Prepare yourself, folks, this article is STUFFED with all your favorite Thanksgiving puns and cliches. Whether you are comfortably in your playoff hunt or looking to next year, the IDP Dynasty Stock Market is for you to indulge in. If you’re like me, then most holidays have their own set of family traditions. The weekly market is no stranger to tradition. While the criteria may be the same, the market is an ever-changing compilation of familiar and not-so-familiar names that can help you win or avoid losing your league! We have your tiers divided into four categories and what you will see within those, but this week may be your trade deadline! So don’t play with your food; make that league-winning move. Most importantly, though, my fellow managers, FEAST your eyes on this week’s market. And ring that bell!
High Dollar Stocks Trending Up
DE Maxx Crosby: The staple of any Thanksgiving story or tradition is likely the turkey. The turkey of IDP this year is far and away Maxx Crosby. His position disparity from #1 to #2 is second only to that of Travis Kelce at the tight end position. He is absolutely winning leagues for people, especially those with diamond hands this offseason when he was briefly coded as a linebacker in most formats. The best part of Crosby? He is only 25 years old and ascending into first-team All-Pro/DPOY territory for the first time in his career. Crosby is an IDP piece that can and should be built around.
LB Roquan Smith: Just because you’re not the turkey doesn’t mean you’re not crucial to the meal. May I interest you in the potatoes of this week’s market, Roquan Smith? He posted his first double-digit week since the trade this past Sunday in the game against the Panthers, contributing seven tackles with a sack. He currently sits at LB2 and has already had his bye week, so look for him to finish as a top-3 linebacker this season. As with any recipe, a change in ingredients can leave us somewhat worried or curious. Well, the scenery change for Smith is proving just fine and will continue to do so for the remainder of this season (and likely longer).
S Budda Baker: You thought the first two were CORNY, then you’ll love this next comparison. Baker is undoubtedly the corn of this IDP feast. You simply know what you’re going to get from him. The quiet weeks from Baker during the midseason are looking to be the outlier of his season, to every manager’s delight. He has 85 tackles to this point of the season, and as a 26-year-old, is a dynasty asset you simply love to have and fear being across the screen from! He has had four straight double-digit point games, and his next matchup is against a pass-first Chargers offense. Let the feasting continue.
DE Aidan Hutchinson: One of, if not the most polarizing dishes at any Thanksgiving, is the stuffing. You either love it or you hate it; a true boom or bust. Hutchinson has been just that over the course of his rookie year, but with back-to-back booms, we must recognize the greatness we are witnessing. In his past two weeks, he has 11 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a sack. He has very much been a part of the recent successes of the Detroit Lions. Look for that to continue on Thanksgiving Day.
LB Nick Bolton: As we wrap up the leftovers (and the food puns), we have to make sure we leave room for the Apple Pie. Bolton epitomizes what it is to be a dessert - always great to have, but sometimes you just aren’t in the mood. This year, Bolton hasn’t always been in the mood to score bulk points, but that changed last week in a big way. With 14 tackles and two turnovers created, Bolton was the scariest defensive player on the field, it seemed, and posted his best game of the season after two straight performances under double-digits. If this is the Bolton we get to finish the year, then watch out, folks; he will win leagues. This shouldn’t surprise anyone considering he was likely drafted or acquired for a lofty price.
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High Dollar Stocks Trending Down
DT Javon Hargrave: The days of Hargrave dominating as he had been are likely over. The Eagles signed not one but two interior defensive linemen this week, and we saw this result in a single assisted tackle by Hargrave. The team added Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, both better fantasy options in the past than Hargrave. It was going to be hard to live up to the three-week dominance in any fashion, but now he’s not worthy of rostering. We will always remember those three weeks, though, just like that awesome catch you made in your backyard Turkey Bowl that one time…
S Minkah Fitzpatrick: Fitzpatrick would be this year’s example of the family member who ate too much and then fell asleep on the couch. When Fitzpatrick is on he absolutely must start, but this season he appears to be fighting lingering injury and health issues. This instability is enough for managers to wonder if he is worth the risk of starting. Boom or bust is a strategy that can work, but there has to be enough boom to justify the potential busts. This season, it’s not as easy to argue that for Fitzpatrick.
LB Erick Kendricks: Kendricks is the family member who brings up politics at the table. You love him and he has so many qualities that you can enjoy, but the less you see him the better, which is why he should be a deadline darling for managers looking to get anything from him before he becomes irrelevant. He’s 30 years old, seemingly losing the relevant points to Jordan Hicks, and just hasn’t performed the way you would have expected him to this season. Last week should have been the final straw for managers waiting for a reason to move him when he had only three tackles to his name.
LB Isaiah Simmons: Simmons is like the anticipation of waiting in line on Black Friday, only to find out that the item you waited for has sold out. The anticipation of his production this season was tantalizing not only to fans of the game, but also managers all over IDP circles. This year, the idea of him has overshadowed what we have actually received. This isn’t to say that he hasn’t produced because there are games he’s exploded, but there have also been times when he was frankly not worth a start. Last year he had 106 total tackles. With six games to go, he has only 52. It’s only good to stand in line if you’re far enough ahead to get the item. Don’t settle on Simmons this year.
