Welcome to the IDP Guysโ weekly game preview and start/sit articles! Our team has broken down each game and the IDP outlooks for the most relevant IDP players to help you make those tough lineup decisions. May the fantasy gods be forever in your favor!
*Please check back frequently for written updates as our writers and editors are all on different schedules. Updates will occur all day throughout the day on Thursday and Friday*
This year we are bringing you a new format to help you with those pesky start/sit decisions. In addition to listing players, we hope these categories are more useful to you than a traditional start or sit classification. Here are our definitions for our four categories.
- Start Your Studs: These players should always be in your lineup or have SMASH matchups this week. Even your most shallow IDP leagues should include these players in their starting lineups.
- Solid Starting Options: These players may vary from week to week and are very matchup-dependent. They are likely weekly starters in 12+ team leagues starting at least two players at each IDP position.
- Hail Mary: These players have big question marks surrounding their roles, usage, and murky playing time projections. Lean towards benching them unless you are in very deep leagues (16+32 teams and/or 11+ IDP starters). If they see the field consistently, they have the potential to move up a category as Solid Starting Options but until then, they will likely be big-play-dependent with low tackle floors. Your classic boom/bust options.
- No Thank You: Clear sits for the week due to matchups, playing time trends, injuries, etc.
*Most CB and DT recommendations are meant for CB and/or DT-required leagues. If in DB or DL-only leagues, generally move down one category level.
Of course, your league sizes and scoring settings are going to be different from person to person and league to league. If you need further clarification or suggestions on who to start over another player in a similar tier, we have two additional solutions for you!
Our expert weekly positional rankings can be found here for subscribers.
And for your offensive needs, check out the Offensive Points crew!
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys
Byย Joseph Harlowย (@joelow63)
Start Your Studs
Facing a top 12 matchup, Osa Odighizuwa is a tier 1 player in DT leagues. His raw numbers (3 tackles per game and 3 sacks) are not spectacular, but his metrics are. He is tied for 17th amongst DTs in pressures (per PFF) but has seen 85+ fewer pass-rushing snaps than all players above/equal with him aside from rookie sensation, Jalen Carter. He is a great play this week, with a massive upside at DT.
Off his best game of the year and facing a top 5 matchup, trade deadline acquisition Leonard Williams finds himself in the stud tier this week. Per PFF, he had 7 pressures (top 3 amongst DTs) last week. He has had modest numbers with Seattle but appears to be getting hot. Jarran Reed finds himself here as well, though he is a lower-tier player in DL leagues. He has been very good all season but slowed when Williams came in (though he has his two highest snap games over the last three games). His pass-rush juice is very present, and the matchup makes him a great player in DT leagues.
Micah Parsons is incredible. Even without a tackle upside, he leads the league in pressures (per PFF) and is tied for 6th with 11.5 sacks. He is a top-tier starter every week, regardless of matchup.
Jordyn Brooks overtakes Bobby Wagner in the stud tier following a rebound from two bad IDP games. Brooks is more volatile, but with an average matchup and an aggressive QB in Dak Prescott, the higher-upside player is more likely to hit. Brooks has seen 93% of snaps over the last two games and is a blow-up play off of a dozen tackles and an interception on Thanksgiving night against San Francisco.
Even with a bad matchup and a less-than-ideal role, you cannot sit DaโRon Bland right now. He has set the season record for pick-sixes (with 6 games to go!!!) and is getting 4 tackles per game. His upside is worth playing weekly.
Devon Witherspoon has been spectacular as a rookie, dominating mostly from the slot. There is some concern he will move outside due to the rest of the room (more on that later) but is still a great play. Dallas is a mid-tier CB opponent, but Witherspoon is hot with 24 tackles, 6 PBUs, a sack, and a forced fumble over the last 4 games.
Solid Starting Options
Boye Mafe has slowed from his 7-game sack streak but still remains a solid start weekly. He does have a bad matchup, but still has the precedence and full-time role we want to see. Dre'Mont Jones also is here, though only in DT leagues. Last week he became the secondary edge, taking two-thirds of snaps there. The edge upside plus DT versatility makes him a fun play in DT leagues even with a bad DE matchup.
