Guru's IDP Notes: Arizona Cardinals

Jalen Thompson played all 64 snaps against Seattle but somehow turned a stellar matchup into just two tackles and four assists. Budda Baker turned the same matchup into a game-winner for many managers with an 18-tackle day that included 8 solos. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson turned in a tackle and two assists on only twelve plays. While it is unfortunate for fantasy managers that the Cardinals coaching staff is not yet ready to trust the rookie with a starting job, Arizona's game with New England could produce another great game for Baker. The Patriots are the best matchup in the game for safeties since week eight.

Interestingly, New England has allowed the most points to linebackers since week eight as well. Over their last seven games, opponents' linebackers have averaged 11.6 tackles, 8.7 assists, and 1 splash play per game. Start Kyzir White for sure and maybe even Mack Wilson Sr. in a pinch.

Guru's IDP Notes: Atlanta Falcons

Time is almost up for anyone still clinging to hope for Troy Andersen. The good news is that he did see more action against the Vikings. The bad news is that he was still slightly short of a 50% play share. Andersen recorded two tackles on 48% of the action versus the Vikings while Nate Landman saw his role reduced again, going 0-3 on 33%.

When Matthew Judon opened the season with a sack and a half and twelve combined stops in the first two games, it looked like he might overcome the curse of the Falcons' edge defenders. Then he vanished, scoring no more than six points in any of the next eight games. Judon has shown signs of life recently with a sack in two of the last three games. Hopefully, no one still alive in week fifteen is looking for stream options at the edge position. For anyone who is, Judon might be an option this week versus a Raiders offense that has given up good tackle numbers to the position, along with 3.6 sacks per game since week seven.   

Guru's IDP Notes: Baltimore Ravens

The Giants are a mediocre matchup for safeties, but I wanted to remind everyone that Ar'Darius Washington has been working in the strong safety role for the last few games, with Kyle Hamilton lining up deep much of the time. If Hamilton is going to make a fantasy impact this week, he may have to do it in the big play columns.

Guru's IDP Notes: Buffalo Bills

It is feast or famine with Greg Rousseau this year, especially over the last few games. He has at least 15 fantasy points in three of the last five games. In the other two, he combined for one assist. The Lions tend to allow good tackle totals to edge defenders, but Jared Goff remains one of the least sacked quarterbacks in the game.

Damar Hamlin (7-6) and Taylor Rapp (8-5) spun a bad matchup (on paper) into a great day in a shootout with the Rams. Don't count on a repeat against the Lions. Detroit is a mediocre matchup when it comes to tackle totals, but they run a tight ship in terms of splash plays by safeties. 

If Taron Johnson is your guy, keep an eye on his status late in the week. He had a strong outing against the Rams but was banged up late in the game.

Guru's IDP Notes: Carolina Panthers

Two Carolina defenders must be in fantasy lineups this week. The Panthers coaching staff recently discovered that Josey Jewell can rush the passer. He has at least twelve fantasy points in five of the last six games with three and a half sacks since week twelve. Dallas has been a solid matchup for linebackers all season and particularly strong over the two games since finally figuring out that Rico Dowdle can be leaned on with success.

The other must-start, if you have the option, is A'Shawn Robinson. Robinson is on fire with six consecutive double-digit scores and an average of almost thirteen points per game since week eight. Dallas is a poor matchup for tackles, but don't let that scare you off. Robinson racked up 19 points versus Denver in week eight and 11 against Tampa Bay in week thirteen. Those teams rank 28th and 27th in points surrendered to the tackle position.    

Jaycee Horn left last week's game with a groin injury. If he is not available, look for Dane Jackson to get the start against Dallas. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Chicago Bears

Jonathan Owens has not been able to sustain a starting role over his seven NFL seasons, but when called into action, he puts up numbers. Since taking over for Elijah Hicks in week twelve, Owens has 24 tackles, 3 turnovers, and a pair of pass breakups in three starts. Hicks did not practice last week and had not returned to the field as of press time, so Owens is in line for another start versus the Vikings.

I am still not sure what happened to Gervon Dexter Sr in week fourteen. He was off to a strong start, going 1-1 on 13 snaps before vanishing from the field. I have not yet had time to review that game and, thus, have not been able to confirm an injury. Dexter is an every-week start for those in tackle-required leagues, so look for some explanation when the practice reports come in later in the week. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Cincinnati Bengals

With Logan Wilson out for the season, Akeem Davis-Gaither has taken over the starting role. He lacks the big play potential and is not as physical a run defender as Wilson, but Davis-Gaither is stepping up nicely in the tackle columns with 21 combined stops in two starts. He has a plus matchup in weeks 15 and 16 against Tennessee and Cleveland.

