X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 12 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

Indianapolis Colts Defense - DST Rankings, Darius Leonard, IDP Fantasy Football

IDP managers have been hit with an onslaught of defender headlines as we hit mid-week of the Thanksgiving season. As of Tuesday, multiple impact fantasy defenders have been lost this week for various reasons. These aren’t minor losses, either. They are significant losses with long-term ramifications. Some of them we saw coming, and some we didn’t. Some will lead to quality fantasy replacements, and others won’t.

Atop the IDP news pile was Tuesday's announcement that the Colts are releasing Shaquille Leonard. We've telegraphed his exit for months now, so it doesn’t come as a surprise. The real news will be where Leonard ends up after waivers. He is still heavily involved in tackles, even when his snaps are limited, but does he still have big plays in him? Indy says no, and the stat sheet backs that up. Meanwhile, his replacement (E.J. Speed) makes our list below.

Other big news this week includes the season-ending injuries to IDP stalwarts Talanoa Hufanga and Kyzir White. We touched on Hufanga and his replacement in our rankings, but Arizona’s situation is also interesting. Aside from elevating the value of Josh Woods, who we discuss below, do not be surprised if White’s injury leads to Zaven Collins rotating back inside. That would mean quality tackle production from a player who is widely available as a fantasy DL.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Casual IDP Streamers and Fades

Stream: E.J. Speed, LB, Indianapolis Colts

Colts beat writers have been talking about Speed for a while, noting the team’s strong desire to get him on the field more often. With the release of Shaquille Leonard, that task becomes easier.

Speed is rostered in just 1.7% of IDP leagues, and his opportunity share should skyrocket now. The Colts offer a fantasy-friendly LB scheme, and Speed could take advantage. He's a worthwhile gamble this late in the season.

Stream: Kevin Byard, DB, Philadelphia Eagles

Byard is the 32nd most-started DB this week. He’s also the 30th most rostered.

Historically, this former Titan has had strong ball skills and good tackling numbers. This week he gets Josh Allen, who leads the league in turnovers. There is DB1 upside to Byard in this matchup.

Fade: Nicholas Morrow & Zach Cunningham, LBs, Philadelphia Eagles

Between them, Morrow and Cunningham have exactly three games with double-digit tackles. Despite Nakobe Dean being out nearly the entire year, they have yet to capitalize with fantasy production. Morrow has shown the ability to log some big plays, so he's the one to gamble on if you must. However, I'm fading both against a Buffalo team that runs the ball at the league median rate.

Fade: Shaquille Leonard, LB, Free Agent

Okay, I realize Leonard is low-hanging fruit. But hear me out.

A lot of people are going to hang onto Leonard to see where he lands. The potential that he could turn back into the elite LB1 overall is compelling, especially considering he isn't that old. We have seen linebackers come off the street and turn into tackle machines late in seasons, so why not Leonard?

The risk of holding onto Leonard in shallow leagues is strong, though. First off, your roster space may be very limited in a league where you start just three or four defenders. Odds are you want to save that space for injured RBs or WRs. Leonard won't fit in your IR. There's also no telling where he will land, what scheme he will find himself in, and there's a chance his new team may bring him along slowly.

Can you afford to stash Leonard for several weeks while he learns a new scheme or struggles to find a new team? Or is there an active and productive LB on waivers who can actually help you get into your fantasy playoffs instead?

 

 

Premium/Deep League Streamers and Fades

Stream: Jordan Battle, DB, Cincinnati Bengals

Nick Scott has struggled since joining the Bengals. As a result, his snaps were finally capped against the Ravens. While Scott got the start, he played only 17% of the snaps and has no injury designation. Reports out of Cincy are Jordan Battle simply earned the 86% snap share he got over Scott.

Battle returned on the investment Cincy made in him, too. He notched 12 tackles (10 solo) and looked better than Scott on film. The hope here is Battle continues to play and earns the starting role outright, and Scott's role is minimized. If that's the case, he could enter the DB2 conversation.

Stream: Christian Barmore, DL, New England Patriots

Every week, at least one pass rusher gets a bump in the face of a tasty Giants matchup. This week, Barmore receives one of those bumps. He is New England's top-rated pass rusher, generating multiple pressures per game. Barmore also gets the same opposing blockers who surrendered 1.5 sacks to Jonathan Allen in Week 11.

Fade: Chargers Defensive Backs Not Named Derwin James

The Ravens are the second-lowest volume pass offense in the NFL this season, and that was with Mark Andrews. They are also below the league median in offensive plays per game.

While the injury to Andrews could spur more deep shots to OBJ and Zay Flowers, it could also mean a bigger commitment to the run game. The Ravens' defense is the best in the league and should keep this competitive, especially if Marlon Humphrey plays and shadows Keenan Allen. That would be bad news for the fantasy prospects of the Chargers' corners.

Fade: Preston Smith & Rashan Gary, DL, Green Bay Packers

Despite a few struggles last week, the Detroit Lions continue to have a stalwart offensive line. This is especially true on the edges, where they’ve allowed just 33 quarterback pressures and five sacks all season. While we like Gary and Smith as DL3 options in deeper leagues, there is a distinct risk they don’t produce at all in this matchup.

If you have doubts about these two, several players are widely available with higher upside or safer floors. Josh Uche has a higher ceiling and a much better matchup. Meanwhile, Derrick Brown and George Karlaftis feel like safer options who are rostered in fewer leagues.

 

Defenders Worth Adding

Paulson Adebo, CB, New Orleans Saints

I'll return to this well because Adebo's roster rate is too low. He is currently the 57th most rostered DB in fantasy, behind teammate Marshon Lattimore and many others. The issue with that is Adebo is the seventh-highest-scoring fantasy CB this season. He's ahead of Lattimore by 20 points. Teams still target Adebo a lot, and he's shown the ability to get you plenty of deflections and turnovers.

Josh Woods, LB, Arizona Cardinals

Now that Kyzir White is out for the year, Woods feels like the most likely predecessor to White's lead LB role. Woods has played over 80% of the snaps for Arizona in four of their past seven games. That rate may jump with White out, as should the 5.4 tackles that Woods has averaged in that stretch.

Jadeveon Clowney, DL, Baltimore Ravens

Clowney has five sacks in his past six games. However, he’s just the 70th most rostered DL in fantasy. Every team left on his regular season schedule is in the bottom half of pass protectors, too.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mookie Betts4 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins4 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase4 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski4 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun4 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon5 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray5 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić5 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post5 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry5 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.6 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White6 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey6 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.7 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant7 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith7 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton7 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin7 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins7 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez8 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner8 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma8 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam8 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard8 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo8 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh8 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis8 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins8 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold8 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews8 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin9 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson9 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad10 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil10 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich10 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech10 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman10 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter10 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish10 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt11 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.11 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar11 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada11 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons11 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons12 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers12 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams13 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo13 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke13 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee13 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler13 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano13 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland13 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis13 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías13 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera14 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets15 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders15 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush15 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens17 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks18 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.18 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell19 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson19 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney19 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain19 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher19 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield20 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott20 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin20 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov20 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron20 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick20 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli20 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin20 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin20 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar20 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR20 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski21 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones21 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez21 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar21 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece21 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano22 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell22 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric22 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe22 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs22 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen22 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]