Since week 5 (when he took over as LB1 mid-game) Damone Clark has 53 tackles, good for over 7.5 a game (including leaving most games early due to winning blowouts). He is a solid play as the teamโs top LB, with a decent matchup. He has not given any big plays on the year but does give a solid floor.
Bobby Wagner is still more than solid but is an LB2 these days with limited mobility and ceiling. He has 50 tackles over his past 5 games, but also only 3 PBUs and one big play (fumble recovery). Dallas is pass-heavy, so the mid-tier matchup becomes worse for a bad coverage LB.
Markquese Bell has been the LB2 since Leighton Vander-Esch was injured and has been solid with around 7 tackles per game. He left Thanksgivingโs matchup early but has not been on the injury report this week. He is a solid player, especially in leagues where he still has S/DB versatility.
With the CB room in flux, Julian Love is still in a full-time role (96% of snaps over the last two games), even with Jamal Adams active last week. Both players see a good amount of slot/box time (almost exclusively for Adams), giving them a great role. Both can be started confidently at S or DB in a mid-tier matchup.
Hail Mary
Darrell Taylor disappointed IDP fantasy managers as EDGE2 snaps after Uchenna Nwosuโs injury and has been moved out of a full-time role. He did tally a sack last week but has only played about a third of snaps over the last two games. He is an upside shot but faces an atrocious matchup this week.
The secondary rusher role for Dallas has been a large rotation this season, especially with how many teams they have blown out. Demarcus Lawrence has been the top man here, but Dorrance Armstrong and Sam Williams have similar numbers overall. It is hard to say who sees the most snaps, but all 3 are worth a dart throw in deeper leagues. Lawrence, Armstrong, and Williams should be the prioritization due to locked-in roles and seasonal production.
Seattleโs strong CB room is facing turmoil right now. Riq Woolen was benched against San Francisco last week, giving snaps to Mike Jackson. There is little word on who will start (and how long the leash is for either), so both are dart-throws in CB leagues at best right now. Tre Brown remains CB3 either way but may see an uptick if one or both struggle.
Seattle has been a bottom-tier matchup for safeties, lowering the floor for box safeties Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson. Kearse missed last weekโs game but seems good to go this week. Both have around 5 tackles per game, which does not give a great ceiling, even with their box/slot roles. Seeing how snaps rebound with both active would be better this week.
No Thanks
Dante Fowler has become the last man up in the edge rotation, as Sam Williams and Dorrance Armstrong have produced better and received more snaps over the past weeks.
Frank Clark was a healthy scratch this past week, and Dre'Mont Jones/Darrell Taylor succeeded in their new roles as EDGE2/3. Mario Edwards has lost a large portion of snaps (20% this week) and does not appear to see more without an injury.
Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Byย Shawn Teagueย (@shawn8386)
Start Your Studs
T.J. Watt has failed to record a sack only twice this season. He caught an interception in one of those games, so the man has only had one โdownโ week. TJ Watt will not have a down week against the Cardinals. His 13.5 sacks are currently tied with Danielle Hunter for the league lead. With Hunter on a bye this week, look for Watt to create some separation between the two. He is a locked-in stud no matter the opponent.
Minkah Fitzpatrick has returned to fully practicing and should be good to start after missing all of November with a hamstring injury. With all of the linebacker and safety injuries the Steelers have dealt with, Fitzpatrick should be able to eat up plenty of those vacated tackles. Expect him to return to his high-volume tackling pre-injury self.
This year has seen plenty of veterans underperform and appear โwashedโ but Cameron Heyward is not one of those guys. At 34 years old the 13-year veteran is still a very capable defensive tackle. A handful of tackles are his floor, the sacks and tackles for loss are bonuses. He has a nice matchup against Arizona and should be one of the more dependable DTs this week.
Look! Up in the sky! Itโs a Cole! Itโs a Kwon! Itโs Elandon Roberts here to save the day for IDP managers around the world. Are your starters on a bye? Are they injured? Elandon Roberts is the hero we need right now. He is playing 100% of the defensive snaps over the last few games, and he is doing well racking up tackles. You could do way worse this week at linebacker.
Solid Starting Options
Jalen Thompson has been on fire the last two weeks. He has back-to-back interceptions and at least seven tackles in the last two games. Itโs no coincidence that Thompsonโs production increased after Kyzir White was lost to injury. Thompson is playing closer to the line and eating up all of the vacated tackles. He is a very solid starter despite the less-than-stellar matchup.
