IDP Stock Market Week 15

Well, this is it. You've climbed atop that mountain. It has been a long and arduous season. We have seen many familiar names fall by the wayside and new names emerge. We have learned, we have loved, but most importantly, we have won! Well, at least for the sake of this intro, we have. Whether you're looking to be the man on top of the mountain in your league or looking to avoid your league-worst punishment, the market is available to you for that analysis we all need oh so much of. So, without further adieu, It is time for another weekly edition of the IDP Stock Market. RING THAT BELL!

The Fortune 5

LB Ivan Pace Jr., Vikings: This game we play at times is really a battle of attrition. Do you have the patience and stomach to hold longer than others? Should you move from someone? If you're a Pace manager or fan, you likely had this question swirling in your head most of this season. Well, if you held firm, you could be rewarded with a league winner. Weeks 1 & 2 were surprising, to say the least. When Pace emerged on the scene for the Vikings, he hit the ground running. In each of his first two games, he had eight tackles. Then we saw a harsh reality check for the undrafted rookie, losing snaps, and, more importantly, stats. Since the devastating injury to Jordan Hicks, Pace has become a must-start down the stretch. He has had three straight games of 9+ tackles and has two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble in that time frame. He is setting himself up for hero status among IDP managers if he continues this into the fantasy playoffs.

EDGE Harold Landry III, Titans: Landry is a player who doesn't get enough credit for his consistency. His only year where he had less than 55 tackles was his rookie year, where he had 44 tackles. He also is the exact player that fits the mold of "won't lose a week." Here lately, however, he has been a bonafide star. Since Week 10, he has had 33 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Last week was arguably his best career game, but the most appealing part of Landry is that down the stretch, he faces the Texans two times in the fantasy playoff schedule. With the status of C.J. Stroud unknown, we could see him feast on a backup quarterback.

LB Kenneth Murray Jr., Chargers: In one of the surprises of the season, we are seeing Kenneth Murray have his best season as a pro. He just crossed the 100 total tackle threshold with four games to go, but the most impressive part of his season has been his durability. He has played 100% of his team's snaps in 10/13 games this season. When a player is on the field, he will score. This offseason cast a lot of doubt on the Chargers' linebacking corps. We saw Drue Tranquil leave, Eric Kendricks sign as a free agent, and Daiyan Henley was drafted. In the choppy waters of the Los Angeles Chargers, Murray has been a significant bright spot for fantasy managers. Let's hope you didn't give up on him!

DT Justin Madubuike, Ravens: If there was a breakout player of the year for IDP, Madubuike would be on the shortlist to win it. He has a sack in 11/13 games played this season, including a current streak of 10 straight games. You must play this man while he is doing this because teams clearly do not know how to handle him. With the defensive prowess of Jon Harbaugh and a defense feared at all levels, It shouldn't surprise us that someone new would emerge. His position on the interior line may give managers cause for concern, but Madubuike is proving that if you have faith, he will contribute, and in a huge way. He has a career-high in sacks, tackles, and fantasy points. Managers don't overthink this. If you haven't already, start playing Madubuike.

DT Cameron Heyward, Steelers: Heyward is just one of those guys that, until he retires or gets hurt, you must start him each week. When he plays, he is arguably one of the best at his position of interior defensive line. Now, it is important to point out that he is 34 years old, which may as well be a dinosaur in professional sports, so he does have the occasional bad game. Still, if you are confident enough in your team to weather this storm, he has upside, unlike many players at his position. Give the old guy a shot on your playoff rosters, will ya!

The Falling 4

S Reed Blankenship, Eagles: The rollercoaster ride that has been Reed Blankenship this season appears to be over for now. He was diagnosed with a concussion during the Eagles' huge primetime showdown against the Cowboys this past Sunday Night. This is an unfortunate blow to managers who roster him. He was a play-making safety who had the tackle upside to be tops at his position each week. To lose a player of his caliber right on the cusp of the playoffs is brutal. Let's hope for a speedy recovery and that your team is strong enough to survive without him.

LB Blake Cashman, Texans: Cashman goes on this list for a few reasons, not just due to the injury he suffered last game that knocked him out. When he was getting the lion's share of statistics, he was ascending into that top tier of fantasy linebacker. But lately, he had clearly lost a step, and now we see an injury that could potentially sideline him through the fantasy playoffs. He is suffering from a hamstring injury, which we all know that, without rest, never truly heals. He is too risky to start down the stretch, regardless of his injury status.

S Brian Branch, Lions: One player we can't blame injury on for the downtrend is rookie safety Brian Branch. Branch burst onto the scene in the opening game of the NFL with a pick-six of Patrick Mahomes II. He then proceeded to have a great opening quarter of the season where he was almost assuredly the front-runner for defensive rookie of the year. He is a high-risk, high-reward player who has been more risky lately. He doesn't quite get the tackles enough to consider him a safe player, but he is liable to make a play or two in the passing game. If you can handle the volatility down the stretch here, he may be worth it, but if you're like me, we need safer players than him to win our leagues.

S Jordan Whitehead, Jets: I was a year early on Jordan Whitehead hype, or so I thought at the beginning of this season. Whitehead disappointed last season in his debut year with the Jets, but this season exploded in Week 1 with three interceptions, setting the tone for what felt like was going to be the big year we all wanted. When he is on, he is a great player, but right now, he is just not getting the big plays that will catapult him into further success. He has a tasty matchup down the stretch against the Dolphins and the Browns, but barring a pass breakup or forced turnover, he is a very “meh” player to star while looking to win a Super Bowl.

Premiere Pennies

LB Shaquille Leonard, Eagles: Maybe this is low-hanging fruit considering what we once saw with Leonard in Indianapolis, but I just want to make sure no one has forgotten that the new linebacker for the Eagles was once the unquestioned dynasty LB11. He didn't play much in the debut with his new team, but would it shock anyone if he burst onto the scene with one of those vintage 10-tackle-and-a-sack performances? This is a risky play because who knows how much the team will utilize him, but if he plays a large share of snaps, you almost must roll the dice here. No one here would blame you!

S Jordan Howden, Saints: May I interest you in a player you wouldn't recognize in a two-person lineup? Since Marcus Maye's injury, we have found our newest contributor in the Saints secondary, and he had quite the welcome party last week. Ten tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble is quite the impression to make as a rookie in IDP. This is dynasty, so managers, regardless of whether you play him this week, he needs to be rostered. This was a stat line that we all chase when looking for regular starts, much less rookies in their first real opportunity in the league.

S Ji'ayir Brown, 49ers: From one rookie safety to another, Ji'ayir Brown has finally begun to play some significant snaps down the stretch here and is producing in these opportunities. The third-round pick out of Penn State, and the 49ers have a star-studded team up and down the roster. He is helping fill the hole left by Talanoa Hufanga's injury and has been a solid performer for most of the available