Week 18 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

We are now entering Week 18, the final week before the NFL’s playoffs begin. As we have stated before, this is the time when many NFL teams begin resting players. Teams that have their playoff seeds locked up will often sit their players entirely or have them play just a single series to “keep fresh,” […]

2026 NFL Draft Mock (Pre-College Football Playoff Quarterfinal)

Dante Moore remains QB1 on my board, but Mendoza’s hype is out of control and he remains the safest quarterback prospect in this class. The Jets should abstain from going QB in this class, b...

Week 17 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

For most of you, this week is the culmination of the fantasy season. If you are still in it, you have a 50% shot at the title and your friends’ hard-earned cash. If your team is loaded, the odds may be higher. If your team is limping into the finals, perhaps the odds are lower. […]

2026 NFL Mock Draft: 1st Round Projected Picks and Top Prospect Draft Predictions

As your fantasy leagues enter the playoffs, leaving many on the outside looking in, it is natural for some to turn their eyes towards the incoming rookies for hope. Whether you’re hoping to get in on the next great dynasty sleeper, eyeing a quarterback for your favorite team, or you just love watching Mel Kiper […]

Week 16 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

If you’re reading this, odds are you advanced to the next round of your fantasy playoffs or are still competing in a long round. Either way, that is good news! Now for the bad news. The IDP world has lost several key contributors over the past three weeks. The biggest loss was Micah Parsons’ torn […]

Week 15 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

With the fantasy playoffs finally here for a vast majority of you, it bears repeating that no fantasy ranking system fits every single league, situation, or team. As we’ve stated before, these rankings are based on our Standard IDP Scoring. That means that traditional tackle-oriented linebackers are worth more in our rankings, while edge rushing […]

Week 14 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

It's becoming a yearly tradition for fantasy writers to complain about the NFL's Week 14 bye schedule. Seemingly every season, we lose at least one, if not multiple, quality offenses to a late-season bye. This also means that IDP managers lose reliable stars on defense during their final push for the fantasy playoffs, forcing them […]

Week 13 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The hazards of NFL injury reports are a nightmare for fantasy managers, especially when things go to the wire. Consider Joe Burrow, who was more active in practice than Joe Flacco and was projected by multiple fantasy services to eclipse 20 fantasy points last week. Sports doctors even stated that Burrow waiting four extra days […]

Week 12 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The grass is not always greener on the other side. This cliché is tired but true, especially in the world of sports. Just consider the Chargers when they replaced Drew Brees with Philip Rivers. Ultimately, that swap worked for all involved, but Brees is the one with a Super Bowl ring and the better resume, […]

Week 11 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As fans and fantasy managers, we must always consider our sources. Often, we are driven by a disappointing point total, without digging deeper to see if the data or film supports our poor fantasy outing. In other words, sometimes a fantasy loss is just bad luck for us or a player, and sometimes the ones […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 10 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

The NFL’s trade deadline used to be an afterthought, where few deals ever happened and none of significance could cross the threshold. More noteworthy were the deals that didn’t happen, such as the botched last-minute trade between the Bengals and Browns for A.J. McCarron. However, the days of insignificant trade deadlines appear to be done, […]

Week 10 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Week 10 is a unique one when it comes to byes. At first glance, this week is not so painful. Unlike the massacre of Week 8 when six key teams were out, a manageable four squads are gone. Additionally, while the loss of the Cowboys, Bengals, and Chiefs is bad news for the offensive side […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 9 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Sometimes IDP managers must read between the lines more than the average fantasy fan. When an NFL team acquires a new quarterback in trade, it is typically clear whether that is a depth move or if the starter is in trouble. Likewise, when a team adds a running back, the picture is often clear. Only […]

Week 9 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The hits keep on coming in 2025, as an already injury-plagued, bye-ridden Week 8 gave us a slew of new significant injuries to real IDP contributors. To make matters worse, it is becoming increasingly difficult to trust injury reports and the coach speak surrounding whether a player is actually healthy or will be ready to […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 8 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

