So here we are. In most fantasy formats we have reached championship weekend. If your Individual Defensive Player (IDP) team is still alive, go ahead and give yourself a hearty pat on the back but be careful to not injure yourself (there's been enough of that this season). Navigating through the 2013 IDP landscape has been as difficult as any season I can remember. To still be battling for a title is no small feat and there is still work to be done. Whether this is your championship game or Week 1 of a two-week championship, there are still plenty of nice sleeper candidates to bolster IDP lineups. The crack staff of the '53 Deep' article has done the heavy lifting for owners once again and come up with some very solid options. Oh yeah. Fret not my fellow IDP lovers. There will be a Week 17 edition coming as well because we take it to limit here at '53 Deep.' Let's get to it! LINEBACKERS DeVonte Holloman, ILB, Dallas at Washington: With the rash of injuries that the Cowboys have suffered at linebacker, Holloman found himself manning the middle in Week 15. It's possible that Bruce Carter (hamstring) returns for Week 16 but Sean Lee , Ernie Sims and Justin Durant (placed on Injured Reserve) are not locks to play. Holloman racked up only four total stops while playing 66 snaps last week but will have a much better Week 16 against a Washington offense that will feed the ball to running back Alfred Morris plenty. Dont'a Hightower, SLB, New England at Baltimore: Hightower has put up 27 total tackles over the last three weeks and has played 74 percent of the defensive snaps in those games. The Ravens are a top matchup for allowing fantasy points to linebackers so expect Hightower to keep his hot streak going and post double-digit tackles this week. Demario Davis, ILB, New York Jets vs. Cleveland: For the season, the Browns are a top-10 team in allowing fantasy points to linebackers. Over his past five games Davis has totaled 40 tackles, with 22 of those being solo stops. The Jets defense is averaging 71 defensive snaps played per game so Davis will have plenty of opportunity to produce nice fantasy totals. Brian Orakpo, OLB, Washington vs. Dallas: Orakpo has 10 sacks this season, which is one behind the career-high 11 that he posted back in 2009. Since Week 10, he has amassed seven sacks as well as 23 solo tackles. The Cowboys have allowed 10 sacks to linebackers this season, including 3½ in their last three games. Orakpo is playing for a new contract...

It seems like only yesterday that the 2013 season was just getting started. No one had tasted sweet victory or endured the frustration of defeat, yet. It was a clean slate, one in which I had yet to botch a single IDP recommendation (such as including Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis on the "Duds" list last week). Yeah, about that. You see, what I had meant to say was ... Hey, I get some right too. Really. Seriously. Stop laughing! Besides, I was just getting that out of my system. With the fantasy football playoffs just around the corner, there's no room for error. For many IDP owners, it's already "win or go home" time. With that in mind (no pressure), it's time for another week of "IDP Studs and Duds." 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). We also have one last bye week to contend with, with Cincinnati, Seattle, Philadelphia and Buffalo all taking Week 10 off. No Mario Williams, Bobby Wagner or Vontaze Burfict this week, folks. STUDS Julius Peppers, DE, Chicago (at St. Louis): Forgive me for doing this, but Peppers' 11-tackle, two-sack outburst last week against Baltimore was his second solid game in three weeks. Throw in a top-five fantasy matchup with St. Louis, and there's some real upside here with Peppers for fantasy owners brave enough to start him. Ahtyba Rubin, DE, Cleveland (vs. Pittsburgh): As is often the case with 3-4 defensive ends, Rubin has made a much bigger dent on the playing field than in the box score this season. However, the table is set for a nice IDP outing this week against the Steelers, who have been very friendly to opposing defensive linemen in 2013. Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami (vs. Carolina): Vernon had one of his best games of 2013 last week against San Diego, notching six total tackles and a sack. There's a good shot at two strong weeks in a row from Vernon, given that the Panthers have surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points to defensive linemen this season. Bruce Carter, OLB, Dallas (at New York Giants): There's some question what the Cowboys plan to do with Sean Lee on the shelf, but whether it's Carter or Ernie Sims at ...

This is it! Week thirteen is upon us and it is do or die time for many fantasy owners. One last chance to pull out a victory and propel their teams into the playoffs and as we all know, you can't win the trophy if you aren't in the dance. A season's worth of tough decisions, working the waiver wire, and wheeling and dealing has all led up to this week. Whether you've cemented a playoff spot and are playing for the highest possible seed or scratching and clawing for that last position in the postseason this is the week to let it all hang out. Injuries, benching's and outright releases have been coming in waves this season and have altered the landscape of IDP leagues drastically. Teams that are still in contention for the playoffs are a testament to an IDP owner's perseverance and guile. These are the players that can help lead teams to week thirteen victories and start that glorious run to the championship! LINEBACKERS Ernie Sims, ILB, DALLAS, vs. PHILADELPHIA: With middle linebacker Bruce Carter suffering an elbow injury in last weeks game against Washington, Sims sees an uptick in fantasy value. Ideally, we could morph Sims and fellow ILB Dan Connor into one player who would actually be a very nice fantasy player. Forced to pick between the two, Sims looks to see more snaps as he is better in coverage and has posted 22 total tackles in his five games for the Cowboys. The Eagles will be looking to unleash rookie running back Bryce Brown again this week and Sims will put up nice fantasy numbers. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, WLB, ST LOUIS, vs. SAN FRANCISCO: Dunbar is coming off of a double-digit tackle performance last week against Arizona and has posted 69 total tackles for the season. While he only put up five combined tackles in the first meeting with San Francisco, Dunbar will be active in stopping second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers potent rushing attack. Ride the hot hand as Dunbar has 29 tackles in the last four games and get him in fantasy lineups. Michael Boley, WLB, NEW YORK GIANTS, at WASHINGTON: Boley is leading the Giants in total tackles with 68 and has added half a sack to his season stats. He also has flashed excellent big play potential with three interceptions and a defensive touchdown scored. In the first matchup with the Redskins he posted an impressive ten total tackles and should enjoy similar numbers in week thirteen. He is solid against the run and more than holds his own in coverage making him a three down linebacker ...

Indianapolis Colts linebackers Gary Brackett and Ernie Sims have been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.