Jordan Battle has all but completely taken over the Bengals' strong safety position. He was a modest 4-1 versus Dallas on Monday night while playing 52 of a possible 60 snaps. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Cleveland Browns

Cleveland had 21 players with defensive stats last week. None with more than 4 solo tackles and only Myles Garrett with 2-1-1 and a fumble recovery, had more than 7.5 fantasy points. There are no grand expectations for Browns' defenders this week either, but I do like the chance of Grant Delpit having a solid day. There is the Kelce factor, which recently has become the Kelce/Gray factor and the fact that the Chiefs are a different offense with Isaiah Pacheco in the backfield. Delpit has no big games this year but has a safe floor with at least six combined stops in all but two games. I like his chances of reaching double-digit tackles in this one.   

Guru's IDP Notes: Dallas Cowboys

The Monday night game gave us a sad reminder of how physical and dangerous this game can be and why players make the kind of money they do. DeMarvion Overshown was rolled up by an offensive lineman and suffered an ugly knee injury. The Tuesday update confirmed that he tore the ACL, MCL, and PCL. In a statement, owner Jerry Jones said he was pessimistic about Overshown's availability for the 2025 season.

Damone Clark is the most likely replacement to finish the year. He and Overshown were sharing time early in the season. However, Clark was inactive for Monday's game, so Marist Liufau picked up the extra snaps, going 1-1-1.5 on 23 plays. He could receive consideration for a bigger role as well.    

Guru's IDP Notes: Denver Broncos

The Colts are neither a great nor horrible matchup for any position. That said, it will not be surprising if the Broncos shut down the Anthony Richardson-led offense. What we do want to see is the role of Drew Sanders. He has been practicing long enough to be ready and should see some action. The question is, at whose expense will it come? Once healthy, Sanders should be the team's best linebacker, yet it is doubtful that he will have a big enough role to impact the fantasy game. The Broncos may try to get him up to speed in time for the NFL playoffs, though.     

Guru's IDP Notes: Detroit Lions

How does the Lions' defense continue to play well? Detroit had 15 defensive players on IR or out with injury in week 14. They have one pass rusher left, three of their top four linebackers are on IR, and their best interior lineman is in concussion protocol.

If you are looking for one of the replacement linebackers to step up and claim the job, don't hold your breath. Kwon Alexander played 17 snaps against the Packers, David Long Jr 16, and Zeke Turner 17. Even Jamal Adams got in the mix with a few snaps as a nickel linebacker.

Guru's IDP Notes: Green Bay Packers

The Packers took a beating at the safety position, losing Evan Williams to a concussion and Javon Bullard to an ankle injury within a few plays. Zane Anderson finished the game, totaling a modest 2-2 on 53 plays. Bullard left the stadium on crutches and is week-to-week. With ten days between games, there is a chance that Williams will be available. He is not on the practice field early in the week, though. Green Bay was without Jaire Alexander, Corey Ballentine, and Edgerrin Cooper in week 14 as well. The mounting injuries in the secondary are particularly concerning since the Seahawks throw a lot. They are a plus matchup for safeties and corners, so keep an eye on this situation later this week.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Houston Texans

Christian Harris is expected to start practicing this week. It is far too late for this to matter for us, but see if Neville Hewitt is available. With the three-game suspension upheld for Azeez Al-Shaair, Hewitt is in line to finish the fantasy season in the highly productive role. He played a lot in week six when Al-Shaair was hurt and started the next three. Hewitt played 70% of the snaps last week, coming on when Al-Shaair was ejected. He reached double-digit points in all six of those games with a high of 24 against the Packers in week seven. The Dolphins, Chiefs, and Ravens are all solid matchups over the next three weeks.

Guru's IDP Notes: Jacksonville Jaguars

Ventrell Miller's role continues to diminish. Over the last two games, he's lost playing time to third safety Antonio Johnson. Miller was down to 18 snaps in week 14 and is no longer roster-worthy in even the deepest of leagues. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Kansas City Chiefs

With the move to Jameis Williams at quarterback, the Browns went from a black hole match-up to a strong one for every defensive position. Cleveland has allowed more than three sacks per game, giving up 2.9 to linemen. The linebacker position is averaging over 18 combined tackles against them, while both the corner and safety positions are averaging more than 15 tackles. Winston is even throwing more than an interception and a half on average. Start your Chiefs this week.

We must watch the injury report to determine which corner to play. Josh Williams took over the starting job when Nazeeh Johnson was benched in week thirteen. Williams left Sunday's game with a chest injury, putting Johnson back on the field. As of Wednesday morning, there has been no update on Williams' availability for this week.      

Guru's IDP Notes: Las Vegas Raiders

With Nate Hobbs remaining sidelined by an ankle injury, Decamerion Richardson made his fourth start in week 14. He came out of the gate hot with two tackles on the first series but then vanished until the 4th quarter. As it turns out, there is nothing to see here. Richardson played every defensive snap and is in line for a productive outing against the Falcons this week if Hobbs misses another game. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Los Angeles Chargers

Junior Colson returned to action in a limited role. He should see more than 13 snaps in his second game back but is far from a lock to have a significant role before the fantasy season ends. Troy Dye saw 33 snaps and will likely see that number reduced as Colston works his way back.

