Week 16 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The 2024 fantasy playoffs got off to an auspicious start with the Rams vs. 49ers contest. While anyone who has played fantasy for some time has undoubtedly suffered disappointment in the playoffs, this game was the precursor to a truly painful week for many. Unfortunately, it was a dud that few saw coming. Both the […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 15 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

In our IDP rankings article this week, we reminisced about old rotisserie fantasy football leagues. We discussed how fair and balanced those extinct leagues are, truly rewarding the best teams over a given season. You might wonder what brings that up. Perhaps it is the bitter pill that some of us feel when we lead […]

Week 15 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As the fantasy playoffs start in full, now is a time to educate those too young to remember a scoring system called “rotisserie." It's a system still used in fantasy baseball and basketball, but some may not know it was once applied to fantasy football. Today, it appears to be a relic largely used in […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 14 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

As we witness the "Super Bowl Hangover" claim another victim in the San Francisco 49ers, an interesting myth is circulating in the media. This myth centers on the idea that San Francisco is not to blame for this problem, that fantasy managers could not have planned for it, and that San Fran's misfortune is a […]

Week 14 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As we have hinted at in several articles this year, the 2024 season seems to be the hardest proof yet that the NFL doesn't care much about fair and balanced scheduling or its fantasy fans. While millions of people watch the NFL primarily for fantasy purposes, the schedule is often bad for us. Worse, it […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 13 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Thanksgiving is the most self-explanatory holiday in existence. Its very purpose is in the title. You are giving thanks, hence Thanksgiving. However, there is a small side effect that comes with the smorgasbord of Thursday football gifted to us on our nation’s day of gorging. This side effect has a sneaky impact on the NFL […]

Week 13 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Every NFL season has what you might call a "turning point." By that, we mean there comes a time in the season when you don’t just see which teams are contenders, but which ones check out. Some teams are so lost that their players lose interest, infighting stirs, and the occasional front office will openly […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 12 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Week 12 is one of the more significant bye weeks of the season, with Week 14 its primary rival in terms of volume and fantasy playoff impact. What arguably makes Week 14 worse than this week's bye is that some fantasy leagues still start their playoffs in Week 14, rendering key players unavailable when you […]

Week 12 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

Week 12 is an appropriate time for fantasy and NFL general managers to take stock. Is their team a real contender, a pretender, or are you comfortably in the basement? Those in the basement of dynasties may be looking to tank for better picks, while those in redraft leagues may still want to win enough […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 11 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Peer pressure is a severe problem for many fantasy football managers and analysts. No matter how many times I tell myself and others to trust your gut, it's next to impossible not to be swayed by the opinions of people you trust or those who evaluate players full-time. As I've documented, it happened to me […]

Week 11 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

At the outset of every season, I warn fantasy fans and rankers alike not to overvalue the preseason strength of schedule rankings. Those ratings rely largely on player and unit performance from the previous year, which is not always consistent. Whether it's player migration, age, coaching changes, or all of the above, you will see […]

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

How should injuries impact IDP rankings? It’s an interesting issue and a harder question to answer for defensive players than it is for offensive ones. You see, the media is far more interested in reporting on high-profile positions like pass-catchers, quarterbacks, and running backs. As a result, it’s far easier to find practice reports and […]

Week 10 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

One persistent issue that constantly influences our IDP rankings and streamer advice is, “Are you in a deep or shallow league?” The idea of deep vs. shallow is a concept that routinely impacts our IDP advice. A majority of IDP leagues are not so deep that you’d ever start Stephon Gilmore… but how do we […]

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

Week 9 is yet another unique bye-week scenario for fantasy managers. Specifically, it creates a tough spot for IDP managers who roster some of the top talent at the DL and LB positions. Despite the NFL only resting two teams this week, we lose significant defensive assets from two of the league’s best squads. On […]

Week 9 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

What exactly is a struggling NFL player? Is it a player whose statistics are rough, or is it one whose film leaves you scratching your head? When Brock Purdy leads his receivers too much or misses multiple open receivers but finishes with a win and a QBR of 75.5 … is he struggling? When Josh […]

