Things are getting hot and heavy in Week 11. Four teams are coming off a bye and as many teams are idle. The deeper we get, the more important it is to nail those sleepers on waivers.
Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.
Defensive linemen
DE Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders
The 2021 third-round pick has reached the quarterback in two straight weeks. He had four tackles in Week 9 and two tackles and a forced fumble in Week 10 to go with the solo sacks in each game. Rushing opposite of Maxx Crosby is clearly opening things up for him, and Koonce is taking advantage.
DE Dorance Armstrong, Dallas Cowboys
The sixth-year man has at least a half-sack in three straight games. He has only seven tackles in that stretch, so Armstrong will be more useful in a deeper league or one that awards more points for sacks. He has the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders to wreak havoc in the backfield on the next two weeks.
Linebackers
LB Harold Landry, Tennessee Titans
Over the last four games, Landry has three boomers and one bust. He had five tackles and a sack in Week 6, five tackles and two sacks in Week 8, a single assisted tackle in Week 9 and nine tackles and a sack last week. Buyer beware, and he’ll be more valuable in leagues that designate EDGE rushers, but the production is there.
LB Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets
Sherwood had a breakout game in Week 10 with seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defense. He had a seven-tackle game earlier in the year, but he really hasn’t done much, and there’s a risk that this game was a fluke. At this point in the season, though, you take that chance.
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LB Christian Harris, Houston Texans
Harris has had five tackles in each of the last two weeks, which is so-so. But the league suspended starting LB Denzel Perryman three games for personal foul violations. That should bump up Harris’ playing time even more, and he’s worth the pickup.
Defensive backs
SS Jordan Whitehead, New York Jets
Whitehead has returned to fantasy relevance the last three weeks. He opened the season with three big weeks and went into the tank for about a month. He had eight tackles and a deflection in Week 8, four tackles and a pass defensed in Week 9 and nine tackles, an INT and PD in Week 10.
FS Percy Butler, Washington Commanders
The second-year man had his best game as a pro last week with nine tackles and a pass defense. Over the last three weeks, he has 19 tackles and three pass defenses. Give him a look in case this is more coming of age than a blip on the map.
FS Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints
He’s on a bye this week, so keep him on your watch list or give him a look in deeper leagues. But the Honey Badger is playing his best football of the year. He had six tackles and a PD in Week 9 and eight tackles in Week 10. He has the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams coming up, and he could stuff the stat sheet with tackles and picks.
