This article references and more! Arizona Cardinals safety Tyvon Branch (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Week 10 loss to the Seahawks on Thursday, according to a source. It's a big blow to Arizona's secondary and overall D/ST, as Branch had profiled as one of the top overall safeties in the NFL this year.He will miss the rest of the season.Keep on reading: Tyvon Branch Suffers Torn ACL

This article references and more! Cardinals safety Tyvon Branch and offensive lineman D.J. Humphries suffered injuries to the knee and ACL, respectively. This is a blow to the Cardinals D/ST unit as a whole as well as the team's offensive rhythm, as a weakened offensive line and key part of the secondary are sure to limit the team's capabilities on both sides of the ball. Branch was a decent IDP but won't be available after the injury and the value of Adrian Peterson should take a small hit as well.Keep on reading: Tyvon Branch and D.J. Humphries Injured Against Seahawks

Author’s Note: You can view the 2015 IDP Free Agency Previews for Defensive Linemen and Linebackers here and here. In the NFL, help in the secondary is at or near the top of many teams’ wish lists entering free agency. Very rarely do elite cornerbacks hit the open market, and when they do things get nuts quickly. Even a decent but unspectacular corner like Seattle’s Byron Maxwell can command a fat salary if he hits free agency at the right time. Maxwell (and his agent) are about to find that out. Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. In IDP leagues, however, the opposite holds true. For the vast majority of defensive backs, their fantasy value is dependent on a delicate balance of talent, situation, circumstance and (in many cases) good old-fashioned luck. Do anything to upset that balance, and as often as not things go straight to Hell. It doesn’t help that when free agency opens next Tuesday, the safeties and cornerbacks who are hitting the open market are hardly an awe-inspiring bunch. Granted, there are several recognizable names, but they mainly belong to players who are on the downslope of their NFL careers. But wait, it gets better! Of the safeties who are available this year, many of the higher-end options (so-to-speak) offer much more to NFL secondaries than IDP owners. For instance, after choosing not to apply the franchise tag, the New England Patriots appear ready to let free safety Devin McCourty test the open market. There will be no shortage of NFL clubs lining up to take a run at the 27-year-old. However, in five seasons McCourty has yet to tally 90 tackles, and he hasn’t cracked the top 50 fantasy defensive backs in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Scoring in either of the past two seasons. In other words, while there are some free agent defensive backs who could see a spike in fantasy value this spring thanks to a change in scenery, the odds of finding a real difference-maker for your IDP squad via this route in 2015 just aren’t good. If they ever are.   Antrel Rolle – SS, New York Giants After posting a second-place fantasy finish among defensive backs two seasons ago, Rolle’s production was down in his 10th NFL season. In fact, for the first time since 2010, Rolle failed to accrue 90 tackles for Big Blue. To hear what head coach Tom Coughlin told Brian Costello of The New York Post, it sounds like the 2014 campaign may have been Rolle’s last with the team. “I don’t think I was ever involved with a player that was more ...

S.P. - Spotlighted Player Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles is the key cog that makes the Chiefs offense churn every week. When Charles is healthy and behind quarterback Matt Cassel, he has a profound effect on the flow of the game, even when he doesn't have the pigskin in his hands. Such is the case on this play against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Monday Night, as Charles will be utilized as a decoy. The Chiefs love loading up the line of scrimmage with big bodies to create big holes through which Charles can glide. This is the reason for the Singleback set with just one wide receiver split out and Dwayne Bowe in motion blocking on the left side of the line (highly creative). Ultimately, this brings the Steelers secondary up towards the box and forces them to naturally guess run. The fact that Charles is in the backfield with just 3 yards to get for the first down really makes it imperative that the defense gets up to the line quickly, which as you can see by the black arrows, they do. Cornerback Keenan Lewis is the key to the success of the play, though, as he's supposed to have man coverage to the outside if the play is a pass, especially with just one safety (Cover 1 defense) deep, while the other is playing the run. Lewis bites on the Charles play fake, and takes himself completely out of the play, while Chiefs tight end Tony Moeaki heads up field. In the end, just safety Ryan Clark is there to defend the pass down the field, but, by the time he gets over, Moeaki already has the ball and is looking for extra yardage. The end result is an easy 38-yard catch and run, which was all set up by Charles' presence in the backfield and the anticipation of a run on second down. B.P. - Burnt Purple Baltimore tight end Ed Dickson usually doesn't get much love within the Ravens offense due to his slippery butter fingers. However, against the Oakland Raiders' undisciplined defense, any player on any given Sunday can look like a hero. On this particular play the Ravens are lined up in a Shotgun four receiver formation getting to run "Four Verticals." Tight ends Dickson (purple route) and Dennis Pitta (inside black route) man the slot spots in this look, while Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith are lined up wide on each side. Running back Ray Rice will line up alongside quarterback Joe Flacco for extra protection for what is going to be a down-the-field pass. The Raiders have deployed a Nickel Cover 2 Defense - two deep safeties and man ...