In an era of online warriors, where everyone with a keyboard thinks they know more than veteran executives and Super Bowl-winning coaches, it is natural to question, or even ignore, public outcries. Particularly in the world of sports, fans and analysts frequently slam or pan decisions of GMs, coaches, and owners without any rings or […]

Week 8 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The NFL has established a new tradition in recent years of scheduling six or more teams on bye at the same time. While this philosophy might make sense if the aim were to fit all byes into the center of the schedule to create balance and fairness, the NFL doesn't do that. Instead, they stack […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 7 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Expectations are a tricky thing with IDP leagues, especially those that don't use Premium Scoring. While those in Premium Scoring leagues see defenders score on par with receivers or running backs regularly, the most widely used scoring systems for IDP typically have an average defender score on par with a good kicker or D/ST. With […]

Week 7 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The hits keep on coming, in what feels like one of the most injury-plagued beginnings to an NFL season in recent memory. While we’ve warned you away from hyperbole or overreacting to injury waves as “the worst ever,” this season is truly starting to feel uniquely bleak. While offensive weapons have been the hardest hit, […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 6 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for 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 […]

Week 6 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The release of Germaine Pratt this week was an interesting one, as the former Bengal was coming off the best statistical season of his career and was an early favorite to replace Robert Spillane at the heart of Las Vegas' defense. This was particularly interesting since Devin White was the one to force Pratt out […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 5 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

As we mentioned in our IDP Rankings article this week, fantasy football has felt particularly punishing this year. For example, Joe Burrow's injury didn't just hurt his managers. It also tanked Tee Higgins' value and caused real problems for Ja'Marr Chase. The Jaguars aren't helping either, considering their refusal to feature Travis Hunter in any […]

Week 5 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Many of us spend the first few weeks of every NFL season thinking the same thing: "This season is really weird. I've never seen anything like this.” Sometimes that comes in the form of the entire league pivoting from historic passing numbers to a run-centric formula; other years, it’s a rash of early injuries or […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 4 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

As is the case every year, impactful injuries in fantasy football are beginning to add up already. We are only three weeks into the season, yet injuries have already robbed us of multiple starting quarterbacks and defensive star Nick Bosa. Worse, injuries are already hobbling players who remain on the field, seemingly turning players like […]

Week 4 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

There is growing buzz surrounding the “Travis Hunter Problem.” Nearly all offseason, the general opinion of fantasy analysts, including yours truly, was that Hunter is an “IDP cheat code” on apps like Sleeper and ESPN. Those providers allow the Heisman winner to accrue offensive and defensive stats while in your DB slot, which felt like […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 3 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Considering this article is all about streaming and sitting defenders in fantasy, it seems relevant to talk about the King of IDP in the 2020s: T.J. Watt. While we warned you that Watt's advanced metrics and production were dipping last year, he remained the top defender on most IDP boards entering the season, including ours. […]

Week 3 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Through two weeks of the NFL season, no one would blame casual fans for wondering, "Does this year's rookie class stink?" After all, training camp stars like Matthew Golden are barely being used, while many top backs in the class have disappointed. Kaleb Johnson is a special teamer… and not a good one, while TreVeyon […]

Week 2 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Welcome back to our fantasy football IDP rankings for Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season! It happens every year, but fantasy disappointments abounded in the opening week. There is a very real team, we won't name names, that went into their dynasty season with Ja'Marr Chase, Drake London, Malik Nabers, Joe Burrow, Jahmyr Gibbs, […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 2 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Welcome, RotoBallers, to my IDP fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em article digging into the top matchups, streamers, and fades for Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. As the season gets fully underway and we launch into another streamers and fades article, it is worthwhile to remind readers that streamers and fades should be […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 1 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Welcome back to our fantasy football  IDP Start 'Em, Sit 'Em picks for Week 1 of the 2025 season! As was made clear in our Week 1 IDP fantasy football rankings column earlier this week, putting too much weight into early season matchups can lead to disaster in fantasy football. Certainly, there are many trends, […]

Week 1 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Every year, like clockwork, fantasy fans and analysts cling to the notion that team performances and trends translate from year to year. It is this notion that helps some NFL owners or general managers cling to a roster just past its prime, or drives fantasy managers to assume certain players or teams have an easy […]