With the fantasy football season at its midpoint, it's time to take a look at some of the key IDP players to keep tabs on as you navigate through the second half of the season.
Defensive Lineman
Allen Bailey has been a top-three defensive lineman in each of the last two weeks thanks to 15 total tackles (10 solo), four of which were for a loss. He's also registered 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He may be a 3-4 defensive end — traditionally less productive than their 4-3 counterparts from a fantasy standpoint — but the likes of J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, Muhammed Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Jurrell Casey, Stephon Tuitt, Cameron Heyward and Henry Anderson are all doing their bit to disprove that commonly held theory. Bailey appeals as a boom-or-bust DL3 when the matchup suits.
Another 3-4 end worth a long look is Malik Jackson. The Denver defense is one of, if not the, best unit in the league, and is especially fearsome in the pass rush department. The attention focuses on Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware (expected back Week 8, after Denver’s Week 7 bye), both of whom have been playing some lights-out football, while Jackson has quietly racked up four sacks. In fact, Jackson has recorded a stat in the sack column in each of the last five games (half sacks in Weeks 2 and 3), as well as 21 total tackles. I do like Jackson, but he has a lower ceiling than most, and profiles as a weekly DL3, who lacks the explosiveness to reach DL1 status.
Well, after five bad weeks (partly due to injury), Cameron Wake exploded with four sacks and two forced fumbles last week. My take on Wake has been “wait and see” rather than drop him, but if someone in your league did drop him, he has to be your No. 1 target at defensive line this week. Sorry to anyone who benched him because of my advice. If it makes you feel any better, I benched him too…
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 – @RossMilesNFL
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.