The defensive back position is perhaps the most difficult of all Individual Defensive Player (IDP) positions to predict on a year-to-year basis. There is more fluctuation in the rankings at this position than any other defensive player alignment. Obviously, scoring systems from league-to-league make a huge difference in a player's fantasy worth as cornerbacks will not have the tackle numbers that safeties are able to amass, and safeties, will, on average, not get the interception opportunities that a lot of cornerbacks are afforded. Always know your leagues scoring nuances when putting together your draft boards. 1) Tyvon Branch, S, Oakland: Extremely consistent tackle numbers every season, averaging more than 110 tackles a season over the last three years. Had a career-high four sacks in 2010, would see that total dip to one last year, and has picked off four passes during his four years in the league. He is an elite fantasy defensive back and capable of putting up big plays while providing 100 plus tackles every year. 2) Eric Berry, S, Kansas City: Berry is returning from a torn ACL suffered in Week 1 last season, and that is the only reason he isn't the top name on this list. As a rookie he had more than 90 tackles and four interceptions to go along with two sacks. He is a dynamic player that does it all for the Chiefs in their secondary, and while it may take a few games for him to shake off the rust and test the knee, he will provide top-end fantasy production. 3) Kam Chancellor, S, Seattle: Chancellor is a beast for the Seahawks as a premier tackling safety. Often used in the box as what amounts to another linebacker for Seattle. He possesses the quickness to be effective in coverage while amassing elite tackle numbers. He is an ascending talent that will finish the season among the Top 10 fantasy defensive backs. 4) Morgan Burnett, S, Green Bay: Burnett is solid defending the run while versatile enough to play either safety position for the Packers. Had three interceptions last season, added a sack, and forced two fumbles. He has big-play potential, and the loss of Nick Collins from the secondary makes him even more valuable. 5) Antoine Bethea, S, Indianapolis: Bethea is an overlooked fantasy gem for the Colts. Consistently produces high-end tackle numbers and has 12 career interceptions. He is a fantasy stud on a rebuilding team, so he figures to be on the field a lot in 2012. That means another Top 10 fantasy finish for Bethea this season....

All true fantasy football fanatics (especially in dynasty leagues) know that for all intents and purposes there is no offseason, and it's as vital to keep up to date on all the Individual Defensive Players (IDP) comings and goings in February as it is in September. The 2012 NFL Scouting Combine begins in one short week, as hundreds of collegiate athletes gather in Indianapolis to show off for scouts and coaches in the hopes of bolstering their stock in April's NFL Draft. However, before we get to New York City we must first navigate the treacherous waters of the annual insanity that is free agency in the NFL, which begins on March 13. Player movement can have a huge IDP impact not only on the players that join new teams but also their former and new teammates, so this article will be the finale of a three-part series looking at some of the prominent free agents at each of the major IDP positions, where those players might be headed, and what it all could mean for their fantasy football value in 2012 and beyond. It's worth mentioning that in the case of defensive backs (with a very few exceptions) there's no real point in worrying too much about a player's long-term value, as defensive backs are so inconsistent from season to season that "dynasty" becomes a very relative term where the position is concerned. Also, there are about six million defensive backs that might be IDP-relevant in 2012, and about a third of those are free agents, so I have no doubt I'm about to miss a few guys. If you have any questions regarding those players there are links at the end of this article that will direct you to the information you seek. Tyvon Branch, SS, Oakland: Very few defensive backs over the past several seasons have been as consistent as the Raiders' strong safety, who has topped 100 tackles and finished in the Top 20 at his position in Default IDP Manor Scoring three years running. Branch is a classic "in the box" strong safety, stout against the run but something of a liability in coverage, and even should he remain in Oakland his IDP value may take something of a hit in 2012 given the new coaching staff's potential switch to a 3-4 defense in Oakland and the differing ways in which them may choose to utilize Branch. Should he depart the Bay Area, the fantasy value of Branch could vary quite a bit for next season, but with most signs pointing to him hanging around he appears to be set for at least one more season of serviceable IDP DB1 value. LaRon ...

