Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan (knee) was placed on Injured Reserve on Friday for the second time this year, ending his season. Trevathan missed the first four games this year with a knee injury and had 19 tackles in the team's last five games. With top pass-rusher Khalil Mack (foot) having season-ending surgery, the Bears defense is falling apart quickly. As a result, the team brought in veteran outside linebacker Bruce Irvin. He has appeared in 121 NFL games and has 308 tackles, 52 ...

The Chicago Bears and linebacker Danny Trevathan agreed to a three-year contract extension on Thursday, according to sources. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Trevathan has played in just one full season in his four years in Chicago, but he's a key piece of the Bears interior defense when he's on the field. The soon-to-be 30-year-old played in nine games in 2019 due to injury and had 70 tackles (50 solo) and a forced fumble. He tallied a combined 102 tackles and two interceptions ...

With the 2015 NFL Combine in our rear view mirror and the NFL Draft just over two months away, it’s time to continue looking ahead to Individual Defensive Player (IDP) fantasy drafts. Yes, some folks may be inclined to say it’s a wee bit early to be dissecting players and making preliminary draft rankings. To those folks I say, “I live in Michigan and am trying to survive another Polar Vortex so cut a guy some slack!” There, I feel so much better. So let’s take look at some more young linebackers (I know you have already checked out the first installment of this series) who are poised to take that next step in helping to lead IDP squads to fantasy championships. I’ve often joked in past articles that the University of Kentucky is becoming ‘Linebacker U’ over the last few years. Wesley Woodyard and Danny Trevathan have both had varying degrees of fantasy success over the past few seasons. Tennessee’s fifth-round selection in the 2014 draft Avery Williamson is the latest Kentucky linebacker to arrive on the IDP scene. A season ending injury to inside linebacker Zach Brown opened the door for Williamson to hit the field and he acquitted himself very well. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as the 18th-ranked inside linebacker out of a possible 60 graded players. He finished his rookie season with 79 total tackles along with three sacks and two fumble recoveries. More importantly is the fact that over the season’s final eight games Williamson was a three-down linebacker playing 95.2 percent of the snaps. He was credited with four passes defended on the season and reached double-digit tackles in a pair of games. Williamson showed big play potential, racking up those three sacks and being credited with seven quarterback hurries and another three hits. While his coverage skills could use some work, he was serviceable in that capacity and will continue to improve. Williamson is in a great position to flourish as a fantasy option playing under newly signed Dick LeBeau (who was named assistant head coach) as well as returning defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who worked under LeBeau in Pittsburgh from 2002-10. In New York, the Giants had a bit of a revolving door situation at the linebacker position as they scrambled to replace the injured Jon Beason. Beason managed to play only 162 snaps in four ...

Well, if you're reading this article, here in the thirdweek of December, then one of two things has probably happened. Maybe you've made it all the way to your IDP league'schampionship game and are still playing. Normally I'd say that fantasy ownersplaying in a title game likely don't need a Week 16 starter off the waiverwire. Of course, 2014, which shall live in infamy as "The Year of the InjuredLinebacker," has been anything but normal. That was me -- every...stinking...week. It's either that, or you play in a dynasty IDP league,and in the interest of next year not turning out like this year you're combingthe waiver wire for some speculative adds for 2015. That later category is something we'll be hitting a lotmore in the coming weeks as we close the book on 2014 and open 2015's(offseason -- what's an offseason?) but in this, the final (and somewhatabbreviated -- I'm sicker than a dog with my 11th winter cold of thepast month) Department of Defense of 2014, we're going to hit a bit of both,for IDP owners in each boat. So, without further ado, here's one player at each of theIDP positions who can help desperate fantasy owners in Week 16, and another forwhom the best likely isn't coming until we do this all over again next fall. DEFENSIVELINEMEN NOW --Jeremy Mincey, DE, Dallas Cowboys: Playing on his 31stbirthday after the death of a close friend in Sunday night's win over thePhiladelphia Eagles was emotional for Mincey, according to TimMcMahon of ESPN. "He was definitely on my mind," said Mincey."I had to get a sack for my man 'G.' I got one sack for him and one sackfor my birthday." The veteran is admittedly a "Hail Mary" play, but it's worthpointing out that of the 26 sacks allowed by the Indianapolis Colts (this week'sopponent) in 2014, nearly half have come in the past month. LATER-- Kony Ealy, DE, Carolina Panthers: Given the Greg Hardy fiasco,the well-over $10 million that the Panthers invested to get a grand total ofzero defensive snaps from him and Hardy's uncertain future (which could easilyresult in further disciplinary action from the NFL), the 26-year-old's odds ofreturning to Charlotte in 2015 aren't especially good. Ealy didn't show a wholelot in limited snaps as a rookie, but the Panthers second-round pick in May'sdraft is still the most talented of a nondescript group of ends oppositeCharles Johnson. LINEBACKERS NOW --Todd Davis, OLB, Denver Broncos: The Year of the InjuredLinebacker hit the Broncos with a double-whammy in...

