Divisional Debriefing: Week Fifteen
Each week we are going to give a player from each division a “Player of the Week” honor. In an attempt to not cram the same info down your throat that you might find elsewhere, we are going to try to focus on players that weren’t draft day all-stars. In some cases they won’t even be rostered in redraft leagues, but guys that are worth stashing in dynasty leagues. We are going to focus on guys that have yielded the greatest return on your investment. You don’t need to be told Peyton Manning had a great day. He was drafted in such a spot that it was expected, same with LeSean McCoy and Calvin Johnson. That’s not to say that we won’t honor a truly elite performance, especially from rookies.
As part of a group collaboration, members of the DLF Staff have chosen to represent a division and will be selecting which players will be getting the “gold star” for the week. As an added bonus, I will also include the most impressive IDP performances of the week for each division, because defensive players need love too!
Here is who is will be nominating players for each division:
AFC West- Scott Peak @Scott_Peak
AFC East- Jeff Beran @JefeBeran
AFC North- Eric Olinger @OlingerIDP
AFC South- Tim Stafford @DynastyTim
NFC West- The FF Ghost @TheFFGhost
NFC East- Karl Safchick @KarlSafchick
NFC North- Dan Meylor @DMeylor22
NFC South- Eric Hardter @EDH_27
AFC West
Andre Caldwell, WR DEN
There was much speculation on who would pick up the slack with Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker missing week 15 due to injury. Tight end Jacob Tamme was the favorite, yet he managed just one reception for nine yards against the Chargers. Caldwell was a surprise, posting six receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets. Legions of fantasy owners starting Demaryius Thomas (four receptions, 45 yards, no touchdowns, five targets) and Eric Decker (two receptions, 42 yards, no touchdowns, five targets) were left dismayed. Caldwell has been a non-factor this year, as he came into the game with just five receptions for the entire year. In fact, he hasn’t posted more than one reception in a game until he exploded this week against the Chargers. It seems unlikely to expect Caldwell to replicate this game. Still, it is far from certain that Welker will play week 16, and owners desperate for a flex play could give Caldwell a shot. Expectations must be tempered, but as a Hail Mary, taking a flier on a Peyton Manning-led offense is never a bad idea. Plus, the Broncos get to play in the warm, cozy dome of Reliant Stadium, taking on a Houston Texans defense that is ready for the 2013 season to end. The Texans’ defense has been roasted by such luminaries as Matt McGloin (197 passing yards, three touchdowns), Carson Palmer (241 yards, two touchdowns) and Sam Bradford (117 yards, three touchdowns). Andrew Luck has hung five touchdowns on them this year. Peyton Manning and the Broncos are feeling grumpy after a tough loss against the Chargers on Thursday Night Football. The Broncos are in a race for the top seed in the AFC with the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots, and they will undoubtedly want to make a statement this week. Caldwell could have a few more scoring opportunities left in him, and is worth a look for fantasy owners desperate for a flex play.
IDP- Marcus Gilchrist, DB SD
One of the greatest traits an IDP player can have is versatility. Gilchrist’s ability to effectively play both safety and slot corner make it nearly impossible for him to come off the field. On Thursday night against the Broncos he collected six tackles, all solo, and a sack of Peyton Manning. Look for him to continue improving the rest of this year and throughout the offseason.
AFC East
Ryan Tannehill, QB MIA
Despite playing behind an arson squad of an offensive line, sophomore quarterback Ryan Tannehill has quietly had a season as or more impressive than the more heralded trio of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson. For the year, Tannehill currently sits right around the QB12 slot but given his age, his lack of experience, and the progression he has shown in his first two full professional seasons, there is no reason to doubt the height of his ceiling. This past Sunday in a must-win game against the Patriots, he was excellent, especially in the fourth quarter and finished with 312 yards passing, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s a virtual lock to finish the season with greater than 4,000 yards, a feat that fantasy stalwarts such as Tom Brady and Drew Brees didn’t accomplish until their fifth season as starters.
IDP- Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB BUF
After being written off as a bust in Indianapolis and traded for a half-eaten burrito, Hughes has been a phenomenal find for this defense. Now up to nine sacks on the season after registering another on Sunday, he is finally living up to his draft day potential.
AFC North
Justin Tucker, K BAL
Rarely do we ever notice a kicker until one of two things happens, either he misses a bunch of kicks and gets you negative points or he kicks half a dozen field goals and abruptly ends your fantasy season. The latter happened to me. His six field goals, including a very impressive 61-yarder, ended my quest for Championship week. Kickers aren’t all very valuable in dynasty leagues, a lot of leagues are moving to eliminate the position. (I wish we didn’t have kickers in my league after last night.) This is simply a “tip of the cap” to the impressive kicker who told fantasy land “you’re welcome” in his post-game interview. Thanks jerk! Now I’m going to buy my son a Justin Tucker jersey and make him kick field goals in the back yard as I chuck snowballs at his face and weep.
IDP- Matt Elam, S BAL
After running his mouth to media and calling Calvin Johnson old, Elam was set up for failure by having a ticked off Megatron on his hands. Although, instead of getting embarrasses on national TV, Elam responded with his best statistical game as a pro. He racked up seven solo tackles, three assists, and the game sealing interception of Matthew Stafford. Elam is young and cocky but will be a very solid IDP mainstay for many years.