Damontae Kazee has been solid this season. He is good for a handful of tackles in most games, and he has shown a nose for the ball with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Itโs a favorable matchup with the Cardinals giving up the ninth most points to safeties. He is still more of a deep league play than a shallow league option.
Hail Mary
Itโs a bad time in the season to be on a cold streak, but thatโs exactly where we find Alex Highsmith right now. With bye weeks being a huge factor as we enter the final weeks of the fantasy regular season, itโs hard to put a lot of faith in Highsmith outside of deeper leagues. Even then, he is on shaky ground. Start him if you must, but it wouldnโt hurt to check our rankings for a better option this week.
Budda Baker takes a hit this week with the poor matchup, but also because of Jalen Thompsonโs current hot streak. Baker has actually been solid the last few weeks and could have a nice game, but expectations should be lowered a bit this week. He is still a solid start in deeper leagues, but shallow leagues should be looking for a better matchup if possible.
BJ Ojulari has been heating up with three sacks and 14 tackles over his last three games. He is hanging around the 50% of defensive snaps margin and is still a bit boom-or-bust to be trusted in shallow leagues. In deeper leagues, he is still an intriguing play, but you have to be willing to accept the fact he could put up a donut.
Mykal Walker is seeing a nice amount of playing time, but he hasnโt been consistent enough to start outside of the really deep leagues. Minkahโs return could eat into Walkerโs tackle opportunities just a bit also.
This isnโt a very good matchup for either teamโs cornerbacks. The Cardinals canโt seem to make up their mind as to who they want to start from week to week anyway. If at all possible, look for a better matchup to exploit when choosing a cornerback to stream this week.
No Thanks
Pokemon no-go for Blake Martinez who isnโt seeing any playing time right now.
Donโt chase Nick Herbig who recorded a sack last week while playing only three defensive snaps.
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Byย Joseph Harlowย (@joelow63)
Start Your Studs
Even with a bad matchup, DeForest Buckner is a must-start at DT. The matchup will drop him in DL leagues, but his tackle floor (5 per game over the past 7 games). He is tied for 17th amongst all DTs in pressures and 8th in sacks, giving him a higher ceiling and floor than most DTs. In the first Titans game, he had 6 tackles with a season-high 7 pressures.
Jeffery Simmons still is a dominant DT threat in the league and faces a top-12 matchup against Indianapolis. He has a lower floor for a superstar DT, but the upside makes him a must-start.
Zaire Franklin is a great start every week, even in a bad matchup like the Titans. He still had a dozen tackles in their week 5 matchup.
In his 6 games playing primarily in the slot, Roger McCreary has recorded 6.5 tackles per game. He is in line to be back in the slot again (like last week) as both Sean Murphy-Bunting and Kristian Fulton are off the injury report. He has elite upside at the CB position this week, shown with 8 tackles, 1 sack, and a forced fumble against the Colts earlier in the season.
Over the last 8 games, slot corner Kenny Moore has 7.25 tackles per game while missing 6 snaps. In that span, he has 5 games with an interception, sack, multiple TFLs, or multiple PBUs, along with 6+ tackles in all but one of those games. A bad matchup with Tennessee does not knock him off the hot streak that included 9 tackles against the Titans earlier in the year.
Solid Starting Options
Former Colt Denico Autry leads the Titans with 8 sacks this season, including a pair last week. He has been entirely sack-dependent this season, having only one game with 5 tackles (week 1) and only 2 tackles against Indianapolis in week 5. The Colts are a mid-tier matchup for DTs and DEs, so he is a fine start at either.
Over the past 6 games, each of Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Dayo Odeyingbo have played at least 46% of snaps (though typically closer to 60% each). Any of the trio can record a sack (all did last week), but Paye has the highest floor due to tackles, while Odeyingbo has been boom or bust. The Titans are a great matchup, so all three can be started in this matchup.
Since the Titans' last matchup with the Colts, Harold Landry has come alive, with 29 tackles and 4 sacks in 6 games. The Colts are a mid-tier matchup, but Landryโs combination of floor, ceiling, and usage (over 75% of snaps for 3 straight games) make him a solid play.
