We have made it, folks. The reason we play all those regular season games is to get here. The playoffs are starting, or maybe already have for some. These crucial choices in your lineup go from long-term ideas to short-term decisions. The good news is, if you're reading this, you're either in it and preparing to win it, or you're just a sicko like me and can't get enough of this stuff. So, let's soak up our remaining time and enjoy the ride. We do this to have fun, but it would be naïve to think there isn't a little… something at the end of this road! So, whether you're fighting to avoid your league punishment or looking for some cold, hard cash, let's open the market for the playoffs! Ring the bell!

Fortune 5

Stock Up: Jamien Sherwood, NY Jets

At the beginning of this season, I felt there were only two options for linebackers in New York for the Jets. Neither of those was Sherwood. Starting linebacker and perennial IDP contributor C.J. Mosley has had a very hard time getting and remaining on the field this season, and when opportunity knocks, someone must answer. Sherwood has been the guy behind that door, and he has been a breath of fresh air on an otherwise disappointing Jets defense. Sherwood has gone from backup to potential dynasty darling in his first real season of action. This week, he cemented himself by having the highest-scoring "standard" IDP game this week with 18 total tackles and a defended pass. He's at 125 tackles this season and is 24 years old. Boy, it Sherwood be nice if he continued this run through the playoffs!  

Stock Up: Ernest Jones IV, Seattle

Last we spoke about Ernest Jones IV, it was fresh off his second trade this season, and it was more a response to the potential concerns that come with a player being traded. Since this trade in Week 8, he has had 48 tackles, averaging just under 10 per game! The Seahawks have a proven track record of success at the linebacker position, and we are seeing Jones add his flair for production to this team's resume. He's still just 25 years old, so he is a buy in any dynasty format, but he also has a tasty playoff schedule against the Packers and Vikings the next two weeks, both of which are in the bottom half of the league against the linebacker position (Minnesota being dead last).

Stock Up: Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh

Sometimes, the old guy is just better, and as ugly as it may look on your roster, you must accept that it's the best decision. Eventually, Heyward is going to retire, but until then he must be mentioned at the top of the league for the defensive tackle position. Year in and year out, he is a consistent force of nature, but this season, it seems he has saved his best production for the stretch run. He has five sacks in his last five games and is coming off his best game of the season this past week with five total tackles and two sacks. He faces the Eagles next, who are second to last against the defensive tackle position, but regardless of matchup he is a must-start player if you have defensive tackle requirements. I would start him even without them as well.

Stock Up: Jordyn Brooks, Miami

Is Jordyn Brooks back? It sure feels like it lately, and we should all be here for it. The notorious Brooks has been a top contributor in IDP for many years, but over the last two to three years, he has been very disappointing and downright frustrating to manage. Something changed a few weeks ago, and since then, he has been arguably the best linebacker in the game. 51 tackles and a sack since Week 10 and a monster outing this past weekend with nine tackles, a sack, and a defended pass. He has one of the best schedules down the stretch for the position, ending the season against the Texans, 49ers, and Browns, all of which are in the bottom half of the league (or close; the 49ers are 14th). Brooks is a buy for me in the offseason, but if I am a manager, good luck getting him off my team!  

Stock Up: Josey Jewell, Carolina

Another player who we probably don't talk about nearly as much as we should is Jewell for the Carolina Panthers. Maybe it is because of the lack of sexy names on this team, the Panthers linebacker is putting together a quiet but effective season and seems to be peaking at the right time for fantasy managers. He is on another level lately. Since Week 10, he has had 35 tackles, but the most exciting part has been his ability to get to the quarterback. He has had 3.5 sacks over the last three weeks. While that streak likely won't last the rest of this season, it is nice to know he has this in his bag as we enter the money weeks. His schedule isn't as favorable as some of the other guys on this list, but he has had some of his best games against the top ten against his position, showing us that he may be matchup-proof.

Falling 4

Stock Down: Brian Branch, Detroit

The worst part of any fantasy manager's season is seeing good players get hurt and not having any real information to understand how severe. While Branch may be dealing with an injury that would scare me on a good day, he has been very disappointing lately and probably needs to take a seat on the bench regardless of his status for the next game. This comes with a caveat, however: Branch isn't playing so badly that he can't start for you, but Branch's name carries a significant amount of weight for a player who has had over four tackles just once in the last three weeks. So, the combination of the injury being "cramps" and the lack of recent production has me sitting him on my bench and trusting some of my depth along with the overall depth of the safety position.  