If I had a stick and a white handkerchief I would be tempted to start waving that bad boy right about now. Another week and more devastation to the linebacker position. Jerod Mayo is now out for the year and Danny Trevathan barely had time to make a tackle before getting hurt...again. It's a "Travishamockery" I tell ya! Yeah, I stole that from a commercial starring the awesome Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul). Well, quitting is never an option, so we once again head to the waiver wire to plug the holes in our lineups due to the continuing onslaught of injuries. This is where it gets interesting folks as Week 7 approaches and teams make the necessary moves to either bolster lineups (for those 6-0, 5-1 teams) or try and save seasons (for the 1-5, 2-4 squads). Here is a look at some players we like this week to help lead IDP teams to victory... DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Kyle Williams, DT, BUFFALO vs. Minnesota (44): The Vikings are a top matchup for allowing fantasy points to the DL position and Williams is due for a big game. He's playing his second game since sitting out a week with a knee issue and will bring interior pressure this week alongside DT Marcell Dareus . In the last two games, Minnesota has allowed 10 sacks including four to the DT position. This is a great week to start Williams as the Vikings allow pressure on 20.5% of their drop backs and give up three sacks per game. Jeremy Mincey, DE, DALLAS vs. New York Giants (56): The Giants allowed Philadelphia to sack quarterback Eli Manning eight times last week. Four of those sacks went to defensive linemen and Dallas will be pinning their ears back this week. Mincey is coming off his best game of the season last week against Seattle where he put up four total tackles and was credited with five quarterback hurries according to Pro Football Focus. Look for Mincey to rack up his first sack of the season against a reeling Giants offense. Jared Crick, DE, HOUSTON at Pittsburgh (64): Crick has started five of six games at DE while playing 60% of the defensive snaps. He's put up solid tackle numbers with 23 total stops and has added 1 ½ sacks. This week he will be getting after Ben Roethlisberger behind a Steelers line that is allowing 2.8 sacks per game. With J.J. Watt drawing the attention of the offensive line his direction, look for a big day for the kid from Nebraska. Desmond Bryant, DE, CLEVELAND at Jacksonville (48): Bryant has struggled thorough a wrist injury for much of the season and ...

