IDP Upgrades: Week 12

This article immediately highlights defensive players whose production was significantly better or worse than normally expected for the prior week of games. Note there is sometimes limited information available when this article is written, but I will try to give everyone an early look at players who are moving up or down in value among IDP circles. It isn’t easy to give waiver advice for IDPs since there is such a wide variety of lineups and scoring systems, but hopefully, the information provided can help inform your waiver, trade, and upcoming lineup decisions. I'm also going to try and group edge rushers together with the understanding that classification as a defensive end or linebacker will depend on your league setup/host. If you have any questions about specific players or situations, please email me or reach out via Twitter.

Email: rudnicki@footballguys.com
Twitter: @a_rudnicki

UPGRADES

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE Maxx Crosby, LV (5 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH, 1 FF on 100% of snaps)
Despite this looking like a lost season for the Raiders, Crosby is proving to be the elite pass rusher we knew he was. While he hasn’t yet topped the career-best 10 sacks he set as a rookie in 2019, he has always been effective at generating pressure and is now converting those into sacks with 9 sacks in 10 games played. He also has 42 solo tackles with 21 assists while handling an impressive workload each week. He has played more than 90% of the snaps each week and has averaged 63 snaps/game.

DE Trey Hendrickson, CIN (4 solos, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 4 QH, 1 PD on 70% of snaps)
Hendrickson appeared to regress early this season after posting elite sack numbers the past two seasons. Things seem to have turned around for him of late though as he picked up 2 sacks this week and now has 3.5 over his last 4 games. His tackle numbers remain low, but he can provide huge games when he’s at his best.

DE Dorance Armstrong, DAL (3 solos, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QH, 1 FR on 53% of snaps)
Some fantasy managers may have given up on Armstrong since he had made very little impact over the past month, but he can still pick up sacks in bunches. With 2 more this week, he now has 7 in 10 games played while averaging a little over 50% of the snap count each week.

DE Carl Granderson, NO (3 solos, 4 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 QH on 77% of snaps)
Granderson handled a heavy workload this week due to the absence of normal starters Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport. The Saints have struggled to get to the quarterback this year but he’s been effective with 13 tackles and 2 sacks over the past two games.

DE Montez Sweat, WAS (3 solos, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 57% of snaps)
Sweat has not always played up to his potential this year, but he took advantage of a favorable matchup this week. He now has 6 sacks over his last 7 games played and Washington is hoping to get Chase Young back in the lineup this week, which should make things even easier for Sweat.

DE Yannick Ngakoue, IND (2 solos, 1 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 QH, 1 FF on 85% of snaps)
Ngakoue has always been the type of player whose fantasy value relies almost entirely on sacks and that has continued this year in Indianapolis. His production has likely flown under the radar but he has been consistent with at least a partial sack in 5 straight games and 7 of his last 9.

DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, HOU (2 solos, 5 asst, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 53% of snaps)
The Texans continue to struggle, but they are likely trying to find some players who can be part of their core group going forward. Okoronkwo has started to emerge over the past two weeks as a key contributor with 8 solos and 6 assists but he’s yet to register a sack on the season so his upside may be limited.

EDGE T.J. Watt, PIT (2 solos, 4 asst, .5 sack, 1 QH, 1 INT, 2 PD on 82% of snaps)
Watt had a quiet return to the lineup last week with just 4 tackles on 37 snaps, but he looked more like himself this week. He played 54 snaps and came up with 6 tackles, a half sack, plus his second interception of the year in just 3 games played.

EDGE Leonard Floyd, LAR (3 solos, 2 asst, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 89% of snaps)
The Rams don’t have much left to play for this year, but Floyd is not letting that slow him down. Despite a very slow start that saw him register 0 sacks in his first 6 games, he now has 5 in his last 4 games and once again looks like an impact pass rusher.

DT Chris Jones, KC (5 solos, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 4 QH on 88% of snaps)
Jones had a breakout season with 15 sacks back in 2018 but has not been able to repeat that performance in any year. It looks like this may be the year for him to approach those numbers again, as he has been on fire of late. He picked up two more sacks this week to give him nine on the year and seven over his last five games.

DT Greg Gaines, LAR (2 solos, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QH on 91% of snaps)
Gaines sat out last week’s game with an elbow injury but was able to handle 90+% of the snaps for the 5^th time this year and the first time since week 5. He picked up two sacks and now has 3 over his prior 3 games played, which is nice to see from a nose tackle.

LINEBACKERS

LB Nick Bolton, KC (10 solos, 4 asst, 1 FF, 1 INT, 1 PD on 100% of snaps)
Bolton has been a productive tackler all season long for the Chiefs, but he has been lacking in the big play columns. He helped make up for that on Sunday night when he added a forced fumble and an interception on top of a 14-tackle outing in a comeback win over the Chargers.

LB Matt Milano, BUF (8 solos, 4 asst, 1 sack, 3 TFL, 1 QH, 1 FR on 100% of snaps)
In a game where the Bills were without their normal middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, they got a huge performance from Milano. He made plays all over the field as they held the Browns running game in check and collected his first sack of the year, along with 12 tackles.

