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IDP fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 3 of 2025. Chris looks at IDP streamers, fades, matchups, and starts/sits for NFL 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.
Unfortunately, the early returns suggest Watt's 2024 decline could have been the sign of age that we worried about. The former Defensive Player of the Year had a premium matchup against Seattle this week, as the Seahawks ranked 25th in pass-blocking efficiency in 2024 and are currently 21st, yet Watt still has zero sacks or forced turnovers on the year.
Of course, advanced metrics are not everything. Watt is still a steady tackler, and his advanced metrics remain above average. He also has a plus matchup against Morgan Moses this week, who grades negatively as a pass-blocker and has allowed six pressures in two games. If Watt cannot capitalize this week, it's fair to panic, but wait until then … at least.
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Patience Preach of the Week
Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
Preaching patience with Baun is not new territory for us, as he made my preseason sleeper lists every year of his career until he finally broke out in 2024. So, warning you about how good the Wisconsin alum is, despite his disappointing production, is old hat.
With that said, Baun is "disappointing" as LB24 overall in standard IDP scoring this year. However, he has faced offenses that rank 24th and 22nd in rush attempts per game so far this year, giving him a negative game script in both contests. In other words, Baun is proving that his floor is as an LB2, but his ceiling remains at the peak we saw in 2024.
Baun will remain atop our LB rankings until he proves he cannot produce elite numbers in positive matchups. Do not let solid but unspectacular production in a couple of bad matchups sway you into doing something drastic.
Casual IDP Streamers and Fades
Stream: Montez Sweat, DL, Chicago Bears
Sweat is the 56th-most-rostered DL in fantasy, which is on par with his current production. However, the advanced metrics and matchup are both better than the fantasy numbers indicate.
Despite ranking 52nd in DL scoring, Sweat is the 18th-highest-graded pass-rusher on film this year. He also faces our ideal pass-rush matchup this week, with the Cowboys on tap. As we predicted would be the case this preseason, the Cowboys rank dead last in pass-blocking grade and third highest in pass attempts.
Stream: Cooper DeJean, DB, Philadelphia Eagles
The 25th-most-rostered DB in fantasy, DeJean is flirting with a top-10 projection this week. That makes him a fine streaming option in shallow leagues.
Cooper DeJean is so good. I honestly don't care how bad CB2 gets this year, I would keep DeJean in the slot. He has such natural instincts for the position and is a fantastic tackler. pic.twitter.com/ihbCDR9JBi
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) September 17, 2025
DeJean plays 86% of his snaps in the slot, but he will shade outside or deep when necessary. Meanwhile, the Rams deploy Puka Nacua in the slot on approximately half of his routes. That means that DeJean should face the high-volume Nacua at least half of this game, while shading outside to cover Davante Adams or patrol deep on occasion.
Fade: Dax Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Hill is coming off one of the best fantasy performances of his career, but the game script may not favor him this week. The Bengals and Vikings are both expected to start backup quarterbacks in this matchup, leading one to speculate that this could be a low-scoring, clock-eating fiesta.
Worse, the Vikings were dead last in the NFL in pass attempts … before J.J. McCarthy was ruled out. Should we really expect an uptick in pass attempts with Carson Wentz under center?
Fade: Robert Spillane, LB, New England Patriots
Spillane was our LB Faller of the Week last week, yet he remains the 11th-most-rostered LB in fantasy. Worse, despite writing being on the wall with a bad matchup, Spillane was the 13th-most-started LB last weekend.
The positive for Spillane is that he is seeing nearly every defensive snap for the Patriots. The negatives are that he leads the NFL in missed tackles, has one of the eight highest completion rates allowed in coverage, and he has just six tackles in 119 defensive snaps. Neither the advanced data nor the fantasy numbers support Spillane’s current usage.
Premium/Deep League Streamers and Fades
Stream: Baron Browning, DL, Arizona Cardinals
Browning is playing just half of Arizona's defensive snaps, explaining why his tackle numbers are low. Despite that limited playing time, he ranks DL20 in fantasy points through two games, and he has a history of producing mid-tier fantasy numbers in limited snaps from his time in Denver.