The Chargers gave us a surprise sighting of Tony Jefferson in week 13. He put up good enough numbers to have all the IDP points chasers picking him up. In week fourteen, it was Marcus Maye taking all of the third safety snaps as the team rolled out a big nickel look on 88% of their plays.

Guru's IDP Notes: Los Angeles Rams

Despite the offensive show put on by the Bills, no Los Angeles defender recorded more than 8.25 fantasy points. This week's match-up with San Francisco should be better, but it is still not a great one, especially for the linemen. Since week seven, the 49ers have allowed fewer than eight combined stops per game to those positions, with an average of 1.6 sacks. It could be tough sledding for Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Braden Fiske, and Jared Verse. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Miami Dolphins

When we think of the Texans as a fantasy matchup, their passing game would seem a good, strong opponent for secondaries. Houston is not that team this year. They are a horrible matchup for safeties, allowing an average of 11.5 combined stops, with 1 takeaway since week seven. While they are a bit better for corners, the defenders with the best of this matchup, are in the front seven. Houston is in the top ten against linebackers and defensive tackles. That should mean good weeks for Jordyn Brooks, Zach Sieler, and possibly Calais Campbell.

It should be a good game for another linebacker as well. We will not know which linebacker until later in the week when the team gives us an update on Anthony Walker Jr. He missed a few snaps early in last week's game while having his hand looked at. Walker then missed a few plays at the end of the game with a tight hamstring. If he is a no-go, Tyrel Dodson would get the call. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Minnesota Vikings

Despite a plus matchup, the Vikings' pass rushers had a slow day against Atlanta. The team's only sack came from reclamation project Jamin Davis, who saw his first action (nine plays) since joining the team. Look for a big bounceback from Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard this week. The Bears have allowed the most points to edge defenders since week seven, giving up an average of nine combined stops and a whopping 3.1 sacks per game to edge defenders.  

Guru's IDP Notes: New England Patriots

This is a good week to roll out Jahlani Tavai or possibly Christian Elliss. The Cardinals lean heavily on bruiser James Conner, who generally keeps the opponent's linebackers busy. With an average of over 18 tackles and half of a splash play, the floor and ceiling are high.    

Guru's IDP Notes: New Orleans Saints

Since taking over the starting job after Paulson Adebo was lost, Ugo Amadi has four consecutive games with at least eight combined tackles. Throw in a sack and 4 passes defended, and you have one of the few corners we can depend on for consistent production. The Commanders are a better matchup than one might think, ranking 14th in points allowed to corner. New Orleans faces the Packers and Raiders in weeks 16 and 17, so Amadi should be in our lineups through the postseason.

Guru's IDP Notes: New York Giants

Bobby Okereke is nursing a sore back that kept him out of last week's game. Darius Muasau got the call and made the most of the opportunity. He performed well on the field, putting up a solid 7-1 on a 72% play share. Meanwhile, Micah McFadden stepped into the lead role. He played every snap in a game for the first time this season. McFadden's 8-3 included five tackles for loss and was his most productive game since week two. Okereke was not on the practice field Wednesday, which led to pessimism about his availability against the Ravens. Baltimore is an above-average matchup for linebackers, so McFadden is a good start. Muasau is a strong sleeper if Okereke sits again. 

At 4-1, Tyler Nubin was well on the way to another solid outing when an ankle injury kept him out of the second half. Dane Belton finished the game, going 1-4 with a forced fumble on just shy of 60% of the snaps. The Ravens are a poor matchup for safeties, giving up the second-fewest points to the position on the season. That said, if this game goes according to most expectations, the Giants will be down early and looking at a heavy dose of Derrick Henry. Whoever plays the position could significantly outperform the match-up. Looking beyond this week, the Giants face Atlanta in week sixteen and the Colts in fantasy championship week. Both of those teams are good matchups for safeties.  

Guru's IDP Notes: New York Jets

In last week's column, I commented that C.J. Mosley could be done for the year and possibly beyond. He landed on IR a few days later. Adding to the possibility that he may not be back, Jamien Sherwood had a career day totaling 13-5 with a pass breakup. Sherwood has been a pleasant surprise for the Jets and fantasy managers alike. With 78 tackles and 47 assists to date, he's earned the status of matchup proof every week starter for most managers. That said, the Jets face the Jaguars this week, followed by the Rams and Bills. All three teams rank in the bottom third in points allowed to linebackers.

Quincy Williams went 1-1 and was harder to find than Waldo in week 14. There is nothing to see here. He was on the field for every defensive snap but was simply not part of the script in this one.

