The fantasy football IDP report will provide an early look at several waiver wire priorities of varying league sizes, along with preliminary Week 15 IDP rankings. Since all leagues are different sizes and have differing IDP requirements, the weekly rankings might be more beneficial than the waiver list.
As usual, the rankings are a reflection of IDP Flex rankings for tackle-heavy formats. Let’s get you through the opening round of the fantasy playoffs!
Zach Sieler, DT, Miami Dolphins
Several defensive linemen had huge games this week but looking forward, the one most likely to do it again is Zach Sieler. Not that the San Francisco 49ers pass rushers or Cam Heyward (others with big weeks) are bad options, but they saw advantageous matchups. Sieler did, too, but he’s one of the few to get another this week.
Zach Sieler and Chop Robinson are absolutely carrying this Dolphins pass rush at the moment, this was a huge sack. pic.twitter.com/iblz6G7vNj
— FinsCentral (@finscentral) December 9, 2024
For six straight games, Sieler has posted at least four combined tackles, providing a stable floor at a difficult position. He’s also tallied four sacks over the last month, so he can give you some weekly upside too. Now the Dolphins face off with the Houston Texans, who have the sixth-worst pass block win rate and pressure rate allowed in the NFL this year.
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
The news on Logan Wilson came in later than last week’s waiver article so Akeem Davis-Gaither was not mentioned. He may well be rostered in deeper leagues, but he’s roster-worthy in nearly all IDP leagues as a rest-of-season play (with long-term dynasty upside as a pending free agent).
Davis-Gaither has the size and speed of the modern-day NFL LB, he’s just been playing the third fiddle behind a couple of entrenched starters in Cincinnati. The dynamo has gotten a couple of chances to show what he can do, and he’s posted tackle totals of 13 and eight, respectively. With Wilson on IR, get Davis-Gaither, and don’t hesitate to play him going forward.
Luke Gifford, LB, Tennessee Titans
Before 2024, Luke Gifford’s season high in tackles was 17. That’s right, 17 total tackles. This is a dice roll, as both starters, Kenneth Murray and Jerome Baker, may be healthy for Week 15.
If they’re not, though, Gifford nearly matched his prior career high in tackles in a single game. He generated a whopping 12 tackles in Week 14 as the starting LB for the Titans. He’s also likely only needs one of the two to miss the action to stay out there, thanks to his versatility. He’s not a high-priority add, but if you lost a starter and need help, look at Gifford.
Jabrill Peppers, S, New England Patriots
Start with the bad — if Jabrill Peppers did what he was accused of (and placed on the exempt list for), he deserves to be suspended and serve whatever punishment a court deems appropriate. We play fantasy football though, and our job is to play the best players available.
The role Peppers came back to is a lock to put up elite numbers, and with the time on the exempt list and on bye, he may still be available on waivers. Peppers is playing around 65% of his snaps in the box or slot and just 33% deep. That alignment will allow for more of what we saw in Week 13, which was a rock-solid 10-tackle performance.
Week 15 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings
1) Roquan Smith, LB | BAL (at NYG)
2) Foyesade Oluokun, LB | JAX (vs NYJ)
3) Brian Branch, S | DET (vs BUF)
4) Zack Baun, LB | PHI (vs PIT)
5) Robert Spillane, LB | LV (vs ATL)
6) Nick Cross, S | IND (at DEN)
7) Zaire Franklin, LB | IND (at DEN)
8) Daiyan Henley, LB | LAC (vs TB)
9) Ernest Jones, LB | SEA (vs GB)
10) Budda Baker, S | ARI (vs NE)
11) E.J. Speed, LB | IND (at DEN)
12) Bobby Wagner, LB | WAS (at NO)
13) Kaden Elliss, LB | ATL (at LV)
14) Derwin James Jr., S | LAC (vs TB)
15) Frankie Luvu, LB | WAS (at NO)
16) Terrel Bernard, LB | BUF (at DET)
17) T.J. Edwards, LB | CHI (at MIN)
18) Quentin Lake, S | LAR (at SF)
19) Jordyn Brooks, LB | MIA (at HOU)
20) Jamien Sherwood, LB | NYJ (at JAX)
21) Kevin Byard III, S | CHI (at MIN)
22) Jack Campbell, LB | DET (vs BUF)
23) Tyler Nubin, S | NYG (vs BAL)
24) Josey Jewell, LB | CAR (vs DAL)
25) Germaine Pratt, LB | CIN (at TEN)
26) Nakobe Dean, LB | PHI (vs PIT)
27) Julian Love, S | SEA (vs GB)
28) Fred Warner, LB | SF (vs LAR)
29) Grant Delpit, S | CLE (vs KC)
30) Jabrill Peppers, S | NE (at ARI)
31) Kyle Hamilton, S | BAL (at NYG)
32) T.J. Watt, LB | PIT (at PHI)
33) Quincy Williams, LB | NYJ (at JAX)
34) Nick Bolton, LB | KC (at CLE)
35) Joshua Metellus, S | MIN (vs CHI)
36) Tre’von Moehrig, S | LV (vs ATL)
37) Kenneth Murray Jr., LB | TEN (vs CIN)
38) Myles Garrett, DE | CLE (vs KC)
39) Patrick Queen, LB | PIT (at PHI)
40) Quay Walker, LB | GB (at SEA)
41) Brandon Jones, S | DEN (vs IND)
42) Lavonte David, LB | TB (at LAC)
43) Kyle Dugger, S | NE (at ARI)
44) Bobby Okereke, LB | NYG (vs BAL)
45) Xavier McKinney, S | GB (at SEA)
46) Micah Parsons, LB | DAL (at CAR)
47) Jeremy Chinn, S | WAS (at NO)
48) Maxx Crosby, DE | LV (vs ATL)
49) Blake Cashman, LB | MIN (vs CHI)
50) Jessie Bates III, S | ATL (at LV)
51) DeShon Elliott, S | PIT (at PHI)
52) Andrew Van Ginkel, LB | MIN (vs CHI)
53) Xavier Woods, S | CAR (vs DAL)
54) Jonathan Greenard, DE | MIN (vs CHI)
55) P.J. Locke, S | DEN (vs IND)
56) Will Anderson Jr., DE | HOU (vs MIA)
57) Henry To’oTo’o, LB | HOU (vs MIA)
58) Christian Harris, LB | HOU (vs MIA)
59) Trey Hendrickson, DE | CIN (at TEN)
60) Minkah Fitzpatrick, S | PIT (at PHI)
Top IDP Players To Start in Week 15
Frankie Luvu, LB, Washington Commanders
Frankie Luvu has been killing it in his first year in the nation’s capital. He’s not going to hit a new career high in tackles, but as a linebacker for him to be tracking to eclipse 100 tackles on the year as well as 10 sacks? That’s incredibly valuable in IDP leagues.
Luvu will be coming off somewhat of a down game, as in Week 13 he only managed three total tackles. However, the three games prior saw him get 25 combined tackles. Over the last four games, Luvu also found four of his new career-high eight sacks. Stay in the flames and ride Luvu through your IDP playoff run.
Jamien Sherwood, LB, New York Jets
Speaking of flames, let’s discuss the Jets’ breakout star in the second level. After a couple of down performances that saw Sherwood produce only 10 combined tackles in a two-game stretch, he returned with a vengeance in Week 14.
Sherwood posted a new career-high 18 combined tackles in Week 14, including 13 solo tackles for leagues that boost those over assists. Despite not usually getting you other forms of production, Sherwood’s ability to rack up stops makes him a weekly LB2 type. He’s now hit double-digit tackles six different times in 2024.