The NFL is down to its "Final Four." With last week's Divisional Round in the books, only the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks remain standing. By the end of this week, we will know the participants for Super Bowl XLVIII in New York on Feb. 2. With only four teams remaining, the pool of Individual Defensive Player (IDP) talent available to fantasy owners in IDP playoff leagues is getting pretty shallow. Not only that, but the format of many of these leagues has left fantasy owners in something of a bind this week. You see, most of those leagues are "survivor"-type affairs. The entire pool of players are available, but you can only use each player once (or sometimes twice). That means that as important it is to find players who will put up a solid score, it's equally crucial that you take into account how you expect the postseason to play out. An easy rule of thumb is this. If you're at or near the top of the leaderboard in your IDP playoff league, then the Super Bowl (and its projected participants) is a significant strategic concern. If you're back in the pack, just shoot for maximum points, and worry about February when it gets here. So, with that in mind here's a look at the top-10 players at each of the "main" IDP positions for the Divisional Round in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Scoring . DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Chandler Jones -- New England at Denver 2.) Rob Ninkovich -- New England at Denver 3.) Justin Smith -- San Francisco at Seattle 4.) Michael Bennett -- Seattle vs. San Francisco 5.) Cliff Avril -- Seattle vs. San Francisco 6.) Chris Jones -- New England at Denver 7.) Robert Ayers -- Denver vs. New England 8.) Ray McDonald -- San Francisco at Seattle 9.) Malik Jackson -- Denver vs. New England 10.) Joe Vellano -- New England at Denver LINEBACKERS 1.) NaVorro Bowman -- San Francisco at Seattle 2.) Bobby Wagner -- Seattle vs. San Francisco 3.) Patrick Willis -- San Francisco at Seattle 4.) Danny Trevathan -- Denver vs. New England 5.) Ahmad Brooks -- San Francisco at Seattle 6.) Aldon Smith -- San Francisco at Seattle 7.) Jamie Collins -- New England at Denver 8.) Shaun Phillips -- Denver vs. New England 9.) Dont'a Hightower -- New England at Denver 10.) Malcolm Smith -- Seattle vs. San Francisco DEFENSIVE BACKS 1.) Kam Chancellor -- Seattle vs. San Francisco 2.) Earl Thomas -- Seattle vs. San Francisco 3.) Eric Reid -- San Francisco at Seattle 4.) Richard Sherman --...

Well folks, this is it. Unless you're one of the weirdos who plays their fantasy football title game in Week 17, if you're reading this that means you are one of two teams remaining in your Individual Defensive Player (IDP) league. Congratulations, and fear not Week 17 weirdos. I am an accepting sort, so we'll be back next week with a final "Studs and Duds" for you folks. However, before you can worry about Week 17 this week must be dealt with, because title game or no, it's win or go home in Week 16. Every lineup decision is incredibly important. That's where "IDP Studs and Duds" comes in. Every week during the 2013 season, I'll point out some individual defensive players who could be set to exceed expectations this week (studs) and some that for whatever reason are riskier plays than usual (duds). This isn't necessarily to say that every "stud" is a must-start (it depends on your other options) or that every "dud" should be glued to your bench (just that the odds of a letdown week are greater than usual). Best of luck in your league's championship game, and have a very Merry Christmas! STUDS Cliff Avril, DE, Seattle (vs. Arizona): The rotation up front in Seattle has made Avril a hit-and-miss IDP option this year. However, the 27-year-old has at least half a sack in seven of his past eight games, and Arizona has been a top-5 IDP matchup for defensive linemen this season. Marcell Dareus, DT, Buffalo (vs. Miami): With 63 tackles and 7½ sacks this year, Dareus ranks second among defensive tackles in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Scoring . There's an excellent chance Dareus ends the season strong this week against a Miami team that has allowed the most sacks in the NFL this year. Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami (at Buffalo): Vernon has been as hot as any defensive lineman out there over the past month, ranking inside the top-5 defensive linemen since Week 10. There's no reason to think the fun will stop this week against Buffalo, who have surrendered the most fantasy points to defensive linemen in 2013. Nick Roach, MLB, Oakland (at San Diego): After Roach laid an egg last week, it may be hard to stomach the idea of starting him in a championship game. However, the Chargers are a top-5 fantasy matchup for linebackers, and Roach had 13 total tackles the first time these teams met this season. Danny Trevathan, OLB, Denver (at Houston): Houston may be a five-alarm dumpster fire this year, but that hasn't stopped the team from giving up the most fantasy ...

