Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 6
Alan Branch, Defensive Tackle
One big entry on my list of IDP streaming no-no’s is recommending reliance on interior defensive linemen -- defensive tackles -- to fill my DL slot when looking for streaming options. With the prevalence of defensive schemes that ask the defensive tackle to guard the run (instead of blitzing), they often have low floors and low ceilings. This week, however, we’re going to break that stigma.
New England Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch earns our stamp of approval, despite not playing a ton of snaps as the early-down run-stopper on this team -- one risk of defensive tackles in IDP is role specialization limiting snap counts. Still, he is soaking up action when he is in, with an 8.42 percent tackle rate, which ranks 14th among defensive linemen who have averaged 30 or more snaps per game. He earns his hay making tackles; he has just one quarterback hit this season across more than 200 snaps.
All he needs is a good wrap-up ability this week, though, as the Cincinnati Bengals line up across from Branch’s Patriots in Week 6. Cincinnati doesn’t offer a barrel of rushing attempts to capitalize on -- they rank 11th-highest in pass-to-run play calling ratio -- but they do offer Branch a chance to add to his stuff totals. The Bengals are allowing the 14th-highest stuff percentage to opponents, and Branch has collected at least one tackle for a loss each of the last three weeks.
Branch is available in 95.2% of ESPN IDP leagues, and we project him for 3.20 tackles, 0.21 sacks, and a total score of 4.19 fantasy points in Week 6.
