Week 12 IDP Waiver Wire: Rashan Gary Doesn't Just Stink Now ... Right?

Injuries Uncover Options at Every Level

This list of IDP waiver wire pickups is sorted by position, and then by priorty.

Of course, IDP leagues vary widely by depth, scoring rules, and lineup settings. So to get the best measure of who to pick up in your league, check your Free Agent Finder.

Dre’Mont Jones, DL, Baltimore Ravens

Dre'mont Jones

BAL DL5 Sun 1:00 PM vs NYJ

Bye7

3D PPR Proj86.6

3D Value11.4

Maybe I’m just stubborn (don’t ask my wife or parents), but I’ll roll Jones out here one more time … despite him statistically defying my past two calls.

The Titan-turned-Raven followed Week 10’s empty stat line with a near-empty one in his second game with the new team: 1 solo tackle at Cleveland. But Jones once again hid pressure behind those zeroes.

Jones notched 2 QB hits against the Browns, his fourth straight game with 2+ hits and sixth straight game with at least 1. His 3 total pressures weren’t a special number, but Jones trailed only Kyle Van Noy among Ravens.

If he doesn’t finally break through for his first Baltimore sack this week against the Jets, then I’m gonna lose his number. If he comes through for us, then Jones’ next-best remaining matchup comes in Week 16 against the Patriots.

Nick Herbig, Edge, Pittsburgh Steelers

Nick Herbig

PIT DL29 Sun 1:00 PM @ CHI

Bye5

3D PPR Proj55.5

3D Value-19.1

A return by starting Edge Alex Highsmith for Week 12 would knock Herbig back to part time. But Highsmith missed the full practice week with his pectoral injury ahead of Sunday’s win over the Bengals.

Herbig took advantage to notch a sack for the second straight game and tally a team-high 5 pressures.

He’d get a tougher matchup in Chicago in Week 12. Caleb Williams has taken just six total sacks over the past five games. But Herbig has registered at least 1 QB hit in eight of nine games and averaged 1.8 per contest despite reaching 50% playing time in just five contests.

Rashan Gary, Edge, Green Bay Packers

Rashan Gary

GB DL25 Sun 1:00 PM vs MIN

Bye5

3D PPR Proj74.8

3D Value-6.8

Gary has gone three games without so much as a QB hit. And unlike Jones above, Gary’s isn’t a story of hidden production.

After tallying 4+ pressures in six of his first seven games, he has totaled just seven over the past three weeks, according to Pro Football Focus. Part of the problem has been decreased opportunity. Gary averaged 31.4 pass rushes over the first seven weeks but has tallied just 18 in each of the past three games.

The past two weeks have supplied his two smallest snap shares of the season. But neither snap count fell out of line with the rest of the year.

There’s likely at least some bad luck at play here. And a matchup with the Vikings this Sunday could flip that. J.J. McCarthy’s 40.4% pressure rate ranks seventh-highest among multi-game starters, according to PFF. And his 22.4% pressure-to-sack rate sits ninth-highest among 37 QBs with 50+ dropbacks.

Quincy Williams, LB, New York Jets

Quincy Williams

NYJ LB82 Sun 1:00 PM @ BAL

Bye9

3D PPR Proj51

3D Value-34.2

It seemed like a weird decision -- even for the Jets -- to bench a healthy Williams just a game after he returned from IR. Turns out it was weird. 

He not only played more than “starter” Mykal Walker in Week 10, Williams also started Thursday night’s loss to the Patriots. And the versatile veteran has delivered 8 tackles each game, including 3 combined tackles for loss and a sack. 

He looks like a top-24 fantasy LB the rest of the way … or at least until the next time Jets coaches get weird.

Dee Winters, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Dee Winters

SF LB53 Mon 8:15 PM vs CAR

Bye14

3D PPR Proj88

3D Value-18.3

Winters has spent all season starting but proved inconsistent with his tackle production and offered little outside of that category. Week 12 might force his numbers to stabilize.

San Francisco lost Fred Warner fill-in Tatum Bethune to a high-ankle sprain Sunday. That’s expected to cost him multiple games and moves third-string veteran Curtis Robinson into the lineup.

