Think IDP leagues are the way to go? Then Ballhawkin' is for you. Here, we pick out a few Individual Defensive Players that could have huge weeks and are possibly sitting in your free-agent pool.Our lead linebacker in last week's column was Antonio Pierce, who in successive weeks had seven, eight and nine total tackles in three weeks heading into last week's game. He continued the pattern in Week 7, recording 10 total tackles while having a great day for anyone brave enough to start him.
Looking for more plug-and-play defenders this week? We have six more listed below.
Linebackers
1. Justin Durant, Jaguars (18% owned). You likely soured on Durant after his zero-point games in Weeks 5 and 6. Have no fear now, because after a bye in Week 7, Durant is back and ready to again dominate IDP leagues. He's totaled 35 tackles in his four games played at the beginning of the season, and look for him to average 9-10 tackles the rest of the way. He's the immediate add for teams hurting at linebacker.
2. Andra Davis, Broncos (7% owned). Davis started the season on fire but has cooled off recently, recording just a total of eight tackles in his last two games. But those two came against the pass-happy offenses of New England and San Diego, while this game is against the more balanced Ravens offense. I'm expecting the tackle total to rebound back to the 8-10 range, which would definitely be helpful to anyone with an LB on bye.
3. Kaluka Maiava, Browns (1% owned). With D'Qwell Jackson out for the year, the linebacker load falls to a couple of rookies. If Eric Barton is available in your league, he should be added before either first-year player, but if you play in a deep IDP league, Maiava isn't a bad selection for you. He followed a six-tackle, one-forced fumble game in Week 6 with a five-tackle game in Week 7. With the Browns defense on the field more often that not, Maiava has the opportunity to post a big total in fantasy leagues.
Defensive Backs
1. George Wilson, Bills (14% owned). With Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott out of the lineup, Wilson has been a godsend for teams willing to pick him up, which has been plenty since he's up 11% from last week's Ballhawkin'. Over the Bills' last four games Wilson has 36 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. That's a great month. The good news (for Wilson owners, at least) is that Whitner and Scott will both miss yet another game, which means Wilson should have at least one more great performance in him.2. Dashon Goldson, 49ers (5% owned). Despite five straight solid fantasy performances, Goldson still finds himself in free agency in 19 out of 20 leagues. Which is odd, because he's been a top-20 DB most of the season, thanks to consistently high tackle totals. I've picked him up in most of my IDP leagues, as I expect the consistency to continue. Against Indianapolis, I expect Goldson to see increased tackle opportunities thanks to Peyton Manning's accuracy.
Defensive Lineman
1. Cliff Avril, Lions (6% owned). Since suffering a hamstring injury and missing Weeks 2 and 3, Avril has been on fire, recording at least half a sack in each of his last three games, and 6.5 tackles in his last game against Green Bay. Going up against the sad-sack Rams, I think Avril will pick up another sack (or two) while still maintaining a solid tackle total. In leagues that require DL starters, that's golden.