DT Derrick Brown: Everyone either has someone in their family or knows someone who may have a tendency to over-indulge a little during the holidays. They’re fun, but once you look at the overall behavior of the holiday, you’re left asking, why put up with this? Brown has been that guy this year. Now, the Panthers as a whole, top-to-bottom, have been a team to avoid no matter the player in fantasy this season, but the 24-year-old interior lineman seemed team-proof coming into this year. It is important to note that he currently has career highs in defended passes and tackles, but too often, he just doesn’t produce enough to justify the dynasty stash.
Middle of the Pack Trending Up
LB Jack Sanborn: Pinch me if you’ve heard this before. Stud linebacker for the Chicago Bears. This has been as much of a staple of football culture as the Macy’s Parade has been for Thanksgiving. Jack Sanborn is the latest legend to emerge in this coveted role, and boy, has he embraced it well. With 28 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in the last three games since his role has expanded, Sanborn seems to be your rookie linebacker hero of the year. He’s young, he is playing extraordinarily well, and he likely sticks around for years to come.
LB Frankie Luvu: IDP managers need to be extra thankful this holiday, especially if they had the guts to keep carrying Luvu through some of his murky weeks. Look, as frustrating as it has been at times, Luvu has been far more productive than he has been bad, but he has had some very ugly weeks. He seems to have shaken off his injury rust and has produced big time over the past two weeks, and managers now have to start him until this hot streak cools off. He’s too valuable to wait now.
DT Chris Jones: When you think of the first Thanksgiving, you likely think of a pilgrim family. Everything from old Victorian-style dresses to buckled-up top hats. Well, when you think of dominant defensive tackles who can continually produce for your team, you need to think of Jones. Unlike Javon Hargrave, the splits that Jones is producing are that which can be consistently produced over a season, and so far he has done just that. He has 22 tackles to go along with nine sacks and showing us no signs of slowing down.
LB Dre Greenlaw: One of the less popular Thanksgiving facts is that the Mayflower wasn’t the only ship to set sail for the colonies that eventually celebrated the “first” Thanksgiving. There was a lesser-known ship called the Speedwell. I would use these to compare linebackers Fred Warner and Greenlaw of the San Francisco 49ers. While Warner gathers all the headlines and salary cap for the linebackers, Greenlaw is no slouch. Greenlaw has missed a game and is still only six points behind the highly touted Warner. The contract makes Warner more stable, but you can’t argue the fantasy production of Greenlaw.
S Jaquan Brisker: If you have children or were a child once, then you likely have seen a “hand turkey” made by tracing five fingers. They’re fun and probably weren’t ever expected to be such a staple of this holiday. Similar statements can be made about rookie safety Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears. He is fast becoming a staple of this defense. He is another player that we need to begin talking about if you haven’t already. He is producing outstanding rookie-year tackle numbers and, surprisingly, has three sacks to go along with them. With six games to go, he is only 27 tackles away from his first season being a 100-tackle year!
Penny Stocks with a Chance
LB Sione Takitaki: The most important part of this holiday is that of the harvest. If not properly executed at the opportune time, the crops can cease to ever make it to your table. Takitaki has taken his opportunity for the Browns and run with it. After last week’s disappearing act from Deion Jones, Takitaki had himself another solid performance with nine additional tackles. He’s still a penny stock because of the uncertain role he has, but since Owusu-Koramoah has returned, Takitaki hasn’t seen a dip. That is very promising for the 27-year-old looking for a role to carve out.
LB Kaden Ellis: The name of the holiday is Thanksgiving. IDP managers need to make sure that they thank Ellis at the dinner table this week for the three weeks he has produced in the absence of stud linebacker Pete Werner. 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks is a big-time relief number to get during the bye-week Armageddon all managers have had to navigate, but if you bought early, you may have found yourself a solid depth player even when Werner returns. Regardless, make sure you give him a little shoutout in your Thanksgiving speech.
S Kerby Joseph: Ready for more food comparisons? A filling and likely warm and cozy feeling food is the dinner roll. Joseph has definitely given his managers that warm and filling feeling in the past five games. Since Week 7, he has had 31 tackles, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. Did we mention he’s a rookie?! Well, butter him up because he’s on a roll, folks. What more do you want from a rookie in his first opportunity for playing time?
LB Arnold Ebiketie: If there’s one thing in IDP that you need to look into that you haven’t, it’s the ability certain teams have to make certain positions more valuable than others, regardless of who plays there. Last year was the emergence of Foye Oloukun. This year it has been Mykal Walker, Rashaan Evans, and most recently, Ebiketie. He’s young, and he is looking like a man who is earning more playing time. 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his last two games. He’s a guy you should keep your eye on before someone scoops him up, like that last deviled egg.
CB C.J. Henderson: Corners may not win you leagues, but if you have a bad one, it can cost you a game or two. The trends are hard to watch and follow at times, but it’s important that you read and decipher what you’re seeing. From Henderson, what we are seeing is a guy who appears to be being targeted by opposing QBs to the benefit of his point production recently. 20 tackles in his last three games on a team destined to lose it seems, he could be a sneaky addition to help you to the finish line in your playoff-chasing tryptophan-induced dreams.
There you have it, guys, your Thanksgiving week Dynasty Stock Market. That should be enough material to get you through the long holiday. There’s plenty of football to be watched, trades to be made, and, more importantly, memories to be made! So please enjoy a happy and safe holiday, and give thanks to your fantasy football team and the ones you love. Follow me on Twitter @Steakspeare for more football content (and fewer Thanksgiving Puns).