News: Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije was ruled active for Sunday's contest agaibnst the Texans in Week 10. He was limited in practice earlier in the week due to an ankle injury.
Analysis: Idonije jumped on the map in Fantasy with 13 sacks over the last two seasons and looks well on his way to another productive campaign playing opposite of Julius Peppers in Chicago. While he has been losing playing time to rookie Shea McClellin, the 31-year-old remains a low-end option in IDP formats.
News: Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije was listed as probable on Friday's injury report and is expected to play Week 10 against the Texans. He was limited in practice earlier in the week due to an ankle injury.
Analysis: Idonije jumped on the map in Fantasy with 13 sacks over the last two seasons and looks well on his way to another productive campaign playing opposite of Julius Peppers in Chicago. While he has been losing playing time to rookie Shea McClellin, the 31-year-old remains a low-end option in IDP formats.
News: Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije was able to get after the quarterback in Week 7 against the Lions. He brought down Matthew Stafford once, giving him 3.5 sacks on the year. Idonije finished with two solo tackles in the 13-7 win.
Analysis: Idonije jumped on the map in Fantasy with 13 sacks over the last two seasons and looks well on his way to another productive campaign playing opposite of Julius Peppers in Chicago. While he has been losing playing time to rookie Shea McClellin, the 31-year-old remains a low-end option in IDP formats heading into Week 8 against the Panthers.
News: Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije recorded one tackle for loss Week 1 against the Colts. It was his only tackle in the game.
Analysis: Idonije usually benefits playing opposite Julius Peppers, but he is not as skilled of a pass rusher as Peppers. Idonije has totaled 13 sacks the last two seasons, but he is more of a low-end Fantasy option in IDP formats.
News: Unrestricted free agent defensive lineman Israel Idonije has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Bears. A pass rusher would seem to be an ideal spot for the team to start in the draft, now, since the defense use a three-DE rotation and Idonije had just five sacks last season. The pass rush was only 29th in sacks per pass play.
Analysis: Idonije should continue to fit into Fantasy plans as a reserve DL worthy of starting during the bye weeks. He's not bad as a late-round pick.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije recorded the first touchdown of his career Week 15 against the Seahawks, pouncing on a Tarvaris Jackson fumble after DL Julius Peppers stripped the quarterback of the football in the first quarter. Idonije also had five tackles, including four solo.
Analysis: Idonije typically isn't a big source of tackles. He does have four sacks on the season, but that's not enough to make him than a low-end DL in Fantasy IDP leagues.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije had a mostly quiet day in the Bears 13-10 Week 14 overtime loss to the Broncos. He had three tackles (two solo) and recovered a Tim Tebow fumble in the fourth quarter.
Analysis: Idonije has not been an especially productive DL option, with 42 tackles and four sacks on the season. You could do worse, but he’s no more than a low-end Fantasy IDP player.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije, who had gone five games without recording a sack, picked up his fourth of the season Week 13 against the Chiefs. He also had six tackles, including five solo.
Analysis: Idonije is halfway to his career high of eight sacks, set last year. That's not an especially high number, though, and since, like most defensive linemen, he's not a particularly good source of tackles, he's just a low-end option in Fantasy IDP leagues.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije was credited with three tackles in his team's Week 7 win over Tampa Bay in London. He was held without a sack, however, for the first time in two weeks.
Analysis: Idonije did get credit for one quarterback hit in the game and should be able to continue to get after opposing quarterbacks as long as he remains healthy. Idonije had the best campaign of his career in 2010 as he collected eight sacks playing opposite of Julius Peppers. He should finish with similar numbers this season so continue to view Idonije as a low-end Fantasy DL in IDP formats.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije added to his sack total in Week 6 against the Vikings. He finished with two tackles and a sack in the 39-10 win. It was his third sack of the season.
Analysis: Idonije had the best campaign of his career in 2010 as he collected eight sacks playing opposite of Julius Peppers. He should finish with similar numbers this season so continue to view Idonije as a low-end Fantasy DL in IDP formats.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije recorded his second sack of the season in Week 5 against the Lions. He was able to bring down QB Matthew Stafford and finished with two tackles in the 24-13 loss.
Analysis: Idonije posted a career-high eight sacks a year ago and looks well on his way to matching that mark again. But since he does not post a ton of tackles, continue to view him as more of a low-end Fantasy DL in IDP formats.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije totaled six tackles (three solo) and one sack in Week 2 against the Saints.
Analysis: Idonije had a career-high eight sacks in 2010 and benefits from playing opposite Julius Peppers, who is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and commands a lot of attention. For that, Idonije remains a low-end Fantasy DL since he has some pretty decent weeks.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije did not have his finest performance in Week 17 against the Packers. He recorded just two solo tackles in the 10-3 loss.