Winters has at least flashed some tackle upside. His 10 stops in Week 11 marked the third time this season he has reached 10 and third time in four games that he has tallied 5+ solos. The past two weeks have also included a pair of tackles for loss and 2 QB hits (both against the Rams).

Robinson also appears worth a look on waivers in deeper IDP leagues with tackle-friendly scoring.

Sunday’s matchup with Carolina figures to find the Panthers testing that depleted front 7 with the Rico Dowdle-led run game.

Cody Simon, LB, Arizona Cardinals

Cody Simon

ARI LB29 Sun 4:05 PM vs JAC

Bye8

3D PPR Proj28.6

3D Value-32.1

Arizona placed LB Mack Wilson on IR ahead of Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. That means he’ll miss at least another three games. 

Simon has assumed green-dot duties (relaying defensive calls in the huddle) with Wilson out. The rookie’s production proved modest in Week 10, but he climbed to a team-high 12 tackles in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers.

Week 12 holds a Jaguars matchup that has been neutral for LB scoring overall. The Bucs in Week 13 have supplied the fifth-most points per game to LBs, while the Rams in Week 14 have provided a negative LB matchup.

Wilson will be eligible to return in Week 15.

Claudin Cherelus, LB, Carolina Panthers

Claudin Cherelus

CAR LB68 Mon 8:15 PM @ SF

Bye14

3D PPR Proj15.3

3D Value-33.9

Feel free to ignore Cherelus completely if your scoring system’s unkind to assists. Eight of his 10 total tackles came in that help variety last week. And that marked just the fourth time across three seasons that Cherelus has cracked 40% playing time.

But both Panthers LB starters are dealing with injuries. Trevin Wallace missed Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury that kept him out of practice all week. And Christian Rozeboom left late with an ankle sprain.

We’ll monitor both this week, but that gives Cherelus two shots at a Week 12 starting gig. (We’ll see beyond that.)

He’ll head to San Francisco on Sunday to face an offense that has supplied the ninth-most LB points per game.

Isaiah McDuffie, LB, Green Bay Packers

Isaiah McDuffie

GB LB65 Sun 1:00 PM vs MIN

Bye5

3D PPR Proj3

3D Value-37

Here’s a speculative one for now. LB Quay Walker left Sunday’s game with a shoulder stinger. We’ll have to see about his status for a Week 12 home date with the Vikings. Those don’t tend to be serious injuries but can cost a game at times.

If Walker can’t go, then McDuffie would start next to Edgerrin Cooper. McDuffie showed his upside Sunday, leading the team with 11 tackles (including a half-sack). 

McDuffie also showed that upside last season, with games of 10 and 15 total tackles among his five games of 80+% snap shares.

Jordan Poyer, S, Buffalo Bills

Jordan Poyer

BUF S Thu 8:15 PM @ HOU

Bye7

3D PPR Proj4.9

3D Value-46.1

Poyer’s weekly snap shares reveal the Bills wavering some in their replacement plan for S Taylor Rapp:

• 74%
• 57%
• 81%
• 83%

The past two weeks have given Poyer enough to collect 8 tackles against Miami (on a day of limited defensive volume for Buffalo) and then 15 tackles and a pass breakup against the busier Bucs.

This Thursday night holes a Houston matchup that has proved generous with passes defensed over the past two weeks (11 total for opponent DBs) and with tackle opportunities all season.

Dane Belton, S, New York Giants

Dane Belton

NYG DB159 Sun 1:00 PM @ DET

Bye14

3D PPR Proj7.3

3D Value-46.1

Belton presents modest IDP value outside of tackle-heavy scoring. But Sunday marked his third start in the past four weeks thanks to safety injuries.

Belton’s 7 tackles (5 solo) against the Packers didn’t stand out. But he racked up 33 tackles across weeks 7-9, a span that included his other two starts plus a high-volume relief appearance.

We’ll watch the status of Tyler Nubin’s injured neck this week. If he can’t go, Belton would get another start against a tackle-rich Detroit offense.

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Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.