Wire Me This (IDP: Week 9)

11/03/2009 5:37 PM -  Mike Woellert

Week 9 is upon us and you’re probably thinking to yourself, are there anymore viable IDP options on the wire at this point?  I am here to say….yes.  Depending on your league size, there still should be some viable options on the wire for your squad.  Pickens might be slim but, there’s always a diamond in the rough:

Defensive Lineman

1. Calais Campbell (ARI)

2. Randy Spears (MIA)

3. Ray Edwards (MIN)

4. Matt Shaughnessy (OAK)

5. Robaire Smith/Kenyon Coleman (CLE)

Calais Campbell is coming off back to back weeks with at least a .5 sack (1 sack last week, .5 sack this week) but, he also threw in 8 total tackles.  Campbell is someone to grab if you’ve had some inconsistent play at your DE spot this season.  I even like the match-up with the Bears this week.  Randy Spears was pegged as a sleeper this week and delivered the goods with a 7 tackle/1 sack performance in week 8.  I think he makes a nice add in deeper leagues if you’re looking for DE help.  Ray Edwards is the other end in Minnesota that doesn’t get the headlines like that Jared Allen fella but, is still a consistent source of tackles and sacks.  He’s definitely someone that should be added and has DE2 upside the remainder of the season.  Matt Shaughnessy is an interesting add as he could fill-in for Greg Ellis, as it’s unknown how long he’ll be out due to recent knee surgery.  He was able to turn in a 5 tackle/1 sack performance in week 8, so keep an eye on Ellis’s status during the bye week.  Robaire Smith and Kenyon Coleman are also guys that could be worth looks in deeper leagues.

Linebackers

1. Nick Roach (CHI)

2. David Thornton (TEN)

3. Jason Taylor (MIA)

4. Leroy Hill (SEA)

5. Chris Draft (BUF)

Nick Roach seems to be maintaing his value and production, even moving back to the strong-side spot.  If someone dropped him after Hunter Hillenmeyer came back to the MLB, he seems like a good bet for production.  David Thornton bounced back after the bye week (and a poor performance before that) and had a huge week 8, delivering a sack and 7 total tackles.  If you need LB help, he makes a nice addition for bench depth and has a decent match-up with the 49′ers in week 9.  Jason Taylor should be picked up in leagues that reward more for big plays rather than tackles.  He should be for sacks but can be inconsistent when it comes to tackles.  If someone dropped Leroy Hill, I think he’s safe to pick back up now that’s back at the weak-side.  If David Hawthorne or Aaron Curry aren’t available, Hill still makes a fine addition.  Chris Draft appears to be the every-down strong-side backer, as he appears to have taken the spot from Keith Ellison.

Defensive Backs

1. Jabari Greer (NOS)

2. Jairus Byrd (BUF)

3. Brodney Pool (CLE)

4. Reggie Nelson (JAC)

5. Terrance Newman (DAL)

As I’ve always said, the DB position can be extremely volatile and inconsistent. Jabari Greer seems to have established himself as a big play corner in New Orleans and is a solid play and addition in leagues that use a specific DB spot.  In most tackle heavy format, he’s a top 15 DB at this point.  I think Jairus Byrd should be owned in a lot of leagues already but, if he’s not, grab him.  Since week 5, he’s put up solid numbers in most tackle heavy formats and is looking like a good bet to be a top 20-25 DB.  Brodney Pool has seen his tackle numbers go up since week 6 and he’s contributing big plays, as well.  He’s got a pick in 2 of the last weeks and looks to be a decent add in deeper leagues if you need safety help.  Reggie Nelson and Terrance Newman are fliers at this point since they can be so up and down in terms of consistency.  Newman looks like a decent addition in big play leagues at this point.