IDP Start/Sit: Week 17

By Jake

Updated: December 28th 2022

This is it. The final week of most fantasy seasons. This was my worst week of the year and I hope it didn’t cost any of you readers your matchups. My apologies and it motivates me to get you those right plays for your matchups. Let’s lock down those lineups and support one last victory!
As a friendly reminder, the rankings I show are the ECR from Fantasy Pros each week.

WEEK 16 RECAP
DL:
Start: Greg Rousseau (1 solo, TFL)
Start: Jaelan Phillips (5 solos, 1 assist. A decent enough performance to support a DL spot)

Sit: J.J. Watt (5 solos, 2 assist, 2 TFLs, 2 QB hits. He looked like vintage JJ out there and played 95% of snaps!!!)

LB:

Start: Joe Thomas (6 solos, 1 assist. Not awful, but not good enough for a playoff LB spot)

Start: Deion Jones (2 solos, 1 assist, 39% of snaps. I am done with Cleveland and their LB room)

Sit: Jamin Davis (6 solos, 2 assist, TFL. He did his job for the week)

DB:
Start: Tariq Woolen (1 solo, 1 assist, 1 PD. Not enough in a big week)

Start: Jason Pinnock (2 solos, 1 assist, QB hit. 100% of the snaps, just limited production)

Sit: Donovan Wilson (6 solos, 1 assist, TFL. I don’t know that he was a top 10 this week, but he did enough to be a strong play)

START: Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys, DL27

Demarcus Lawrence hasn’t posted a sack in the last 5 weeks. He has however, generated 20 pressures, for a respectable 13.9% pass-rush pressure rate. That recent success, coupled with a matchup against the Titans who have a league worst pressure rate allowed at 34% and are tied for 9th worst in sack conversion rate at 17% sets up for a strong matchup. Throw in the fact that Malik Willis is starting and has looked like a fish out of water trying to throw the ball, on 28 drop backs his time to throw was 3.56 seconds, which is a benefit for any pass rusher to have a QB who holds on to the ball longer. And no Derrick Henry (had an injury designation, short week, and this game has zero impact on their playoff status), the Titans will be in a rough spot this week and Lawrence is a high-end DL2 this week with big sack upside.

START: Preston Smith, Green Bay Packers, DL41

Preston Smith hasn’t produced a high-end amount of pressures with 11 pressures over his last 5 games. But he still produced a modest 9.7% pass-rush pressure rate on limited opportunities. But he has been effective with those opportunities converted it into 6 sacks. And with Minnesota the matchup this week, it is an ideal matchup to get pressures and convert them. The Vikings are tied for second worst in pressures allowed rate at 30% and tied for 6th for sack conversion rate at 18%. In a must-win game for the Packers, Smith is setup to be able to deliver a strong IDP championship performance. Preston Smith is a low-end DL2 this week.

SIT: Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders, DL18

Chandler Jones has had a bit of an up and down year with the bulk of his production coming in weeks 12 – 14. The recent production has been nice for IDP players who were able to make the play on him, however, his elbow injury will most likely sideline him or at the very least, limit his overall production. And San Francisco is a tough matchup regardless. I wouldn’t personally have the stones to roll Chandler out and I would try to pivot to another option entirely this week.

START: Quay Walker, Green Bay Packers, LB33

Quay Walker had lofty expectations coming into this year with his draft capital and Green Bay kept good on their word of getting to a point of having 2 LBs on the field as much as possible (limiting substitutions and sub-packages). Since Campbell came back to the lineup full time in week 13, Quay has seen snap counts of 100%, 96%, and 96%. And on the season he has a delivered a good 13.2% tackle efficiency, which is a great first year. Now with the consistent top-end usage (nearly 100% as a 2nd LB), and consistent production, Quay should in consideration for a top 30 LB most weeks. This week against a strong offense in Minnesota in which there should be increased opportunities, he should be a low-end LB2.

START: Nicholas Morrow, Chicago Bears, LB37

Nicholas Morrow was the green dot wearer for the Bears all season and even with that consistent high-end snap count, he was not able to move past Roquan Smith and Jack Sanborn in terms of IDP relevance. With Smith gone via trade and Sanborn done due to injury, Morrow has seemingly stepped up and been delivering better IDP production over the last 2 weeks. In a must-win matchup for the Lions, I think we see plenty of opportunities for the Bears defense to make plays. Morrow is a low-end LB2 this week.