Brandin Echols stood in for Sauce Gardner, and the Dolphins went after him hard. The result was a big 9-1 with a pass breakup. Gardner returned to practice on Wednesday, so Echols will likely go back to the bench.

Guru's IDP Notes: Philadelphia Eagles

Reed Blankenship missed Sunday's game with a concussion. He returned to practice on Wednesday, which is a good sign, but he has not yet been cleared to play. Tristin McCollum made the start against Carolina and would be in line for another if Blankenship is not cleared. The Steelers are a mediocre matchup for safeties. That said, McCollum is considered a corner by most league host programs, so if he plays, he could be a sneaky stream option.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Pittsburgh Steelers

DeShon Elliott had a big day against Cleveland, posting nine tackles, four assists, and a pass breakup. That will have him in a lot of lineups this week, and understandably so. Be aware, however, that no one has allowed fewer points to safeties since week eight than the Eagles.

While you may think twice about Elliott if you have T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cameron Heyward, or maybe even Nick Herbig, this is a good week to play them. Philadelphia doesn't give up a ton of sacks (2.8 per game since week 8), but tackles average over 13 combined stops and 1 sack against them, while the edge position averages 10 tackles and a sack. That makes the Eagles the fourth-best matchup for interior linemen and fifth for the edge guys over the second half of the fantasy season.

Guru's IDP Notes: Seattle Seahawks

Seattle gives us several starting options on most weeks. Unfortunately, the Packers offer little as a matchup to any position. Since week seven, they have allowed 1.1 sacks per game, fewer than nine solo stops per game, and virtually no splash plays to linebackers. Eleven combined stops to corners and safeties, and 2.7 passes defended. Julian Love, Ernest Jones IV, Leonard Williams, and maybe Tyrice Knight are players that most of us almost have to put in our lineups. Just don't expect big things from them.  

Guru's IDP Notes: San Francisco 49ers

We got yet another stinker from Fred Warner, who was 1-2 against the Bears. That makes it four games in a row with fewer than seven fantasy points. A matchup with the Rams is unlikely to help him get on track. Not only are they 31st in points allowed to linebackers over the last eight weeks, but Warner went 1-3 against them in the first meeting.

Yetur Gross-Matos did next to nothing over four seasons with the Panthers. The 2020 second-round pick had eleven career sacks when he joined the 49ers in the off-season, with a career-high of 4 in 2023. Four games into his 49ers career, he has already matched last year's total. This may be something to store in our memories for the future, but it will not help us this year as Nick Bosa returned to practice on Wednesday and is trending toward playing on Thursday.

There is a good chance that Dre Greenlaw will suit up on Thursday for the first time this season. We should expect a small workload if he goes, with the snaps coming at the expense of De'Vondre Campbell.   

Guru's IDP Notes: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ready for yet another shuffle in the Buccaneers secondary? Antoine Winfield Jr left Sunday's game with a knee injury that will not require surgery but will keep him out for the rest of the regular season. He was replaced by Kaevon Merriweather, who produced a solid 4-3-1 in 82% of the action. Interestingly, it was not Tykee Smith, assuming the other safety spot where Jordan Whitehead is out. Instead, Christian Izien played 97% of the snaps, with Smith playing the nickel role at 64%. Between the uncertainty concerning who will work where and how much and the fact that the Chargers have allowed the second-fewest points to safeties over the last eight weeks, it might be a good idea to avoid this mess altogether.  

K.J. Britt is recovering from an ankle injury, and his backup, J.J. Russell, missed week 14 with a hamstring. The team elevated Vi Jones from the practice squad to the starting lineup last week. Jones looked good at times but like a third-stringer at others. He totaled 60% of the snaps, finishing at 3-2. With neither Britt nor Russell practicing on Wednesday, Jones is looking at another start. The team signed Deion Jones off the street to add some depth, which could be a sign that they don't expect to have Britt or Russell back for a while.

Guru's IDP Notes: Tennessee Titans

Kenneth Murray Jr. (hamstring) and Jerome Baker (neck) were inactive against the Jaguars. Luke Gifford assumed the lead role and performed admirably. He was solid on the field and went big at 9-3 on the stat sheet. Many expected rookie Cedric Gray to get a shot at the other linebacker spot. Instead, Otis Reese IV also made an impact at 5-2 with an interception. Murray did not practice on Wednesday, while Baker participated on a limited basis, giving the team hope that he will play. 

Daryl Worley made another start at free safety. On the stat sheet, his 4-1 was far less impressive than the previous week. In his defense, however, the Jaguars don't provide much opportunity for safeties. That will not be an issue for Worley against a Bengals offense that has provided the second most fantasy points to the position over the last eight weeks.   

That's a wrap for the first playoff edition. Best of luck to everyone and I hope you are back for week 15! 

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