Eyes of the Guru IDP Info: Week 13

Guru's IDP Notes: Arizona Cardinals

Rookie safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson appears to have a bright future. The question is, how soon does it start? We got our first look at him in week ten when Jalen Thompson was out with a sore ankle. In his two starts, Taylor-Demerson is 11-4 with 3 passes defended. That includes a team-leading 6-3 against the Seahawks in week twelve. Most importantly, he was as solid on the field as in the box scores.

Thompson is considered questionable again this week. It is generally assumed that he will return to the starting lineup once the sore ankle allows it, but that is not written in stone. The rookie has been impressive. So much so that if you picked him up last week, it might be a good idea to sit tight and see what happens when Thompson returns. By the way, Arizona plays Seattle again in week 14 when the second bye-magedon hits.   

Jesse Luketa showed up with a solid 3-0-1 against Seattle. There could be something here in the future so he is worth keeping an eye on. For now, he is working as the third man and played 22 snaps in week twelve.

Guru's IDP Notes: Baltimore Ravens

With Roquan Smith nursing a sore hamstring, it was supposed to be Trenton Simpson's opportunity to shine. He did so early in the game, recording three solo stops right out of the shoot. Simpson then vanished from the stat sheet for the rest of the game. When all the numbers were in, he was 3-0 on 30 snaps while Malik Harrison stole the spotlight. Harrison totaled 7-6 on 72% of the action, while Chris Board went 2-2 while poaching 37 snaps from Simpson. With no guarantee that Smith will be available for week 13, we will want to follow up on this situation as the week progresses.

Kyle Hamilton was unstoppable and matchup-proof early in the season. Indeed, the only team that could stop him was the Ravens. With their struggles versus the pass, the coaching staff looked at all their options. What they seem to have settled on is moving Hamilton to the deep safety alignment more often. We can pass off some of his poor production (2-1) versus Los Angeles because the Chargers are the game's worst matchup for safeties. On the other hand, Ar'Darius Washington managed 4 solo stops against them. This could be a problem for Hamilton managers on the eve of the playoffs.

Guru's IDP Notes: Carolina Panthers

Many IDP managers have turned to streaming starters at the corner position. If you are among them, see if Jaycee Horn is available this week. He is coming off back-to-back games with six solo stops and 12 fantasy points and has a strong matchup this week against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the eighth most points to the corner position. If this stream works out, it might be a good idea to keep him for the rest of the ride as well. The Eagles are a middle-of-the-road matchup in week 14, but the Panthers get Dallas in week 15 and a rematch with Tampa Bay in week 17. Dallas has allowed the second most points to corners on the season.   

Guru's IDP Notes: Chicago Bears

The numbers say that Minnesota is a mediocre matchup for safeties. Don't tell that to Kevin Byard III or Jonathan Owens, who were the top-scoring Chicago defenders at 18 and 16 points in week twelve. Owens will likely go back to the bench when Elijah Hicks returns from his ankle injury, but Byard should be in our lineups the rest of the way. He has nine or more points in nine of the last ten games, with remaining games against Detroit twice, San Francisco, a rematch with the Vikings, who he was just 11-2 against, and the Seahawks in week 17. San Francisco and Seattle are the top two matchups for safeties.

Owens may not be an NFL starter, but the guy makes plays when he's on the field. He could get another start or two before Hicks is healthy.

Jaylen Johnson didn't make a box score splash but did an outstanding job while working against Justin Jefferson most of the day. Johnson held Jefferson to 2 catches for 37 yards, his lowest production of the season. 

Guru's IDP Notes: Cincinnati Bengals

There are a couple of fringe guys I like against the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh only allows about half a sack per game to the defensive tackle position. However, at a rate of nearly 14 combined stops per game, they are still a solid matchup. That bodes well for B.J. Hill's chances of a solid week.

The other guy I like here is Cam Taylor-Britt. Mike Tomlin is a master at exploiting an opponent's weakness. So far this year, Taylor-Britt has been just that for Cincinnati. Look for Russell Wilson to pick on him often, including some deep shots. Call it a gut feeling, but I expect a busy day for Taylor-Britt.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cleveland Browns

Myles Garrett owned the highlight reel with three sacks and a forced fumble against the Steelers on Thursday. Ogbo Okoronkwo was not much of a factor at 1-2, but it is important to note that he had a 70% play share. Even though there have been consistency issues, Garrett is a must-start for anyone who has him. With a week 13 game against a Denver team that's given up the third-fewest points to edge defenders, Okoronkwo should be out of consideration for this one. That said, Cleveland has the Steelers, Chiefs, and Dolphins between weeks 14 and 17. All of those teams are solid or better match-ups for edge players.

Guru's IDP Notes: Dallas Cowboys

Caelen Carson posted ten points in each of his three starts on the season. With injuries to the Cowboys starters, it seemed he would be in line for another opportunity. Not only did the coaching staff go in a different direction, but Carson was a healthy scratch. Instead, the team went with second-year undrafted free agent Josh Butler. Washington took the bait and picked on him throughout the game, leading to a huge stat line of 10-2-1 with 3 passes defended. The Cowboys' remaining schedule presents an excellent string of matchups for the corner position, including the Giants, Bengals, Panthers, and Buccaneers, All of which are top-ten in points allowed to corner. The problem is that Da'Ron Bland returned last week, and Trevon Diggs could be back for week 13.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Denver Broncos

Riley Moss left Sunday's game with an MCL injury. Coach Payton had a good update on Monday. The injury is not serious, and the team will see how this week goes. With Denver on bye in week 14, Moss would have three weeks to heal if he sits. Levi Wallace would replace Moss but bump Ja'Quan McMillan up a little for this week.

Drew Sanders was activated from the PUP list and will begin practicing. With Denver on bye next week, his first game action will likely come in week 15.

Guru's IDP Notes: Detroit Lions

Malcolm Rodriguez did not disappoint in his expanded role. He was 7-1 on 89% of the snaps and may have played a few more had he not been banged up late in the game. No one is talking about an injury so he's probably fine, but keep an eye on him ahead of Thursday's games.  

The Lions added David Long Jr. last week. He had a minor role, playing 13 snaps despite the short time with the team. It is unclear if Long presents a threat to Rodriguez. We'll have to see if Long's playing time increases with a full week of practice but unless Rodriguez is banged up, I'm not expecting to see much of Long.

Detroit should get rookie corner Terrion Arnold back after he missed week twelve, but they could be without Carlton Davis. Davis left Sunday's game with a knee injury and was not practicing early in the week. Kendal Vildor got the start for Arnold against the Colts and would likely slide over to cover for Davis if the veteran is out.

Guru's IDP Notes: Green Bay Packers

San Francisco's offensive struggles led to slim pickings for Packers defenders, especially the three safeties. San Francisco ran 14 times for 39 yards and Brandon Allen completed 17 passes. Javon Bullard still managed to tie Quay Walker for the team tackle lead at 6-1. There should be a lot more opportunity this week when they face off with Miami.