AFC South
Jordan Todman, RB JAX
Could the Jags have found their runningback for the next few years now that Maurice Jones-Drew is declining? Todman put up nice numbers in his start, 22 carries for 109 yards and four catches for 44 yards, and may well be the answer. If you can still acquire him on the cheap, I’d recommend doing so to see what happens during the offseason.
IDP- Jurrell Casey, DT TEN
Where in the world did this come from? Casey is making a very convincing argument for being the premier IDP defensive tackle in the game. His game against the Cardinals was beastly. He totaled nine tackles, five solo, and 1.5 sacks. Truly elite numbers from the defensive tackle spot. It will be interesting to see where he goes next season in IDP start-ups requiring a defensive tackle starter. He should be in the mix with Geno Atkins.
NFC West
Michael Crabtree, WR SF
It’s not very often that a player who posts a five catch, 45 yard and one touchdown stat line gets tagged as the player of the week but this isn’t a normal week, nor a normal player for that matter. In his second week back from a torn achilles tendon Michael Crabtree had a decent game by most standards. Few players are able to return from such a debilitating injury, much less post the decent stats that Crabtree did. So why, you ask, am I tagging him as the player of the week when the stat line is just decent? Simple, aside from accounting for his injury recovery, Crabtree did this against Darrelle Revis, one of the most dominate corners in the game. For that feat alone Crabtree deserves recognition. Kudos, Mr. Crabtree, kudos!
IDP- Aldon Smith, OLB SF
After taking a month off to get his life together and drinking under control, Smith is back to his on-field ways. In nine games he has played this season he has registers 8.5 sacks and remains an elite linebacker in sack heavy leagues. He is not without risk, obviously, but should be treated as a special player throughout the off-season.
NFC East
Zach Ertz, TE PHI
I’ve mentioned Zach Ertz before, but his name bears repeating. He is my absolute favorite “buy” at the tight end position going into the offseason. This past week he caught six passes for 57 yards and an amazing one handed grab in the end zone against the Minnesota Vikings. As the fantasy season comes to an end, the true dynasty season starts up. Put Ertz on your “players to target” list and reap the benefits in the coming years.
IDP- Mychal Kendricks, LB PHI
Kendricks was a major liability at the beginning of the season but has rebounded nicely as the season progressed. He now has 89 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions on the season. Another full off-season in this system will do him well and he should easily improve on these numbers next season. He’s a player on the rise.
NFC North
Matt Asiata, RB MIN
Typically when a backup running back comes off the bench and scores three times in a game, fantasy owners that start him are quick to pat themselves on the back for a brilliant lineup decision. Let’s get one thing straight. If you played Asiata this past week against the Eagles, you got lucky. You were probably in a pinch and didn’t have any other options. If that’s the case, good for you! But don’t expect it to happen again. He ran for only 51 yards on 30 carries (1.7 YPC) and looked about as lethargic as a tailback can while doing it. Head coach Lezlie Frazier said early this week that he expects Adrian Peterson back this week, so it looks like Asiata’s time in the spotlight is over. If he helped you get to your league’s championship game, congratulations! Now go out and find an alternative for week 16.
IDP- Brian Robison, DE MIN
Each year Robison does just enough to get our hopes up in the IDP world. Playing opposite Jared Allen, one of the game’s most dominant defensive ends, should net great results if you have a shred of talent but Robison has never been able to put it all together consistently, often times forming a rotation with other players. Now he’s set a career high with nine sacks on the season and once again we’re taking notice but Allen could be a cap casualty this offseason and Robison and Everson Griffen could be left to do the heavy lifting. Neither are attractive dynasty holds.
NFC South
DeAngelo Williams, RB CAR
With yet another injury to fellow ball carrier Jonathan Stewart, Williams once again grabbed the reigns in the backfield and galloped away. Despite a matchup with a stout Jets run defense, D-Will chipped in 81 yards on the ground on just 15 carries (5.6 yards-per-carry), easily leading the team. He did even more damage in the passing game, corralling three of four targets for an additional 87 yards, including a 72-yard score. Simply put, owners daring enough to start him despite the matchup were handsomely rewarded.
Indeed, Williams’ 25.8 PPR points saw him finish as the week’s fourth best ball carrier, and there’s no reason to think he’ll let you down in the fantasy championship. The archrival Saints, week 16’s opponent, surrender 116.4 yards per game on the ground (21st in the league), to go along with a 4.6 yards-per-carry against average (28th in the league). At home in Carolina, and with payback on his mind, there’s no reason to think Williams can’t do the same again on Sunday.
IDP- Captain Munnerlyn, CB CAR
With one of the most random stat lines you will ever see from any IDP player, Munnerlyn absolutely owned the New York Jets this week. His four tackle, all solo, two sacks, and interception returned for touchdown was most likely sitting on your league’s waiver wire except in the deepest of fantasy leagues. Entering the game he had zero sacks and only one interception on the season. That’s what the J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! will do for you.
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Seven - October 24, 2018
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Six - October 16, 2018
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Five - October 10, 2018