Analysis: Idonije had a breakout regular season, posting career highs in sacks (8) and tackles (49). Playing opposite of Julius Peppers definitely boosted his Fantasy value and he should see continued success in the playoffs. But since his production has been sporadic, consider the 30-year-old a low-end Fantasy option in IDP formats on Draft Day in 2011.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije continued his breakout campaign in Week 15 against the Vikings. He recorded his eighth sack of the year when he brought down rookie QB Joe Webb and also knocked the ball loose in the process. Idonije finished with four tackles in the 40-14 win.
Analysis: Idonije entered the 2010 season with just eight total sacks in his first seven years in the league but he has broke out this season. Playing opposite of All-Pro Julius Peppers, he has been able to produce at a high level and could reach double-digit sacks with two games left to go. With the Jets up next on the schedule, continue to view Idonije as a low-end Fantasy DL in IDP formats for Week 16.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije could not record a sack in Week 14 against the Patriots but was still able to chip in. He had four tackles in the 36-7 loss.
Analysis: Idonije had a nice stretch where he recorded 3.5 sacks over four games but he has gone cold since then. His seven sacks on the season are a career high but he will need to get a few more to maintain his Fantasy value. Consider the 30-year-old a low-end Fantasy DL in IDP formats heading into Week 15 against the Vikings.
News: Chicago lineman Israel Idonije did not get a sack in the Week 13 win over Detroit. Idonije managed five tackles in the game and added a forced fumble. Idonije had gotten a sack in each of the previous two games against the Eagles and Dolphins.
Analysis: Idonije has seven sacks on the season for the Bears to go with 37 tackles. Unfortunately, he doesn't get enough tackles consistently to really be a solid option in Fantasy IDP leagues. Leave him for deeper formats for Week 14 against New England.
News: Chicago defensive end Israel Idonije was credited with the Bears' first sack of Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick in the Bears' Week 12 victory but it was defensive end Henry Melton who made it possible by freeing up Idonije.
Analysis: Idonije has now recorded a sack in two consecutive games and four of his last five contests. He has 6.5 sacks on the season and will remain a key contributor to an aggressive Bears pass rush. He makes for an adequate Fantasy option.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije's only tackle in Week 11 against the Dolphins happened to be a sack of QB Tyler Thigpen. He has a career-high six sacks in his last seven games.
Analysis: Idonije is without a doubt benefiting from Julius Peppers' presence across the defensive line. While teams are often using two blockers on Peppers that frees up Idonije for one-on-one matchups. Idonije has become a nice No. 3 Fantasy DL.
News: Bears DE Israel Idonije blocked a big extra point in the Week 9 win over the Bills and it made a huge difference. "That's just a part of what we do on this team," Idonije said after the game. "We block kicks. That's one of the things that we focus on." Idonije finished the game with three tackles and 1/2 a sack.
Analysis: Idonije has 25 tackles on the season to go with five sacks over eight games. When teams pay too much attention to Julius Peppers, Idonije will get to the QB and that continues to be the case. Idonije's value is growing and he can be used in deeper Fantasy IDP leagues for Week 10 against the Vikings.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije had a very good game in the Week 7 loss to Washington. Idonije recorded five tackles in the performance and added to that a sack and a forced fumble in the 17-14 loss.
Analysis: Idonije now has just 22 tackles on the season to go with 4 1/2 sacks. When teams pay too much attention to Julius Peppers, Idonije will get to the QB and that seemed to occur on Sunday of Week 7 against Washington. He remains just a low-end option in deeper IDP Fantasy leagues, however, and the Bears are on bye in Week 8.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije, who made three sacks in Week 5, was held to just two tackle assists in a Week 6 loss to Seattle.
Analysis: When teams pay too much attention to Julius Peppers, Idonije will get to the QB, but that didn't happen on Sunday. He remains just a low-end option in deeper IDP Fantasy leagues.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije had three of Chicago's five sacks in Week 5 against the Panthers. He finished the day with seven tackles and a forced fumble. He had one sack in the previous four weeks of action.
Analysis: Idonije had just eight tackles heading into Week 5, but managed to target the quarterback at will on Sunday. Granted playing on the opposite end of the line as Julius Peppers should free him up for plenty of opportunities to hit the opposing quarterback. Fantasy owners in IDP leagues should keep an eye on him as the season goes on. He may develop into a low-end DL option by the end of the year.
News: The Bears have released veteran defensive end Alex Brown, roughly a month after signing Julius Peppers. The 31-year-old Brown was a fourth-round selection by the Bears in 2002 out of Florida. He was slated to make $5 million this season and slightly more in 2011, but the team didn't view him worthy of the contract. Mark Anderson, who had strong rookie season in 2006 with 12 sacks, could now be the starter. The Bears also intend to move Israel Idonije from tackle to defensive end.
Analysis: Anderson and Idonije are candidates to post decent stats since they'll each get a crack at playing opposite of Julius Peppers and likely see single coverage because of it. Consider both very late-round fliers worth a look in deeper drafts.
