Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert (back), S Clayton Fejedelem (calf), OT Cordy Glenn (shoulder), CB Tony McRae (ankle), LB Vincent Rey (ankle) and TE Mason Schreck (toe) were each removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 1 game with the Indianapolis Colts. Only WR Cody Core (back) remains on the report and he is listed as doubtful for the opener. His potential absence would affect special teams but not the offense. Glenn's inclusion in the [...]

On this week’s episode of the Dynasty Pulse Podcast Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. EST on Blogtalkradio, Nick Wagner and Joshua Johnson were joined by DFW’s own  “Dirty Mike” Krafick. Plant Your Flag or Wash Your Hands:  Darren Waller WR Ravens Sammie Coates WR Steelers Taylor Gabriel WR Browns Lorenzo Talliaferro RB Ravens Vincent Rey LB Bengals Jarvis Jones LB Steelers Nate Orchard LB Browns Baltimore […]

Apparently, it's never going to stop. The injuries that have absolutely wiped out thelinebacker position in the National Football League in 2014 continued wreakinghavoc in IDP leagues in Week 7. Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker VontazeBurfict and Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman, each of whomhave missed multiple games this season, got back into the lineup just longenough to get hurt again. The real crusher came in Jacksonville. Lost amid thejoy of the Jaguars' first win of 2014 was the fact that middle linebacker PaulPosluszny, the Jaguars' leading tackler and the fifth-ranked linebacker in FantasySharks Default IDP Scoring through the first six weeks this year, suffereda torn pectoral muscle that ended his season. Of the top 20 linebackers in ADPat My Fantasy League in 2014, more than half (11) are either out for theseason, have missed multiple games and/or are presently hurt. I've honestlynever seen anything like it. There not much to do after these latest injuries thango back through the (rapidly dwindling) scrap heap at linebacker and try topatch a lineup together. So with that in mind, here we go...again. IDPPICKUP OF THE WEEK VincentRey -- MLB, Cincinnati Bengals To say that the Bengals' linebackers are banged up isan understatement and then some. Both middle linebacker Rey Maualuga(hamstring) and Emmanuel Lamur (shoulder) missed last week's blowout loss tothe Indianapolis Colts, and Burfict left the game after getting his bell rungfor the umpteenth time this year. That literally left Vincent Rey as the lastman standing for the Bengals, and the result was a 16-tackle explosion. Head coach Marvin Lewis told DarinGantt of Pro Football Talk that Burfict is "fine," but this is the samecoach who blamed the media last week for concussions taking longer to heal. Onething's for sure -- all the injuries on the Cincinnati defense likely mean a tonof tackle opportunities for Rey in the short-term, and the fourth-year pro has demonstratedthe ability to take advantage of those opportunities in the past. WEEK8 IDP WAIVER WIRE TARGETS EversonGriffen -- DE, Minnesota Vikings There's a good chance that Minnesota Vikings defensiveend Everson Griffen isn't available in your fantasy football league. However,Griffen's name showed up on enough of the waiver wires in leagues I play in forme to include him in this week's article. Because that should not be so. However, despite a career-high three sacks in last week'sloss to the...

I'm not going to mislead my loyal readers. I'm actually typing this piece before the Sunday NightFootball game is over. Oh hell, who am I kidding that game was over midwaythrough the 3rd quarter. Way to step up San Francisco. It was another crazy week in the realm of fantasy footballand here a few things that caught my eye. If only fantasy owners could trust New England to utilize Shane Vereen the way he was on Thursdaynight. That would be so nice...and unexpected. Love how hard ChrisIvory is running the ball and hope he can stay healthy for the entireseason. Should the Patriots keep running the same defensivealignment they did in Week 7 (which wasn't particularly effective) both Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins are going to put up hugeIDP-fantasy numbers. So the Jets now have PercyHarvin, eh? This is a match in ‘they deserve each other' heaven. Fantasy wise? Yawn. Call it a hunch, but I'm guessing Bryce Brown will be active next week for the Buffalo Bills. Well, the Kirk Cousinsera was fun while it lasted. By that I mean, I bet it was fun for the defenses that linedup against him. Not for his fantasy owners... oh heck, no... that was not fun atall. Losing to Jacksonville with the kind of performance that Brian Hoyer put up Sunday can lead toonly one conclusion: Start up the ‘Johnny Football' hype machine!! Hello there, DenardRobinson. Looks like Jacksonville may have a running back after all. May as well give a hearty welcome to fantasy-relevant Tre Mason while we are at it. The Ramsrunning back situation should have gotten a lot clearer this week. Apparently, it was JoshMcCown that made the Bears offense the juggernaut it was last season. I'mjust saying. What is the knock on AndyDalton, again? Oh yeah...he can be wildly inconsistent. Case in point...thisgame against the Colts. Brandon Flowers I'dlike you to meet Jamaal Charles. Ouch!That is why cornerbacks prefer not to tackle. It was nice to see GoldenTate step up and produce WR1 numbers with Calvin Johnson out again. You think Seattle regrets letting this kid go? Me, too. Speaking of Seattle. Wow. The Rams? Really? Wow. On the plus side, the CooperHelfet owners are dancing after the Seahawks tight end's performance thisweek. Both of them. Lamar Miller isplaying like a man who almost lost his job twice. He's running hard andcontributing in the passing game. He is a weekly start at RB for fantasypurposes moving forward. Was that RyanTannehill or Dan Marino picking apart ...

