IDP Grade Recap: Week 10

The IDP grade recap compares the fantasy points of the week’s top scoring IDP’s with their Pro Football Focus grades.

Defensive Linemen

Muhammad Wilkerson, NYJ (19.5 Fantasy Points, +4.8 PFF Grade): It wasn’t a particularly strong week overall for the usual defensive line studs in IDP leagues, but Muhammad Wilkerson seized his opportunity despite suffering a blowout loss to the Seahawks. His fumble returned for a touchdown was the only score the Jets managed in the game, and it added to an already solid performance for the second-year product from Temple.  Wilkerson’s overall grade of +21.2 is second only to J.J. Watt among 3-4 defensive ends.

Charles Johnson, CAR (19 Fantasy Points, +5.1 PFF Grade): Johnson’s Panthers also got blown out, but like Wilkerson, he proved that the final score was not his fault. He logged the highest grade on his team this week, while pleasing his fantasy owners with a sack, a batted pass and two forced fumbles.

Brett Keisel, PIT (18 Fantasy Points, +4.9 PFF Grade): Keisel isn’t one of the usual suspects in IDP leagues, but he logged his best game of the year when the Steelers needed all hands on deck with Ben Roethlisberger departing due to a shoulder injury. He finished the game with eight tackles and two sacks to keep the Steelers in the hunt for the AFC North title.

Linebackers

Derrick Johnson, KC (26.5 Fantasy Points, +5.3 PFF Grade): After a miserable start to the season, Johnson is finally giving his fantasy owners what they expected when they invested a high draft pick on him. His Monday night performance marked the second time in three weeks that he’s tallied over 20 fantasy points, and he did so with 13 total tackles, a forced fumble and two tackles for a loss.

Von Miller, DEN (23 Fantasy Points, +9.4 PFF Grade): Von Miller is ridiculous. He’s already surpassed his cumulative grade from 2011 with seven games still remaining, earning a +50.6 mark so far. The cherry on top is that Miller has become a viable fantasy option after finishing just outside of the top 100 a season ago. He added on to what’s been a great season with a sack, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble versus the Panthers.

Paul Kruger, BAL (23 Fantasy Points, +2.5 PFF Grade): Since being promoted from a situational role a season ago, Kruger has been very up-and-down now that he’s playing the majority of the Ravens’ snaps. In a 55-20 blowout of the Raiders, Kruger was much more “up” than “down,”  netting two sacks and an interception off of a pass that he batted himself.

Defensive Backs

Darius Butler, IND (28 Fantasy Points, +2.5 PFF Grade): There was probably that one guy who took a chance starting Butler solely based on his favorable matchup against the Jaguars, and his opponent surely lamented after seeing that gamble pay-off big time. Butler picked-off two passes on Thursday night, one from Blaine Gabbert and the other from Chad Henne, returned the latter for a touchdown. His 28 fantasy points were tops among all IDP’s this week.

Leonard Johnson, TB (23 Fantasy Points, +0.6 PFF Grade): Johnson is just another reason the Buccaneers were happy to part with Aqib Talib at the trade deadline. The rookie has now recorded an interception in three straight games, and has recorded double digits in fantasy points in all of those weeks as well. Though his touchdown in Week 10 was more the result of a horrendous decision by Philip Rivers than his own playmaking, Johnson’s owners will gladly take the resulting fantasy points.

Jason McCourty, TEN (20.5 Fantasy Points, +1.7 PFF Grade): After the Titans suffered a beating at the hands of the Bears last week, they took all their anger out on the Dolphins, who lost by 34 points on Sunday. Jason McCourty was a huge reason for the beat down, logging nine solo tackles, forcing and recovering a fumble and batting away a Ryan Tannehill pass.