SIT: Bobby Okereke, Indianapolis Colts, LB29

The Colts LB room has some question marks moving forward beyond 2022, and as such, Okereke has seen at times his snap count drop a bit lower, into the 70% range at times. He has still found a way to be efficient with reduced snaps, but with a season that feels like they are giving up, it is a strong chance players who aren’t under contract for 2023, like Bobby O, might see some snaps taken away in favor for others. This is purely speculative as we have no coaching history to reference for Jeff Saturday, but the fact they are keeping Nick Foles in, tells me what I need to know. I would fade Bobby and treat him as a fringe LB3.

START: Ifeatu Melifonwu, Detroit Lions, DB132

Ifeatu Melifonwu stepped in for the injured DeShon Elliott last week and contributed 8 combined tackles and a TFL. A very usable game for IDP. He spent the 66% of his time in the sweet spot and would assume he will again against another team willing to run the ball in the Chicago Bears. And with DeShon Elliott logging a DNP (did not participate) for the Wednesday practice, it is looking like Melifonwu should get the start again and be in the DB3 range.

START: Nasir Adderley, Los Angeles Chargers, DB65

Nasir Adderley has been the other starting safety alongside Derwin James most of this season. Derwin has been the one in more of that sweet spot role or even more of a play-making position closer to the line of scrimmage. With Derwin suffering a concussion on that brutal hit to Ashton Dulin in Monday night’s game, I would be looking for other options to start instead of James. In comes Adderley. He has played more of the box snaps as the other safety and would be the most likely candidate to try and step in for James, as much as possible. Adderley has had modest IDP numbers for most of the season, but can be a fringe DB3 in a pinch for those missing James or those just needing help at the DB spot.

SIT: Darrick Forrest, Washington Commanders, DB28

Darrick Forrest has been a pleasant revelation for Washington with Kamren Curl’s injuries this off season and he has shown some great IDP value as well. However, his matchup this week against the Cleveland Browns is less than ideal as they have struggled to sustain drives since Deshaun Watson’s return as he tries to find his form and their willingness to attack downfield is not a major part of their gameplan to date. Forrest being a primarily deep safety as Jeremy Reaves stepped into the box role with Curl’s absence, leaves a bit to be desired for Forrest this week. I would lower expectations for Forrest for a fringe DB3 at best.

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The Watch List: 2019 NFL Mock Draft, Picks 17-32

By Bob Cowper

Updated: April 21st 2019

Welcome to The Watch List, a resource to help RSO owners identify the players from the college game that deserve your attention. To view my observations, follow me on Twitter @robertfcowper. Check back throughout the Spring and Summer as The Watch List will preview the top prospects and let you know who is fantasy relevant and worth your valuable draft capital.

For the first time in my mock draft career, I decided to do a mock NFL Draft using draft pick trades. Let me tell you, it was incredibly fun! In addition to doing a full two round mock, I included some “best of the rest” players that I expect to outperform their late round draft stock. Over the next two weeks, you’ll see the full mock broken into four parts, released in reverse order. At the end of this post I have included a number of important notes that you may want to read before diving in. To view the other parts, click here.

1.32, New England Patriots | Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

Lawrence doesn’t really fill a positional or schematic need for the Patriots but I think Bill Belichick would have a hard time passing on somebody with his combination of size and athleticism. One of the most beloved Patriots of the Belichick era was DT Vince Wilfork who anchored the team’s 3-4 for years. Since the team doesn’t have a defensive coordinator at the moment it’s possible they could draft a player like Lawrence and then mold a scheme, or at least sub-packages, around him.

1.31, Los Angeles Rams | Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina St

The Rams have a lot of money invested in their two starting tackles but not much on the interior. C John Sullivan left in free agency leaving 2018 fourth rounder Brian Allen the only center on the roster. It’s not an exciting pick but Bradbury would be an instant starter, so it’s a prudent selection given how strong the rest of the roster was in 2018.

