Week 12 is in the books, and IDP managers are furiously scouring the waiver wire for impact additions. The stretch run is here and it is time to add reinforcements in hopes of winning your league title. There are some new and some old options to consider, some of which will be impact IDP starters for the rest of the season. The names below all seem to qualify and may very well be available in your leagues. Let’s take a look at some of the names that are worth some of your free agent budget.
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Jaelan Phillips (DE – MIA): 7% rostered on Yahoo
Jaelan Phillips is catching fire. Hopefully, you added him to your roster last week because now he is going to be one of the hottest names on the IDP wire. Phillips exploded for three solos, one assist, three sacks, three tackles for loss, and one pass defended in a plus matchup against the Carolina Panthers and finally showed off the talent that made him a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The three sack outing puts him at 6.5 for the season, blasting him past Ofdae Oweh for second among rookies (behind Micah Parsons). While his next three matchups are not as tasty as they were last week when we suggested adding him, he still has a plus matchup against the New York Giants in Week 13 and the New York Jets in Week 14. Add the talented rookie wherever possible as a potential difference-making DL2 option for the stretch run.
Trey Hendrickson (DE – CIN): 14% rostered on Yahoo
Trey Hendrickson just keeps on rolling. He racked up another sack in Week 12, climbing to 10.5 on the season, putting him in a tie with Haason Reddick for sixth in the league. The most amazing thing has been his consistency, as he now has a sack in seven straight games and has failed to record a sack just twice all season. He tallied two solos, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble in Week 12 and is a must-start in Week 13 despite a tough matchup against a strong Chargers offensive line. If Hendrickson is still available in your league, you must be asleep at the wheel, don’t just laugh at your rival managers. Add the sack artist immediately.
Jonathan Greenard (DE – HOU): 8% rostered on Yahoo
Jonathan Greenard returned from injury in Week 12 to record one solo, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. 11th in the league with eight sacks, Greenard has emerged as one of the premier young pass rushers in the league. He has eight sacks in eight games played and has failed to record a sack just twice. While he is the DL14 in total fantasy points, he is the DL2 in fantasy points per game, behind only T.J. Watt. Yes, over names like Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, and Haason Reddick. Greenard may have been dropped in your league by an impatient manager due to bye and injury. Punish them for their short-sightedness and add the DL1 wherever possible. Greenard is a DL1 option in Week 13 against the Colts and will be one the rest of the season, regardless of opponent.
John Franklin-Meyers (DE – NYJ): 1% rostered on Yahoo
John Franklin-Meyers was excellent in Week 12, racking up three solos, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. He has not been the most consistent option this season but is worth the add, even if it is for a one week play. JFM has a tremendous Week 13 matchup against a Philadelphia Eagles team relinquishing the most fantasy points per game to the defensive end position, making him a DL2 option. Up to six sacks on the season with the best matchup and edge rusher can have, Franklin-Meyers deserves strong consideration for your Week 13 lineup.
Kwity Paye (DE – IND): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Kwity Paye has just three sacks on the season. However, he has a sack in each of his last three games. He was a slow starter but is finally starting to flash the talent that made him a first round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. He recorded two solos, one sack, and one tackle for loss in Week 12. His Week 13 matchup is not a standout on paper, but closer analysis reveals that Tyrod Taylor is coming off a game in which he was sacked five times by an inferior defensive front. Paye is a borderline DL2 option against the Houston Texans.
Yannick Ngakoue (DE – LV): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Few edge rushers are hotter than Yannick Ngakoue right now. All eight of his sacks have come in his last seven games, making him the DL11 since Week 5. He does not contribute much when he is not getting sacks, so he is still a boom-or-bust option but can now be counted among the more consistent performers at his position as he has a sack in five of his last seven contests. He tallied two solos, one sack, and one tackle for loss in Week 12 and has a plus Week 13 matchup against Washington, making him a borderline DL1 option. Ngakoue should not be floating around on the wire in any competitive leagues, period.
Emmanuel Ogbah (DE – MIA): 8% rostered on Yahoo
You know you are discussing an underrated talent when six sacks is viewed as a disappointing season. Ogbah set a new career-high with nine sacks last season and is on pace to better that mark in 2021. He is already up to 30 pressures on the season after recording just 36 all of last season. Ogbah was rock solid again in Week 12, recording two solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended. He has the New York Giants in Week 13, making him a strong DL2 option against Daniel Jones. Add Ogbah where needed.
