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IDP fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 6 of 2025. Chris looks at IDP streamers, fades, matchups, and starts/sits for NFL defensive players.
Patience is always a virtue, especially in fantasy football. This is why we added a “Patience Preach of the Week” segment in this column this year. Patience is particularly important in IDP leagues, where points for many defenders come in waves rather than consistent streams. In fact, there is no more mercurial position in fantasy football than the DB position in IDP leagues.
As you know, tackles are the lifeblood of most IDP leagues. Standard IDP Scoring rewards tackles enough that the most consistent producers of that statistic, typically linebackers, are almost always the safest and best investments in your IDP draft. That fact also inflates the few defensive backs who can collect tackles in bunches, though these DBs are rare and inconsistent.
We mention this fact because those who look at the current DB leaderboard will see the top tier is heavily influenced by big plays made in small samples. Tyrique Stevenson, Isaiah Rodgers, and Kevin Byard III have all seen their value propped up by unsustainable big plays. We do not usually trust these sorts of booms, which is why Brian Branch is ranked ahead of those names.
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Patience Preach of the Week
Antoine Winfield Jr., DB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winfield has been a fantasy disappointment so far. The former All-Pro ranks DB93 overall in Standard IDP Scoring this year, failing to make big plays or collect consistent tackles so far. This is concerning, considering we have viewed Winfield as a top-10 DB all season long.
The good news is Winfield's advanced metrics remain strong. His coverage grades are overwhelmingly positive, his instincts in run support are still solid, and he's credited with just one missed tackle on the season. Better yet, his usage, particularly in the box and slot, is almost identical to that of past seasons in which he has been a fantasy force.
The Buccaneers also have a strong matchup on tap for both Winfield and his teammate Tykee Smith this week. The 49ers attempt 35% more passes to their RBs than any other team in the league. That is fantastic for opposing safeties, which is why Quentin Lake totaled 11 fantasy points against San Francisco last week.
Casual IDP Streamers and Fades
Stream: Cedric Gray, LB, Tennessee Titans
Gray has been on a tear for the past two weeks. Despite being the 46th most rostered LB in fantasy and available in 94% of IDP leagues, Gray has averaged a whopping 14.5 tackles per game over his past two. Better yet, the sophomore has started every game and seen over 80% of the defensive snaps in all but one.
Titans Cedric Gray is currently the 4th rated run defender for LBs pic.twitter.com/UCAmLOz5oc
— 🚀 (@wiluptonnfl) October 8, 2025
Tennessee has Las Vegas on tap this week, in a meeting of two struggling offenses that want to establish the run but have yet to do so. The Raiders currently rank 30th in offensive points scored, while the Titans are 31st. Sports books also peg this game as the second-lowest point total of Week 6, meaning both teams will have time to run the ball.
With a low-scoring and run-heavy contest on tap, there is a good chance that Gray can continue his recent double-digit tackle pace for another week. Given how freely available he is, the North Carolina alum is a fine streaming option.
Stream: Jaelan Phillips, DL, Miami Dolphins
Phillips has yet to show he is entirely back from two significant injuries that sapped him of what limited speed he already had. However, he has shown flashes of his old pass rush moves and instincts in recent weeks. In fact, after abysmal pass rush win rates in his first two games, Phillips has put up the 19th-best pass rush win rate the past two weeks.
Better yet, Phillips is just the 54th most rostered DL in fantasy, and he has a prime matchup on paper. The Chargers are sixth-worst in quarterback pressures allowed this season, but that figure includes multiple games with Joe Alt at left tackle. Los Angeles is now starting its third and fourth offensive tackles, offering a prime pass rush matchup.
Fade: Greg Rousseau, DL, Buffalo Bills
Somehow, the Falcons' pass blockers have the third-best pass rush win rate in the NFL this season. They also have one of the lowest pressure rates allowed and have surrendered the fifth-fewest sacks per game.
While Atlanta's pass blocking efficiency is surprising, its sack totals are not. The Dirty Birds are attempting the second-most rush attempts in the NFL while throwing passes at the league average. Atlanta's punishing run style and efficient short-area passing options make it difficult for pass rushers like Rousseau to acclimate or get home.
Fade: Jared Verse, DL, Los Angeles Rams
Verse remains a top-10 fantasy DL for us this week, because of his talent and the fact that Baltimore's pass blocking is the bottom half of the NFL this year. However, we have to caution you that the floor for Verse is particularly low with Cooper Rush leading the Ravens, given their striking lack of volume.
Baltimore calls the fewest pass plays per game in the NFL. Worse, their pass rate actually went down with Rush under center last week, despite the Ravens trailing by multiple scores for most of the game. Why would the Ravens trust Rush to throw more against the Rams when he threw three INTs on 20 attempts in a blowout loss last week?
If the Ravens don’t trust Rush to throw more, then that should spell low volume for all of the Rams’ pass rushers. He gave up just one sack in 21 drop backs last week, and we might want to expect more of the same this week.
