Howdy there RushNation, I hope all of your week 14 IDP dreams came true. In a week where we saw eleven different players sack the quarterback twice, week 14 was full of surprises. I found a few notes and odd stats when looking for the streamers this week and thought I would share. If you are curious about last weeks streamers click here (Stats/notes do not include Monday Night Football)

 

• Cleveland’s edge rusher Takkarist McKinley led his team in total pressures (8) and was third in the NFL in week 14. 
• Dawuane Smoot hit the quarterback three times (tied for first this week); something to smile at in Jacksonville. 
• C.J. Mosley leads all players in tackles for the second week in a row.
• Washington’s own Cole Holcomb leads all defensive players in total snaps with eighty-five
• Ahkello Witherspoon was the only player to intercept the opposing quarterback multiple times (2).

 

In the past three weeks, Tampa Bay and Dallas lead the NFL in total dropbacks with one-hundred and thirty-seven. 

Also, in these past three weeks, Joe Mixon (Bengals) leads the NFL in rushing attempts with sixty-five; just behind him is Antonio Gibson (Football Team) with sixty-three. The higher the volume on the offensive side of the ball usually means more opportunity for IDP scoring.

 

With that said, welcome back to my Individual Defensive Player (IDP) arcadia. If you are competing in the playoffs for the first week this season, allow me to give you congratulations. If this is your second week, godspeed warrior, and best of luck to you.

My weekly purpose is to find you the top defensive fantasy streamers. 

Shedding light on different players that could potentially give you the edge on a position you may have been otherwise doubtful of is my aim. 

Nothing is worse than reading a streaming column and realizing most of the players in the article are already rostered. I select players under 8% rostered (via Yahoo) to avoid this. 

Together, we will help your IDP roster, shock your leagues, and expand our knowledge of players otherwise forgotten in the “Fantasy Realm.”

 

WEEKLY STREAMERS

(DL) Bilal Nichols – CHI @ MIN – 0% Rostered- (2.63 projection)

 

Last week against the Packers, Bilal tied his season-high of pressures with three. This week the Bears travel to division rival Minnesota who can beat teams with a pass or run. Opposing quarterback Kirk Cousins’ completion percentage drops almost 30% when under pressure (46.9%). If Nichols sees more time on the field, it mainly assists with the interior pass rush. Definitely a wildcard play here, but one that could land big for your IDP roster.

 

(DL) D.J. Reader – CIN @ DEN – 3% Rostered- (2.91 projection)

 

D.J. is usually good for a few tackles, and his pass and defensive rush numbers fluctuate with the opponent’s game plan. In his last two games, D.J. has logged over forty snaps a game. In the past three weeks, Denver’s running back, Javonte Williams, has rushed the third most attempts in the NFL. Not to mention his Veteran counterpart, Melvin Gordon, eclipsed the one-hundred-yard mark against the Lions this past week. Opposing Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been known to shy away from the deep play, so I like the matchup this week for Reader as the ball should stay closer to the line of scrimmage.

 

(LB) Tyus Bowser – BAL vs. GB – 1% Rostered- (4.18 projection)

 

Last week against the Browns, Bowser put pressure on Baker Mayfield four times and broke up one of his passes. Bowser is a very aggressive edge backer who can really spice up your IDP roster when he has a big game. This season, Bowser has two two-sack games and could be a difference-maker in a massive game at home this week. Tyus will line up on the interior when the Ravens are in the Nickel package, so anything underneath could be a play for him as well. 

 

(LB) Keanu Neal – DAL @ NYG – 7% Rostered- (5.43 projection)

 

Neal is a converted safety-playing linebacker and rarely used in Dallas’ pass rush. His tackles will vary from two to five on a typical week, which is fine, but I believe he will be heavily targeted this week against the Giants. Engram and Shepard both have been targeted around fifty times this season. Those two line up in the bulk of the Giants’ slot position; if it is on Neal’s side, he could be in for a decent amount of defensive targets.

 

(DB) Talanoa Hufanga – SF vs. ATL – 0% Rostered- (2.96 projection)

 

The rookie out of San Francisco has been a local favorite and seems to impact the game more and more as the season progresses. Hufanga plays with a chip on his shoulder; with that said, he is aggressively used in pass protection, not so much in the pass rush as he has only three total quarterback pressures on the season. The 49ers travel to Atlanta this week who attempt to pass the ball sixty-two percent of the time. The 49ers use Hufanga in a variety of ways. He should be able to find you a good amount of points this week against a struggling Atlanta offense.

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

(DL) Austin Johnson – NYG vs. DAL – 6% Rostered – (4.25 projection)

(LB) Jermaine Carter – CAR @ BUF – 0% Rostered- (4.54 projection)

(DB) Paulson Adebo – NO @ TB – 2% Rostered- (3.20 projection)

That is all I have for this upcoming week; a thousand thank yous for sticking with me and reading. Good luck this week, and I hope to see you again next week. My line is always open; via Twitter, I always welcome feedback of any sort! Here’s to week15, and as always, happy streaming Rush Nation. Cheers.