For most fantasy leagues, this is the final week before the playoffs begin. Teams are scratching and clawing for every advantage to get to the big dance. With three games taking place on Thanksgiving and this article not being published until the Friday after Thanksgiving, the talent pool was definitely compromised. That's why I love my job so much, as finding these sleeper candidates was by no means easy, but it was a ton of fun! Without further ado ... LINEBACKERS Pat Angerer, ILB, Indianapolis vs. Tennessee: Angerer struggled mightily in coverage last week against Arizona and played the lowest amount of snaps he's registered in the past five games (36). Look for a bounceback week against a Titans team that he racked up nine tackles (eight solo) against two weeks ago. Tennessee will look to establish running back Chris Johnson on the ground, leading to more playing time and production for Angerer. Brandon Spikes, MLB, New England at Houston: Spikes totaled nine tackles last week and also recovered a fumble in the comeback victory over Denver. This week he has a prime matchup to reach double-digit tackles. Jacksonville middle linebacker Paul Posluszny racked up 15 total stops last week against Houston. Where does Spikes line up? In the middle, baby, and he belongs in starting lineups this week. David Hawthorne, ILB, New Orleans at Seattle: The Seahawks have not been an ideal matchup for allowing points to linebackers but have given up the occasional big week. Atlanta's Paul Worrilow went off for 19 tackles against them in Week 10 and Tampa Bay's Lavonte David also reached double-digit stops in Week 9. The weather is shaping up to be nasty on Monday night and that could mean a lot of handing the ball off to Marshawn Lynch. Hawthorne has put up 14 tackles in his last two games and 61 for the season. He also brings big play potential and has three sacks and a forced fumble through 11 games. Darryl Sharpton, ILB, Houston vs. New England: Sharpton has 25 total tackles over the past three weeks, with 17 of those being solos. In each of their past two games the New England Patriots have seen a pair of opposing linebackers reach double-digit stops against them (Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis in Week 11 /Danny Trevathan and Wesley Woodyard in Week 12). Sharpton is an excellent start this week on a defense that will be on the field a lot. Aldon Smith, OLB, San Francisco vs. St. Louis: Smith did not play in the Week 4 matchup between the teams and the ...

Week 1 is in the books and we had our share of Individual Defensive Player (IDP) surprises. J.J. Watt will spend at least one week not leading all defensive linemen in scoring, and Duke Ihenacho is the toast of the 'defensive back town.' Before looking at Week 2 sleeper possibilities, I forgot one last bit of housecleaning I meant cover last week. This article goes to the editor Thursday evening for a Friday posting. Obviously, it would not do anyone perusing the article a bit of good if I listed any players from the Thursday night game as it is over by the time this article would be visible. So there we have it. House cleaning done and time to get to this week's IDP sleeper picks! LINEBACKERS Danny Trevathan, WLB, DENVER at New York Giants: Take the bonehead move of dropping the ball on the 1-yard line (if I live to be 100 I will never understand how this happens ... ever!) on his way to an easy pick-six out of the equation and Trevathan had a decent debut. He flashed athleticism and closing speed on his way to four solo tackles, an interception and two passes defended. Look for a much closer game start to finish against the Giants and an uptick in Trevathan's tackle numbers. Ryan Kerrigan, OLB, WASHINGTON at Green Bay : Kerrigan had been a wrecking ball throughout the preseason and carried that production into Game 1. He racked up eight total tackles with a sack and forced fumble against Philadelphia. He left that game late with what was feared to be a concussion but has since been cleared to practice. This week's matchup with Green Bay will give Kerrigan an excellent chance to add to both his sack and tackle totals. The Packers allowed two sacks in their Week 1 loss to San Francisco and will be hard-pressed to keep Kerrigan off of Aaron Rodgers. Moise Fokou, MLB, TENNESSEE at Houston: Fokou was on the field for every defensive snap (53) according to Pro Football Focus and finished Week 1 with six total tackles and a fumble recovery. This week he lines up against the very linebacker-friendly Houston offense. A steady dose of running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate will keep Fokou very busy on Sunday. San Diego middle linebacker Donald Butler racked up 13 total tackles in Week 1 against the Texans. Fokou should approach the same number. Bront Bird, ILB, SAN DIEGO at Philadelphia: Bird is manning the right inside linebacker for the Chargers as rookie Manti Te'o continues to miss time with a foot injury. Against Houston in Week 1 he finished with...