IDP Analysis: Week 17 Matchups

Here's a look at IDPs who have favorable Week 17 matchups. IDP formats can be quite different, so we'll list players of varying levels. Some will be players found on the waiver wire while in other leagues players will be automatic starters.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Everson Griffen, Vikings vs. Bears - There's no question that Griffen's had a great season, but after notching sacks in each of his first eight games, he's only had a sack in roughly half of his games since. With the Vikings needing a win, they'll be plenty motivated to put away the Bears in a home game they should be able to dominate. Once Chicago falls behind, Griffen should be able to have plenty of pass-rush opportunities that should lead to some success in the box score.

Stephon Tuitt, Steelers vs. Browns - Aside from a pair of consecutive games in October in which he picked up a sack in each, Tuitt's been a disappointment this season as an IDP. He'll have a great chance to end the season on a positive note when facing the Browns at home in a must-win game against a team that'll likely be thinking that the offseason can't come soon enough. Not only are the Browns among the worst in terms of allowing sacks, but they'll almost certainly fall far behind in this road game. Tuitt should get plenty of chances to get back in the sack column as DeShone Kizer is forced to throw the ball more than he'd like.

Joey Bosa, Chargers vs. Raiders - Through the first 10 games of the year, Bosa was performing at the same elite level he showed during his rookie season. Unfortunately, he's been very quiet over the last five weeks, failing to pick up a sack in the majority of those contests. The Chargers will be desperate for a win and he'll be facing a Raiders offense that's been a very poor unit throughout the season. The Chargers should be able to grab a lead in this must-win game, and with so much on the line, Bosa should be able to have success against an Oakland O-line that's not been nearly as good as their reputation would suggest.

Calais Campbell, Jaguars at Titans - Sure, Campbell's notched sacks in the majority of his games this season, but when the situation's been right, he's also been able to post multiple sacks in four different games. As much as this week's opponent, the Titans, would like to run the ball all day, they'll struggle to consistently stay out of obvious passing situations. When that happens, it's tough to imagine that the Tennessee receivers will be able to get much separation against the excellent Jacksonville defensive backs, and that should be the key to Campbell having an opportunity to have one of his signature performances.

LINEBACKER

Kyle Van Noy, Patriots vs. Jets - With home field advantage on the line, Van Noy should be back to nearly full health after dealing with a calf injury. Not only will he face a Jets offense with a backup QB, but he's already had his best game of the season against them on the road back in October when he notched a pair of sacks and seven tackles. This time, he'll be at Foxboro against a team that's long been out of the playoff hunt. Even though he may not explode in the manner he did in the first matchup, the fact he's facing a run-heavy team should help him collect plenty of tackles. Eventually, the Pats should get a big enough lead to force Bryce Petty to pass more than he'd like, and when that happens, he could also add a sack.

Eric Kendricks, Vikings vs. Bears - Over the course of the season, Kendricks has been an inconsistent fantasy option. However, when he's having one of his better games, he can easily pile up double-digit tackles, a feat he's accomplished four times this season. Although the Vikings should be able to control the game, the Bears will still try to run the ball often, and even when they don't, they'll throw plenty of short passes. Look for the Minnesota linebacker to end the regular season on a high note.

Thomas Davis, Panthers at Falcons - Davis will make his return from a one-game suspension, and it's very likely that he'll be looking to have one of his more inspired games of the year after knowing that he let his teammates down by missing a game during the team's playoff hunt. Although he's not a strong weekly IDP, he's only surpassed the five-tackle mark once all season, he'll have a great matchup against the Falcons. In a game with massive playoff implications, expect Atlanta to use Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman often, which should allow Davis to make plenty of plays when the tailbacks are used both as runners and receivers.

Terrell Suggs, Ravens vs. Bengals - While the Bengals know this last game is meaningless, the Ravens will be playing in the hopes of making the playoffs. In this divisional matchup, Baltimore should have great success moving the football against an uninspiring Cincinnati defense, which should lead to them playing much of this game with a lead. If that scenario materializes, Suggs should have little trouble overpowering an overmatched offensive line. When he faced this defense earlier in the year, not only did he collect a season-high six tackles, but he added two sacks and a forced fumble.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Keanu Neal, Falcons vs. Panthers - When facing the Panthers earlier in the season, Neal had his best game of the season, forcing a pair of fumbles -- while recovering one -- and adding eight tackles. At the very least, he should be able to pile up a boat load of tackles against a Carolina offense that prefers to run the ball and throw plenty of short passes. This is just the type of game script in which Neal can flourish.

Patrick Chung, Patriots vs. Jets - Chung will be facing a Jets team that'll likely have its collective mind on getting to the offseason as the play their last game of the year with Bryce Petty under center. Expect New York to run the ball as much as they can while the game is somewhat close. Although Chung should be active in stopping their trio of RBs, at some point Petty will be forced to throw the football around. Those situations should also put Chung in position to either add more tackles or be in pass defense, which could lead to him creating a takeaway as well.

Marcus Maye, Jets at Patriots - The Jets' rookie safety has had a very solid season, as he's posted his season high of seven tackles on five different occasions. When he faced the Patriots earlier in the year, he had a solid total of six stops, and with the Jets being a strong unit against the run, look for the Pats to lean on their passing attack to move the football. There should be enough short-to-intermediate passes thrown to allow for Maye to have a strong stat line in the season finale.

Tony Jefferson, Ravens vs. Bengals - After not being much of a playmaker in the first half of the season, Jefferson has intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and collected a sack over the last five games. Aside from those big plays, he's only had two games with more than five tackles on the season, but his season-high 11 tackles came in Week 14, so he's clearly been playing his best football as of late. He'll be facing a Cincinnati team that has nothing to play for, and with the Ravens playing with the postseason in mind, Jefferson should find himself in plenty of playmaking situations. The main reason is that once the Bengals fall behind, forcing Andy Dalton to throw the ball often, the Baltimore pass rush should easily dominate the Bengals O-line, which could lead to plenty of tackles on quick passes while also opening up opportunities for Jefferson to make a big play or two.