IDP Stock Market: Week 8

Have you ever been to the beach? If you have, you're familiar with tides, specifically high or low tides, affecting where you should and shouldn't set up your spot. These can change in a split second, and sometimes even the best-planned spot will get a little wet. Fantasy football is a lot like the tide. Sometimes, you prepare for change and clear of danger, but other times, the wave of injury, disappointed efforts, etc., will hit you like a giant wave from the sea! That's why you come here. To see the latest forecast of players for your IDP roster. I'm fresh, relaxed, and ready to help you dominate your league. Let's ring the bell signifying the start of our weekly market, and come and ride the tide with me!

Fortune 5

Stock Up: Ivan Pace Jr., Minnesota

At the beginning of the preseason, I wrote about how I felt Pace would successfully rebound and blossom into a player we could all be proud to watch. While I believe it is too early to take a full L or W on this topic, we need to break down some context on what we are seeing from him this season. Quite frankly, when he is healthy, few linebackers are playing better than him. Through the first seven weeks, he has only played four games but has 31 tackles and two sacks in those games. Last week, he had his best game of the season with 10 total tackles, a sack, and a recovered fumble. He missed Weeks 2 and 3 with injury and has already had his bye week, so for the rest of the season, I am very bullish on his possible point production and still believe he is due for the monster rebound. He showed a glimpse of this in his last two games.

Stock Up: Roquan Smith, Baltimore

I'm not insulting your intelligence, I swear! We all know Smith is one of the best players in the game, but I wanted to make sure we are all reminded of just how good he is at his peak. He's had 6+ tackles in every game played this season and currently sits around the LB4-5 range. Last week was a masterclass, however: 11 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles, and a forced fumble. This shows us many things, but the main thing I want to take away from his herculean effort is that he is still a week-winning type of player at any given time. He is on a short list of players I wouldn't trade for ANYTHING! He has the perfect balance of consistency with boom plays, and managers everywhere know that with Smith on your team, no lead is safe for your opponent.

Stock Up: Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati

Throughout the last two seasons, I have been very vocal in my criticism of Bengals linebackers, specifically Logan Wilson. While I had to eat some crow for that last season, I still had faith that Pratt would emerge into a greater player, and so far this season, it hasn't been close! This isn't at all due to a lack of production from Wilson. However, Pratt is having a career year, and both players are in the top 10 linebackers this season, with Pratt manning the LB2 spot! What makes this even more of a slam dunk is the value for which managers likely got Pratt for being significantly lower than Wilson with all the upside for free! There have been few bright spots for Bengals defenders, but one thing is for certain: Pratt is here to stay. He could be a league-winning player if you got him for his preseason cost. If you can make it happen, I'd try to acquire him, or if I am rebuilding, I may sell him while his value is at all-time highs.

Stock Up: Dorian Williams, Buffalo

Nothing makes dynasty managers happier than seeing young players emerge in roles when given opportunities. Williams has been a great player this season in his first real season of work! Don't be afraid of the minor injury he sustained this past week. He is 23 years old, excelling in his role, averaging 10 total tackles a game, and has shown an ability to make plays outside of just making tackles for his team. He's recovered two fumbles as well as forced one himself, and something tells me as he continues to grow and understand the game, he will continue these efforts and be a big-time player in dynasty IDP. Don't be shocked if he sneaks into the top 5 linebackers by season's end.

Stock Up: Brian Branch, Detroit

This will come off as a hot take, but I seriously want to ask a question. Is Branch the best safety in IDP? I know we all love Antoine Winfield Jr. I do as well, but we need to start respecting Branch a little more than we do. He averages 2+ defended passes a game, which is a unique outlier for that statistic; he has 32 tackles in just five games played and has four interceptions through Week 7. If that isn't at least providing a candidacy for S1 in IDP Fantasy Football, then we deserve an explanation why. He's 23 years old and looks to have turned his play up significantly over his already great rookie season from last year. He's pacing for career highs in all statistical categories and overwhelming point floors compared to others in his position. He is my favorite to finish as the best player at his potion come year's end.

