Week 10: IDP Sleepers
DE Paul Spicer, ---
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How does a player with 6 sacks in 8 games get overlooked? Simple: he plays on a line with two Pro-Bowlers. With most of the focus in Jacksonville this week being on Marcus Stroud's impending suspension for (allegedly) using steroid-related products, Spicer could sneak into the limelight by upstaging his more acclaimed line-mates. Don't be fooled into thinking that Stroud's absence will dramatically weaken the inside of the Jaguars' D; John Henderson and a rotation of Rob Meier (1.5 sacks as a sub in the past two weeks) with the mammoth Grady Jackson should sufficiently compensate by soaking up blocks and keeping Spicer locked into those one-on-one matchups that he's been enjoying all season long.
DE Darryl Tapp, ---
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Tapp exploded onto the IDP scene this year with an incredible 4-sack performance in week 7 against an (admittedly) over matched St. Louis offensive line. With bigger names garnering interest at a position that's very much "feast or famine" in IDP leagues, there's a good chance that Tapp is still available. The 4-sack mark isn't something he's liable to reach during another game this season, but he's still playing at a very high level and will have an increased pass-rushing responsibility this weekend if Patrick Kerney – who suffered a strained oblique against Cleveland – is unable to go. The 49ers could certainly leave the door open for plenty of big opportunities this Sunday.
LB Elvis Dumervil, ---
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Barely eligible for the "sleeper" designation, Dumervil is already one and a half sacks away from matching his 2006 total. There's a good chance he could meet and pass that threshold with a multi-sack game against Kansas City. Larry Johnson is unlikely to play for the Chiefs this weekend, so the Denver defense will be able to focus their attention on stopping the passing game. Dumervil isn't much of a factor against the run, but he thrives at rushing the passer – something he'll be doing plenty of on Sunday. He's essentially worthless in tackle-heavy leagues, but is a potential star in big play IDP formats.
LB Scott Fujita, ---
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This one's only for the most desperate owners, but he is on a hot streak right now and might be worth picking up if you're in a deep league and are in need of linebacker help. New Orleans is more than a decade and a half removed from their last star linebacker and Fujita will remind absolutely no one of Pat Swilling, but he is the best option in a typically sub par Saints' crop. He is the team leader in tackles and sometimes a healthy starting linebacker – regardless of his pedigree – is enough to assist your struggling IDP squad.
LB Landon Johnson, ---
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Common sense tells us to avoid Bengal linebackers right now. Yet, while the team tries to compensate for the loss of Ahmad Brooks*, Landon Johnson has been quietly taking advantage of his greatly increased tackling opportunities. Teams know that the Bengals are soft in their linebacking corps, so they haven't been afraid to test them and Johnson has, basically, benefited from his own unit's poor reputation. He'll continue to rake in the stats against Baltimore this weekend, though it'll be more a matter of propitious circumstance than his modest abilities as a playmaker.
*Brooks was placed on IR this week, in spite of numerous reports over the past month that suggested he was on the road to recovery.
