Each week, we’ll take a look at some of the key match-ups for Individual Defensive Players (IDP) in fantasy football. You may see some names that you know… you may not. Just like everyone knows to start LaDainian Tomlinson each week on their fantasy squad, players like Brian Urlacher don’t necessarily need mentioning – because you just know to start him regardless of the match-up. Therefore, we’ll highlight some players who may be flying under the radar to note of for the coming week’s match-ups. Some are plug-and-play guys, others may be gaining momentum. Nevertheless, these are the names you should know for this coming week in IDP.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Pat Williams, DT, MIN
Career Stats vs. NYG: (3 Games) 9 UAT / 3 AT / 12 TT / 0.5 Sacks
Minnesota’s stout rush defense has the team ranked first overall in defending the run, allowing only 74.8 yards on the ground per game. Their success is in large part due to the play of an outstanding pair of defensive tackles, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. DT Pat Williams has been having a monster season thus far, tallying 42 Total Tackles, which ranks 3rd most in the league among interior defensive linemen. Heading into a Week 12 meeting with the Giants, Williams will undoubtedly have the opportunity to add onto that impressive total. With RB Derrick Ward most likely sidelined for the fourth straight week, the Giants truly do not have a running back who can bounce things to the outside – leaving only running backs Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns to pound the ball up the middle. Being such a force in stopping the run, coupled with the Giants being forced to keep things between the tackles, the veteran Williams will undoubtedly look to match a season-best 9 Total Tackles from last weekend’s contest against Oakland.
Rodrique Wright, DE, MIA
Career Stats vs. PIT: N/A
Surprisingly, the Pittsburgh offensive line has allowed 30 sacks on QB Ben Roethlisberger this season, 14 of which have come in the Steelers last three games. With a bad taste left in their mouths after last weekend’s overtime loss to the Jets, it is almost certain that HC Mike Tomilin will try to put this week’s game away early. Against the winless Dolphins in Week 12, that does not seem to be a problem. However, that is just what many pundits thought last weekend as well. Though RB Willie Parker will see his usual 20+ carries and the Steelers will attempt to control the game clock, they will go to the air early and often. Because of that, and Roethlisberger’s propensity to take a sack, the obvious IDP player here would be Miami DE Jason Taylor. Yet, keep a watchful eye on defensive end Rodrique Wright on Monday night. Wright took over for an injured DE Matt Roth in Week 11 and had a fairly solid outing against Philadelphia. Yes, in limited play, Wright has only tallied 17 Total Tackles through seven games. However, a lot of attention will be paid to the veteran Taylor, and any blocking help from Pittsburgh running backs in pass protection will surely go Taylor’s way. As a result, Wright should see many one-on-one match-ups with second-year OT Willie Colon, who struggled throughout last weekend’s game against the Jets. Do not be surprised if Wright records his first Sack of the season, and of his young NFL career, in Week 12.
Patrick Kerney, DE, SEA
Career Stats vs. STL: (9 Games) 23 UAT / 5 AT / 28 TT / 5.5 Sacks / 1 INT / 2 PD
Only behind the New York Giants (34.0), the Seahawks have recorded the most Sacks so far this season with 31.0 – and it seems like everyone on the Seattle defense is getting their piece of the pie. From team sack leader LB Julian Peterson to DT Rocky Bernard, the Seahawks incessant pass rush and complex blitz packages are leaving opposing offenses in shambles. One Seattle defender who is set to have a career year is defensive end Patrick Kerney, who ranks in the Top 10 defensive linemen for Sacks this season (7.5). This week, Kerney and the Seattle sack party will bring their 13th ranked defense into St. Louis. The Rams offensive line has allowed 35 sacks this season, and in the teams’ first meeting in Week 7, Kerney contributed to that total with one of his own. The Seahawks are on a roll right now, and much of their success can be attributed to the play of QB Matt Hasselbeck. Over the last two games, the Seahawks have posted a combined 54 points and the opposition has needed to play catch-up for a good portion of both games. Things should be no different this week, which means that the Rams will eventually need to go to the air often. With the way St. Louis likes to throw the ball downfield, QB Marc Bulger holds onto the ball for too long, allowing defenses to wreak havoc during the pass rush. In turn, Kerney will have the opportunity to add to his already impressive Sack total this season.
