This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
Happy New Year! Week 17 is in the books, and in turn, most fantasy championships have wrapped up. However, there are still plenty of leagues that are finishing in Week 18, and dynasty managers need to be active at all times, too. I'll be going through some Week 18 streamers and dynasty pick-ups that should be on your radar moving forward.
RISING
Harvey Langi, LB 
Langi didn't play a defense snap all year until the Raiders suffered a slew of injuries and needed him to make an impact in Week 17 versus the 49ers. The journeyman linebacker posted nine tackles (seven solo) while playing 66 percent of the snaps. He's not guaranteed to start in Week 18 versus the Chiefs, but the odds are in his favor, making him a useful option in deeper IDP leagues.
Mark Robinson, LB 
Robinson didn't play a defensive snap until Week 15 versus the Panthers, but he earned his first career start in Week 17 versus the Ravens while Myles Jack and Devin Bush combined for 11 total snaps. The seventh-round rookie capitalized on the opportunity with seven tackles (two solo). He only played 50 percent of the snaps, so his upside is limited. But if he starts again in Week 18 versus the Browns, he'll be useful for fantasy purposes.
James Houston, LB 
Houston is a must-add dynasty player wherever he's still available. He's tied with No. 2 pick Aidan Hutchinson for the league lead among rookies with 7.5 sacks
Happy New Year! Week 17 is in the books, and in turn, most fantasy championships have wrapped up. However, there are still plenty of leagues that are finishing in Week 18, and dynasty managers need to be active at all times, too. I'll be going through some Week 18 streamers and dynasty pick-ups that should be on your radar moving forward.
RISING
Harvey Langi, LB
Langi didn't play a defense snap all year until the Raiders suffered a slew of injuries and needed him to make an impact in Week 17 versus the 49ers. The journeyman linebacker posted nine tackles (seven solo) while playing 66 percent of the snaps. He's not guaranteed to start in Week 18 versus the Chiefs, but the odds are in his favor, making him a useful option in deeper IDP leagues.
Mark Robinson, LB
Robinson didn't play a defensive snap until Week 15 versus the Panthers, but he earned his first career start in Week 17 versus the Ravens while Myles Jack and Devin Bush combined for 11 total snaps. The seventh-round rookie capitalized on the opportunity with seven tackles (two solo). He only played 50 percent of the snaps, so his upside is limited. But if he starts again in Week 18 versus the Browns, he'll be useful for fantasy purposes.
James Houston, LB
Houston is a must-add dynasty player wherever he's still available. He's tied with No. 2 pick Aidan Hutchinson for the league lead among rookies with 7.5 sacks despite playing just six games and 106 snaps. This type of insane efficiency isn't sustainable, but it's still a marker of Houston's high ceiling moving forward.
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB 
Dre Greenlaw exited Sunday's win over the Raiders during the second half due to a back injury. He'll undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, but the test alone casts doubt onto his status for Week 18 versus the Cardinals. In turn, Al-Shaair has a good chance to start that game after he played 64 percent of the snaps in Week 17 and posted seven tackles (five solo). Al-Shaair was highly productive last season with 102 tackles (58 solo), five pass breakups, two sacks and an interception across 13 regular-season games.
Tanner Muse, LB 
Star LB Jordyn Brooks has been ruled out for the season, so there is a major gap in the defense for Muse to fill. Muse logged 18 snaps and three tackles (two solo) following Brooks' injury. It's worth noting that safety Johnathan Abram could steal some snaps in the box, but Muse should still get enough work to be valuable. Prior to injury, Brooks recorded 10.5 tackles per game, so this is a massive opportunity.
Ezekiel Turner, LB 
Isaiah Simmons is handling more snaps at safety because Budda Baker (shoulder) is on injured reserve, so Turner helped pick up the slack at linebacker in Week 17 with a 54 percent snap share, while Ben Niemann handled a 30 percent share. Turner posted five tackles (four solo). He'll carry some value in Week 18 versus the 49ers, although Niemann could command the starting role, too.
FALLING
Myles Jack, LB
Jack and Devin Bush have been effectively benched for Robert Spillane and Mark Robinson. There's no way fantasy managers can trust either of these players in Week 18. Both players have trade value in dynasty at the right cost.
Pete Werner, LB 
Werner is still an excellent dynasty player, as he posted 71 tackles (52 solo), three pass breakups and two forced fumbles through the first eight games. But he's not dependable right now. After all, he played just 24 defensive snaps (45 percent) and no tackles in his return from a hamstring injury. There's no guarantee that his role will increase in Week 18 against the Panthers. Kaden Elliss also carries more risk this week because there's a chance Werner returns to his full-time role and pushes Elliss to a situational role.
Owens has played fewer than 70 percent of the defensive snaps in two of the last three games, and he's averaging five tackles per game over the last five outings. His playing time has fluctuated lately, and the Texans could suppress his role even further in Week 18. After all, safeties M.J. Stewart and Eric Murray have both enjoyed increased roles at times this year, often at Owens' expense.
