As we move into the final weeks of most fantasy seasons the moves you make now may make or break your chances of winning a crown. I have pulled together some names of defensive players that could help you down the stretch, depending on the size and scoring of your leagues.

Here are your WIRED UP IDP selections for week 12.

Oh, and by the way, HAPPY THANKSGIVING from all of us here at The Whiz.

(1) Forum Discussion

LB

Daryl Smith JAC – Smith will take over at MLB for Mike Peterson who fractured his hand and is out indefinitely. The MLB is this defense gets plenty of tackle opportunities and Smith makes for an excellent pickup in all leagues.  

Eric Barton NYJ – Barton has been seeing additional tackle chances lately with David Harris moving around in different schemes and Barton has recorded 13 solo tackles, 9 assists, 1 INT and 1 sack in the last 3 games. He is a solid tackler and while he may not lead your team to victory, he is a solid addition for the balance of the season.

Ian Gold DEN – Gold has stepped up his game in the last two weeks with 13 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 passes defensed and 1 INT. Grab him while he’s hot, and he makes a decent LB3 in almost all leagues.

Dhani Jones CIN – With all the injuries to Cincy’s LB corps, Jones has been getting plenty of reps. In the last 3 weeks he has posted 14 solo tackles and 7 assists over the last 3 games. He won’t light up the joint, but he will get you tackles each week.

Reggie Torbor NYG – Torbor will start in place of Mathias Kiwanuka who will probably be placed on IR this week with a broken leg. He will be on the strong side and he doesn’t have the playmaking skills that Kiwanuka has, so his upside is limited. Grab him only if you are truly desperate.

DB

Antrel Rolle ARI – Hard to keep him off the list after his heroics in week 11. He has 3 interceptions in that game and took all 3 of them back for touchdowns, although one got called back due to a penalty. He’s also had 15 solo tackles and 4 assists in the last 3 games. His next two games are against San Fran and Cleveland, so grab him up for that stretch.

Daven Holly CLE – Holly should get the start with Eric Wright out for at least 2-3 weeks with a sprained knee. Cleveland likes to get into shootouts, so he should get plenty of chances.

Leon Hall CIN – Hall has finally taken over as the starting left cornerback, replacing Deltha O’Neal. Hall was a highly regarded first round pick, and has started to make the plays that allowed Cincy to replace the decent, but not spectacular O’Neal. Hall is an excellent tackler who has 18 tackles, 2 INTs, and 5 passes defensed in the last 3 games. He is a solid pickup in all leagues.

Samari Rolle BAL – Rolle is expected to resume practicing this week and should start against San Diego this week. He will get his chances and with Chargers QB Phillip Rivers throwing 3 INTs in the last 2 games, I like his chances.

DL

Dwan Edwards BAL – It looks like there is a good chance that Trevor Pryce could be done for the season with a torn pectoral muscle and Edwards should continue to start in his stead. He won’t light up any stat sheets, but he will start and sometimes at this time of the year that is important.

Corey Williams GBP – Williams has had 4 sacks in his last 3 games to go along with 10 solo tackles and 2 FFs. With Detroit on the schedule for week 12, you should be salivating for this pickup.

Greg White TBB – White has 3 sacks in the last 2 games and 4.5 on the season. He doesn’t get a lot of tackles but if your league has sack heavy scoring, he is worthy of consideration. He has a fairly favorable schedule coming up, so you could worse.

Robert Geathers CIN – So the experiment failed. The experiment to move Geathers to OLB was a bad mistake and the team finally realized it and moved him back to DE in week 11. Obviously this is right for him as he put up 1.5 sacks and 5 tackles against Arizona. He hadn’t done anything before this since week 1, so there is a good chance he is available on your wire.