This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
With rosters of all shapes and sizes, IDP advice can be a bit tricky, so the purpose of this article is to point out players whose value is elevated for the upcoming week. Some of these players will be superstars, while others will be players found on many waiver wires. Whether you're streaming IDPs each week or have a stocked roster, this, "one size fits" all approach will hopefully help most everyone find a weekly edge.
Linebackers
Tahir Whitehead, Emmanuel Lamur and Marquel Lee – Raiders: Offensive inconsistency is the norm in Oakland these days, while the 49ers have proven to be a team that continues to battle despite dealing with injuries all year. Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan has built a highly successful running game, regardless of which RBs they use. In a game in which the 49ers have a great chance to play with a lead for much of the day, they easily could have one of their highest total of rushing attempts this year, which obviously bodes well for the volume the Oakland run-stoppers will see.
Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds and Lorenzo Alexander – Bills: In what should be a game that the Bears have under control before the conclusion of the first half, this could be a Jordan Howard game. Earlier in the season when Chicago was blowing out Tampa Bay as well as the Jets last week, they took their foot off the gas, so at least we have a sample of how they'll likely
With rosters of all shapes and sizes, IDP advice can be a bit tricky, so the purpose of this article is to point out players whose value is elevated for the upcoming week. Some of these players will be superstars, while others will be players found on many waiver wires. Whether you're streaming IDPs each week or have a stocked roster, this, "one size fits" all approach will hopefully help most everyone find a weekly edge.
Linebackers
Tahir Whitehead, Emmanuel Lamur and Marquel Lee – Raiders: Offensive inconsistency is the norm in Oakland these days, while the 49ers have proven to be a team that continues to battle despite dealing with injuries all year. Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan has built a highly successful running game, regardless of which RBs they use. In a game in which the 49ers have a great chance to play with a lead for much of the day, they easily could have one of their highest total of rushing attempts this year, which obviously bodes well for the volume the Oakland run-stoppers will see.
Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds and Lorenzo Alexander – Bills: In what should be a game that the Bears have under control before the conclusion of the first half, this could be a Jordan Howard game. Earlier in the season when Chicago was blowing out Tampa Bay as well as the Jets last week, they took their foot off the gas, so at least we have a sample of how they'll likely handle playing with a lead. If this game script materializes, the Bears should have one of their heavier run ratios of the year, which elevates the outlook for the Bills' linebackers.
Khalil Mack (ankle), Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith – Bears: It's hard to imagine the Bills offensive line being able to slow down the Chicago pass rush, making it very likely that Derek Anderson will be forced to dump the ball frequently. Earlier in the game, the Bills will try to run in order to keep the game close, but even if Chicago roars out to a lead, the LBs are likely to have plenty of production by dragging down players after they make short receptions. Also, don't rule out the idea that they could add some sacks to make it a memorable day.
Wesley Woodyard, Rashaan Evans and Derrick Morgan (shoulder) – Titans: If there was an over/under number set on rushing attempts in a game, the number in this contest would be one of the highest this season. In a game in which Dallas is unlikely to fall behind, they'll be able to ride Ezekiel Elliott for all four quarters, which is their preferred style of play. It goes without saying that the Titans front-seven will have an extremely-busy day in what should be an old school smash-mouth game.
Pass rushers
Ryan Kerrigan, Matthew Ioannidis and Jonathan Allen – Washington: The Washington pass rush is often underrated, and when they're at home, they've shown to be an outstanding unit. With the Falcons coming to town, the good news is they'll be off the fast track they play on at home, and there's a strong chance that Matt Ryan will find himself in plenty of obvious passing downs, especially since the Atlanta rushing attack has lacked a sustaining element this year. Overall, this is looking like a week that there will be plenty of chances to sack the QB.
Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Derek Wolfe – Broncos: It should be noted that the Texans are looking a little better in their QB protection than they were earlier in the season. However, the Broncos boast an elite pair of pass rushers, and the Houston offensive line is unlikely to have any type of answer in terms of ways to slow them down. Although the Texans could have success running the football, their running game isn't consistent enough to keep Deshaun Watson out of obvious passing downs all day, and this is one of the better matchups that this pass rush will have all year.
Mario Addison, Kawann Short, Wes Horton and Julius Peppers – Panthers: Between the Bucs propensity to throw the football all over the field and their inability to consistently move the football on the ground, there should be plenty of volume for the Carolina pass rush. In addition, the Panthers should be able to light up the scoreboard on offense in what could easily be a shootout. With Ryan Fitzpatrick having a strong chance to throw 50 passes, the Panthers could pile up some sacks this week.
DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and David Irving – Cowboys: Earlier in this article, it was established that this game will have plenty of rushing attempts, but with a very good Dallas defense playing at home, there also should be many obvious passing downs that the pass rushers can feast upon. When that happens, between the Titans' offensive line struggling and Marcus Mariota often looking jittery in the pocket, the Cowboys could capitalize on a smaller number of chances than they'd like, but those chances could be extremely favorable.
Defensive backs
Jaire Alexander, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Tramon Williams and Kevin King – Packers: It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see a matchup between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers being a high-octane offensive shootout. Knowing that, each of the pass defenders should have his hands full, especially given the diversity of the Patriots' versatile receiving weapons in this likely track meet, so fire up your Green Bay DBs.
Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Devin McCourty and Eric Rowe (groin) – Patriots: It's nearly impossible to endorse the Green Bay secondary without giving a similar endorsement to the side that's facing Aaron Rodgers. In a game that could exceed 60 points, the air should be filled with footballs, and although Rodgers doesn't throw many INTs, the Patriots secondary will be in a position to pile up tackles.
Tyrann Mathieu, Shareece Wright (shoulder) and Johnson Bademosi – Texans: Teams have had very little success running the football against the outstanding Houston front-seven, usually forcing opponents to throw the football more than they'd like. With Case Keenum likely to face heavy pressure from the Houston pass rush, he'll have to get rid of the ball quicker than usual. Between the combination of tackling Denver receivers along with the likelihood that Keenum throws some footballs that can be intercepted, this is shaping up to be a great matchup for the Houston secondary.
Xavier Rhodes (ankle), Harrison Smith, Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes – Vikings: Unlike in previous seasons, the Lions now look to run the ball as their primary mode of offense, but, against the outstanding Minnesota run defense, they'll likely struggle to have sustained success. As a result, Matthew Stafford will be more than willing to comply be feeding the football to his three outstanding receivers, which in turn, puts the Vikings' pass defenders in position for a productive performance.
