action, but Denzel Perryman (ankle) ended up leaving the game early and not returning. Deablo is listed as a DB in some formats, but he's lining up at linebacker, leading to a whopping 11 tackles (eight solo) in Sunday's game. If Perryman ends up missing some time, Deablo appears to be an immediate IDP option, and the rookie third-round pick could end up taking over a starting job outright.
FALLING
Zach Cunningham, LB 
This season has been a roller coaster for the linebacker who signed a four-year, $58 million contract with the Texans in August of 2020. He was a healthy scratch for disciplinary reasons this week, and it wasn't his first time being benched for extracurricular issues. Kamu Grugier-Hill has made a case to stay in the starting lineup even with Christian Kirksey (thumb) healthy, as he posted a whopping 20 tackles (10 solo) and a sack this week. It's tough to be confident in Cunningham until we know that he's out of the doghouse.
Taylor Rapp, S 
Rapp has a high ceiling on a weekly basis, but his lack of consistency is a significant issue for fantasy managers. He has posted five or fewer tackles in seven of the last eight games while adding two pass breakups and two interceptions. Jordan Fuller is the Rams safety to roster, as he has accrued 90 stops through 12 games.
Chandler Jones & Markus Golden LB 
Jones and Golden have tormented quarterbacks this season with a combined 18.5 sacks. Unfortunately, both players need to get to the QB to produce for fantasy purposes, and that will be a tough task in Week 14. Rams QB Matthew Stafford has mostly stayed upright this year with 17 sacks through 12 games.
