Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 5
Corey Liuget, Defensive End
While we’re discussing science, I have a basic physics question for you: if something is coming at you weighing 300 pounds (136 kilograms) and moving at a rate of 8.16 yards per second (.0075 meters per second), what’s its momentum? 1.02 kilogram-meters per second is the right answer. Next question: how do you stop that thing? That thing is franchise defensive end Corey Liuget for the San Diego Chargers, who is a one-man wrecking ball despite -- or because of -- his massive size. Through four games, he is averaging nearly three solo tackles, one assist, and a tackle for a loss this season. That’s pretty solid for a 3-4 defensive end.
His Chargers get to take on the still-surviving Pittsburgh Steelers next week, and he will be licking his chops over a juicy matchup with running back Le'Veon Bell. Bell has averaged just over 20 carries over his last two games, meaning there will be plenty of chances to bring him -- or Michael Vick -- down for tackle points. The Steelers are decent at not allowing a tackle for a loss in 2015 -- they rank 16th in terms of lowest percentage of stuffs allowed. However, they have allowed 12 sacks of the quarterback in just four games, the seventh-highest percentage of drop backs resulting in a sack. The volume of tackle opportunities as well as a shaky offensive line and a historically indecisive passer make this a good matchup for Liuget.
Liuget is available in 92.5% of ESPN IDP leagues, and we project him for around 4.0 tackles, a chance for a sack, and a total score of 4.56 balanced fantasy points in Week 5.
