NFL

Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 16

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​William Hayes, Defensive End

I’m fudging the eligibility a little bit here, but this is way too good of a matchup to pass up. The Los Angeles Rams have plenty of talent on their team that hasn’t seemed to pan out yet, but defensive end William Hayes has been a breakout sensation for them. Hayes has earned the third-best tackle rate among defensive ends this season, to go with an above-average 21st-place rank in sack rate and the 16th-best quarterback hit rate. To boot, he has 8.5 stuffs, meaning he is a big-play machine in every phase of play.

Hayes gets the San Francisco 49ers this week, a team that is allowing a sack on 8.1 percent of their drop backs (3rd-highest) and a stuff on 11.3 percent of their running plays (10th-highest). Hayes plays a rotational role, but has been in on 50 percent of the team’s defensive snaps every game since Week 7.

Hayes is available in 94.4% of ESPN IDP leagues, and we project him for 2.82 tackles, 0.21 sacks, and a total score of 3.49 fantasy points in Week 16.