1 Month New York Jets Comment

Jets RE Muhammad Wilkerson will report to the team's offseason conditioning program "in the best shape of his life" after tweaking his diet and training five days a week at Lifetime Fitness in Maryland.

"Just sit back and, like [Terrell Owens] said, get your popcorn ready," quipped Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. Wilkerson substituted cheese and red meat for vegetables, chicken, and fish. He's currently 6-foot-4, 305 with nary an ounce of fat on him. Coming off a breakout year where Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL's No. 2 3-4 defensive end behind only J.J. Watt, Wilkerson is poised for All-Pro attention entering his age-24 season.

3 Months New York Jets Comment

Jets RE Muhammad Wilkerson's 2012 campaign was the most productive season by a Jets defensive lineman in Rex Ryan's head-coaching tenure.

Wilkerson amassed 70 tackles, three forced fumbles, and five sacks while grading out as Pro Football Focus' No. 2 3-4 defensive end in the entire league, behind only J.J. Watt. He was still snubbed for Pro Bowl recognition. Wilkerson, still just 23, is one of the Jets' few building blocks on either side of the ball.

So, we are down to the final two teams. The Super Bowl is two weeks away and hearty congratulations are in order for the Ravens, the 49ers and, of course, the Harbaugh boys. Faced with a couple of weeks with no football (do not try to sell me on the Pro Bowl as being a real football game, thank you) it feels like a good time to examine some burgeoning IDP fantasy studs.

The IDP landscape can be a tricky one to maneuver and figuring out who will finish a given season atop the scoring list is a difficult and fluid task. Looking ahead to 2013, there are quite a few names to keep an eye on as IDP stars in waiting that are ready to make a move up the rankings.

Whether it's from having put in the requisite work to improve their game or by returning from injuries that have hampered their progress, these are players that have reached the verge of becoming top-tier fantasy options for 2013.

For the sake of brevity we will look at only the defensive line position (DL) in this particular article and limit it to five names to keep handy on fantasy draft day.

Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, NEW YORK JETS: Welcome to the top tier of the DE position Mr. Wilkerson. The Jets hit pay dirt when they drafted Wilkerson with the 30th overall selection in 2011, as he was one of the few bright spots during a miserable season for New York in 2012.

His tackle numbers increased from 48 combined stops in his rookie season to 70 this past year and he also added 4 ½ sacks to bring his career total to 7 ½. At 6' 4" and 315 pounds, he displays surprising speed off the edge and frequently creates the penetration necessary to disrupt running plays as they develop.

There is room for him to improve as a pass rusher as he's been getting by on sheer athleticism at this point by utilizing his burst off the snap and power moves. He improved by over 3 1/2 sacks from his first season to his second and a similar improvement is on tap in 2013. He is a top ten selection at the DE position in 2013 fantasy drafts.

Brandon Graham, DE, PHILADELPHIA: When the Eagles selected Braham with the 13th overall pick in 2010 he was expected to play a situational role behind incumbent pass rushers Trent Cole and Jason Babin while developing his game.

Graham had amassed 13 total tackles and three sacks in his rookie season before tearing his ACL in the Eagles Week 14 win over Dallas. His 2011 season was derailed by injury as he struggled to return from ACL and micro fracture surgery that would limit him to appearing in...

5 Months New York Jets Comment

Jets RE Muhammad Wilkerson (head) returned to a full practice on Friday and will play in Week 17 against the Bills.

He's listed as probable. Upon further review, the Jets determined that their best defensive lineman did not suffer a Week 16 concussion, and Wilkerson will be all systems go for the season finale. Wilkerson has really come into his own as a second-year player, ranking second overall in Pro Football Focus' 3-4 defensive end ratings. Only J.J. Watt is ahead of Wilkerson.

5 Months New York Jets Comment

Jets RE Muhammad Wilkerson sustained a concussion during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Chargers.

Wilkerson played every single snap in the game. The Jets didn't become aware of symptoms until afterward. Wilkerson is unlikely to get cleared for the finale in Buffalo, so his impressive second season is over. He was the Jets' second-best defender behind Antonio Cromartie this season, racking up 66 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and four passes defensed.

6 Months New York Jets Comment

Jets second-year RE Muhammad Wilkerson has become a "dominant" player in 2012.

"(Wilkerson) can be a dominant inside rusher on third down and a dominant defensive end on early downs," said defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. Head coach Rex Ryan likened his 2011 first-round pick out of Temple to Richard Seymour. Pro Football Focus ranks Wilkerson as the league's second-best 3-4 DE behind only J.J. Watt. He has recorded 50 tackles, two sacks, and three forced fumbles in 11 games. "The rest of the league is going to know all about Muhammad Wilkerson," Ryan added.

IDP Studs and Duds - Week 13 (fantasysharks.com)

We've hit Week 13 of the 2012 NFL season, and that means this is it. The end of the line. The final stanza. This week brings with it the end of the regular season in many IDP leagues, meaning that for any number of fantasy owners this week's game is a must-win if they want to advance to the playoffs.

Rather than go over last week's recommendations (which, as usual, contained both hits and misses) I'm going to offer a little unsolicited advice. Even if you've been eliminated from postseason contention please be sure to make every effort to win this week just as you would any other. It's not fair to your league mates to roll over and quit, as you could be throwing the competitive balance of the league out of whack or screwing a team out of a playoff spot.

Now that I've finished with my sermon it's time for another week of IDP Studs and Duds, where 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).

That 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).

Finally, before we get on with the show, if you have a specific IDP Start/Sit question you'd like my take on you can e-mail me at askgary@fantasysharks.com or post the question in the " Kilroy Krystal Ball " thread in the Fantasy Sharks IDP Forum. I can't promise I'll get to every question, but I'll do the best I can.

STUDS

Jared Allen -- DE, Minnesota Vikings (at GB): Allen has had an off season in 2012, with only seven sacks this year after tallying 22 in 2011, but the stage is set for the ninth-year veteran to rebound this week against a Green Bay Packers team giving up the second-most fantasy points per game to defensive lineman this year.

Derrick Morgan -- DE, Tennessee Titans (vs. HOU): Despite only having 2.5 sacks on the season Morgan's relatively high tackle numbers have kept him among the top 20 fantasy options at his position this year, and there's little reason to think that won't continue Sunday against the Houston Texans in a very favorable IDP matchup.

Muhammad Wilkerson -- DE. New York Jets (vs. ARI): 3-4 defensive ends that are IDP relevant are more exception than norm, but Wilkerson has an excellent shot at bucking that trend this week against a terrible Arizona Cardinals offensive line that has allowed...

  Next »