IDP Stock Market: Week 9

Our Matt Montgomery looks at players whose stock is rising or falling.

Matt Montgomery's IDP Stock Market: Week 9 Matt Montgomery Published 10/29/2024

Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is the Spookiest week of the year! Trick or Treat! I can assure you that the NFL has its fair share of both. There’s always been something about this time of year where it feels like time is speeding up. Maybe it’s the darkness coming early or the holidays rapidly becoming a focus of our minds; whatever the case, if time is speeding up, that means we need to speed up with it. We are getting closer and closer to trade deadlines and even the fantasy playoffs. Our moves may scare us, but we can't let the fear of All Hallows Eve stop us from making those moves. So today, let’s ring the doorbell and see what treats we get from the IDP Stock Market Week 9.  

Fortune 5

Stock Up: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh

You don’t need me to tell you this, but T.J. Watt is still at the top of his game. Despite being the dreaded 30, Watt is having as good a season as ever, and each time he has had a bad game (just two this season), he has exploded the next week. Week 5, he had 8 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble coming off his first bad game. This week, coming off a bad Week 7, he has seven total tackles, two sacks, and a forced and recovered fumble! He’s pacing to achieve above-average tackle numbers for him, and he is showing us an ability to get after the quarterback still. He’s still on a shortlist of must-have players at the edge position.

Stock Up: Bobby Okereke, NY Giants

Managers nervous that Okereke was potentially bottoming out must feel good looking at his stat sheet this week. He had arguably the best game of his career on Monday night with 14 total tackles, a forced and recovered fumble, and a half-sack. He was beginning to get on the radar for players that need to be benched until we saw something, and thankfully, we've now seen something. I think the midseason woes are probably closer to who he is now in this phase of his career, but Okereke is still a player that needs to be on your roster if you have him. I doubt his value in a trade is worth what you get, and if anything, he is good depth. There are worse options that can be played at this position, so hang in there.  

Stock Up: Will Anderson Jr., Houston

Anderson was a candidate for the clichéd sophomore slump, but over the last three weeks, we are finally seeing something out of him. He has more sacks and tackles in the last three weeks than the previous five! Normally, a variance like this makes me want to further evaluate a player, but we all know what Anderson is capable of, so it is time we believe in his abilities again. Players like Anderson are hard to find, and you likely were always starting him in lineups despite the poor play. It must feel much better this week and will continue to feel this way moving forward.

Stock Up: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay

Who doesn’t like to hype up a rookie linebacker?! The possible candidate for defensive rookie of the year for IDP Fantasy Football must be within reach for Cooper this season. While I wouldn’t argue against you if you prefer rookie Safety Tyler Nubin, I believe the consistency is easier to see out of a linebacker and Cooper is showing us that here lately. He's had 5+ tackles in four of his last five games and is also showing us an ability to get to the quarterback! He has 2.5 sacks on the season, has forced a fumble, and has defended passes. There isn’t much he can't do, and we are seeing this benefit not just the Packers but fantasy teams as well. It may be time to consider a call-up from your taxi squad.

Stock Up: Ernest Jones IV, Seattle

If this is the type of play Jones is going to have after a trade, then by all means, trade him again! The only player I know who has ever been traded twice in the same season. It isn’t exactly a great thing for a player to move teams midseason, and we usually expect a bit of a dip when they’re feeling their way out, but Jones had as good a game as he has had all year! Fifteen total tackles against the Bills. Just like that, Jones may be fighting for a top spot in IDP once again. He’s 24 years old, so as a dynasty asset, he is a buy. If you're a manager who suffered through both moves, you have to feel like he's found a real home here in Seattle.

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Falling 4

Stock Down: Jeremy Chinn, Washington

Is anyone else old enough to remember when Chinn was the no-doubt dynasty S1 and was even challenging for IDP1 overall? As a rookie, he had 116 total tackles, forced and recovered multiple fumbles, and showcased an ability to affect the passing game. He has never replicated that season and, sadly, has regressed worse and worse. He’s still 26, and the trajectory, in theory, could be corrected. But he’s not had a big start to the year. He's averaging under four tackles per game and has just one forced fumble and one recovered a fumble on the year. He has no other stats. This is just a sad reality that no matter how good you can be, the league requires greatness early and often if you want to remain relevant. Unfortunately for Chinn, he may never return to the island of relevancy.