It's Week 17 of the 2011 National Football League season, and while the majority of IDP leagues were wrapped up a week ago there's still one more game to go in some leagues, and it's for all the proverbial marbles. To help you prepare for this very important week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Seventeen of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG vs DAL 2.) Jared Allen - MIN vs CHI 3.) Terrell Suggs - BAL at CIN 4.) Jason Babin - PHI vs WAS 5.) Julius Peppers - CHI at MIN 6.) Elvis Dumervil - DEN vs KC 7.) Trent Cole - PHI vs WAS 8.) Justin Tuck - NYG vs DAL 9.) Chris Clemons - SEA at ARI 10.) Justin Smith - SF at STL 11.) Robert Mathis - IND at JAX 12.) Calais Campbell - ARI vs SEA 13.) Chris Long - STL vs SF 14.) Will Smith - NO vs CAR 15.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX vs IND 16.) Cliff Avril - DET at GB 17.) Greg Hardy - CAR at NO 18.) Haloti Ngata - BAL at CIN 19.) Jabaal Sheard - CLE vs PIT 20.) J.J. Watt - HOU vs TEN 21.) Darnell Dockett - ARI vs SEA 22.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET at GB 23.) Ndamukong Suh - DET at GB 24.) Brandon Deaderick - NE vs BUF 25.) Michael Johnson - CIN vs BAL 26.) Charles Johnson - CAR at NO 27.) Israel Idonije - CHI at MIN 28.) James Hall - STL vs SF 29.) John Abraham - ATL vs TB 30.) Geno Atkins - CIN vs BAL LINEBACKERS 1.) London Fletcher - WAS at PHI 2.) Derrick Johnson - KC at DEN 3.) Ray Lewis - BAL at CIN 4.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE vs PIT 5.) Navorro Bowman - SF at STL 6.) James Laurinaitis - STL vs SF 7.) Curtis Lofton - ATL vs TB 8.) Nick Barnett - BUF at NE 9.) Pat Angerer - IND at JAX 10.) Colin McCarthy - TEN at HOU 11.) Daryl Washington - ARI vs SEA 12.) Jerod Mayo - NE vs BUF 13.) Karlos Dansby - MIA vs NYJ 14.) Desmond Bishop - GB vs DET 15.) David Hawthorne - SEA at ARI 16.) Sean Lee - DAL at NYG 17.) Paul Posluszny - JAX vs IND 18.) Chad Greenway - MIN vs CHI 19.) DeMarcus Ware - DAL at NYG 20.) Brian Urlacher - CHI at MIN 21.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL vs TB 22.) David Harris - NYJ at MIA 23.) James...

undefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefined IDP CHEATSHEET: Week Sixteen Week 16 of the 2011 fantasy football season has arrived, which means that in the majority of IDP leagues one more game remains to determine who is crowned king of the league...it's Championship Week. To help you prepare for this most important week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week 16 of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Terrell Suggs - BAL vs CLE 2.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG at NYJ 3.) Jared Allen - MIN at WAS 4.) Jason Babin - PHI at DAL 5.) Chris Clemons - SEA vs SF 6.) Trent Cole - PHI at DAL 7.) Julius Peppers - CHI at GB 8.) Justin Smith - SF at SEA 9.) Chris Long - STL at PIT 10.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET vs SD 11.) Justin Tuck - NYG at NYJ 12.) Elvis Dumervil - DEN at BUF 13.) Haloti Ngata - BAL vs CLE 14.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX at TEN 15.) Cliff Avril - DET vs SD 16.) Will Smith - NO vs ATL 17.) Greg Hardy - CAR vs TB 18.) Dave Ball - TEN vs JAX 19.) J.J. Watt - HOU at IND 20.) Charles Johnson - CAR vs TB 21.) Jabaal Sheard - CLE at BAL 22.) Calais Campbell - ARI at CIN 23.) Mark Anderson - NE vs MIA 24.) Robert Mathis - IND vs HOU 25.) Israel Idonije - CHI at GB 26.) Ndamukong Suh - DET vs SD 27.) John Abraham - ATL at NO 28.) Marcell Dareus - BUF vs DEN 29.) Lamarr Houston - OAK at KC 30.) Ahtyba Rubin - CLE at BAL LINEBACKERS 1.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE at BAL 2.) Nick Barnett - BUF vs DEN 3.) Navorro Bowman - SF at SEA 4.) London Fletcher - WAS vs MIN 5.) Derrick Johnson - KC vs OAK 6.) David Hawthorne - SEA vs SF 7.) James Laurinaitis - STL at PIT 8.) Pat Angerer - IND vs HOU 9.) Sean Lee - DAL vs PHI 10.) Curtis Lofton - ATL at NO 11.) Paul Posluszny - JAX at TEN 12.) Ray Lewis - BAL vs CLE 13.) Daryl Washington - ARI at CIN 14.) Brian Urlacher - CHI at GB 15.) Colin McCarthy - TEN vs JAX 16.) Chad Greenway - MIN at WAS 17.) Karlos Dansby - MIA at NE 18.) Jerod Mayo - NE vs...

