IDP Stock Market Week 8

Photo: Imagn Images

Have you survived the season thus far? Fantasy Football, at times, is a giant survivor pool of players that either contribute to or clog up your roster. When you get to the end of the single-digit weeks, it gives you that sense of urgency that the season is closer to playoff time than Week 1. Do you have the horses to finish the race? This marathon is coming into its third of four turns. Are you a front-running Mustang or biding your time navigating a fast field? Now is the time to begin taking those risks you've been putting off. It's chips in the middle time here! Here we go with the Week 8 Stock Market! Ring that bell!

The Fortune 5

Camryn Bynum: While it may be too early to predict the demise of Harrison Smith, IDP fans will note that the true leader of the safety position on the Minnesota Vikings is currently Bynum. While the margin is close with his counterpart, Bynum has played all but one snap this season. With more snaps, we get more opportunities for points, and Bynum has been no stranger to that. He has 69 total tackles and four defended passes to his name and is currently far and away the #1 safety in IDP. He hasn't yet had his bye week, to be fair, but my money is on him to be hovering around that top spot for weeks to come.

Bradley Chubb: After what was a pedestrian start for Chubb, he has exploded over the past three weeks. Through Week 4, he was sitting at 14 total tackles and just one sack. A modest opening quarter for a man viewed as the team's elite pass-rushing threat. In the three games following these stats, he has 20 tackles and three sacks with two forced fumbles. He is on a tear and has admittedly benefitted from three straight games against offensive lines that have given points up to defensive ends in bunches (ranks 30th, 25th, and 20th, respectively), but faces a statuesque Mac Jones next week. This tear should continue for a bad, bad man!

Tremaine Edmunds: In the first Edmunds breakdown of the week, I present LB1 for the Chicago Bears, Tremaine Edmunds to you. Edmunds has had a great season, a season in which he is pacing for career highs in tackles, interceptions, and recovered fumbles. That may be a lot of fluff from “boom” stats, but the tackle numbers speak for themselves. He is the no doubt best linebacker option for the team (sorry Sanborn fans, that train has left), and is showing us that new teams can be even better for a player than we once thought. Considering last season was his worst as a pro, it is good to see Edmunds reach above where he once was in just his first seven games with his new team.

Jerome Baker: A very under-the-radar performer in IDP has been Jerome Baker. He has consistently been a quality LB2 with LB1 potential throughout his five-year career. He is the type of player that will not lose you games but can win you one now and again. One of these games happened last week. Sure, he benefitted from a pick-six, but that was in addition to his 11-tackle performance. He is just 26 years old and may be a great sell-high player if you want to rebuild. He is one of those unique players who could win both managers a trade he is involved in. Baker isn't a guy to build around but a quality piece to have as a compliment to your star players.

Terrel Bernard: When Tremaine Edmunds left to have his career year with the Bears, Bernard was a sneaky IDP acquisition for those savvy enough to get him in the offseason. When Matt Milano went down at the beginning of the year for Buffalo, he became a must-start player. Even before the unfortunate circumstance that befitted Milano, he was having an insane start to the year. He is everything you want in a dynasty IDP player. He is young, has a clear path to snaps, and can do everything on a stat sheet well. He defends the pass at a decent clip, is a tackle-heavy player, and even can get to the quarterback. Something tells me even when Milano returns, we may see Bernard more and more as the focal point of the Bills' defense.