It’s crunch time folks. For those of you who are about to enter fantasy playoffs: best of luck. Each season we’ve had our share of injuries, but this one it seems we have been hit hard with the studs and had to re-up real quick if we wanted to make any sort of run this season. For all I know your teams could be like mine where my entire IR has a better starting lineup then what I’m rolling out there at this time.
Injuries are never fun, but it’s part of the game, and hopefully your league’s waivers haven’t been slim pickings from week one and you were able to grab a couple of players just to help you stay afloat.
We’ve been hit again with a handful of injuries and many of their replacements I have mentioned in previous waiver articles.
Injuries
Kam Chancellor, SS SEA
By not only losing Richard Sherman for the season but Chancellor too, the Seahawks have also lost their “Boom” in Legion of Boom with a neck injury he suffered last week.
Emmanuel Ogbah, DE CLE
He’s out for the rest of the season with a broken foot.
Rey Maualuga, LB MIA
The Dolphins have released Maualuga and surprisingly it wasn’t done sooner as he’s done next to nothing. If by any chance you have him rostered, feel free to drop him ASAP.
Linebackers
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Mike Hull, LB MIA
With Maualuga’s release, the Dolphins have a couple of LBs to turn to but their IDP appeal is not attractive as Lawrence Timmons and Kiko Alonso are their every-down LBs. Hull is an okay LB and has filled in decently when needed. If you’re in a deep league and need potential depth during the playoffs and he gets majority of the snaps at MLB, then he gives you a decent floor. He could average anywhere between 30-35 snaps per game.
Chase Allen, LB MIA
Allen got some run early on when Timmons wasn’t around and racked up 11 tackles in the first two games of the season. But he’s since faded away into a reserve role. There’s a good chance he gets first crack at MLB because he is the highest graded LB on Miami and is average against the run and pass. This is the upside pickup if you need one. But, the same as Hull, unless it’s a deep league and you have an open roster spot open then I’d roll with whoever gotten you this far into the season. His dynasty outlook isn’t appealing either because the Dolphins will get back Raekwon McMillan next year and we don’t know what’s going on with Stephone Anthony.
James Burgess Jr, LB CLE
I’ve mentioned him a couple times already but I’ll bring him up again because with Jamie Collins out for the season it creates an opportunity again for Burgess. He filled in quite nicely earlier in the season when Collins was out. If he’s still available on your waivers I’d go pick him up now for a playoff run. He just racked up 16 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack and 3 TFLs against the Jaguars in week 11.
Reggie Ragland, LB KC
He’s another LB I’ve mentioned in previous waiver articles. I stated to keep an eye on his situation because his snaps were all over the place. In week 11 he played a season high 47 of 69 snaps and led the Chiefs in tackles with 9. He posted a career high 82.9 PFF Grade as well so it could be safe to say his arrow is pointing up. However, proceed with caution unless you’re like me and start some wild cards at your LB3/4 position. Ragland isn’t an every-down LB (yet) but that could change if Chiefs continue to lose and want to give their younger LBs a shot. I would definitely grab him in dynasty leagues though.
Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB KC
He has had some snaps in the last couple of games and seems to get the nickel package role at the moment – he’s played 39 and 34 snaps the last two games. He seems to be performing well too, and as I mentioned above with Ragland, the Chiefs could look at their younger ILBs for the rest of the season. They bring more speed in the middle, which might spell the end of Derrick Johnson’s career. I would just keep KPL on your watch list because there’s a better chance things work out for him in KCC than in SEA.
Defensive Line
Robert Ayers, DE TBB
He’s appeared on my waivers in multiple leagues and he might be on yours. He’s a savvy vet that’ll help you in the playoffs. Although the Bucs pass rush has been on a milk carton all season, Ayers has been a bright spot as of late and could push a mini surge in next few weeks. In his last four games he’s recorded 12 tackles and 2 sacks. I know those aren’t eye-popping numbers but with matchups against ATL twice, GB, CAR and DET in the next few weeks he can definitely pick up the slack in the sack category and I would have no problem rolling him out as my DE2 heading into the playoffs.
Stephen Weatherly, DE MIN
For you dynasty heads out there, keep Weatherly on your radar as a potential pick up heading into next season. He is currently the backup DE behind Brian Robison, and if MIN parts ways with Robison in the off-season then Weatherly would move up the depth chart and potentially take some of those snaps. He’s a young (23) DE who has turned heads this off-season and we may even see him sneak in some snaps towards the end of the season so they get a flash of what’s to come.
Stephon Tuitt, DE PIT
I’m just mentioning Tuitt again because he’s back and he should be rostered in every league that you start at least 2DEs. I expect both he and Cameron Heyward to wreck havoc in the second half of the season, and he is a good source for a handful of tackles and a sack.
Davon Godchaux, DT MIA
He has recorded 18 tackles in the last 4 games and is becoming a good source of tackles at the DT position. If you need a DT starter that’ll provide you a decent floor, I would pick him up and insert in your starting lineup heading into the playoffs unless you have a DT1 stud. Even then some depth wouldn’t hurt heading into the off-season.
Carl Nassib, DE CLE
With Ogbah now out for the season, Nassib is next man up and should get the majority of the snaps going forward. He can contribute the rest of the season as a DE2/3. There’s a good chance he’s on your waivers but he should be rostered in deep leagues.
Defensive Backs
Delano Hill, SS SEA
With Chancellor out for the season, Hill is expected to get more of a run now as he’s more than capable of playing in the box. But he stays a downgrade from what Kam brings to the field. I would jot down Hill as a speculative add in deep dynasty leagues and would just keep on radar going forward.
Bradley McDougald, FS/SS SEA
The real backup to both Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor is McDougald, and he’s going to get first crack at Kam’s spot. His versatility is what’ll help him more than likely stay on the field. If you haven’t already added him and are still looking for DB help down the road, go grab McDougald. He should be rostered in all 12+ team leagues that start at least two DBs. He will make a solid depth piece heading into the playoffs where you could interchange with your DB2 on a weekly basis.
Adrian Phillips, SS/LB LAC
With Denzel Perryman back, there were questions in the air on if Phillips would lose some snaps or move back to safety. But here we are with two games in so far and looks like Phillips has maintained his role. It could possibly be because Hayes Pullard is out, but no. That can’t be it, because Pullard is one of the worst graded LBs in the game. However, once again he led the LBs in snaps (52) and put up 6 tackles against the Bills in their blowout. If someone dropped Phillips I would go pick him up and insert as your DB2 going forward.
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- IDP Rookie Review: Week Two - September 21, 2019
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