Week 15 of the 2011 fantasy football season is here, which means while some have called it a year after a disappointing season while others have either begun or are continuing a playoff run that they hope will conclude with an Individual Defensive Players (IDP) Championship. To help you prepare for another week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs for Week 15 of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards one point for solo tackles, ½ point for assisted tackles; two points each for fumbles forced and recovered; four points for interceptions, sacks and safeties; six points for defensive touchdowns; and one point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants vs. Washington 2.) Terrell Suggs, Baltimore at San Diego 3.) Jared Allen, Minnesota vs. New Orleans 4.) Trent Cole, Philadelphia vs. New York Jets 5.) Julius Peppers, Chicago vs. Seattle 6.) Andre Carter, New England at Denver 7.) Chris Clemons, Seattle at Chicago 8.) Justin Smith, San Francisco vs. Pittsburgh 9.) Kyle Vanden Bosch, Detroit at Oakland 10.) Elvis Dumervil, Denver vs. New England 11.) Jason Babin, Philadelphia vs. New York Jets 12.) Will Smith, New Orleans at Minnesota 13.) Charles Johnson, Carolina at Houston 14.) Cliff Avril, Detroit at Oakland 15.) Robert Mathis, Indianapolis vs. Tennessee 16.) Darnell Dockett, Arizona vs. Cleveland 17.) Jeremy Mincey, Jacksonville at Atlanta 18.) Haloti Ngata, Baltimore at San Diego 19.) Chris Long, St. Louis vs. Cincinnati 20.) Israel Idonije, Chicago vs. Seattle 21.) Jabaal Sheard, Cleveland at Arizona 22.) Ndamukong Suh, Detroit at Oakland 23.) Calais Campbell, Arizona vs. Cleveland 24.) J.J. Watt, Houston vs. Carolina 25.) Greg Hardy, Carolina at Houston 26.) Justin Tuck, New York Giants vs. Washington 27.) Ray Edwards, Atlanta vs. Jacksonville 28.) Lamarr Houston, Oakland vs. Detroit 29.) Michael Johnson, Cincinnati at St. Louis 30.) Desmond Bryant, Oakland vs. Detroit LINEBACKERS 1.) D'Qwell Jackson, Cleveland at Arizona 2.) Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville at Atlanta 3.) London Fletcher, Washington at New York Giants 4.) Ray Lewis, Baltimore at San Diego 5.) Curtis Lofton, Atlanta vs. Jacksonville 6.) James Laurinaitis, St. ...

undefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefined IDP CHEATSHEET: Week Fourteen Week 14 of the 2011 fantasy football season has arrived, bringing with it the fantasy playoffs in many leagues, so it's time to get down to the business of making a run at Championship glory. To help you prepare for another week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Fourteen of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jared Allen - MIN at DET 2.) Terrell Suggs - BAL vs IND 3.) Andre Carter - NE at WAS 4.) Trent Cole - PHI at MIA 5.) Julius Peppers - CHI at DEN 6.) Chris Clemons - SEA vs STL 7.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG at DAL 8.) Jason Babin - PHI at MIA 9.) Justin Smith - SF at ARI 10.) Justin Tuck - NYG at DAL 11.) Chris Long - STL at SEA 12.) Elvis Dumervil - DEN vs CHI 13.) Charles Johnson - CAR vs ATL 14.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET vs MIN 15.) Jabaal Sheard - CLE at PIT 16.) Israel Idonije - CHI at DEN 17.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX vs TB 18.) Cliff Avril - DET vs MIN 19.) Haloti Ngata - BAL vs IND 20.) Calais Campbell - ARI vs SF 21.) Will Smith - NO at TEN 22.) Greg Hardy - CAR vs ATL 23.) James Hall - STL at SEA 24.) Robert Mathis - IND at BAL 25.) Phil Taylor - CLE at PIT 26.) J.J. Watt - HOU at CIN 27.) Darnell Dockett - ARI vs SF 28.) Lamarr Houston - OAK at GB 29.) DaQuan Bowers - TB at JAX 30.) Ray Edwards - ATL at CAR LINEBACKERS 1.) Derrick Johnson - KC at NYJ 2.) James Laurinaitis - STL at SEA 3.) London Fletcher - WAS vs NE 4.) Curtis Lofton - ATL at CAR 5.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE at PIT 6.) Navorro Bowman - SF at ARI 7.) Paul Posluszny - JAX vs TB 8.) Nick Barnett - BUF at SD 9.) Daryl Washington - ARI vs SF 10.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL at CAR 11.) Colin McCarthy - TEN vs NO 12.) Karlos Dansby - MIA vs PHI 13.) David Hawthorne - SEA vs STL 14.) Desmond Bishop - GB vs OAK 15.) James Anderson - CAR vs ATL 16.) Brian Urlacher - CHI at DEN 17.) Sean Lee - DAL vs NYG 18.) Rey Maualuga - CIN vs HOU 19.) D.J. Williams - DEN vs CHI 20.) Chad Greenway - MIN at ...