I'm not starting this article with a cute anecdote or a fun metaphor. In most cases, this is semi-final week. There's no time for games! We have championships to win, so cut the crap. Who is doing well, who do we need to avoid? These are the hard-hitting questions you come here for. As always, the market is fluctuating. Some familiar faces, but some in different places. We all know the big guys who you play, but who are the little guys who can help take you to the next level? Have no fear! Footballguys is here! Ring the damn bell!

Fortune 5

Stock Up: Nik Bonitto, Denver

I sure hope you've been reading these. In Week 14, we touched on Bonitto, saying he had ascended into elite territory, and in the next game he played, he had yet another touchdown. We can't plan for touchdowns, but you can plan for sacks and tackles. He is on a tear right now with 5.5 sacks and 19 tackles since Week 10. He is an absolute must-start for the playoffs, although his matchups aren't the best on paper. His consistency with snaps and tackle floor makes him a safe play with a huge upside. He has had a sack in all but three games and is currently on a five-game streak of sacks.

Stock Up: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay

The riskiest guy in this tier is Cooper by a landslide, but it is entirely because he is a rookie and nothing more. He is having a good rookie season but got hurt in Week 11, which was enough for him to miss three weeks. In his return last week, he had seven tackles, a sack, and an interception against a Seahawks team that was second-best against the linebacker position this season. His last two games in the fantasy playoffs are matchups against New Orleans (25th against linebackers) and Minnesota (last against linebackers). So not only is he a good player trending up, but he has a great schedule to end the year. Put your chips in the middle with Cooper if you have him.

Stock Up: Demario Davis, New Orleans

Davis is ole' reliable in the IDP world, and there's good reason for it. He is just a tackle monster who doesn't do much more. He reached the 100+ tackle mark again this season and the 11th time in his career, and he has had a fantastic two games leading to this week with 22 tackles, a sack, and an interception. He's 35, so of course, there's always the risk that Father Time shows up, but he has missed just one game this season and has played 100% of the snaps since Week 5. He is a tackle-heavy player who doesn't leave the field. Simplicity is just that, simple. Put him in your lineup, and make sure you don't try to get cute with your lineup decisions this time of the year.

Stock Up: Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh

As of this writing, we don't know the severity of the T.J. Watt injury and if he will play this week vs Baltimore, but the good news for fantasy managers and Pittsburgh Steeler fans is that the team has an abundance of quality edge rushers, one of them being Highsmith. Highsmith has also dealt with his fair share of injury time this season, but when he plays, he is an elite option worthy of a starting spot on your roster, especially in the event of Watt not playing. He's missed seven games but still has five sacks and 30 tackles. Regardless of Watt's status, he is a play for me this week, but if Watt doesn't go, it is a move that you can take to the bank!

Stock Up: Kaden Elliss, Atlanta

If you're a regular here, you know my thoughts on Kaden Elliss, but if there were ever a sign that he is a league-winning player, it is this. He has had seven straight games with double-digit points and three straight games with a sack. He has achieved his career-high in tackles this season and is likely playing for the opportunity to remain the main man in the middle for a Falcons team that appears to be disintegrating before our eyes. Narratives are fun to read sometimes, but imagine you're the player many believe can be dropped without affecting the team. He has something to prove down the stretch here and has favorable matchups versus the Giants and Commanders to end his season.

Falling 4

Stock Down: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh

No one likes it when a top player goes down with an injury, especially this time of the football season. These are the landmines we must navigate to achieve the glory of a championship. So, what do we do with Watt? You must start him if he plays, but I am not sure he will go this week. Keep in mind, if Pittsburgh wins, they can lock up the AFC North, so there is a heavy incentive to play. But they are a lock for the playoffs already so it wouldn't be a shock if they elected to give their star some time off to heal for the big dance in three weeks. This is the sketchiest situation for IDP this week, but I am benching him until there is true clarity.  

Stock Down: Montez Sweat, Chicago

It feels like forever ago when we talked about how Sweat was the first player to lead two teams in sacks, but it was just last season. Unfortunately, like that stat, his fantasy viability seems to have been left in 2023. He's the type of player managers talk themselves into playing every week but often get burned or left at the altar. He has had one sack since Week 8 and just ten tackles in that same period. He plays a decimated Lions team, so keep that in mind, but I just don't trust him anymore. This late in the season, I would rather he score points on my bench than burn me in my lineup. Chalk this season up for the Bears as disappointing in more ways than just the play of the offense.

Stock Down: Reed Blankenship, Philadelphia

Blankenship has sunk. Bad pun aside, he was a guy many were high on this season (me included) but has been what feels like a weekly disappointment. Maybe you are not as dramatic about him as I am, but he is too volatile to trust currently, and the viability plays are best saved for the regular season. Do not embrace the volatility now. His last big game was Week 10, but for a player who plays a lot of snaps, he is anything but consistent. If you're desperate, he's a safer play, but with this position being easier to find on waivers, I think you're better off finding a replacement for him.

Stock Down: Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville

Rinse and repeat, Hines-Allen has left us wanting more in the playoffs again. He is such a talented player who, at any time, can get multiple sacks in a game, but I hate seeing games like last week from a guy like that. For this reason, I don't trust him for the playoff run. The Jaguars have some high-quality players, but they never all play well at the same time. If I am hedging my season on whether a Jaguar can come through in the clutch for me, I deserve the result I get. Sorry if that is a harsh assessment of the situation here, but these are crucial weeks and lineup decisions, and Hines-Allen isn't worthy of that spot this late in the season.  

Premiere Pennies

Stock Up: Geno Stone, Cincinnati

As disgusting as it may seem, Stone has been a bright spot for IDP down the stretch run despite the awful play from the Bengals' defense this season. He has been on a good run recently with interceptions in back-to-back games and has potential for more facing off against a Browns team that is indecisive at quarterback. So, whether it is against Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Jameis Winston, I can assure you that you'll need as many people in the opposing secondary as possible. So, back to the Blankenship argument, I would endorse dropping him for Stone in a spot start this week whole-heartedly, and potentially, for the rest of the season.

Stock Up: Adam Butler, Las Vegas

The Raiders season is over, and the team is looking for what next year brings. The defensive line lost their anchor in Maxx Crosby for the season, but they are far from short-handed. Butler is one of the bright spots on this defensive line. Defensive tackle can be a sketchy position to play at best for IDP managers, but when you have a good one, you can get a steady tackle floor with some sack upside. Butler delivers just that. He's had a sack in four of the last five games. He's at 57 tackles for the season and will be leaned upon even more down the stretch to help pick up some of the slack that Crosby carries. He has a tough matchup against the Jaguars this week, but in a tough Buccaneers matchup, he had four tackles and a sack. I am heavy on Butler to carry teams to the promised land this season.  

Stock Up: Coby Bryant, Seattle

From seemingly nowhere, Bryant has been thrust into a major role at safety at the end of the season and is shining. Not only is he showcasing his ability to tackle, but he is still showing that big play upside he showed as a corner. He has played 100% of snaps in his last seven weeks, and in the last two weeks, he has exploded for 12 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. He plays a pass-happy Vikings team next week and finishes against a floundering Bears team. He is as good of a buy guy as we have out there currently with some potential dynasty long-term upside for next season.