Every Tuesday I’ll be giving you the lowdown on which individual defensive players (IDP) to target for the upcoming week’s waiver wire, so without further ado here is this week’s under the radar prospects.
The fantasy playoffs are now in full swing, so if you’re reading this you’re in the midst of challenging for a championship. Now is the time to seize upon the opportunities presented, but also to be aggressive in preventing opponents from picking up the prizes from the waiver wire. Act quickly, and act decisively.
Defensive Lineman
Justin Tuck, New York Giants 5–10% of FAAB
The highly disappointing season of Jason Pierre-Paul has now been crystalized by his inactive status over the past few weeks, however, this has coincided with somewhat of a fantasy revival for Tuck. In his last two games Tuck has racked up six sacks, and a further three hits and three hurries, which will make him one of the hottest pickups this week.
Although the fantasy scoring has only materialized in recent weeks, Tuck has been playing well all season, having graded positively in 10-of-13 games this year, and currently ranks as our 5th best 4-3 by overall grade. His 49 total tackles on the year to date also gives him a very high floor for a defensive-end, and ranks 5th among defensive lineman (6th if you want to include the fantasy ‘tweener, Rob Ninkovich). It will be very interesting to see how the Giants front office deals with Tuck in the offseason as he’s in a contract year, and that will go a long way to deciding his dynasty fantasy value, but for those of you competing for a fantasy championship in 2013/4, Tuck’s a must-add this week.
Andre Branch, Jacksonville Jaguars 1 – 2% of FAAB
Having been somewhat of a disappointment so far in his career, considering his high second round draft pick status, Branch has begun make more of an impact in recent weeks. Three sacks in four weeks, as well as four hits and nine hurries have led to an increase in playing time – over 50 snaps in each of the last two games for this first time this year. I’m a fan of playing in-form players until they prove otherwise, so if you’re an owner scrambling for a starter this week, Branch might provide the answer.
DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32
Unlimited Fantasy League Sync
Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire
WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools
Nathan Jahnkes Rankings - #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks
PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools
NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades
Already have a subscription? Log In
Ross Miles is a Lead Writer for Pro Football Focus Fantasy. Follow him on Twitter –@PFF_RossMiles
Need more specific advice, start/sit help or expert opinions on trades? Let us know on Facebook by joining the conversation.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.