IDP Analysis: Week 15 Review

After a few relatively quiet weeks on the IDP front, there were a lot of significant moves on depth charts and in injury news in Week 15. Similar to earlier in the season, we'll cover the most relevant of those moves for fantasy purposes in a more quick-hitting style of analysis.

Risers

K'Lavon Chaisson, DL

Chaisson was starting to emerge in recent weeks, but the injury to Maxx Crosby (ankle) sped up that process considerably. He played 98 percent of defensive snaps on Monday night. That didn't translate to a big statistical performance, but he has four quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks across his last three games.

Darius Robinson, DL

Robinson has had a quiet rookie season, primarily due to injury. In three games since his return, he's seen his snap rate increase and peak at 57 percent in Week 15. He also notched his first career sack against Drake Maye.

Malik Harrison, LB

Patrick Queen had his share of inconsistencies in Baltimore, but the Ravens are missing him in 2025. They've struggled to find a suitable replacement for him to start opposite Roquan Smith, with Trenton Simpson and Chris Board both getting their crack at the role earlier in the season. Harrison was next man up in Week 15, playing 83 percent of snaps while tallying eight total stops.

Christian Harris, LB

Harris made his season debut after recovering from a calf injury and was immediately on the field for 83 percent of defensive snaps. He should be added and started in any IDP league that rewards points for tackles.

Sticking with the positive news in Houston, Henry To'oTo'o seems to have a safe role even after Harris' return. That could change once Azeez Al-Shaair is back from suspension, but that won't happen until Week 18, once most fantasy seasons are over.

Nik Bonitto, LB

Bonitto is a rotational edge rusher and fits that role very well and adds an explosive element to the Denver offense. He returned an ill-fated trick play by the Colts for a score in Week 15 – his second consecutive game with a defensive touchdown. His contributions have been more consistent than that this season, as he has at least one sack in all but four games. He should be more of a household name than is currently the case.

Nick Herbig, LB

T.J. Watt's (ankle) status is uncertain for a pivotal divisional showdown with Baltimore. Even if he suits up, his role could be more limited than in typical weeks. Herbig would be the beneficiary, and he's shown his ability to impact the game with an expanded role due to a couple of Alex Highsmith injuries earlier in the campaign.

Edgerrin Cooper, LB
Eric Wilson, LB

The Packers linebacker corps has a lot of moving pieces. Cooper returned from a three-game absence and immediately played a season-high 72 percent of snaps, while Wilson joined him as the other player to play more than half the defensive snaps, even if he only came away with a modest two tackles. That left Isaiah McDuffie as the odd-man out, but Quay Walker (ankle) now looks likely to miss Week 16 and perhaps beyond, which should help McDuffie find the field a bit more moving forward. This is a situation to watch, but Cooper appears to be the clear winner.

Marshon Lattimore, CB

The stat sheet won't show it, but Lattimore made his debut for the Commanders and was on the field for 96 percent of snaps. He didn't record any stats, but it appears that the cautious approach to a return from a hamstring injury paid off in that he'll be ready to play a full allotment of snaps to close out the regular season and into the postseason.

Cam Lewis, CB/S

Lewis has been primarily a special-teamer for Buffalo, but he showed his versatility in Sunday's win over the Lions. The Bills were without both Taylor Rapp (neck) and Damar Hamlin (back), leaving Cole Bishop (leg) and Lewis as the starting safeties. Bishop later left the game with cramps, pushing Lewis into a significant role in the back-end of the secondary and he came through with six tackles.

Jaden Hicks, S

Hicks is a fourth-round rookie and has steadily seen his playing time tick up of late, pushing from a 19 percent snap rate in Week 12 to 33 percent and 42 percent in successive weeks. He was on the field for 67 percent of defensive snaps after Chamarri Conner (concussion) was forced to exit Kansas City's win in Cleveland, and he chipped in his second interception of the season despite the aforementioned limited playing time. It may not be for this season, but Hicks is a name to keep an eye on this offseason with Justin Reid set to hit free agency.

Damontae Kazee, S

DeShon Elliott has been a key in the Steelers' secondary all season, and his absence, combined with the early exit of Donte Jackson (back), was a big reason the Eagles had their way through the air in Week 15. While it's a significant downgrade for Pittsburgh, Kazee made eight tackles while playing 81 percent of snaps and was the clear winner of Elliott's absence. On a short week, Kazee seems to have a strong chance to remain on the field.

Fallers

Jerome Baker, LB

The Tennessee linebacker corps is a mess to sort through due to a combination of injury and uncertain roles. Kenneth Murray is locked into one of the middle linebacker spots, and Baker looked to be the preferred option opposite him. After Baker missed Tennessee's Week 14 contest, he practiced in full all week and looked ready to suit up, only to be inactive Sunday morning. The exact reason still is unclear, but there's a lot of uncertainty about his role with the Titans to close the season.

Matt Milano, LB

Milano has had disastrous injury luck, and in just his third game of 2024 he was forced to exit with a  groin injury. The severity is unclear, but it was another bad break for him.