Falling 4

Stock Down: Daron Payne, Washington

Sometimes, we are too quick to judge bad play at the beginning of seasons; for that, we can make decisions that aren't in the best interest of our teams. In Dynasty formats, we are usually a little more reticent to do this quickly and I understand the long-term decision-making associated with these formats, I am no longer waiting for Payne to step up to the position. Not too long ago, Payne was in contention for the DT1 in IDP dynasty fantasy football, but now I fear he is no longer valuable enough to even have on a roster. He just doesn't do anything like he used to. Maybe it was due to the defensive change from the days of Ron Rivera, or maybe something else is happening, but regardless, we have to acknowledge what we are seeing, and that is a player falling off the cliff from elite defensive asset to waiver wire guy.    

Stock Down: Isaiah McDuffie, Green Bay

I'll first admit here that I didn't know that McDuffie would be a player I'd be following this season, but his early season numbers showed us some potential for something unexpected. Through Week 5, he had 35 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Great stats for someone unknown and in an opportunity spot to start games. Since then, however, he has recorded just seven total tackles and no other stats at all. The most concerning thing about this is the rising snap counts from other linebackers on the team, such as Edgerrin Cooper and Eric Wilson. It may be too early to fully sell, but I'd have my eye on McDuffie as a sell in the future if we see another bad matchup.  

Stock Down: Jeffery Simmons. Tennessee

A lot of what I said about Daron Payne can be said about what Jeffery Simmons has shown us as well. Another player who was arguable for the overall #1 spot at his position just a few years back is becoming nearly unplayable in most formats of IDP Fantasy Football.  My issue with Simmons is that he should be either in the middle of his prime physical years or just now exiting them. He seems like a player who is unmotivated like he once was. He's never been an Aaron Donald caliber player as far as boom weeks go. Still, he has shown an ability to give consistent tackle floors with the occasional big sack or forced fumble. At a position like defensive tackle, these are pivotal to separate yourself from being just another guy. Maybe this is just a bad stretch of games, but he's pacing to have his worst season since 2019, his rookie season.  

Stock Down: Jessie Bates III, Atlanta

One of the more shocking negatives we've seen on this list in a long time has been from the play of perennial top-tier player Jessie Bates III for the Atlanta Falcons. He has been far from a bad player this season, but considering where he was drafted or acquired for teams, he has been a serious letdown. Last week, we saw one of the worst games of his career, where he recorded just two solo tackles. He's too good to move just yet, so make sure you're holding firm! This is a situation to monitor, considering we are seeing breakout stars in this same position who were much cheaper than Bates. He has a couple of good matchups against the Buccaneers and the Cowboys coming up, so check back after this stretch before deciding something you may regret with him.

Premiere Pennies

Stock Up: Neville Hewitt, Houston

Every time we see Hewitt get playing time, we see him produce. Whether it was for the Jets for a brief period or this past week for Houston, he has shown an ability to produce for IDP managers at a high clip, but only when he can break into the lineup of his actual NFL team. He is benefitting from the Texans injuries to both Henry To'oto'o and Azeez Al-Shaair, but there isn't much of a chance that BOTH will be back next week, and in the meantime, we saw him play 100% of linebacker snaps totaling nine tackles, two defended, and an interception. There is nothing wrong with short-term returns. He's worth a roster spot on teams, and maybe even a spot start if your team needs help.

Stock Up: Coby Bryant, Seattle

I am seeing a weird thing about Coby Bryant on different platforms. He is being coded in some places as a safety and in some places as a cornerback. I am very vocally anti-corner in formats that don't specifically call for one on your team, but if you are in one, scoop him up NOW! A safety classified as a corner has some premiere value for tackle floors and consistency, and we saw him pop off this week. He benefitted from injuries to Riq Woolen and Tre Brown, but he also played more snaps than K'Von Wallace and Ty Okada who were the only other safeties that dressed. Bryant is considered a penny for a reason, but he must be rostered until there is clarity in this situation. If the team made the move permanently to play him this many snaps, then we should see more games like this one, where he compiled 11 total tackles and an interception.

Stock Up: Malik Mustapha, San Francisco

I am a very big fan of Mustapha, and if you're in a league where he is available, I believe he is the type of player you make space for, regardless of your record or roster situation. He is a high-level safety on a team who is showing a need for consistent play at the position. I love Talanoa Hufanga, but he has difficulties staying on the field. In these extended opportunities, we are seeing Mustapha blossom into what appears to be a top-tier player in the position. Call me crazy, but when your GM is a former hall-of-fame safety in the NFL like 49ers GM John Lynch once was, and you see a young player who paces your team with 12 tackles against the best team in the league, it may be hard to go back. Mustapha has a big opportunity to take a job from Hufanga by the end of this season, and I think we need to begin scooping him up.