With the NFL playoffs underway, it is a time of reflection and rearrangement for many fantasy football owners. Another season has concluded and there are lessons and laments aplenty. There are, of course, many playoff formats of fantasy football to keep the juices flowing (including an excellent one here at Fantasy Sharks), and I do play in my share of those. For many fantasy enthusiasts it is not the same beast, and, like myself, their attention has already turned squarely towards 2014. With that in mind (and a lot of time on my hands being snowbound in Michigan) combined with an unhealthy obsession for Individual Defensive Player (IDP) football, here is an early look at some interesting names to keep on the radar heading into next season. This is a quick collection of names that I find coming up most frequently in my exchanges with fellow IDP junkies as we turn our collective attention to next season. Keep in mind that some of the players listed here are on teams that do not currently have head coaches or a definitive scheme that they will be playing in for 2014. While that certainly muddies the water a bit, we can still take a look at some IDP players who I feel are poised to be fantasy standouts in 2014. I'm taking a leap and figuring that if you are reading an article focused on next season in January that you share my obsession and realize that this is as fluid a list as you'll find this time of year. Paul Worrilow, MLB, Atlanta: This name comes as no surprise to IDP owners who picked him off the waiver wire early in 2013 and reaped the benefits. Worrilow may not always appear to be the best linebacker on the field but he posted an impressive 129 total tackles with two sacks in his rookie season. An injury to Sean Weatherspoon elevated the need for Atlanta to get Worrilow and fellow rookie linebacker Joplo Bartu on to the field and both performed admirably. With their glaring need for pressure creating defensive linemen off the edge, it's hard to see the Falcons looking to draft much linebacker help early. Both Worrilow and Bartu should have the chance to secure their positions heading into 2014. Audie Cole, MLB, Minnesota: Despite missing Week 17 with an ankle sprain that forced him to leave Week 16 after only five snaps, Cole announced himself on the IDP scene in 2013. Cole started in place of linebacker Erin Henderson and posted 42 total tackles from Weeks 12-15, with 25 of those stops being of the solo variety. Henderson is likely to ...

This is it. The final week of the 2013 fantasy football season and congrats to all owners who took home the hardware this season. Oh yeah...we still have some stragglers that are finishing up their seasons this week. For the record, I am not a fan of Week 17 championships unless they are the second week of a two-part championship matchup. That being said, the crack staff here at ‘53 Deep' has put aside their Holiday Festivities to find the top sleeper candidates for week 17. For your enjoyment, here they are... LINEBACKERS Erin Henderson , MLB, MINNESOTA vs. Detroit: Henderson is back on the fantasy radar after starting MLB Audie Cole left Week 16 with an ankle sprain and has been ruled out for this week. Henderson stepped back in the middle last week and played 81 snaps and registered 12 total tackles and a forced fumble. He's a very nice start this week. Stephen Nicholas , WLB, ATLANTA vs. Carolina: Nicholas played 38 snaps last week against the 49ers as Sean Weatherspoon missed the game with a knee injury. Playing just 65.5% of the defensive snaps Nicholas finished with 11 total tackles along with a sack and pass defended. He's another player that when given the snaps will put up solid fantasy production. Look for the Falcons to find a way to keep Nicholas in the rotation even if Weatherspoon returns (which I'm not optimistic about). Mathias Kiwanuka , OLB, NEW YORK GIANTS vs. Washington: Ride the hot player here as Kiwanuka is coming off of his best performance of the season. He put up six total stops, two sacks as well as a forced fumble and pass defended against the Lions. Washington hasn't given up many sacks with Kirk Cousins at quarterback but neither had the Lions prior to last week. Vincent Rey , MLB, CINCINNATI vs. Baltimore: Monitor the practice reports out of Cincinnati this week. Starting WLB Vontaze Burfict must pass the league-mandated protocol for concussions to be able to play in Week 17. If he does not play, then Rey is an excellent plug-and-play option. In the last two games, Rey has played only 17 snaps in a situational role. On that snap count he has managed to put up four total tackles along with an interception returned for a touchdown as well as a sack and forced fumble. It's simple. He plays and he produces. If Burfict sits out then Rey could finish with top five LB numbers for the week. Shaun Phillips , OLB, DENVER at Oakland: With Von Miller lost for the season Phillips will once again be called upon to...