1.30, Green Bay Packers | AJ Brown, WR, Ole Miss

The Packers tried to give QB Aaron Rodgers some new toys last year by drafting three mid- to late-round receivers, none of which emerged. Brown, a dominant slot receiver at Ole Miss, would be the second pass catcher drafted by the Packers in the first round and could instantly replace Randall Cobb’s production.

1.29, Kansas City Chiefs | Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware

The Eric Berry era has ended in KC after the team designated him as a June 1st cut. Per Spotrac, the move saves them nearly $10mil each of the next two years so the move was worth it even it was bittersweet. Adderley could also line up at corner in certain situations and offer much needed flexibility for the Chiefs who had a putrid pass defense in 2018.

1.28, Los Angeles Chargers | Andre Dillard, OT, Washington St

QB Phillip Rivers doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon so the Chargers should heavily invest in the offensive line to protect him. LT Russell Okung is 31 and nobody has the RT spot locked down. Dillard, who showed his supreme athleticism at the combine, is a little light to be a starting LT but could work on the right side or shift inside.

1.27, Oakland Raiders | Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State

Simmons had a rough winter. He ended the season as a potential Top 10 pick but had his combine invite rescinded due to a 2016 incident and then suffered a torn ACL. Simmons may not be a factor in 2019 so few teams would still consider pulling the trigger in the first round. The Raiders can because they have three first rounders. The four DTs already on the depth chart can all be cut with little or no cap penalty after the 2019 season so I think this could be a smart pick for the future. Imagine starting the 2020 season with a healthy Simmons alongside Quinnen Williams? (Note: grabbing Simmons in the first also means you get a fifth year option, even more valuable when he’s likely to miss all of his first season.)

1.26, Indianapolis Colts | Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

Mocking a receiver to the Colts at 1.26 has been a popular choice and it makes sense now that Andrew Luck is back on track. It may be a reach based on my positional rankings, but I like the idea of Butler to the Colts. Butler has the measurables of an elite outside receiver but found great success as a big slot at Iowa State. Butler and TY Hilton can alternate who lines up in the slot, making it tough for defenses to account for their different skill sets. Or, they can set the newly signed Devin Funchess and TE Eric Ebron outside and put both Butler and Hilton inside. The more I think about it, the more I love the potential of Butler on the Colts.

1.25, Philadelphia Eagles | DeAndre Baker, CB, Georgia

The Eagles have the fourth lowest cap total invested in corners and gave up the third most passing yards per game last year. So, it’s time they spend a little at the position. Earlier in the process it seemed that Baker might challenge for the CB1 spot but his stock has since fallen, in part due to mediocre combine measurables.

1.24, Oakland Raiders | Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

The Raiders signed RB Isaiah Crowell to a one-year deal and just resigned pass catching back Jalen Richard. I’m not sure either move precludes the Raiders from taking a running back with one of their first three picks. My preferred RB is David Montgomery but it seems that the NFL leans towards Jacobs.

1.23, Houston Texans | Cody Ford, OG, Oklahoma

The Texans priority must be protecting franchise QB Deshaun Watson. I can see them going for a tackle or center here too, just so long as it keeps Watson upright. Ford has the size of a tackle so he may be able to move back outside once he gains some experience.

1.22, Minnesota Vikings | Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan

The Vikings have LBs Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks locked up for a few years each but I still had a hard time ignoring Bush at this spot. I can see his speed being valuable in nickel situations, freeing up Barr to rush the passer (a role that nearly led him to leave for the Jets in free agency). The Vikings should probably look at the OL too but otherwise they feel complete enough as a team to go BPA rather than reach for need.

1.21, Seattle Seahawks | Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson

The name brand defensive line that the Seahawks had for so many seasons is gone. Frank Clark is the lone remainder but he may not be around long term if he doesn’t sign a long term deal (unlikely if the team resigns QB Russel Wilson). Wilkins would be a good interior presence to help pull attention away from Clark in 2019.

1.20, Washington Redskins | Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

The Redskins managed to hold onto the 1.15 pick by dealing their 2nd and 5th for QB Josh Rosen. Rather than picking at 1.15, they traded back and are still able to get the second tackle off the board to help protect their newest investment.

1.19, Tennessee Titans | Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

The Titans aren’t drafting for need here and instead are trying to build their roster to suit their changing division. The passing outlook for all three AFC South opponents has improved since this time last year so the Titans should double down on a position of strength and add a corner with good ball skills in Byron Murphy. Murphy was PFF’s top rated corner in 2018.

