Week 17 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups – PERFORMANCE RESULTS

Welcome to the final edition for the season of “IDP Waiver Wire Pickups – Performance Results” where I examine how accurate I was in my Weekly IDP Waiver Wire suggestions from the previous week. The scoring system is as follows:

Green = Accurate Prediction (+1 point)
Golden Yellow = Neutral Prediction (0 points)
Red = Inaccurate Prediction (-1 point)

My goal and standard will be to finish each and every week with a total score of +2 or higher.

DL

“The Untouchables”:
Jared Allen (88%)
Elvis Dumervil (67%)
Julius Peppers (65%)
Trent Cole (62%)

Justin Tuck (57%)

Mario Williams (5
5%)
Robert Mathis (48%)
INJURED (OUT)
Osi Umenyiora (47%)
Andre Carter (46%)
Darnell Dockett (42%)

1. LDE Calais Campbell (Actual Performance: 2-0-0)

I’ll let Campbell slide on this sub par performance since he has been relatively consistent throughout the year.

2. RDE Vonnie Holliday (Actual Performance: 1-0-0)
Holliday obviously didn’t stay at a “Holliday Inn” last night otherwise he would have produced more than one frickin’ tackle.

3. RDE Randy Starks(Actual Performance: 3-1-1)
Starks finished his year on a strong note by registering his seventh sack of the season. In my opinion, Starks played well enough to go to the Pro Bowl but when your name is “Randy Starks” you have to put up more than 7 sacks.

4. LDE Mathius Kiwanuka (Actual Performance: 2-2-0)
Man, did the Giants lay down in this game or what (44-0). I honestly think the Giants lost on purpose to prevent the Cowboys from obtaining the #2 seed in the playoffs. They hate the Cowboys that much. Pretty much every player on the Giants played like poop and Kiwanuka was no exception.

5. LDT Eric Foster(Actual Performance: 1-2-0)
This is the risk you take when you select a player on a team that has nothing to play for; I thought Foster may be motivated to prove himself to the coaching staff but obviously that didn’t work out too well.

*The IDP Guru’s Lock of the Week*
RDE Jonathan Fanene(Actual Performance: 3-1-0)

The Bengals played with absolutely no emotion or intensity in this game. How can’t you sack Mark Sanchez even once? Maybe because you weren’t trying.

LB

“The Untouchables”:
Patrick Willis (98%)
James Harrison (89%)

Ray Lewis (83%)

Jon Beason (82%)

London Fletcher (78%)
Barrett Rudd (72%)
D.J. Williams (70%)
Demarcus Ware (70%)
Brian Cushing (66%) – INJURED (QUESTIONABLE)
Kirk Morrison (61%)
David Harris (61%)
Curtis Lofton (58%)
DeMeco Ryans (58%)

Jonathan Vilma (57%)
Karlos Dansby (56%)

1. MLB Jasper Brinkley(Actual Performance: 4-1-0) 
All things considered, Brinkley actually had a decent game. The Vikings defense was on the field for what seemed like 20 minutes the whole game thanks to a pathetic offensive performance by Eli Manning and company.

2. LILB James Farrior(Actual Performance: 6-1-0)
Farrior had the game I predicted he would have. In other words, HE WAS WHO I THOUGHT HE WAS! The Dolphins once again proved to be a fantasy linebackers best friend this week. Farrior had a good game and LOLB LaMarr Woodley registered two sacks.

3. WLB Andra Davis (Actual Performance: 3-3-0)
I was correct in my prediction that the Broncos would get a heavy dose of Jamaal Charles and Davis did have 6 total tackles. However, three of those were assists. A decent day of fantasy production from Davis, but it could have been better.

4. MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer (Actual Performance: 5-1-0)
Hillenmeyer had a decent end to a pretty good fantasy year. In my scoring system, Hillenmeyer had 10 or more fantasy points every week from week 8 to the end of the season. It will be interesting to see if his role expands at all next year.