Injuries are a fact of life in both the NFL and fantasy football, but that's of little solace to Individual Defensive Player (IDP) owners after a week in which a number of prominent players went down with significant ones. Dallas linebacker Sean Lee will reportedly miss at least a month with a hamstring injury. The fantasy season of Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman is over after he was placed on short-term Injured Reserve Monday with an arm injury. Those stars join an ever-growing pile of big-name IDPs on the shelf. Those injuries and the continuing bye weeks have also combined to leave many IDP owners scrambling to patch holes in their lineups in advance of the playoff push. With that in mind, here's a look at some of what's out there in Week 11. PICKUP OF THE WEEK Vincent Rey, MLB, Cincinnati Rey has been filling in for the injured Rey Maualuga at middle linebacker, and at the rate things are going Maualuga may not have a job to come back to. Rey has been very active for the Bengals the last two games, tallying 20 total tackles while chipping in three sacks and an interception. Rey's Week 10 outburst all but certainly won't be repeated, but with a matchup on tap against a Cleveland team allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to linebackers, the third-year pro is a rock-solid addition to IDP rosters in Week 11. WEEK 10 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Derrick Morgan, DE, Tennessee Morgan entered the 2013 campaign with a great deal of promise, but a slow start and nagging injuries combined to get him dropped in many shallower IDP leagues. However, Week 10 brought with it some hope where Morgan's concerned. The fourth-year veteran logged a season-high six tackles against Jacksonville, and Morgan's sack last week was his first since Week 2. It's important not to get too carried away after only one game, but if Morgan's healthy now he could provide IDP owners with a nice bump up front down the stretch. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants It may seem odd to mention a player who entered 2013 as an elite IDP DL1 as a potential waiver wire pickup, but after a horrific start to the season more than a few impatient fantasy owners cut bait on Pierre-Paul. Week 10 offered some hope that the bye week did Pierre-Paul's balky back some good, with the 24-year-old racking up four stops and a sack against Oakland. It may not be realistic to expect Pierre-Paul to suddenly start posting top-five numbers, but his potential merits a pickup if he's available in your ...

We've hit Week 10 of the 2013 NFL season. My how time flies. It feels like the season only just started, with every Individual Defensive Player (IDP) team a blank slate and all fantasy owners entertaining dreams of hoisting their league's trophy. That's far from the case now, of course. In many fantasy leagues, only four games remain until the playoffs begin. That makes it stretch run time, where every week's matchups take on added importance. Whether you're 7-2 and aiming for a first-round bye or 4-5 and hoping to crash the postseason party, every point counts at this time of year. Each lineup decision becomes more and more important, as the next loss could be the one that effectively wrecks the season. 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). We also have four teams on a bye to contend with, as Cleveland, the New York Jets, Kansas City and New England all taking Week 10 off. No Rob Ninkovich , D'Qwell Jackson or Eric Berry this week, folks. STUDS Adrian Clayborn, DE, Tampa Bay (vs. Miami): Clayborn has become a fixture on the "studs" list (with mixed results), mostly due to a nice string of favorable matchups. That string of matchups rolls on this week against a Miami club who has stormed into the lead in the battle to be the NFL's most dysfunctional team. Antonio Smith, DE, Houston (at Arizona): IDP owners in need of a Week 10 spot-start may want to give Smith a look. The 32-year-old is coming off a two-sack performance against Indianapolis, and the Cardinals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to defensive linemen in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Manor Scoring this year. Mario Williams, DE, Buffalo (at Pittsburgh): Williams has taken Julius Peppers' title as king of the boom/bust IDP plays at his position. With that said, though, this has the makings of a "boom" week, with the Bills traveling to face a Pittsburgh squad having all sorts of problems with pass protection in 2013. Jon Beason, MLB, New York Giants (vs. Oakland): Since breaking out against Chicago in Week 6, Beason's numbers have slid in two straight ...