IDP Fantasy Football Upside in Week 8
Welcome to our team’s weekly article on IDP Fantasy Football Upside in player performance for the upcoming week!
The NFL season is at the midway point, the trade deadline is just around the corner, and the fantasy postseason is on the horizon.
As Week 8 is upon us, we face some IDP issues. For starters, the BYE weeks have captured the Chiefs and the Chargers from our clutches. The list of IDP starters on those teams may be limited, but they are dynamic. L’Jarius Snead, Chris Jones, Nick Bolton, Khalil Mack, Drue Tranquill, and Derwin James will all be missing from our lineups.
It’s not only BYE weeks that are taking players out of our lineups, but the injury bug still needs swatting. Players who may miss or are questionable are too many to name, but here is a list of some impactful players to monitor:
- DeShon Elliott
- Baron Browning
- Dre Greenlaw
- Cole Holcomb
- Kwity Paye
The list of players above that will be missing is enough to cause a little panic, but rest assured! We will get through this together as I present you with some of my favorite Upside plays for IDP!
Defensive Line
Daron Payne (Washington Commanders)
Matt Pryor! Is that a name you should know? If you have been following along with Fantasy In Frames, then the answer should be YES. Matt Pryor has been one of the most exploited offensive linemen on the season. The converted RG from RT from LT is in line to have another frustrating week against the Washington Commanders.
Last week, Pryor had the task of stopping Kenny Clark, which resulted in 5 pressures, but no sacks. On the season, Pryor has allowed a league-high 28 pressures. This week, he gets another unenviable task of trying to stop Daron Payne. Among DT, Payne’s 21 pressures are Top 10, and his 11% win rate is Top 25.
Currently, the DL31, I think there is a legit Top 20 upside this week.
Tyquan Lewis (Indianapolis Colts)
TYQUAN LEWIS JUST SACKED TREVOR LAWRENCE WITH HIS OWN GUARD#Colts#ForTheShoe#Jaguars#DUUUVAL#JAXvsIND pic.twitter.com/tzNwC4sv1B
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) October 16, 2022
If Tyquan Lewis’ name looks familiar, it is because I nominated him earlier this week among my Waiver Wire adds for Week 8.
Staying with the IND v WSH game, there is a good chance that this game sees both QBs under a lot of pressure.
Lewis is the recipient of the biggest bump in my rankings, in part due to the Commanders’ O-Line, as well as D’Forest Buckner. Lewis will have the pleasure of lining up next to Buckner for most of the game, which should result in plenty of one-on-one matchups.
As you may have guessed, it is the Commanders’ O-Line that I plan to exploit with Lewis. Last week, the combination of Cornelius Lewis (RT) and Saadhiq Charles (RG) allowed ten pressures to the Packers. I expect the Commanders to have their hands full and, in turn, provide an upside for Tyquan Lewis!
Linebacker
Christian Kirksey (Houston Texans)
If there is a better situation for IDP managers and a worse situation for the IDP player, I can’t think of a situation more alluring. The Houston Texans will get the unenviable task of trying to stop the runaway train known as Derrick Henry. As our friend and Texans fan Colby Conway once said, “Death, Taxes, and RBs destroying the Texans’ D” this is going to be a long day for the Texans.
The confluence of events is what an IDP manager should be on the lookout for. 1. The Texans have faced the most rushing attempts per game. 2. The Titans are a Top 10 team in rushing attempts per game. 3. Christian Kirksey will be on the field for nearly 100% of the snaps.
Kirksey, tho, may not be as happy as his fantasy managers when this game is over. Tackling, or at least attempting to tackle Derrick Henry a dozen times, will make for a long game. For the season, his average depth of tackle (4.2) ranks middle of the pack among qualified LBs. This should give him a solid chance at double-digit tackles, as well as a solid chance at a very sore Monday!
Deion Jones (Cleveland Browns)
#FFIDP Jacob Phillips out for the year…torn pec…looks like Deion Jones will wear the 🟢 for the rest of the year…
— Mike Woellert (@Mike_Woellert) October 24, 2022
Last week, we got our first glimpse of Deion Jones as a full-time MIKE on the Browns’ defense. Unfortunately, this was a result of Jacob Phillips suffering a season-ending injury. Nonetheless, it wasn’t the most amazing debut for the recently acquired Jones. Once the athletic playmaker in Atlanta, Jones appeared a little sluggish, which can be expected for a person just getting his legs underneath him.
This week, Jones and the Browns will face the Cincinnati Bengals, the league’s 2nd most generous team to opposing LB. A healthy blend of generosity will only elevate the potential floor for Deion Jones. With the recent news that Ja’Marr Chase is expected to miss the next month, it can be assumed that Joe Mixon will carry an even heavier workload, which bodes well for an elevated tackle floor for Jones.
Currently listed as the LB45, it is fair to say that sheer volume will be on Jones’ side, which should lend itself to a solid upside play in Week 8.
Defensive Back
JuJu Hughes (Detroit Lions)
Another unfortunate recommendation resulted from an IDP stud suffering injury. This time, the injury belongs to DeShon Elliot. Elliott had been a revelation for IDP managers, especially considering he is replacing another IDP stud in Tracy Walker. On the season, Elliott is the DB4 per game and was in store for another huge game in Week 8. The Lions will face the Dolphins, who have given up the league’s 3rd most points against the Safety position. Hughes will likely step into the Elliot role, which should pay dividends. In Week 3, when Walker left with an injury, JuJu stepped in and played well, finishing with eight tackles (6 solos).
If you are looking for a solid DB4 with upside, Hughes is your guy!
Jonathan Owens (Houston Texans)
When you have a chance to stack the box and anticipate a very heavy run game, there is always an IDP upside. This matchup between the Texans and the Titans should be one of those games. As mentioned earlier, Christian Kirksey and the Texans will have their hands full with Derrick Henry.
One area I didn’t talk about earlier is the likelihood of a few missed tackles, thus resulting in another player benefiting from their misses. Christian Harris and Christian Kirksey have a missed tackle rate above 14%, which has the potential for Jonathan Owens to see an increase in tackles.
The final piece to this upside puzzle is the lack of a solid Texans offense in this matchup. I expect this game to be heavy on the Tennessee side in terms of offensive plays, which increases an already solid floor for the Texans’ IDP options.
Adrian Phillips (New England Patriots)
Adrian Phillips tossed Aaron Jones 💀
— PFF (@PFF) October 2, 2022
pic.twitter.com/Nxfcx5y95J
The Patriots will be without Kyle Dugger in Week 8 vs. the Jets. This should lead to an increase in snaps for Adrian Phillips and, thus, an increase in upside for Phillips in Week 8. The Jets, without Breese Hall, should be a matchup that leaves a lot to be desired. On the season, they have allowed the 6th most points to safeties, with three different games allowing a 25+ point scorer.
Phillips is set to play the role I look for in an IDP safety. On the season, he has played 50% of his snaps at or near the line of scrimmage. In that time, he has a 10% tackle rate with 2 TFLs and 2 PD.
In deeper leagues, I would consider Phillips as an upside DB who could finish inside the Top 48 at the position.