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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 15 (2024)

There’ll be scary ghost stories haunting Chiefs opponents. And Jameis Winston making angels out in the snow. And tales of the glories of fantasy playoffs long, long ago. It’s the most wonderful time of the year -- no more byes. There are four weeks to decide NFL playoff berths and fantasy championships. To help you […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 14 (2024)

In Week 13, we saw a revenge game for Seattle’s Leonard Williams against the New York Jets; Chargers rookie Tarheeb Still humiliating an old man in Atlanta, as he accounted for two of Kirk Cousins’ four interceptions; and T.J. Watt doing his part to help the Steelers defeat the Bengals, with two sacks and a […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 13 (2024)

Are you one of the fantasy managers who plays in a league whose playoffs begin in Week 13 or Week 14? Did you complain to your manager that teams are on bye in Week 14? Don’t complain. Read this column instead. In Week 12, I had to suffer through sack leader Trey Hendrickson sitting on […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 12 (2024)

Kwity Paye came up big in the Indianapolis Colts’ comeback win over the New York Jets in Week 11, making seven tackles, two sacks, and forcing a fumble. With their second straight loss, the Jets fell to 3-8, tied for last place in the AFC East and in position to draft a QB. Alas, there […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 11 (2024)

The usual names are absent from the leaderboard for sacks. T.J. Watt, who led the league in sacks in two of the past three seasons, is only No. 12 this season. Maxx Crosby is tied with Watt with 6.5 sacks. Nick Bosa is barely hanging onto the top twenty with just 5.5 sacks in 2024. […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 10 (2024)

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition of our IDP waiver wire pickups and streamers. We’ve got a big IDP waiver wire article for Week 10. I have highlighted 21 players at linebacker, defensive lineman, and defensive back who will fill holes on your team over the second half of the season and carry you into […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 9 (2024)

T.J. Watt showed on Monday Night Football what an individual defensive player (IDP) can do for you. Making seven tackles and two sacks, including a strip sack that killed a late fourth-quarter Giants drive, Watt helped many fantasy managers come from behind to win. I can’t guarantee you’ll get the same kind of production from […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 8 (2024)

Fantasy football managers who hate bye weeks, rejoice. There are no teams on bye in Week 8! Still, you must look to the waiver wire to add replacements for injured players and pick up some ascending stars who can help your team. Here are 11 linebackers, defensive linemen, and defensive backs to add for Week […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 7 (2024)

Headed into Week 7, fantasy IDP managers are reeling from injuries that occurred this past weekend. Injured defensive stars include Cardinals LB Kyzir White, Falcons S Justin Simmons, Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II, and Commanders DLs Dorance Armstrong and Jonathan Allen. The biggest hit will be to managers starting Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson, who looks […]

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 […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 5 (2024)

Bye weeks are upon us. In Week 5, fantasy managers will be without Aidan Hutchinson and his Lions teammates, Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa of the Chargers, Eagles' breakout linebacker Zack Baun, and Titans' star pass rusher Harold Landry. Who should you add to your IDP fantasy football team to fill in for those on […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 4 (2024)

Week 3 of fantasy and gaming hit like a nuclear bomb with upsets bringing down the 49ers, Browns, and Raiders. The Bengals' loss to the Commanders brought down the last remaining contestants. At least Trey Hendrickson made another sack even if the rest of his defense didn't do anything. Along with Hendrickson, here are a […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 3 (2024)

It's only two weeks into the season, and already entire teams are being decimated by injuries. IDP stars like Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., or Bills linebacker Matt Milano haven't even seen the field yet. In Week 2, a slew of injuries hit, including Jets' edge Jermaine […]

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 Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 2 (2024)

The first week of NFL football was everything we hoped it would be. There was pregame drama, comeback victories, games decided by inches, and overtime thrillers. There were also surprises, lineup changes, and injuries that shattered our Week 1 expectations. As we try to recover and fix our lineups for Week 2, here are my […]

IDP Waiver Wire Pickups and Defensive Streamers for Week 1 (2024)

This preseason has given us hints about how some teams might deploy their defenses, hints that could help us make last-minute waiver wire adds in IDP fantasy football before the season starts. There are still some unanswered questions. When the Rams traded their leading tackler, Ernest Jones IV, to the Titans for just a 2026 […]

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 Rankings for 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts (Individual Defensive Players) - Nick Bosa, Matthew Judon, Ivan Pace Jr., Laiatu Latu, more

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy football rankings. Today, we will review our NFL team's updated 2024 fantasy football IDP rankings (top 150) for IDP formats. IDP league formats have been gaining popularity recently and offer a different alternative league setup instead of using a standard team defense. For anyone unfamiliar with fantasy football IDP […]