5. WLB Geno Hayes(Actual Performance: 12-0-1)
I love it when a hunch pays off. I mentioned in my waiver wire article that Hayes had a mediocre matchup against the Falcons but that I expected him to have a huge game regardless. And, boy, did he (12 solo tackles and a sack). This is the type of game in week 17 that can win you the championship!

*The IDP Guru’s Lock(s) of the Week*

MLB Stephen Tulloch(Actual Performance: 8-1-0)
Tulloch capped off a career-year with a very strong performance against the Seahawks. After all was said and done, Tulloch finished the season with 94 solo tackles, 27 assists, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Those sound like LB1 numbers to me! It will be interesting to see where Tulloch ends up next year with him being an unrestricted free agent. Something to keep your eye on.
DB

“The Untouchables”:
Charles Woodson (68%)
Brian Dawkins (61%) 
Antrel Rolle (58%) – INJURED (QUESTIONABLE)
Darren Sharper (57%)
Roman Harper (53%)

Eric Weddle (53%) – INJURED (QUESTIONABLE)
Brandon Meriweather (52%)
Erik Coleman (50%)
Gibril Wilson (49%) 
Yeremiah Bell (49%)
Charles Tillman (46%) – INJURED (OUT)
Bernard Pollard (46%)
Troy Polamalu (46%) – INJURED (QUESTIONABLE)
Tyvon Branch (44%)

1. SS Chinedum “Nedu” Ndukwe (Actual Performance: 3-3-0)
I’m actually surprised that Ndukwe registered six total tackles. The Bengals obviously weren’t trying to win this game and it showed. The Bengals players on both sides of the ball looked like a bunch of amateurs and it made for a crappy game to watch. The NFL competition committee seriously needs to look into how these Week 17 games are played.

2. LCB Antoine Winfield (Actual Performance: 2-0-0)
Winfield’s lack of production wasn’t really any fault of his own. Number one, he was playing through a fairly serious injury and therefore his playing time was limited. Number two, the Vikings defense was barely on the field because of the Giants offense sucking so bad.

3. RCB Jacob Lacey (Actual Performance: 5-1-0)
I’m pretty satisfied with the numbers that Lacey put up. You really can’t expect much more out of a cornerback of his caliber. Especially against the Bills.
4. LCB Brent Grimes (Actual Performance: 2-0-0, INT)
Grimes came through for his owners with an interception. This was his third straight game with an interception. Grimes will be a restricted free agent moving into next year’s season.

5. RCB Ronde Barber(Actual Performance: 2-0-0)
This was a disappointing game for Barber. He only managed a measly two solo tackles in this contest. It was his first game with less than four solo tackles since Week 5.

*The IDP Guru’s Lock of the Week*
SS Mike “Michelle” Brown(Actual Performance: 1-3-0)
There’s the Michelle Brown that we have all loved to hate in the IDP world. When fantasy owners needed him most, Brown lays a turd like this one. This is why I generally avoid Mike Brown in my fantasy drafts. He’s just too inconsistent for my tastes.


After totaling up all of the points, I finished this week with a score of 0 (9 positives and 9 negatives). In other words, this means I was correct on 50% of my predictions.

This was my worst week of the year for obvious reasons. It was week 17 and many of the players I recommended were either on teams that rested players or teams that didn’t give a crap about the game and laid down and died.

In my opinion, fantasy leagues shouldn’t play all the way until week 17. It’s just too much of a crapshoot at that point in the season. However, I’m personally not too upset seeing as I came from behind and won the league championship this year in one of my leagues during this final week of the season.

I’ve had a great time recommending IDP players this year and can’t wait until next year starts! I will continue to write articles during the “off-season” both here on my blog as well as the other websites I work for (Top Fantasy Football and Fantasy Football Maniaxs). I will also be hosting an IDP podcast with my fellow FFManiaxs IDP colleague, Sean Haugh. The dates and times are still to be determined, but I will let everyone know when those decisions are made. We will be discussing IDP free agent movement and the fantasy implications those bring as well as defensive coaching changes and scheme changes.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have concerning Fantasy Football IDP. Good luck and I hope everyone has a joyous and productive new year!

Thanks,
Ryan Sitzmann (The IDP Guru)