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 […]

Week 1 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

A new NFL season is finally upon us. This means there are plenty of things to get excited and worried about. At the precipice of every season, without fail, all fantasy fans and analysts cling to the notion that we know what to expect and we know what variables to account for. This is often […]

IDP Fantasy Football Breakouts, Sleepers, and Busts (2024)

We are incredibly close to real football. That means peak fantasy football draft time is upon us. Data shows that most fantasy redraft leagues wait to draft their teams until the final week before kickoff. In short, this coming weekend will be the busiest draft day of the year, and many IDP managers will be […]

Superflex Staff Mock Draft 2024 (Redraft) Review for 2024 Fantasy Football

For decades, the gold standard for fantasy football has been the one-quarterback format. Dating back to the very first fantasy football league started by Benjamin Franklin, our forefathers have devalued the quarterback position by choosing to start just one QB per fantasy team. This was an understandable strategy in fantasy football’s infancy, as electricity was […]

Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft For Non-Superflex Leagues

Traditionally, quarterbacks are devalued in non-Superflex fantasy football formats. However, we saw a major change in that philosophy last year. After decades of agreement between analysts and fans alike, the consensus in 2023 became skewed. Suddenly, drafting players like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the first 15 picks of a non-Superflex draft wasn’t just […]

Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Draft Mock 2024 For Superflex Leagues

Traditionally, quarterbacks go at the top of Superflex dynasty drafts. That is true in startups and rookie-only drafts. However, that rule has faltered over the past two years. The 2022 NFL Draft included zero high-end quarterback prospects, leading to a running back (Breece Hall) landing at 1.01. The next year was different. We had a […]

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Rounds 1, 2, 3 Predictions (Final Mock)

It is the most magical week of the year, when the mysticism of Gandalf, Harry Potter, and all the power of your aunt's healing crystals cannot combine to match the aura surrounding NFL Draft week! With the best week of the year here and just a few days until the actual NFL Draft begins, it […]

2024 NFL Draft: Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Final Update)

With the NFL Draft just a day away, it’s time to submit my final rankings for this class. Below, you will find the top-100 prospects on my board for 2024. There will be some changes from last month, as well as some surprises. Feel free to criticize my choices and views on the platform formerly […]

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Rounds 1, 2, 3 Predictions (Post Stefon Diggs Trade)

The better part of free agency is done. While we continue to watch the depth pieces trickle through on smaller deals, the lion’s share of noteworthy moves are behind us. That is usually a sign that another mock draft is needed. In this mock, I will dive three rounds deep. I will factor in A […]

Dynasty Primer #2: How and When to Rebuild Your Fantasy Football Dynasty League Team

Several weeks ago, we published the first part of my Dynasty Primer series. That article delves into how dynasty managers can and should value dynasty draft picks, especially rookie-only picks. The aim is to help fans understand how to value dynasty draft picks, independent of player valuations or analyst opinions on the players you might […]

Dynasty Primer No. 1: How to Value Fantasy Football Dynasty Draft Picks

This offseason, I convinced the powers that be at RotoBaller to approve a "Dynasty Primer" article series. Through these articles, I hope to address some big issues in fantasy football dynasty that go unanswered or underaddressed far too often. The biggest among these issues is how to properly value dynasty draft picks, which we will […]

Two Round 2024 NFL Mock (Post Opening Round of Free Agency)

With my top-50 player rankings now posted and the Combine behind us, we are at a point where another mock draft makes sense. Free agency is now open, with the biggest free agents already making deals. With that in mind, this mock will take into consideration the moves made early on the first day of […]

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on […]

2024 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Startup Mock Draft (Non-Superflex)

Last week, we posted the results of a rookies-only dynasty draft featuring 12 staff members. That mock gave you an idea of what rookie drafts might look like in established non-Superflex dynasty leagues. That format didn't show you the value of veterans compared to these incoming rookies, though. For that, we had to perform a […]