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.I'm hoping you IDP leaguers read last week's column and knew to pick up Jaguars linebacker Justin Durant. Returning from injury, Durant was amazingly available in 82 percent of Fleaflicker leagues last week, which made him an easy feature for our column. Sixteen total tackles (12 solo) later, Durant has added a solid 10 percentage points to his ownership total. For the remaining seven-tenths of you, what are you waiting for?
Other notable features from last week: Andra Davis with nine total tackles and a sack, George Wilson and his 15 total tackles (jump off the train in the second half, though), Dashon Goldson with 10 total tackles (nine solo). Definitely roll with the 20%-owned Goldson and 10%-owned Davis again this week.
Linebackers
1. Akeem Jordan, Eagles (14% owned). Excellent at the beginning of the year (he scored 18.75 points in my IDP league in each of the first two weeks), Jordan has seen a renaissance in recent games. He notched 10 total tackles against Washington in Week 7, then added nine total tackles against the Giants in Week 8. As long as he stays healthy (a problem for Philly 'backers this year), he should continue to have these type of solid efforts.
2. David Hawthorne, Seahawks (9% owned). Remember this guy? I led with him back in Week 4's column after he had an incredible 16 tackles (15 solo) and one interception in Week 3 against Chicago. Lofa Tatupu's injury has moved Hawthorne back into the starting lineup, and he immediately paid dividends for fantasy owners after the Seattle bye, piling up eight tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble against the Cowboys last week. Imagine what he could do against Detroit's inept offense.
3. Dhani Jones, Bengals (5% owned). To be honest, I actually like Jones more than the two 'backers listed above. He was a surprise top-20 linebacker in 2008, and while he hasn't had quite the massive tackle total this year, he's put up useful fantasy stats more often than not. He was a likely bye-week casualty in your league last week, so try and nab him now before another owner beats you to the punch. He has four consecutive double-digit totals in my league.
Defensive Backs
1. C.C. Brown, Giants (19% owned). Brown admitted recently his performance has been a big reason for the Giants' defensive woes. Teams have taken to throwing at Brown as much as possible in recent weeks, which is bad for the G-Men, but good for your fantasy team. Brown had two consecutive games with double-digit tackles in Weeks 6 and 7 before the Philly receivers ran right past him in Week 8 and left his IDP total wanting. A "rebound" against the Chargers should bring the tackle total right back up.**Brown has lost the starting job to Aaron Rouse, who now makes for a solid pickup for a one-week fill-in, as his coverage skills are nothing to write home about.
2. Tanard Jackson, Buccaneers (8% owned). I can't avoid him any longer. It was easy to dismiss a Week 7 outburst in which Jackson created two turnovers and scored a TD -- he only had five tackles that week, and four in the previous week. You need more tackles to be a consistent IDP threat. Last week Jackson came through with eight total tackles, as well as another interception. After the off-week, he faces the Packers, and I expect his tackle numbers to stabilize in the 8-10 range.
Defensive Lineman
1. Stylez G White , Buccaneers (1% owned). Man, that was fun to write. Stylez (nee Greg) turned in his best game of the season in Week 6, tackling eight Panthers while sacking the quarterback once. Far from a one-time performance, he went on to record five total tackles and half a sack in Week 7 against the Patriots before going on a bye last week. He'll face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers this week, and anyone that's watched Rodgers hold on to the ball for several seconds knows that White should have a great chance at a sack or two in this game.