Premium/Deep League Streamers and Fades
Stream: Mike Green, DL/LB, Baltimore Ravens
Green remains a talented rookie who should eventually translate his NCAA-leading 17 sacks from last year into NFL pass rush production. In the meantime, he has played over 60% of the Ravens' defensive snaps in every game since Week 1 while proving he is a sure tackler, though a bit raw as a pass rusher.
If Green is going to get a sack anytime soon, Week 6 may be the time. The Rams’ offense is fifth-worst in quarterback pressure rate and fourth in pass attempts per game. While Matthew Stafford avoids sacks with his quick processing and footwork, Green’s usage and matchup make him a fascinating deep league play available in 99.6% of IDP leagues.
Note, the trade of Odafe Oweh to the Chargers should only open up more pass rush opportunities for Green.
Stream: SirVocea Dennis, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Available in 94% of IDP leagues, Dennis has collected eight or more tackles in three of five games. Now Dennis faces a 49er offense that is 12th in rush attempts per game, but more importantly, they lead the NFL in targets to their running backs. Given how heavily the 49ers use Christian McCaffrey, Dennis is one of several Bucs with a prime matchup.
Fade: Jourdan Lewis, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars
At first glance, the Seahawks would seem the perfect matchup for Lewis. Sam Darnold has historically been a turnover-prone passer, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba took 77.5% of his snaps out of the slot in 2024. Those factors would be great for Lewis, since he plays in the slot 62% of the time.
It's bad enough what's happened to the Cowboys' defense, but to then see how Jourdan Lewis is playing his best ball ever in Jacksonville after eight seasons in Big D... that's a pretty big oof. pic.twitter.com/7DBMtutpzq
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 8, 2025
Unfortunately, this year, Darnold has the lowest turnover-worthy play rate amongst all starting quarterbacks. Worse, JSN is actually playing 79% of his snaps out wide instead of in the slot. Then, to add insult to injury, Seattle is attempting the second fewest pass attempts in the NFL. That's all bad news for Lewis' fantasy ceiling this week.
Now, Lewis is still a streaming option in many deep leagues because he takes 16% of his snaps near the line of scrimmage, and he should face JSN on a few throws. Those factors should keep him in the DB4 conversation against the sixth-highest run-volume offense in the NFL. However, his upside is capped due to Seattle's new style of play.
Fade: Jalon Walker, DL, Atlanta Falcons
Many of you are already out on Walker, as his odd usage with Atlanta continues. Despite being the 15th pick in this year's NFL Draft and having several weeks in the system, the Georgia alum saw a season low 42% snap share in Week 4. Worse, his coaching staff has acknowledged he can do everything but is committed to continuing his current usage.
None of those things is good, especially the staff's refusal to use the former standup linebacker as a versatile weapon who can play WILL or SAM on base downs before moving outside on passing downs. The matchup is bad this week, too, with Buffalo ranking seventh best in pass rush win rate and allowing the fewest sacks.
With all of this in mind, you should still hold onto Walker in dynasty and deep leagues if you can. The talent is still there, and Atlanta has shown an understanding of his long-term potential as an every-down weapon. It seems we will simply have to wait some time before he is fully utilized.
Defenders Worth Stashing
Nakobe Dean, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
As we noted in our IDP Rankings when we named Dean our Riser of the Week, the Georgia alum is finally a full participant in Philly's practices. This is great news, considering he was an LB1 in fantasy points per game last year. Even better, Dean was just removed from the PUP list, indicating his return is imminent.
While there are legitimate concerns about how much Dean will play with Jihaad Campbell now in the fold, the injured vet is available in 96.4% of IDP leagues and has proven he has a high fantasy ceiling. There is a world where the veteran gets fully healthy by Week 10 and pushes his way back into his 2024 role with the Eagles.
Marques Sigle, DB, San Francisco 49ers
We were one of the few providers to identify Sigle as an IDP sleeper this summer, and he’s proving to be just that. The Kansas State alum is just the 59th most rostered DB in fantasy, even after Wednesday's waivers ran, yet he's DB31 in overall scoring.
Marques Sigle made one of the most underrated plays from Sunday’s win
Arizona only needs a first down to end the game here
On First-and-10 the Cardinals dial up designed run for Kyler Murray
Sigle triggers and gets downhill immediately to limit this to a 1-yard gain pic.twitter.com/i7viOuu6HN
— Jordan Elliott (@splash_cousin) September 25, 2025
Even better for Sigle, the team reportedly really likes him and will likely keep him as a starter even when Malik Mustapha returns. Plus, the rookie’s production is based largely on tackles, which are a predictable and repeatable source of fantasy production.
Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, Cincinnati Bengals
Knight’s usage rate is disappointing, given his draft pedigree and the Bengals’ need for playmakers on defense. However, despite seeing less than 70% of the defensive snaps in three of five games, the rookie still has double-digit tackles in two games.
This former Gamecock has the size, range, and coverage skills to become an every-down defender sometime this season, and his roster rate is just 3.9%. Considering he is LB29 in fantasy points per game despite his limited usage, it’s fair to expect Knight will become a high-end LB2 if his snap share ever increases.
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