This week, we have a bunch of new faces. It’s time to freshen up our market while also recognizing the studs for their production. We have linebackers galore and even some surprising defensive linemen. What shouldn’t be a surprise is the effect that the games have on our market. When you have high-performing stocks continually ascending, then the market reflects this in a positive way. This week is almost all positive, but as always, there are some underperformers. Now it’s safe to say that value is in the eye of the beholder, but even our five not-so-high performers have value on the market depending on your need, but it’s up to you to make that deal! So, without further pontification, here is your weekly IDP Dynasty Stock Market. Ring the bell!
High Dollar Stocks Trending Up
LB Jordyn Brooks: If this production continues, Brooks has the strongest case for LB1 this year. He has one game under double-digit points and is currently at 90 total tackles at the (sorta) halfway point of the year. His low tackle count of the year is five total which has only happened one time against a team who is the 2nd hardest for linebackers to acquire points on. If you were worried about what the Wagner loss would mean for his production, then it’s safe to say you’re sleeping better at night to this point of the year. He’s the Amazon of linebacker stocks and showing no signs of slowing down.
LB Foye Oluokun: It’s not often that you see a player pop after the age of 25. It is even rarer that the production lasts into a second team, but here we are. Oluokun is a stud for IDP fantasy football. He, too, has only one game where he failed to score double-digits and has 88 tackles on the year. If you’re looking for a critique, he really only gets tackle stats. That is a very high-quality problem and not one that should sway managers away from him. He’s a dog and will be critiqued as such.
LB Demario Davis: It’s no coincidence that Davis had a big game Monday night in what appeared to be a game where stud linebacker Pete Werner was injured. If Werner is going to miss extended time, it may be the reunion tour for Davis, who was a trending-down candidate just last week. It’s still important to note that if you have him, he may have the best trade value now, but there will be an uptick in stats if Werner were to miss time. This is a tough one, but managers should try to get what they can from an aging linebacker who will see short-term success in the immediate future.
DE Maxx Crosby: What needs to be said about Crosby other than the fact that he has been far and away the best defensive lineman in fantasy this year? In standard scoring leagues, he is 30 points ahead of the DE2 and 18 points ahead of the DT1. This also includes the fact that he has already had his bye week. Barring any health setbacks, Crosby will finish as DL1, and frankly, it won’t be close. He is the Dynasty DL1 and is only 25 years old. He’s going to contribute to your team for a long time.
LB Roquan Smith: Okay, everyone, no need for the air-raid sirens. While he didn’t play every snap, he did contribute to five tackles and had a few wow plays on Monday night. This will be a transition to an old-school-style football team that is led by a Harbaugh. Smith is exactly the player you want if your team has a defensive identity. He’s currently tied for second in the NFL in tackles. He’s going to be fine. Good players are good players regardless of their team. He will still finish a top-three linebacker this year.
High Dollar Stocks Trending Down
LB DeVondre Campbell: You need to find a trade partner as a Campbell manager before the window completely closes. He is now injured, which depletes his trade value even more. In his absence, rookie linebacker Quay Walker didn’t really do anything big, which is good news for Campbell managers. These players can become depreciating assets at a certain point in their careers, and we have finally seen this happen with Campbell. He can still contribute to your team and can still score points in bunches on occasion, but he’s about to turn 30 and now has an injury to deal with. Long term, he’s a sell, but short-term plans can win leagues. He’s perfect for that.
DE Cameron Jordan: This feels like a twilight moment in the career of Jordan. He had a dominant three-game stretch that fooled many of us into thinking that we would get another year of dominance but has since returned to the point where he is no longer a great option to start. He is doing just well enough to stay in lineups and frustrate managers, which is the worst-case scenario for teams trying to win. He’s probably too old to get much value and too big of a name just to let walk for cheap. He is in the twilight zone of defensive ends.
LB Nick Bolton: Sometimes good players have bad games. This is exactly what we saw with Bolton this week. He has been a stud, and this is just a minor roadblock. But we need to be fair when we see games this bad with great players. This trend won’t continue, so Bolton managers can take a deep breath and just grit your teeth through a bad week. He’s not the type to do this often. Had he just hit his average this week, he would currently be LB10.
LB Pete Werner: Sometimes the scariest things to deal with are those that are unknown, and that is exactly what we have here with Werner. As of this writing, we are not aware of the injury he suffered Monday night, but it was significant enough for them to get the cart out. Injury is never a good thing, but he’s young enough that managers should start by taking a deep breath and just wait for the news. No need to panic until we know.
LB Devin White: From LB1 Week 3 to the current LB17, -White is sinking like a stone in the second quarter of the league play. He’s not doing bad enough to warrant a trade, but he is certainly a frustrating case for where he was likely acquired or drafted. Too often he puts up six points or less and for a player of his caliber that is unacceptable. If you have options outperforming him currently, you need to play them and take the heartache for a bit. This is a tricky one, but one that managers need to move on quick before it’s too late.