News: Bears cornerback Charles Tillman was placed on injured reserve and will miss the season finale against Detroit after breaking his ribs and suffering a lung contusion. Defensive lineman Israel Idonije also went on IR on Wednesday because of a foot injury.
Analysis: Tillman was a Fantasy stud this year thanks to his high tackle totals. Idonije's stats didn't translate well to Fantasy Football. Both should be off of all rosters going into Week 17.
News: The Bears will likely be without injured linebackers Hunter Hillenmeyer and Pisa Tinoisamoa when they host the Lions on Sunday. Both were listed as doubtful on Friday, with Tinoisamoa hobbled by a knee injury he suffered in the season opener at Green Bay and Hillenmeyer recovering from a rib injury in last week's win over Seattle. On the plus side, Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs (foot) is expected to play even though he was listed as questionable. Defensive end Alex Brown (ankle) and defensive tackle Israel Idonije (knee) were also listed as questionable.
Analysis: Expect Briggs to play against a suspect Lions offense. Start him in IDP leagues along with Brown if he's active. Everyone else on this list shouldn't be on Fantasy rosters.
News: Defensive end Israel Idonije missed Friday's practice with a sore hamstring and his status for Sunday's preseason game in Denver is uncertain
Analysis: Idonije is trying to slim down to play more as an end than a tackle. We doubt he'll total enough stats to warrant use in Fantasy play. Keep him off of rosters for now.
News: Defensive tackle Israel Idonije has agreed to a two-year contract extension that keeps him with the Bears through 2011. Idonije started three games and appeared in all 16 last season, posting career highs with 28 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks. A former undrafted free agent, Idonije has appeared in 71 games over the past five seasons, registering 99 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks.
Analysis: Idonije is trying to slim down to play more as an end than a tackle. We doubt he'll total enough stats to warrant use in Fantasy play. Keep him off of rosters for now.
News: Bears DB Danieal Manning and DL Israel Idonije each played well Sunday against Jacksonville. Manning had two tackles and an interception, and Idonije had four tackles and a sack and a half.
Analysis: Manning and Idonije are worth using if needed in Week 15 against New Orleans on Thursday night.
News: Notable Bears defenders from Week 2 at Carolina include: CB Charles Tillman (six solo tackles, interception), DE Alex Brown (three solo tackles, sack), FS Mike Brown (two solo tackles, sack), DT Israel Idonije (solo tackle, sack) and LB Lance Briggs (six total tackles). LB Brian Urlacher had just three total tackles, and one solo tackle for DE Adewale Ogunleye.
Analysis: Of these defenders, Tillman, Briggs, Urlacher and Ogunleye are worth owning in Fantasy play, with the rest being marginal options. The Bears host the Buccaneers in Week 3.
News: With DL Darwin Walker expected to miss the Bears' Week 7 game with Minnesota, Anthony Adams is likely to replace Walker in the starting lineup, while Israel Idonije could see more action on the interior too.
Analysis: None of these players have any Fantasy value at this time.
News: Backup DE Israel Idonije and third-string safety Kevin Payne were inactive for Thursday's preseason game against the Browns.
Analysis: Neither Idonije or Payne are worth using in IDP Fantasy leagues heading into Week 1 of the regular season.
News: Notable inactives for the Bears in Week 3 at Minnesota include: QB Kyle Orton (emergency QB), WR Justin Gage, WR Airese Currie, FS Chris Harris, FB J.D. Runnels, DL Israel Idonije and DE Antonio Garay.
Analysis: None of these players are worth owning for Fantasy use.
News: Bears DL Israel Idonije (ankle) is listed as questionable for Week 3 at Minnesota.
Analysis: Even when healthy, Idonije has no real Fantasy value.
News: Notable Bears inactives for Week 2 include: QB Kyle Orton (emergency QB), WRs Justin Gage and Airese Currie, DL Israel Idonije, TE Gabe Reid, LB Hunter Hillenmeyer and DE Antonio Garay.
Analysis: None of these players are useful for Fantasy Football at this time.
News: The following Bears players are inactive for Week 1 at Green Bay: WR Justin Gage, WR Mark Bradley, QB Kyle Orton (emergency QB), FB J.D. Runnels, DL Israel Idonije, TE Gabe Reid and DT Antonio Garay.
Analysis: Other than WR Mark Bradley, none of these players is worth owning in Fantasy leagues at this time. Follow up on Bradley's status before deciding what to do with him for Week 2.
News: The Bears' offense has reserves RB J.D. Runnels (ankle), TE Gabe Reid (back) and WR Justin Gage (rib) listed as questionable on the official NFL injury report. Also, DL Israel Idonije (ankle) and S Mike Brown (Achilles') are questionable.
Analysis: These guys should be avoided in all Fantasy leagues in Week 1.
News: According to reports, the Chicago Bears have matched a four-year, $8.2 million offer sheet tendered to DL Israel Idonije by the Buffalo Bills.
Analysis: Idonije recorded 20 tackles and one sack last season.