Other Notables: Justin Smith, DE, CIN (vs.TEN); Terrell Suggs, DE, BAL (vs. SD)
LINEBACKERS
James Harrison, ILB, PIT
Career Stats vs. MIA: (1 Game) 2 UAT / 2 TT
Joey Porter, who? That name, a name which falls on Pittsburgh’s 75th anniversary All-Steelers team, has quickly been forgotten in the Steel City. The reason – the outstanding play of fourth-year linebacker James Harrison. Since the Steelers bye in Week 6, Harrison has played like a man possessed. In that five-game span, he has recorded 39 Total Tackles (two games of double-digit outputs), 5.5 Sacks, 1 Interception and 5 Forced Fumbles. To put it into simple terms, Harrison is hot right now. In Week 12, Porter, now with the Miami Dolphins, makes his return to Heinz Field for the first time, and you can be sure that Harrison will make a statement to once again prove that letting Porter walk was the correct decision. The 0-10 Dolphins have been absolutely atrocious this season… not because of any one reason, simply because they are just playing bad football. Surprisingly, Miami does not turn the ball over all that much, however, they cannot seem to get anything going on offense. Because of their lackluster offensive showing, Harrison should have a field day this Monday night. The tackle opportunities will be there, and so will the turnovers, as Miami will once again roll with rookie QB John Beck and possibly require the services of preseason third-stringer RB Patrick Cobbs. With a chip on their shoulders from last week’s overtime loss to the lowly Jets, there is no doubt that Harrison & Co. will look to take things out on the Dolphins in front of a home crowd on MNF.
Patrick Willis, OLB, SF
Career Stats vs. ARI: (1 Game) 9 UAT / 2 AT / 11 TT / 1 FF
Time and time again, Willis’ name gets mentioned in this weekly column – and rightfully so. It is hard not to recognize his accomplishments so far this year, as this is only his first season in the NFL. Currently, Willis is tied for the league lead in Total Tackles (92) with the likes of seasoned veterans LB Ray Lewis and LB London Fletcher. That is some pretty hefty company atop the league. Houston LB DeMeco Ryans may have set the bar for rookie defenders last season, however, this year belongs to Willis as he closes in on Ryans’ outstanding numbers from 2006. Often times, Willis gets lost in the mix and has flown somewhat under the radar this season because of the 49ers eight-game losing skid after they began the season 2-0. Nevertheless, Willis has been an absolute beast this season, as he has posted six games of double-digit Total Tackles. Unfortunately, he has been playing with a broken hand recently, and his numbers have taken a big dip over the last two games. Yet, facing one of the league’s Top 5 rushers this week in terms of carries per game, Willis should get his season back on track. Against the Cardinals in Week 1, this rookie phenom burst onto the scene with 11 Total Tackles and a Forced Fumble. He will look to duplicate that output and will play through his injury against Arizona in Week 12. Sans his broken hand, an injury that he had previously dealt with and played through in college, the cards are in Willis’ favor. As Cardinals RB Edgerrin James rushes 20+ times this weekend, the tackle opportunities will be there for Willis to capitalize on.
Matt Wilhelm, OLB, SD
Career Stats vs. BAL: N/A
After going down in Week 2 against New England and missing the following two contests, Wilhelm has quietly been putting together a very impressive season. Tallying the second most Total Tackles (57) for the Chargers thus far, Wilhelm has turned things up a notch in 2007 after the loss of LB Donnie Edwards put more responsibilities on the fifth-year linebacker’s shoulders. Since the Chargers bye, and a week of getting back to 100%, Wilhelm has strung together a nice four-game stretch, in which he has recorded 40 Total Tackles and 1 Interception. In Week 12, he will look to keep things rolling against the Baltimore Ravens and their rotating carousel at quarterback. Since there truly has not been any stability at the quarterback position for the Ravens this season, much of their offense has been focused on the ground game. Baltimore RB Willis McGahee ranks among the Top 5 running backs for carries per game, and considering that the Ravens have the 21st ranked passing offense, there is no doubt that McGahee will once again see his carries in Week 12. As a result, Wilhelm will see the opportunity to record some solid tackle numbers against the Ravens this weekend.