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

Week 8 marks an odd time in the NFL schedule. It is a period after several teams have had their bye weeks, yet it’s a time before many others do. Despite that, Week 8 is the eye of the storm. It’s a rare moment where no NFL team is on bye … for some reason. […]

Week 8 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

For those expecting Haason Reddick to immediately return to his former IDP glory now that his contract is resolved, be cautious. Remember, he hasn’t ever practiced with the Jets and hasn’t been conditioning with them, either. These are concerning facts, which are aggravated by the struggles of other players who have held out in recent […]

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

As we state at the beginning of each weekly IDP Rankings article, those rankings are based upon a common scoring format we dub “IDP Standard Scoring.” It's a system geared towards balancing each defensive position equally. LBs and box safeties can profit from tackles, while big play machines can make up the difference with turnovers […]

Week 7 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

You cannot overstate the impact of Aidan Hutchinson's injury. Through six games, Hutchinson was fantasy's DL3 in fantasy points per game, but his on-field impact was even greater. He was the hands-down Defensive Player of the Year through six weeks. The former Wolverine leads the NFL in sacks and pass rush win rate, and he […]

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 6 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

In our IDP Rankings column this week, we considered one factor that can cloud the reading of fantasy rankings. Namely, we addressed how rankings can rob some fans of the nuisances they may need in specific leagues or situations. For example, if you're a team in need of a solid floor, sometimes going with a […]

Week 6 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

One thing you must always ask yourself, any time you have a difficult lineup choice, is what you need this week. Is it upside or floor? This concept is discussed ad nauseum on fantasy podcasts and is boilerplate among the well-indoctrinated. That said, it's not always a concept that is clear or obvious when looking […]

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

  "It was so close!" A phrase well-known to sports fans and the fantasy community. It means the inches between a run becoming touchdown or a fumble. It’s the penalty that undoes a game-breaking throw or tackle. It is the 0.01 points that separate your fantasy team from victory or defeat. Sometimes, the close misses […]

Week 5 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

The first week of byes in the 2024 NFL season is rough for IDP managers. Our top-rated DB is Brian Branch. He is on bye this week. Our top-ranked linebacker, after multiple losses at the position, is Zack Baun. He is also on bye this week. Finally, Aidan Hutchinson is the most effective edge rusher […]

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

Sometimes, an elite matchup doesn't work out in fantasy. Worse, sometimes all signs can point to a great player having a great game, yet it doesn't happen. This is something experienced fantasy managers are used to. They know that you don't bench superstars after one or two bad games, don't just start whoever had a […]

Week 4 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As we have discussed before and will again address in our IDP Streamers column later this week, matchups are not everything in fantasy football. Sometimes, an elite player can have an elite matchup and lay an egg. Other times, a mid-tier player will have a surprisingly efficient game against a very tough matchup. With that […]

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

For fantasy writers, sometimes the most obvious matchups are also the most frustrating. When you are writing a fantasy streamers article, our job is to point out strong or weak matchups that could sway a player’s stat line. The idea is that you can help readers find a readily available defender with a great matchup… […]

Week 3 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

One factor IDP managers often struggle with far more than traditional fantasy managers is the war between fantasy and reality. On the offensive side of the ball, reality often meets fantasy expectations. An example is Josh Allen, who is great for fantasy and real football. This is not always the case with defenders in fantasy, […]

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

Take a deep breath. This is a mantra most fantasy managers have to repeat to themselves at some point or another. Perhaps there is no better time to use it than after Week 1. This is especially true for players whose film and metrics are great, yet their usage or statistics are disappointing. One such […]

Week 2 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As happens after Week 1 of every NFL season, there is a lot of panic in the fantasy community right now. Inevitably, some of the veterans you've always relied on are starting to show their age, while many sleepers or breakouts haven't yet cracked their shells. It's a natural time to worry and to overreact. […]

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

As was noted in my Week 1 IDP Rankings, predicting streamers and fades early in the NFL season can be folly. So much of streaming and fading players is rooted in matchups, but the quality of opposing units can vary greatly from season to season. This variety has a trickle-down effect, impacting defensive opponents in […]