1.18, Baltimore Ravens | Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan

As the Vikings GM, I didn’t see anything must-have at this spot so I traded back to the Ravens. Baltimore seems like a team that would love to take a chance on a physically gifted work in progress like Gary. He was the darling of draftniks for the last three seasons who thought his production would catch up with his raw ability. Unfortunately, Gary feels like a project at this point, albeit one with a very high ceiling.

1.17, New York Giants | Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

The Giants should leave the first round with future starters at both QB and DE. I would argue that Haskins + Ferrell is a best case solution, and a better duo than what the Giants would get if they waited on quarterback and went for the edge rusher first.

A few housekeeping notes:

The full mock draft was written between April 4-10. Any moves or news released after that point would not be taken into account.
To help me track my mock draft, I used a very useful tool I found on Reddit called RST’s 2019 Draft Tracker.
This spreadsheet lets you easily trade draft picks and uses a pick value chart so you can try and keep trades fair. All of the trades except for Washington/Arizona were pick for pick and I required that the team moving up offer more value than the value chart suggested was fair.
Since the trades all included late picks not covered in this mock I didn’t bother noting each individual trade. Instead, I described my general thinking for the trade.
For each pick, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the GM. If given the chance, I would not necessarily make all of the same picks as I value some players and positions differently.
Keep in mind that my predicted draft order does not necessarily correspond to my personal positional rankings.
I could not have put together the roster and contract notes without the help of two invaluable sites: Our Lads and Spotrac.

Notes: In an effort to standardize the description of key positional traits, I frequently use the following adjectives: elite, good, above average, average, below average, poor. Heights listed are using a notation common among scouts where the first digit corresponds to the feet, the next two digits correspond to the inches and the fourth digit corresponds to the fraction, in eighths. So, somebody measuring 5’11” and 3/8 would be 5113. This is helpful when trying to sort players by height. When writing a full report for a player, I typically pick two games of film to watch. When time permits, I may add a third game. If game film is not available I will search for highlight reels, but keep in mind these are the best plays that player had so they really need to jump off the screen. I do not necessarily want to watch games where they did very well or very poorly as that may not be a great illustration of their true ability. If possible, when comparing players at the same position I also like to watch film against common opponents. Full disclosure, I am not watching film of every single game any player plays, instead I am looking for a representative sample. There are a lot of analysts out there who have a deeper depth of knowledge about certain players but I pride myself in a wide breadth of knowledge about many players. When researching my articles I use a number of valuable resources, I would recommend bookmarking the below sites:

Stats: espn.com, sports-reference.com, pro-football-reference.com, cfbstats.com, herosports.com, fcs.football, foxsports.com, mcubed.net, expandtheboxscore.com, washingtonpost.com
Recruiting: 247Sports.com, espn.com, sbnation.com, rivals.com
Film: 2019 NFL Draft Database by Mark Jarvis, youtube.com (but be wary of highlight only reels)
Draft info and mocks: draftcountdown.com, draftscout.com, mattwaldmanrsp.com, draftek.com, thedraftnetwork.com, nfl.com
NFL rosters and contract info: ourlads.com, spotrac.com
Draft history: drafthistory.com
Combine info: pro-football-reference.com, espn.com, nflcombineresults.com, mockdraftable.com
Season preview magazines: Phil Steele, Lindy’s, Street and Smith’s, Athlon Sports
Podcasts: ESPN’s First Draft, Strong as Steele with Phil Steele, The Audible by Football Guys (specifically episodes w/ Matt Waldman), UTH Dynasty, Draft Dudes, 247Sports College Football, College Fantasy Football: On Campus, Underdog Pawdcast, Saturday 2 Sunday, Locked on NFL Draft, Cover 3 College Football
Logos & Player Media Photos: collegepressbox.com (the media home for FWAA members)
Odds & Gambling Stats: vegasinsider.com

Robert F. Cowper is a freelance writer who lives in New Jersey. He is a proud member of the Football Writers Association of America and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Robert works as a recreation professional, specializing in youth sports, when he isn’t acting as commissioner for his many fantasy sports leagues.

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