Stock Down: Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore

I miss the days of “Justin” Madubuike. Ever since the name change (this season) he just hasn’t been the same player. If you had told me last season that I would be on the verge of dropping Madubuike, I believe I and others would have told you that you were living in a recreational state! Madubuike had a career year last year in nearly all statistical categories. This season, he’s just another guy. He plays defensive tackle, which is already hard-pressed to get any fantasy love, but when you're producing like a normal guy at the position, he may as well be you or I! At this point last season, he had already achieved 6.5 of his 13 total sacks. To date, he has two. I'm sorry, guys, but he can't start anymore, and even worse, I think I'd drop him.

Stock Down: Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville

Arguably, the most frustrating IDP fantasy footballer in the sport is Lloyd. Most of the frustration comes from knowing how supremely talented he is, and we've seen him explode on the field a time or two. That’s what is making this season’s product so much worse. Last season, we saw him produce 127 total tackles. This season, he's pacing for under 100. What's even worse is he's also losing playing time. He played the third most snaps since Foye returned, behind Ventrell Miller who we are seeing shine here of late. Lloyd may not have been the one who got hurt, but it appears this injury had an unintended consequence for IDP. It allowed for an opportunity to go to someone else, and he may never give the job back!

Stock Down: Kenneth Murray Jr., Tennessee

I am admittedly a little perplexed by what happened here, but it was so shocking we can't ignore it. Murray played 100% of the snaps at linebacker for the Titans and managed just one assisted tackle. This comes after the Ernest Jones IV trade, which one would imagine should have benefited him by opening more opportunities for tackles. This was by far the worst game of his season. He is too consistent to make a major change, but this wasn’t even in the realm of possibilities we could have imagined before this week, so I am also a bit scared about what we saw. The snaps will keep me going, and I think he needs to continue to be a starter for people despite this huge letdown.  

Premiere Pennies

Stock Up: Azeez Ojulari, NY Giants

We all love Dexter Lawrence II, but those who love him the most must be his teammates on the defensive line. He garners so much attention that it gives opportunities for 1-1 matchups to people who may otherwise not get them. One of these guys who we are seeing feast on this is Ojulari. The 24-year-old is pacing for his best career season in tackles and sacks and is likely going under the radar in your leagues. He’s probably available on waivers in your league, and if it is a dynasty league, he may be worthy of a stash. I don’t see him slowing down the season if he keeps playing with players of a higher caliber; he will only grow in this role and have extended opportunities.  

Stock Up: Beanie Bishop Jr., Pittsburgh

I will break one of the only real rules I have for IDP Fantasy Football. I am going to invest in a corner! If you're a regular here, you know that corners are a dime a dozen in most situations. They are interchangeable, and you likely have more success with weekly streaming than you would riding and dying with one. I have an exception to the rule that I learned long ago. Chase the rookies who are getting points. Bishop is showing out lately with the Steelers to the point that I can no longer ignore this rule. He’s had three interceptions in the last two weeks but also has had great tackle numbers. Teams are picking on him in the passing game, and if he remains on the field, I believe he will continue to shine in these opportunities. I feel dirty just thinking about it!

Stock Up: Christian Elliss, New England

If you’re still reading, you're in for a treat. I've saved my favorite for last in this week’s penny stock portion of the article. Ellis is a linebacker in New England who has slowly but surely fought his way to fantasy relevance. He's increased in snaps the last three weeks and this week played a season-high 52, which significantly outpaced Raekwon McMillan, who got the first shot at this job in the absence of Ja’Whaun Bentley. While it’s one thing to get snaps, it’s another to produce when given the opportunity. Last week was Ellis’ best game of his young career. He had nine total tackles and a sack. This was against the Jets, so take that for what it is. However, the increase in snaps, followed by his best game ever, is enough for me to want to start taking a chance and at least acquire him from the waiver wire. Who knows, he may play his way into a lineup down the stretch.

 

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