Browns DL Ahtyba Rubin has shed weight in anticipation of his new role at DE.

A nose tackle throughout his career, Rubin will primarily be used at left defensive end in the Browns' new 3-4 scheme while seeing spot duty behind Phil Taylor at the nose. He's slimmed down to 306 pounds in an effort to improve as a pass-rusher after playing around 320 in 2012. There have been whispers that Rubin may be available for trade due to being a poor fit in the new defense.

Browns DT Ahtyba Rubin (calf) practiced on a limited basis this week and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

Rubin missed the last three weeks with a calf injury, but is expected to return Sunday. It will be the first time both Rubin and Phil Taylor (pectoral) will be active for the Browns this season.

It's Week 11 of the 2012 NFL season, which means two things. First, this week brings with it the last of the bye weeks, which means that soon an expanded pool of talent will once again be available to Individual Defensive Player (IDP) owners. Second, we're smack in the middle of the stretch run for the playoffs, which means that for many fantasy teams every week has become a do-or-die proposition.

Another sad fact of this point in the season is that in many IDP leagues there just isn't a whole lot left on the waiver wire, making it very difficult to find impact players. However, that doesn't mean that there's nothing out there, and here's a look at some players that are available in the majority of IDP leagues that have enough fantasy value to at least be worth a look.

PICKUP OF THE WEEK

Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, New York Jets: Not a whole lot went right for the New York Jets in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was one of them, tallying seven total tackles and forcing a fumble that he returned for New York's only touchdown. The second-year pro hasn't made much of a dent in the big-play column this season, but, after averaging six stops a game over the past few weeks, Wilkerson can provide a nice boost up front for IDP owners in tackle-heavy formats.

Robert Ayers, DE, Denver: All the news wasn't good for the Denver Broncos after their blowout win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, as star defensive end Elvis Dumervil underwent an MRI on Monday after being forced from the game with a shoulder injury. If Dumervil misses significant playing time, that means that fourth-year pro Robert Ayers will see increased snaps, and as Ayers showed with five tackles and a sack against the Panthers, he is capable of producing when afforded the opportunity.

Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Cleveland: The Cleveland Browns have had more than their fair share of injuries up front on defense, but it appears that coming out of their bye they finally are getting healthy. Defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin has returned to practice after missing three of the past four games with a calf injury, and, given the fifth-year veteran's penchant for racking up tackles, Rubin could be a very welcome stretch run addition, especially in IDP leagues that require defensive tackles.

Mychal Kendricks, OLB, Philadelphia: Given all the injuries that have hit the linebacker position this season, the pickings on the waiver wire in many leagues is very thin. With that...