It’s Week 13 of the fantasy season and depending on the league it’s either the final regular-season game of the season or the first week of the playoffs. Either way, we are here for a weekly look at some of the top IDP start or sot options to help owners snag that all-important victory.
With their being three Thursday games this week, Happy Thanksgiving by the way, we are rolling out the article a bit early this week. We want it to be an all hands on deck situation at this critical point in the fantasy season. Let’s get to it.
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Start
Frank Clark (DL – KC)
In his first season with Kansas City, Clark has found himself as basically the last edge rusher standing due to a rash of injuries. Emmanuel Ogbah is out for the season with a pectoral injury and Alex Okafor has missed the last three games due to an ankle injury. Prior to the bye week, his play had picked up. In Week 11 he played 86% of the snaps, which is the most he’s played since Week 2, and he had five total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. In the past four games, he has been producing in all facets of the game. Over that time he has 15 total tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He has also been credited with four tackles for a loss as well as seven quarterback hits in that time.
Everson Griffen (DL – MIN)
A bit lost in the shadow of teammate Danielle Hunter, the veteran defensive end is having a very strong 2019 campaign. Last season he took as a step back as he dealt with some personal issues but has returned to the form that has him among the elite edge rushers in the game. He has put up at least half a sack in five straight games and posted five sacks in the last seven games. In that time he has also tallied 37 total tackles along with an interception. He currently leads the team in quarterback hits with 20 as well as total pressures with 32. He trails Hunter for the team lead for sacks by just 1.5 and has worked his way into being a weekly must-start IDP defensive linemen.
Fred Warner (LB – SF)
Through his first seven games of the season, it appeared that Warner was in a bit of a sophomore slump. After posting 124 total tackles in his rookie season, he had managed to put up just 39 along with one forced fumble. Those numbers were well outside the top-50 in balanced scoring formats. It’s been a completely different story since Kwon Alexander (pectoral) was lost for the season in Week 9. Since that time Warner has been the highest-scoring linebacker and is getting it done in every aspect of the game. In that time, he has 42 total tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. The 49ers’ defense has made a concerted effort to get him to the quarterback as he’s been brought on the blitz 17 times this season. He is now a weekly must start.
Jayon Brown (LB – TEN)
Things appeared to be trending in the wrong direction for Brown as a groin issue forced him to miss both Weeks 7 and 9. It’s funny how things can make a change for the better in a very short time. Following the Titans’ Week 10 bye, he returned last week and looked healthy playing 98% of the snaps. Not only did he appear to be at full speed, but he also had one of his best games of the season. Against Jacksonville, he finished with 11 solo, and 15 total tackles. Look for similar numbers this week in a prime matchup against Indianapolis. Last week, the Colts’ offense saw Houston linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham combine for 27 total tackles. Start him with confidence in Week 13.
Jalen Thompson (DB – ARI)
After they released veteran D.J. Swearinger the Cardinals’ defense took their time in settling on a replacement. Rookies Deionte Thompson and Jalen Thompson split the snaps for a few weeks until two games ago when Jalen took over the role on a full-time basis. The fifth-round selection in the supplemental draft out of Washington State has played 97% of the snaps in the past two games, while Deionte Thompson has not played a defensive snap. He has played well on a defense that faces an average of 67 offensive snaps per game, affording him plenty of tackle opportunities. In the past two games, he has put up 11 solo tackles as well as his first career interception.
Sit
Michael Bennett (DL – DAL)
After a two-sack performance against Detroit in Week 11, Bennett took a step back last week with one of his poorest outings since being traded to Dallas. The veteran defensive end continues to see plenty of work along the defensive line playing 71% of the snaps last week against New England. The production was minimal as he finished the game just with two solo tackles. For the first time since joining the Cowboys’ defensive line rotation, he failed to register a quarterback hit. Things are not likely to get better this week against a Bills’ offense that has allowed just one sack to a defensive lineman in their past three games.
Shaq Lawson (DL – BUF)
The Bills’ defense has been desperate for an edge rushing option to emerge as veteran Jerry Hughes has been having a miserable season. Lawson has been stepping up of late and put up a pair of sacks last week against the Broncos’ offense. He now has three sacks in the past two games and a career-high five on the season. His tackle totals aren’t anything to write home about as he has just 20 total through 11 games. He leads the team in total quarterback pressures with 17 as well as hits with 12. Unfortunately, the matchup this week does not work in his favor. On the season, the Cowboys’ offense has allowed just 12 sacks with defensive linemen accounting for only six of them.
Shaq Thompson (LB – CAR)
With veteran Thomas Davis joining the Chargers’ via free agency IDP owners have finally gotten to see Thompson at his best and he has not disappointed by any means. Through 11 games, he has already set a career-high in tackles with 84 and has registered three sacks. That’s the good news. The bad news is that over the last three games things are trending in the wrong direction. In that time, he is averaging just 5.3 tackles per game and has not registered a big play. The Redskins’ offense is not a unit to get healthy against for opposing linebackers. In their last four games they are allowing an average of just 15 total tackles per game to the position and have given up two big plays.
Nate Gerry (LB – PHI)
The third-year linebacker continued to be productive last week, finishing with seven total tackles, half a sack, and a fumble recovery. He has excelled as an injury replacement while Nigel Bradham dealt with an ankle issue. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Bradham made his return last week. There was speculation as to how the snaps would break down once the veteran returned and it did not bode well for Gerry. After being an every-down linebacker in his past four games, he played just 54% in Week 12, while Bradham logged 100%. It’s tough to rely on the numbers he put up last week consistently while he’s playing just over half the defensive snaps. There are better options at this crucial point in the fantasy season.
Malik Hooker (DB – IND)
Since returning from a knee injury a few weeks back Hooker has basically been the only three-down safety in the Colts’ secondary. Khari Willis (concussion) has been out, while Clayton Geathers and Marvin Tell continue to pinball back and forth on a weekly basis snaps wise. Hooker is coming off a seven total tackles performance against the Jaguars’ offense last week. That being said. Despite being the main man at the safety position for Indianapolis his overall numbers are lacking. In eight games played, he has put up 33 total tackles and an interception. The Titans’ offense is the stingiest in allowing production to opposing defensive backs and he had just three tackles against them back in Week 2. There’s no reason to start him this week.
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Walton Spurlin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Walton, check out his archive and follow him @waltonspurlin.