Other Notables: London Fletcher, MLB, WAS (vs. TB)
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Sammy Knight, SS, JAX
Career Stats vs. BUF: (7 Games) 20 UAT / 16 AT / 36 TT / 4 INT / 2 FF / 4 PD
Jacksonville SS Sammy Knight is one of those defensive backs who can certainly help any fantasy IDP team in one of the most crucial categories – tackles. Eight times in the previous ten seasons has Knight recorded 90+ Total Tackles, and four times has he posted 100+. That is truly an amazing feat for a safety, yet year in and year out, Knight has been a playmaker. Currently, Knight ranks in the Top 5 defensive backs in the NFL for Total Tackles (65). However, quality tackle numbers are not his only forte – this veteran also has a knack for causing turnovers. In his career, Knight has recorded 41 Interceptions and 13 Forced Fumbles, while also tallying 91 Pass Deflections. This week, as Jacksonville hosts Buffalo, it looks as though Bills RB Marshawn Lynch will be sidelined once again due to a high ankle sprain. After establishing a solid rushing attack throughout the year, Lynch’s absence for the second straight game will be another huge blow to Buffalo. As we saw last week, without Lynch in the backfield, the Bills seemed to abandon the run and instead, go to the air more often. This means that there will be plenty of opportunities for Jacksonville’s Knight to do what he does best – rack up a good stat line. Knight has always played well against the Bills, and things should be no different in Week 12.
Nick Harper, CB, TEN
Career Stats vs. CIN: (3 Games) 18 UAT / 3 AT / 21 TT / 3 PD
It is amazing to see how one player can really have an impact on a game… and how his absence can be sorely missed when not in the lineup. In Week 11, Harper was sidelined with a concussion and did not play in the Titans Monday night meeting with the Broncos. His replacement, CB Reynaldo Hill, got torched by Broncos receivers all night and allowed for QB Jay Cutler to throw for 200 yards and 2 TD’s. In turn, Tennessee allowed the second most points that they had all season and suffered their 4th loss of the year. This week, Harper is expected to be back on the field against the Bengals, which definitely solidifies the Titans secondary. Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer is currently tied for the league lead for interceptions thrown (14), so there is an added incentive for Harper’s return. Though the Bengals like to stretch the field, Harper has the ability to stick with the Cincy receivers and create opportunities for big plays. In addition, this seventh-year corner will be a factor in the run game, as he has recorded 70+ Total Tackles in three of the last four seasons. Harper was brought over from his six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts in order to strengthen the Titans secondary – and he has done just that. Against an offense in Week 12 that has been on a rollercoaster ride this season, watch for Harper to turn things up a notch in his return to the lineup.
Deke Cooper, FS, CAR
Career Stats vs. NO: (2 Games) 13 UAT / 1 AT / 14 TT
After putting together a nice four-game stretch from Week 6 to Week 9, in which he threw only 1 interception and the Saints won all four in that span, it appears as though New Orleans QB Drew Brees is struggling once again. In all but one of the Saints six losses, Brees has thrown 2+ interceptions, resulting in a league-leading 14 on the year. Prior to 2007, the most he has thrown in a single season was 16, coming in his first year as a starter for the Chargers back in 2002, and his touchdown to interception ratio is currently almost 1:1 (15:14). What this all means is that Brees is having a lot of trouble finding a rhythm this season. This weekend, Brees & Co. will travel to play the struggling Carolina Panthers, a team that has seemed to have fallen off of the map this year. A once dominant, Top 10 NFC defense has taken a step back this season, allowing 21+ points per game and 320+ total yards per game. Nevertheless, the Panthers secondary has played well at times, and against a quarterback tied for the league lead in interceptions, the opportunities for big plays will be there for the Carolina defensive backs. One player who has that big-play potential is Panthers FS Deke Cooper, the team leader in Interceptions (3). Cooper is currently having a career year, and has already broken or is on pace to break career numbers across the board. A solid tackler, Cooper has notched 7 Total Tackles in both games in which he has faced the Saints. The tackle numbers will be there in Week 12, as will the opportunities to pick off a quarterback whose play has been erratic at times this season.
Other Notables: Corey Ivy, CB, BAL (vs. SD); Tanard Jackson, FS, TB (vs. WAS) |