Stock Down: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh

This is likely the first time I have been so negative about Fitzpatrick, but we can no longer ignore what the stats tell us about him. He is no longer an upper-tier player at the position and is likely costing managers games because his name essentially demands that you start him. This is another case of disappointment rather than just downright bad at football, but we've seen him play as many games this season as we have since 2021 and the production just isn't worth what value his name used to carry. It's safe to say it is time to move on, not only this season but moving forward and let someone else have the headaches and get yourself one of the many at the position on the waiver wire if you don't have the depth for it. He is currently outside the top 32 in his position.  

Stock Down: Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay

Oh man, this one bites. Winfield has gone down with an injury that will end his fantasy season and potentially even his NFL season for not only the Buccaneers but fantasy managers alike. It was just one of those years where he couldn't seem to stay on the field, but despite the five games he has to this point, he was still ranked 36th overall at the position, so next year and many years to come, he is still the top guy at this position or could be argued so at any given time. Time to pour one out folks, he didn't do anything wrong and was playing to his potential when healthy, but like the famed saying from the show Trailer Park Boys "That's the way she goes".

Stock Down: Fred Warner, San Francisco

This is probably the hottest take you'll get from me this week, but Warner is starting to creep into league loser levels. A league loser is someone you drafted or acquired to be a no doubt every week starter, but they are playing not just below their standards, but the standards of their position. In IDP, we all know you can't mess up at linebacker or you will be on the wrong end of many matchups. Normally, Warner has been a very high-caliber player who is feared by both fantasy managers and opposing quarterbacks, but he is playing hurt. Because of this, we need to move on. He is going to be active, and he is going to score but at a clip much below the league average. You cannot afford that inconsistency during this playoff run, so you need to find another guy for him. No one would blame you if you ignored this advice, but look at his last month of stats and tell me that will win you a Super Bowl…

Premiere Pennies

Stock Up: Otis Reese IV, Tennessee

Oh, it is getting gross out here, but I am here for it! These are the players that win leagues right here, baby! The guy no one knows because he is a perennial special teams player getting major, highly coveted snaps at the linebacker/safety position. Reese has had just two weeks with opportunities on defense. Last week, he got more snaps than the rest of the season combined, and he made his presence known with seven tackles and an interception against the Jaguars. If you're a linebacker starved, he is a great chips-in-the-middle play. Keep in mind that I see him coded as both safety and linebacker in some places, so there may be a possibility he has dual-position ability, which is a significant advantage, depending on what you need. He's got the stamp of approval as my Galaxy brain play of the week, so long as Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jerome Baker remain injured for the Titans.   

Stock Up: Troy Andersen, Atlanta

I know what you're thinking: how is Andersen a penny stock? That's the point, but he's not. I understand if people are hesitant to start him, considering he is coming off an injury that sidelined him for many weeks. This past week didn't do anything to build confidence either, but I believe this was the classic "rusty" game, and because of this, he should return to form sooner rather than later. When he left us early this season, he was challenging for the top spot in all of IDP, and I wrote about it in Week 5's addition of the stock market. I still believe this player is here, but it took a couple of games to return to form. He has had a snap increase from game one to game two, playing nearly 50% last week, second only to starter Kaden Elliss. That was a refreshing thing to see, and I expect they ramp him up further next week.

Stock Up: Matt Milano, Buffalo

In a similar vein to Andersen, Milano is typically a higher caliber linebacker who we lost to injury early in the season and are seeing his return to form now. While it is easy to just write a player like him off for dead the rest of this season, I feel that would be a mistake for Milano. The snaps are healthy, but the stats aren't yet, I believe that will change this week in his end-of-season matchups against the Lions and the Patriots, both of which are bottom third of the NFL against the position (Patriots are currently #30). There is risk involved here, no doubt, but when the weeks mean more, you have to take bigger and bigger swings. Milano has been a safe player in the past with a high upside, and I feel as confident as I can be about a player post-injury this late into the season.