Middle of the Pack Trending Up
DT Javon Hargrave: It’s time to point out what we see with Hargrave. First, we must note that 55 of his 89 total points have come in the last two games, but they have been monster games. Since the bye week, he has had 15 total tackles and five sacks! He goes into this week with another favorable matchup, this time against the Commanders. He currently sits at DT6 and is likely still on your waivers. Pick him up now. He is only seven total points from being the DT2. He’s worth the hold with the ability to explode like this. It will be hard to replicate what he has done, but this worth monitoring.
DE Kwity Paye: He has returned to preinjury form, although the sample size isn’t the best. Before he was hurt, he was averaging three tackles a game and had compiled three sacks in four games played. In his first game back, he had eight tackles and a sack! On a defensive line that has produced three credible starters for IDP, he has the highest upside because he is 23 years old. He is a wonderful dynasty asset and if he’s available on your waivers in redraft, snatch him while you can. He’s an ascending star in this league.
LB Matt Judon: At this point in his career, you know what you’ll get with Judon. He will get you two to four tackles and is liable for multiple sacks given the week. If you can stomach the occasional bad game, he’s the epitome of boom/bust with a lean towards BOOM! This week was a great example, with six tackles and three sacks. Over his last three games, he has 12 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He’s a great bye-week filler with week-winning potential. Are there any gamblers here?
DT Vita Vea: Another interior defensive lineman we are showing love to, Vea has had a great stretch of three games, with 12, 13, and 16 points, respectively, in standard scoring formats. This may be the best fantasy stretch of his career. He is trending toward career highs in all major categories and may be on waivers still. He’s not given a sample enough to go chips in the middle on, but the dude has flat-out produced and is worth the watchlist minimally. He has already eclipsed his season-high sack total and has half a season left to add to it.
LB JaWhaun Bentley: Another Patriot linebacker, you ask? Bentley may be the best one to roster this year. He is, at the very least, the most consistent of the fantasy-viable linebackers on the team in the tackle department. Two times this year, he has gone over the ten tackle mark, and over the past three games, has had 22 total. He doesn’t do much outside of tackles but can get the occasional sack now and then. He is the type of linebacker that won’t lose the matchup if you start him, with the upside to keep pace on bye weeks. He’s worth a look, and for teams looking to get good depth, he’s a quality candidate.
Penny Stocks with a Chance
LB Justin Houston: I know what you’re thinking, why should I consider giving an old and sack-dependent pass rusher a spot on my roster? The answer, in every game he has played, he has recorded a sack. Of the five total games played, he has a whopping 8.5 sacks. This is a significant amount in such a small sample of games played, but hey, if you need a filler, why not hitch your wagon to a surefire hall-of-fame player with over 110 sacks in his career? He does one thing, and he does it really well, sack the quarterback. If you’re desperate for a one-week hail mary, he’s as good as it gets.
S Damar Hamlin: While it is beginning to appear that we are closer to the end of Jordan Poyer’s career than the beginning, there has to be someone to step up. Factor in an injured Micah Hyde, and we have a true opportunity for someone in the Buffalo secondary. Hamlin appears to be running away with this opportunity. Four of his last five games have been double digits, and in those five games, he has compiled 36 total tackles. As a 24-year-old safety with his first bit of playing time, this needs to be noted.
LB Derrick Barnes: In what appears to be out of nowhere, suddenly Detroit has a third fantasy-relevant linebacker. Barnes started the year pretty pedestrian and even followed up a bye week with a bagel (0). Since then, however, something has changed. He went from five tackles the previous week to 12 tackles and a sack this week. What is also important to note, head coach Dan Campbell spoke highly of him after the win, which is always a great sign for a young player attempting to become a relevant player. I love Anzalone and Rodriguez above him, but he may be worth a stash, especially if someone ahead of him were to go down.
LB Blake Martinez: Unless you’re clairvoyant or a super fan, you probably did what everyone else did and dropped Martinez after he was dropped by New York. Now, since the unfortunate injury news that Deablo will be on the IR, Martinez becomes a must-own in all formats at linebacker for the foreseeable future. When he has the opportunity to play, he is a fantasy stud, and he will have plenty of snaps moving forward unless the Raiders acquire someone this week. Regardless, he needs to be a waiver run #1 for anyone struggling at linebacker.
LB Elandon Roberts: When you’re pinching pennies in the market, the one thing you need to look for is what you get for what you spend. Roberts is a great value for depth and the occasional start. He scores in every game and has shown significant consistency in the tackle department for Miami. He has 54 tackles in nine games and is seemingly here to stay for their defense, so having him as a viable bench option is pretty fair for the significant value he has. What more do you want from someone as a spot starter? He scores, sometimes in the double-digits, and won’t lose the week because your stud is off or hurt.
There it is, and there it was. We have a great twenty this week and can only hope our pennies turn to dolla dolla bills yall! IDP is fun, but it’s even more fun when you spot the stud before everyone else does. So take this, show your friends and then put your waivers or bids in! You never know who becomes the next big thing! Follow me on Twitter @Steakspeare and follow Footballguys for all your football takes, stats, and much much more!