LB Patrick Queen, BAL (9 solos, 3 asst, .5 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 100% of snaps)
There was an expectation that Queen would see his playing time and fantasy value reduced following the trade for Roquan Smith, but the opposite seems to have happened. He has played all but two snaps in the past two games and had perhaps his best game of the year this week with 12 tackles plus a half sack. Smith likely helps draw some focus and attention away from Queen, which frees him up to make more plays.

LB Kaden Ellis, NO (6 solos, 5 asst, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 1 PD on 92% of snaps)
Ellis blew up for the Saints once again and now has 3.5 sacks with 23 combined tackles over the past three games. Pete Werner reportedly had ankle surgery but wasn’t placed on injured reserve so it’s not clear when he may return. The performances from Ellis should ensure they don’t rush him back before he’s ready at least.

LB Quay Walker, GB (8 solos, 4 asst, .5 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 86% of snaps)
While it took him some time to adjust, Walker looked much more comfortable on Thursday night taking on the Titans. The rookie filled in for DeVondre Campbell and showed noted improvement in his coverage ability and instincts while piling up 12 tackles plus a partial sack in what was likely his best game as a pro.

LB Tyrel Dodson, BUF (9 solos, 4 asst on 100% of snaps)
Dodson started in place of Tremaine Edmunds, who sat out with a groin injury. While he didn’t play particularly well, he still managed to collect 13 tackles in the game and could be in line for another heavy workload on Thursday against Detroit if Edmunds is unable to play.

LB Rashaan Evans, ATL (8 solos, 3 asst on 100% of snaps)
The Falcons had two of the most productive linebackers in the league a year ago, and it looks like we are headed for a repeat performance. Evans is leading the way and is averaging just under 10 combined tackles per game to establish himself as a clear top-10 fantasy option. Mykal Walker missed some time to injury but has also been highly productive, with 8.4 combined tackles per game.

LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, CLE (7 solos, 5 asst, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 95% of snaps)
The Lions moved Deion Jones back to a limited role this week as Owusu-Koramoah returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a knee injury in week 7. He led all Browns linebackers with 62 snaps and made plays all over the field while often serving as a spy on Josh Allen.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Jaquan Brisker, CHI (7 solos, 4 asst, 1 TFL, 1 FF on 96% of snaps)
Brisker continues to stand out among this year’s strong group of rookie safeties. He’s proven to be a highly versatile safety who seems at his best playing close to the line of scrimmage. While he’s on pace to break 80 solo tackles, he has also contributed a number of big plays and looks like he could become a perennial top-10 option.

S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, PHI (10 solos, 1 asst, 1 TFL on 100% of snaps)
After a slow start as he adjusted to his new team following a late August trade from the Saints, Gardner-Johnson has produced like the top fantasy safety in the league. He always had high potential but he’s been on an incredible run with 38 solos and 6 assists over his last 6 games.

S Joshua Kalu, TEN (7 solos, 1 FF, 1 PD on 84% of snaps)
Kalu served as the third safety and played 51 out of 61 snaps against the run-heavy Packers offense this week. Combine this showing with week 9 when he saw 62 snaps against the Chiefs, and he has 16 combined tackles in his last two games with extensive playing time.

S Jeremy Chinn, CAR (7 solos, 3 asst on 100% of snaps)
The Panthers welcomed Chinn back to their lineup this week for the first time since he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4. He picked up where he left off and was credited with 10 tackles to tie for the team lead with Frankie Luvu and cornerback C.J. Henderson.

S Will Harris, DET (5 solos, 3 asst, 1 FF on 97% of snaps)
Harris has been productive as the nickel back in recent weeks, but he saw an increase in playing time this week. Jeff Okudah collided with Harris and was ruled out with a concussion, so Harris played a season-high 74 snaps and finished with eight tackles. Assuming Okudah is unable to play on Thursday, Harris could be in for a heavy workload against the Bills passing attack.

CB Cam Taylor-Britt, CIN (9 solos, 3 asst on 100% of snaps)
Taylor-Britt is a rookie second-round pick who has been thrust into a full-time role after Chidobe Awuzie suffered a torn ACL in week 8. He wasn’t tested much against teams like Cleveland and Carolina, but the Steelers went after him this week. He finished with 12 tackles as a result.

CB C.J. Henderson, CAR (10 solos, 1 TFL on 100% of snaps)
The former top-10 draft pick hasn’t come close to living up to expectations, and he was victimized repeatedly by the Ravens on Sunday. That led to a career-high 10 solo tackles, and we can probably expect a bit more of the same next week against Denver.

CB Andrew Booth, MIN (9 solos on 94% of snaps)
Booth got his first career start this week, and the rookie came through with nine solo tackles in an ugly loss to the Cowboys. He could be in line for another start on Thursday night, depending on how close Cameron Dantzler is to returning from a neck injury.

