Have you ever heard the phrase "out-of-body experience"? The simplest way to explain what this means is something so profound that you lose yourself in the moment and flow freely through the motion. While this may be a dramatic way to describe fantasy football, it isn't entirely incorrect. We are at the point in our season where we have likely made the bed, we must sleep in. There are still some gems, hidden talent, or emerging names who can and will contribute to both wins and losses. So, who do you get? Who should you avoid? Have no fear, we are here! Ring the bell for the IDP Stock Market Week 12!

Fortune 5

Stock Up: Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota

If you had Andrew Van Ginkel having a career year in 2024, I need to see your crystal ball! He has been a pleasure to watch all season and is well on his way to achieving career highs in all major statistical categories. When the Vikings allowed their best edge rusher, Danielle Hunter, to leave for Houston and drafted Dallas Turner this past April, many believed (myself included) that this was the contingency plan. In no universe did I see this coming: 46 total tackles and eight sacks with seven games to go! He is in rare territory and performing as the DE1 through Week 11.

Stock Up: Nik Bonitto, Denver

The "out of nowhere edge rusher" trend on the market this week continues with Bonitto from Denver. A lot of hype goes to Jonathon Cooper, and who can blame us? While he gets the majority of the IDP and real-life NFL attention, we can't forget about his running mate and what he is providing fantasy managers almost weekly. Bonitto is in the middle of his best season as a pro. Early in the season, he was likely viewed as a sack-dependent player who was feast or famine. In the last three weeks, he has flashed major potential to be a must-start player. The Broncos run a three-man rotation at the position, so there is always the potential for volatility. However, until this streak of greatness ends, Bonitto needs to be in starting lineups.

Stock Up: Zack Baun, Philadelphia

Baun is ascending into uncomfortable conversation territory. Not very often would I consider a player in his first real breakout year in the top three in dynasty formats, but I am prepared to make that assessment of Baun until the information changes in some way. He is doing exactly what top players in IDP do. Safe and effective tackle floors, has big play upside, and boom weeks, and he doesn't miss games. He's already over 100 tackles, has had four straight big games, and has some great matchups in the fantasy playoffs against teams that are in the bottom third of rankings against linebackers. If you can believe it, he's still trending up, and there's no end in sight.

Stock Up: Terrel Bernard, Buffalo

Buffalo always seems to have one of the best linebackers in the game, and Bernard is the next man on this list who fits the mold. Unfortunately for managers, he is on a bye week this week, so let's just glimpse at some of the high points of his game. He affects the game in all areas: pass rushing, defending passes, and tackling. He's 25 years old, signaling he is either entering his prime or already in it, and this is the floor for what his numbers could be over the next 2-3 years. He's a buy and a good one at that!

Stock Up: Braden Fiske, LA Rams

The Rams demolished the rest of the NFL when drafting defensively this past April. Not only do they have arguably the game's defensive rookie of the year in first-round pick Jared Verse, but they drafted Fiske in the second round. Fiske is also laying claim to the league's best interior defensive line rookie, and last week, we saw that on full display against a bad interior offensive line of the Patriots. Fiske had three tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. This puts him just under 30 total tackles and five sacks as a rookie. Maybe not Aaron Donald numbers, but I can assure you that no one in Hollywood is upset about the way Fiske looks early into his NFL career!  

Falling 4

Stock Down: Boye Mafe, Seattle

I was high on Mafe in the offseason, and his first three games had many managers and me front-running. He started with 13 tackles and three sacks through Week 3. He got hurt in Week 4, and he hasn't been the same player since. He missed Weeks 4 and 5, but the real issue isn't his availability. Since Week 3, he has had just 12 tackles and one sack. This will not cut it from a player who has shown us that, when fully healthy, he can be an impact player in IDP, but until that player returns on the stat sheet, he has to ride the pine on the bench. He's too young to drop or trade and needs to be held because this will pass, but as we ramp up into the playoffs, you simply can't risk the potential for bad weeks from a high-scoring position on your IDP team.

Stock Down: Will McDonald IV, NY Jets

McDonald is another player who started the season as one of the hottest names in IDP and has fizzled out dramatically. Through Week 7, he had 14 tackles and 8 sacks and was finally living up to the billing of a top defensive pick in the draft for the Jets. Since Robert Saleh was let go, he has had nine total tackles and two sacks. We often talk about how offensive play callers amplify the play of offensive players but rarely talk about the inverse. I believe the Jets losing their defensive head coach has impacted not just McDonald but the entire defense, and it has me selling almost all my stock of players on the team. McDonald is too young to part ways with, but he's put up four games totaling one point or less. It's money time, and I'm not spending it here!

Stock Down: Ivan Pace Jr., Minnesota

I've written about Pace a few times over the years, so I am going to make a definitive statement here. I can no longer ride the Pace wave and do not trust him enough to start him. If he isn't worthy of lineup consideration, then he is no longer worthy of Footballguys article consideration either! Despite playing most snaps at the linebacker position in Minnesota, he isn't producing the way an elite linebacker option would. It's tough to see, considering he was a darling of mine in the preseason, but I haven't given up hope in the long term. Surprisingly, he's still just 23 years old, and the undrafted player out of the University of Cincinnati is still good enough to have these fighting chances while he's learning the game. There can still be hope, but until we see the change you won't be hearing about him from me!

Stock Down: Joey Bosa, LA Chargers

Stop me if you've heard this before: a Bosa got hurt, and now he's back. We all probably have our own opinions about how to treat great players who can't stay on the field, and if you disagree, go for it. But I've always looked at this as more of a burden than a blessing. Yes, Joey Bosa is an elite player and can change outcomes for IDP teams on any given Sunday, but he is also liable to lose you a week due to his inability to stay on the field. Even the last few weeks, despite being on the field, he just isn't effective. He's not going to change at this point in his career, so our thoughts need to. He's a great player when he is, but more often than not, he leaves you wanting more.  

Premiere Pennies

Stock Up: Malcolm Rodriguez, Detroit

With the devastating injury news to Alex Anzalone in Detroit, we must identify the next man up, and the Lions have already tipped their hand to us in Week 3 when they were down Anzalone the first time. When this happened, Rodriguez played his highest snap total of the season at 51 total snaps, and last week, when Anzalone left, Rodriguez played 43. This week and until Anzalone returns, we should see a healthy dose of Rodriguez snaps, and he has shown us an ability to get some points in IDP. You must play in weekly windows this time of year, so a starting linebacker that could be on waivers is a good find, regardless of what your lineup may look like.

Stock Up: Kwity Paye, Indianapolis

Figuring out the most effective player on the Colts' defensive line outside of Deforest Buckner is like finding a needle in a haystack, but Kwity Paye is putting up as effective of an argument as any over the last few weeks. He has three straight games with a sack and 12 tackles in the same period. He's pacing for a career-high in sacks and plays the second-most snaps at the position, so he will be lineup-viable for the rest of the season. Maybe he's let you down as a first-round edge rusher, but that doesn't mean he can't help capture some wins in a window when you need them the most.   

Stock Up: Ar'Darius Washington, Baltimore

Everyone knows that the Ravens have some sexy IDP options, but some of the best ones to win your league may not be the names that emerge at the top of your mind when debating the best. Washington has been the third safety this season for the Ravens, but combine some injuries and internal issues from Marcus Williams, and we have an opportunity for a shift in that backup philosophy. Washington played 100% of last week's snaps and compiled 11 tackles. He has a few great games this season when he has had extended opportunities, and I can see the 25-year-old stacking even more for the rest of the season.