DL Streaming 101: Week 9
Professor IDP looks at the best DE and DT streaming options in your IDP fantasy football leagues for Week 9.
Welcome to the Week 9 edition of DL Streaming 101! Only two teams are on a bye this week so let’s hop right into last week’s action before exploring this week’s picks!
Overall, we continued our six-week-long 10-point-average streak with streamers averaging 13.66 points per game. Azeez Ojulari, Grover Stewart, Vita Vea, B.J. Hill, and DeMarcus Walker led the way with 15 points or more each. Six of 11 picks broke the ever-important 10-point threshold with Alim McNeil and Davon Godchaux just missing at 9+ points each. Week 8 had three disappointing finishes with A.J. Epenesa, Keeanu Benton, and Micheal Clemons putting up 3-6 points each.
For the season, we are still over 10 points per game overall and within each of the three top tiers (we still have not yet had to dip into Tier 4 - Educated Dart Throw territory). Solid (Deeper) plays are overperforming a bit, but, when all groups are performing well, that is a good problem to have! Also, the average run grades are not an error as all three groups are at 57.9 for the season when you round off the second decimal place.
With a look back out of the way, let’s look ahead to the week 9 DL streaming action!
DL Available in 75% of IDP Leagues
B.J. Hill, DT, CIN (🎓🎓🎓)
B.J. Hill is a rare member of the 70/70/70 club with PFF run and pass defense grades over 70 and a snap share over 70%. Hill also has an advantageous matchup this week against a Raiders offensive line that has allowed at least 40 points to opposing DTs in six of eight weeks this season.
Osa Odighizuwa, DT, DAL (🎓🎓🎓)
Osa Odighizuwa’s clear weakness is his run defense which grades out at 45 per PFF. Fortunately, this is the aspect of my model that gets the smallest weight and his snap shares have been solid all season ranging from 62-84%. The Cowboys play the Falcons this week who have given up the most fantasy points to opposing DTs including a 31.7-point outing from C.J. Brewer of the Buccaneers.
Grover Stewart, DT, IND (🎓🎓🎓)
DT’s are leading the way in Week 9! Grover Stewart is at the threshold of being ineligible from this article rostered in 75% of leagues. Still, Stewart is the fantasy DT6 since Week 2 this season topping many players rostered at twice or three times his rate. The return of DeForest Buckner did not significantly hurt Stewart’s production or playing time making him a viable option once again in Week 9.
Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, IND (🎓🎓)
Dayo Odeyingbo was featured in this article a few weeks while Kwity Paye was out and since Paye’s return, there has still been a significant role for Odeyingbo. His snap shares have remained in the mid to high 60s with a respectable pass rush grade of 65.8. The Vikings are a middle-of-the-road matchup for opposing edges but have allowed solid games to several team’s secondary pass rush specialists including Byron Young in Week 8, Josh Paschal in Week 7, Michael Clemons in Week 5, and Derek Barnett in Week 3.
Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, LAC (🎓🎓)
Breaking news, Joey Bosa is questionable to play in Week 9. When Bosa missed time this season, Tuipulotu saw a significant increase in snap shares but was solidly in the midst of a sophomore slump in terms of both PFF grades and fantasy points. He has rebounded in recent weeks and now has PFF grades exceeding 60 for both run defense and pass rush. He faces a Browns team that is among the most DE-friendly in the league (although that number dropped precipitously last week after the QB change).
Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, MIA (🎓🎓)
Emmanuel Ogbah is coming off his second-lowest snap share in his return from injury but still posted his fifth game above 10 points thus far this season. Ogbah is putting up solid, but not ideal, grades against the run or pass and is facing a Bills team that has been a difficult fantasy matchup for opposing DEs this season. Still, his consistent fantasy output and reliable snap share place Ogbah among the solid (deeper) streaming plays this week.
DL Available in 90% of IDP Leagues
Chauncey Golston, DE, DAL (🎓🎓🎓)
With Micah Parsons still not practicing as of this writing, the path is clear for Chauncey Golston to be the Cowboys' primary pass rusher in Week 9. While the other edge spot was a rotation in Week 8 with Tyrus Wheat and Carl Lawson each playing greater than 47% of snaps, Golston played a healthy 85% snap share. He has also been playing well as a pass rusher as of late ranking as a top 20 graded edge per PFF since taking on a full-time role in Week 6.
DeMarcus Walker, DE, CHI (🎓🎓🎓)
Stop me if you have heard this one before, DeMarcus Walker is a solid DL streamer this week. Walker is routinely out-snapping highly touted teammate Montez Sweat and has averaged over 15 fantasy points per game since Week 3. Arizona has been hit or miss as a fantasy matchup for opposing DL this season but the great snap share (at least 73% every game this season) keeps Walker in solid streaming territory.
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, CLE (🎓🎓🎓)
Our only debut player in the article this week, Dalvin Tomlinson is a familiar name to readers of the DT Deep Dive over the past two seasons. It’s unclear if Tomlinson will maintain his snap share of 67% in Week 8, but his PFF grades of over 64 each and a great matchup against the Chargers this week who have been the second most fantasy-friendly matchup for defensive tackles this season.
Davon Godchaux, DT, NE (🎓🎓)
While Davon Godchaux put up a decent fantasy performance (by streaming standards) in Week 8, he continues to be in a prime position to be a high-floor, mid-ceiling play in Week 9. Godchaux played 76% of snaps with teammate Daniel Ekuale out last week and has a respectable season-long pass rush grade of 61.6 but only five pressures to show for his efforts. The Patriots’ interior defenders face a Titans team that has been allowing most teams to exceed their season average fantasy output when facing them, making this a plus matchup for streaming.
Tershawn Wharton, DT, KC (🎓🎓)
Tershawn Wharton burned me once as a streamer earlier this season but he is in a good spot for redemption in Week 9. For the season, Wharton has a 72.7 PFF pass-rush grade, has 17 QB pressures (good for 22nd among DTs), and has never played less than 66% of snaps in a single game. He is a (mild) boom-bust player with two weeks under 1 fantasy point, but averaging over 10 ppg in his other outings. Tampa Bay has been a bad fantasy matchup for opposing DTs this season which should temper expectations for Wharton but he still remains a viable streamer in Week 9.
Baron Browning, DE, DEN (🎓🎓)
If you are looking for a bigger-play streamer, Baron Browning certainly has the talent to produce for your fantasy team in Week 9. Over the past two weeks, the Broncos have been in a full-blown edge rotation playing all four of their talented pass rushers at least 39% of snaps (all were at or above 48% in Week 8). While the production hasn’t been there for Browning since his return from injury, he grades out as the team’s second-best pass rusher during that time with a grade of 72.7. Baltimore ranks as the 7th most fantasy-friendly matchup for DEs this season. Last week, the Ravens gave up two 20 fantasy point performances to Browns edges (neither named Myles Garrett) creating optimism that this could be a get-right fantasy game for Browning.
Good luck and if you have any questions about deep DL plays, my office is always open on Twitter (@ProfessorIDP). While this article is a freebie, please consider supporting me, the show, and the broader IDP community by adding your league(s) to the 2024 State of IDP Survey!
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