Even better, Browning’s matchup this week is deceptively solid. While the 49ers’ advanced blocking metrics are very good, their pass-blocking film doesn’t back up that data so far. The 49ers have faced two of the worst pass rushes in the NFL, yet they’ve surrendered 20 quarterback pressures and four sacks in those two games.
Considering Browning is available in 99.9% of IDP leagues, he is a worthwhile deep league sleeper whose matchup isn’t as bad as you think.
Stream: Cole Bishop, DB, Buffalo Bills
A former second-round pick who struggled mightily in his rookie year, Bishop has played every single down for the Buffalo Bills defense this year. Better yet, the Bills are virtually guaranteed to play with a lead against the Dolphins this week, which should force Miami to throw frequently and run a high volume of offensive plays.
Watch Cole Bishop (24) on the first defensive play of the game for the Bills.
He spins down from the post on the snap as they run blitz, and gets a little physical with Wilson immediately. Set a bit of a tone for the attention they paid him
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) September 16, 2025
Bishop is available in 99.9% of IDP leagues, making him an option for virtually every IDP manager. He is also a capable blitzer and run defender, playing a quarter of his snaps in the box. Expect the Utah product to be used some on De'Von Achane out of the backfield, and he will play some in the slot as well.
Fade: Tuli Tuipulotu, DL, Los Angeles Chargers
Tuipulotu was a streamer for us last year, particularly when Joey Bosa was out due to injury. So, there was some optimism that the USC alum would break out with Bosa gone. That optimism took a hit in Week 1 when he registered just 0.5 standard IDP points, but hope was resurrected with a strong 9.5-point fantasy performance in Week 2.
While Tuipulotu is a strong stash in deep leagues, he is a risky play in Week 3. Although his playing time should only increase with Khalil Mack hurt, the Chargers draw a difficult matchup in Denver. The Broncos currently rank as the top pass-blocking unit and have surrendered the fewest sacks in the NFL after surrendering the fourth fewest last year.
Fade: Zyon McCollum, DB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Jets are averaging the second-fewest pass attempts in the league, and Justin Fields has been ruled out for this matchup. Worse, the Jets' top pass-catcher (Garrett Wilson) spends 40% of his time in the slot. That all means there should be very few fantasy opportunities for Tampa Bay’s cornerbacks this week.
For a cover corner who spends 83% of his time on the outside, rarely shadowing into the slot, this matchup could spell very low volume for Zyon McCollum. This is particularly true if the Jets continue to run just 54 offensive plays per game, which is currently the 28th most in the NFL.
Defenders Worth Stashing
Jaylinn Hawkins, DB, New England Patriots
Available in 99% of IDP leagues, Hawkins currently ranks as DB7 overall in fantasy points this season.
Admittedly, there is nothing on Hawkins’ resume that suggests he will continue his current statistical pace. Worse, half of his fantasy points are from high volatility big plays, specifically one sack and one interception. However, his nearly 100% usage rate is encouraging, as is his role on this new Patriots defense, making him a worthwhile stash.
Joey Bosa, DL, Buffalo Bills
The old and brittle Bosa is on a surprising tear to begin the season, rating as PFF's top edge-rusher through two weeks. The older Bosa brother is also the eighth-highest-scoring fantasy DL so far.
While it’s a virtual guarantee that Bosa will get hurt or wear down, he is just the 54th-most-rostered DL in fantasy, and his current production is worth a short-term investment in far more leagues.
Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Minnesota Vikings
Our favorite sleeper last offseason, Pace, has always had the skill set to collect sacks and tackles at a high volume. The issue has always been his playing time, as Minnesota seems to prefer keeping him fresh and safe with limited snaps.
Ivan Pace Jr. is so good at staying disciplined and shooting gaps in the run game pic.twitter.com/gGB972eyqd
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) September 9, 2025
The injury to Blake Cashman seems to have unlocked Pace, who saw his snap share jump to 89% in Cashman’s absence. As long as Cash is out, Pace is an LB2 contender with double-digit tackle potential. He is currently rostered in just 4% of IDP leagues, so he is likely available in your format.
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