DOWNGRADES

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN/EDGE RUSHERS

DE DreMont Jones, DEN (1 QH on 86% of snaps)
Jones is having a strong year with 5.5 sacks, but he’s been mostly invisible over the past two weeks. In games against the Titans and Raiders, he has combined for just two assisted tackles.

DE Rashad Weaver, TEN (0 tackles on 56% of snaps)
Weaver got off to a great start this year with four sacks over the first four games, but he’s been very quiet since then. He has just four combined tackles over his last five games, but 1.5 of them were based on sacks in week 10.

DE Payton Turner, NO (1 solo, 1 TFL,1 QH on 20% of snaps)
Turner failed to take advantage of his opportunity this week. The Saints were missing their top two defensive ends, but Turner left early with an ankle injury and only played 13 snaps as a result. He apparently avoided a serious injury but may need to miss some time.

DE Jadeveon Clowney, CLE (1 solo, 1 TFL on 66% of snaps)
Clowney has missed some time with injuries this year but has still failed to record a sack since Week 2. Over his past four games played, he has been credited with just three solos and one assist, and the former first-overall pick has not been able to capitalize on playing opposite Myles Garrett.

DE A.J. Epenesa, BUF (0 tackles on 8% of snaps)
One week after playing well against the Vikings, Epenesa was knocked out of the game early with an ankle injury. Carlos Basha and Shaq Lawson figure to pick up most of the slack.

DL Denico Autry, TEN (1 QH on 44% of snaps)
Autry has been a very productive addition to the Titans defensive line with seven sacks in the first nine games, but he left early with a knee injury this week. Initial reports suggested he would miss some time, which will leave the Titans without their best pass rusher.

DL AShawn Robinson, LAR (2 solos, 1 asst on 28% of snaps)
Robinson has yet to record a sack this year but has been productive against the run. Unfortunately, he left the game early this week with a knee injury and is likely to miss some time.

DT Malcolm Roach, NO (0 tackles on 38% of snaps)
One week after his breakout game, Roach was shut out on the stat sheet and returned to his regular role as a situational player.

LINEBACKERS

LB Eric Kendricks, MIN (2 solos, 1 asst on 89% of snaps)
This was a disappointing game for most Vikings players, but Kendricks, in particular, was a disappointment. He finished with just three combined tackles in a game where the Cowboys ran the ball 40 times and generated 66 tackle opportunities.

LB Kenneth Murray, LAC (0 tackles on 43% of snaps)
Murray left the game with a neck injury in the second half, but he wasn’t doing much prior to that, as he finished with 0 tackles on 28 snaps. Troy Reeder took his place and added three solo tackles plus a forced fumble on just 21 snaps.

LB Deion Jones, CLE (0 tackles on 12% of snaps)
With the return of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jones saw a huge drop in playing time this week. He wound up playing just 8 snaps in the game and was a non-factor, while the Browns relied almost entirely on Owusu-Koramoah and Sione Takitaki.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

S Kyle Hamilton, BAL (4 solos, 1 TFL, 1 QH on 37% of snaps)
Hamilton was on his way to a very productive game with 4 solo tackles on 21 snaps before leaving the game with a knee injury. The severity of the injury wasn’t clear, but reports from the Ravens seemed optimistic.

S Justin Simmons, DEN (1 solo, 1 asst on 100% of snaps)
Simmons sat out last week with a knee injury and returned to play all 66 snaps this week, but he wasn’t around the ball as much as usual. He finished with just two combined tackles in the game and may have another quiet game next week against Carolina.

S Juan Thornhill, KC (1 solo, 2 asst on 51% of snaps)
Thornhill was expected to take on a bigger role in the Chiefs secondary this year, but it hasn’t really translated onto the stat sheets. Through 11 games, he has really only had one strong start, and he also left the game early this week with a calf injury, which opened up more playing time for rookie Bryan Cook.

S Trevon Moehrig, LV (1 solo, 1 asst on 100% of snaps)
The Raiders drafted Moehrig in the second round last year, and he has yet to show much despite often playing a full-time role. He has just 18 solo tackles and 8 assists in 8 games played this year, and the release of Johnathan Abram doesn’t appear to have helped much as he was a non-factor once again this week.

CB Kyler Gordon, CHI (4 solos, 3 asst, 1 TFL on 71% of snaps)
Gordon has posted solid numbers as a rookie corner so far this year and had another productive game this week with 7 combined tackles on 39 snaps despite a bad matchup. He had to leave the game early with a concussion, however, so his status for next week is likely in doubt.

CB Jeff Okudah, DET (3 solos on 24% of snaps)
Okudah has played well for Detroit this year, but he left the game early with a concussion after colliding with a teammate. With the Lions playing against the Bills on Thursday afternoon, it seems unlikely that he would be cleared in time to play.

CB Adoree Jackson, NYG (2 solos on 27% of snaps)
Jackson has been productive with the Giants this year but left the game early this week with a knee injury. It was confirmed on Monday to be a sprained MCL, and the timeline was four to six weeks, which likely means his fantasy season is over.