Week 11 was a great week for streaming IDL and edge defenders. The Bears offensive line once again proved that you should start Edge defenders against them. Lorenzo Carter was an edge streamer from the Week 11 article, and he did not disappoint, putting up five tackles, one for a loss, a sack, and a jaw-dropping eight pressures. John Franklin-Myers was the second streaming choice going up against a Patriots team that he beat up on just a few weeks prior. He finished the day with three total tackles, a sack, and three pressures. As a sleeper, we went with Payton Turner. He started strong coming up with a tackle for a loss in just 13 snaps, though ended up leaving with an injury.
On the interior, the calls were strong; the players chosen just missed the big plays. Maliek Collins finished the day with only two tackles, but he just missed the big play providing three pressures, one being a quarterback hit. Kenny Clark was a matchup miss, providing only three tackles with zero pressures. Justin Jones was the sleeper call, and he put up the same stat line as Kenny Clark. The opportunities were there. Both played over 80% of their teams' defensive snaps but just did not produce. Here are the top IDL and Edge streaming options for Week 12.
week 12 IDL and Edge Streaming Options
Edge Carl Lawson, New York Jets
Matchup: Chicago Bears - Ranked 29th in Matt Bitonti's Rankings
Carl Lawson finally looks healthy after tearing his Achilles in 2021. He is part of a potential pass rush with the Jets that consists of John Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams, rookie Jermaine Johnson, and himself. Lawson has five sacks in the 10 games he's played this season while being on the field for a 60.1% snap share. Lawson is prolific off the edge with a variety of pass-rush moves, but his strength and hand placement are impeccable. Watch him drive the tackle straight back for the sack.
Carl Lawson.... my lord. What a long-arm rush. #Jets pic.twitter.com/TuSqh3jOSp
— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) November 20, 2022
Lawson matches up against the best offensive line unit to exploit, the Chicago Bears. The Bears are an offensive line consistently giving up huge games to edge defenders. They are tied for the most sacks allowed in 2022 with 40. Lawson could be in line for a huge game.
Edge Chase Young, Washington Commanders
Matchup: Atlanta Falcons - Ranked 17th in Matt Bitonti's Rankings
The moment we have all been waiting for has come…Chase Young is being activated. Will he be on a snap count? Quite possibly, but don't be afraid to fire him up. He has a career 81.1 overall defensive grade and a career 73.55 pass-rush grade per PFF. Young averages almost three pressures per game and has an elite pass-rushing pedigree on one of the stronger pass-rushing defensive lines in the NFL. Here he is practicing back at it again.
Chase Young pic.twitter.com/28P5bNuIp4
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 17, 2022
Young and the Commanders take on the Falcons in Week 12. The Falcons are tied for 14th most sacks allowed with 26. They also are one of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL. This is a high-floor game with boom potential. Fire up Young in his first game from a long absence.
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IDL DreMont Jones, Denver Broncos
Matchup: Carolina Panthers - Ranked 13th in Matt Bitonti's Rankings
DreMont Jones is one of the higher-volume interior pass-rushers in the NFL. He boasts an 80% snap share with a 68.9 pass-rush grade across all that volume, per PFF. Jones is already just five pressures shy of his career-high of 40, playing just over half of the season. He has racked up 21 pressures over his last five games, showing up in the backfield often. Jones uses a great rip move and is incredibly explosive on the interior. It's all showcased here.
Dre'mont Jones clips vs. Las Vegas Raiders pic.twitter.com/MHh184bfeM
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) October 5, 2022
Jones gets matched up with the Panthers in Week 12. They are on their third starting quarterback this season. The Panthers have given up 26 sacks, the 14th worst in the league. Sam Darnold has a propensity for poor pocket presence and holding onto the ball too long. Jones will be the main beneficiary.
Week 12 IDL and Edge Sleeper Options
Edge Rashad Weaver, Tennessee Titans
Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals - Ranked 10th in Matt Bitonti's Rankings
Rashad Weaver is having a stellar breakout year after a quiet rookie season. Though he hasn't been a starter this season, he has still commanded a 68.22% snap share. Bud Dupree has been a starter along with Denico Autry, though Dupree has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. Dupree sat out Week 11 and is questionable again for Week 12. Even if Dupree does play, Weaver should still see significant time on the field. With Dupree and Autry in the lineup, Weaver has still seen 59.6% of the team's snaps. Weaver has tremendous athleticism. Watch how low he gets in this edge rush with great bend.
Insane bend from Rashad Weaver where did that come from pic.twitter.com/JG6n6Sx33I
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) September 25, 2022
Over his last four games, Weaver has had 18 pressures. He owns a 69.8 pass-rush grade so far in 2022. He gets to attack the Bengals offensive line in Week 12. The Bengals have allowed 34 sacks, the 4th most this season. Weaver has a great opportunity to hit home, especially with the Bengals running game taking a potential hit, possibly being with Joe Mixon.
IDL Zachary Carter, Cincinnati Bengals
Matchup: Tennessee Titans - Ranked 31st in Matt Bitonti's Rankings
Rookie Zachary Carter is having a solid season so far. He is second on the team in interior defensive line snaps (264), trailing only B.J. Hill, good enough for 58.5% of the team's snaps. He has 12 tackles over the past four games, including two games with five tackles. Carter provides unbelievable athleticism on the interior, as shown here by his relative athletic score.
Zachary Carter was drafted with pick 95 of round 3 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 8.12 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 276 out of 1459 DT from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/ISSiQ6wKqW #RAS #Bengals pic.twitter.com/kDuZdwbe9K
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022
Carter and the Bengals tackle the Titans for Week 11. The Titans ride the curtails or Derrick Henry in a true ground-and-pound style of offense. This gives Carter a high-potential tackle floor.
Final Thoughts
We are hitting the home stretch on the season, and it is time to really hit on all of your roster decisions. All these matchups have been exploitable, if not for the entire season, for a few weeks straight now. If you roster these players, or if they are available on waivers, scoop them up. If you have wholes in your lineup, all of these guys have blow-up-week potential. Good luck in Week 12, and thank you again for giving my article a read and allowing me to provide you with some actionable advice.