Ja’Whaun Bentley (LB – NE): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Bentley was excellent in Week 12, racking up five solos, five assists, one sack, and two forced fumbles. Bentley has been inconsistent this season but is in the midst of another hot streak and needs to be deployed as an LB2 option until he cools down. He has a plus Week 13 matchup against a Buffalo Bills team, allowing the 14th most fantasy points to the linebacker position, making him someone who should be scooped off wires with little hesitation. Bentley should be rostered in all competitive leagues. Punish your rival managers for sleeping.
Azeez Al-Shaair (LB – SF): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Al-Shaair was excellent in Week 12, racking up seven solos, one assist, one interception, one pass defended, and one fumble recovery. He has been inconsistent since taking over for the injured Dre Greenlaw, but at this point, you take the good with the bad with Al-Shaair and try to restrict deploying him to his plus matchups. He has just that in Week 13 against a Seattle Seahawks team that is struggling in all phases. He is still more LB3 option than LB2 due to his low floor and positional clutter but maintains LB2 upside for plus matchups. Add Al-Shaair where possible.
Joe Schobert (LB – PIT): 13% rostered on Yahoo
Joe Schobert has started to get comfortable in the Steeelers defense and has now recorded six or more solos in three of his last five games. Schobert tallied eight solos, three assists, and two tackles for loss in Week 12 in one of his best games of the season. He is primed for another strong outing in Week 13 thanks to facing off against a Baltimore Ravens team surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to the linebacker position, making him an LB2 option with LB1 upside. He should be long gone in competitive leagues, including those he was dropped in, but his rostered numbers suggest that he is still lying around on the wire in far too many leagues. Rectify this error in judgment immediately and add Schobert wherever possible.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB – CLE): 3% rostered on Yahoo
JOK was excellent in Week 12, flashing the elite tools that made him so highly regarded in the 2021 NFL Draft. He racked up six solos, six assists, 0.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens and looks like a future star in the making. He has yet to find any consistency this season, partly due to the fact that he has seen over 55 percent of the snaps just three times all season. However, he has a second date with the Ravens after the Browns Week 13 bye, making him an intriguing LB2 option for Week 14 and a potential difference-making stash. Add JOK where rosters allow.
Shaq Thompson (LB – CAR): 14% rostered on Yahoo
Shaq Thompson shouldn’t even be in this column. He is one of the more consistent options at the linebacker position and is a weekly LB2 option. He recorded 10 solos and three assists in Week 12. Shaq has been excellent since he returned from injury in Week 8 and is the LB5 overall since then. Scoop him up immediately if he is still floating around on your league’s waiver wire. Shaq should be rostered universally.
Kamu Grugier-Hill (LB – HOU): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Kamu was excellent in Week 12, racking up six solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss. He has another plus matchup in Week 13 against Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts, once again making him a sneaky LB2 option. His role should be safe even if Christian Kirksey returns in Week 13, as Zach Cunningham will likely be sent back to a sparsely used rotational linebacker role when Kirksey is ready for his full complement of snaps.
Robert Quinn (DE/LB – CHI): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Fourth in the league with 11 sacks, Robert Quinn needs to be rostered universally. He racked up four solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss against the Lions and now has 5.5 sacks in his last three games. His rostered numbers remain low at Yahoo due to his archaic LB-only positional labeling but is someone who needs to be in lineups regardless of where you need to slot him. He has simply been too hot to ignore. Quinn is the LB12 in fantasy points per game and should be deployed as an LB2/DL1 for the remainder of the season. Make the add wherever possible.
Jayon Brown (LB – TEN): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Jayon Brown was rock solid in Week 12, tallying five solos, three assists, and one pass defended. He is back to his high-end LB2 level form and should be rostered universally. Brown is the LB19 since returning from injury and will maintain his role even when David Long returns. He is a borderline LB1 for a plus Week 13 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars and has plus matchups against the Steelers and 49ers in Week 15 and 16, respectively. Add Bown wherever available.
Jayron Kearse (S – DAL): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Jayron has emerged as a consistent IDP force this season, making him a solid DB2 option. He had his most productive fantasy outing of the season in Week 12, racking up six solos, five assists, one tackle for loss, and two passes defended. He should be rostered as someone who will be in the DB2 conversation for each of the next three weeks. Add Kearse where feasible.
Landon Collins (S/LB – WAS): 13% rostered on Yahoo
Collins got back on track in Week 12, tallying five solos, three assists, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. He has proven that he is going to be inconsistent but plays a high-value role that could lead to a DB1 level outing on any given week. Add Collins in all leagues where he is somehow still available.
Keanu Neal: 3% rostered on Yahoo
Keanu Neal played 94 percent of the snaps in Week 12, recording six solos, six assists, and one tackle for loss. He has now played a near every snap role for two straight weeks and is safe to re-deploy as an LB2/DB2 option. Add the talented playmaker wherever possible.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