The first game EJ Speed started this season was against the Titans in week 5, finishing with 7 tackles. Even though the Titans are a bottom-tier matchup, Speed is a solid play after seeing 95% of snaps in the first game of the post-Shaq Leonard era.
After a weird dip to 70% of snaps in week 11, Azeez Al-Shaair jumped back to 86% in week 12. The slight drop in usage and poor matchup do keep Al-Shaair out of tier 1, but he remains a solid play, especially with a 15-tackle performance coming in the Titansโ first matchup with the Colts.
After an incredible month to start the season, Julian Blackmon has slowed to 5 tackles per game over the last 7. He does have 3 INTs over that stretch, balancing out the decline in tackles. Even with a majority box/slot (about two-thirds of his snaps, which he plays all of) role, the Titans are the worst matchup for safeties in the league, keeping him as a merely solid start.
Over the last 6 games, Amani Hooker has averaged 7 tackles per game, while playing less than 100% of snaps only once. A bad matchup and lack of big play precedence keep him in tier 2, but he is a good, safe start.
Hail Mary
Teair Tart has not seen more than 46% of snaps since week 4 and has not registered more than 3 tackles since week 1. He is hard to play in any non-multiple DT league.
With a great matchup, DE/DT hybrid Tyquan Lewis is playable in deep, big-play leagues. He has seen around a third of snaps over the past 6 weeks with 3 sacks.
Arden Key tallied a sack against the Panthersโ porous OL, continuing his boom-or-bust career. He is a difficult start due to his innate inconsistency but is worth a dart throw in deep leagues or rostering in best-ball/big-play style leagues.
Elijah Molden dropped to around 50% of snaps this past week, with both boundary corners and slot-corner Roger McCreary healthy. He still had great usage, with 40% of total snaps in the slot/box, and is only one injury away (from 3 injury-prone players) from having a full-time role. He is a decent shot to take against a top-10 matchup in Indianapolis.
KโVonn Wallace has come on lately, with 15 tackles in his last two games. He started this past week and had 9 tackles with Terrell Edmunds out. Edmunds is trending towards playing this week, so both are knocked down a bit, with role uncertainty. Wallace is a tier 2 play if Edmunds is out, with seeing half of the snaps in the slot/box (Edmunds plays deep more, so he would be here even if Wallace were to miss, unexpectedly).
No Thanks
Jack Gibbens was a solid LB2 for the first half of the season but has been splitting LB2 reps with Monty Rice over the past 3 games. Both are under 50% of snaps currently, making neither usable in almost any IDP league.
Ronnie Harrison (now an LB) sealed the win against Tampa Bay with an interception. He only saw 12% of snaps, but may see more as he gets more adjusted to the scheme. He can be added at this time, but playing him is a massive risk without seeing more time.
Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders
Byย Shawn Teagueย (@shawn8386)
Start Your Studs
Christian Wilkins against the team giving up the most points to defensive tackles? That has to be a galactic grand slam. Wilkins already has a career-high 6.5 sacks this season including two last week against the Jets. In the final year of his rookie contract, Wilkins would like nothing more than to secure that big payday. Two more sacks this week against the Commanders will set him up for a monster contract this offseason. Expect him to eat that Washington offensive line whole.
Sam Howell is getting sacked 4.5 times per game and has been sacked 15 times more than rookie Bryce Young. Enter Bradley Chubb who will be looking to end his two-game streak with zero sacks. Even without Jaelan Phillips on the other side of creating pressure, Chubb is set up for a great game against possibly the worst line in the league. He is a smash start in all league sizes with six teams on a bye in Week 13.
The Dolphins have been a terrible matchup for defense all season with the exception of the secondary. More specifically, the Dolphins are allowing the most fantasy points to the safety position. Kamren Curl is the guy you want this week to help secure that playoff push. Curl should be able to muster plenty of tackles against Miamiโs potent offensive attack.
Solid Starting Options
Miaimiโs other starting defensive tackle, Zach Sieler, also has a very favorable matchup this week. Like Wilkins, Sieler has already accumulated a career-high in sacks with five. And like Wilkins, he is going up against the team giving up the most points to defensive tackles. He is a great option in DT-required leagues this week.
Andrew Van Ginkel will be the one filling in for the injured Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) for the rest of the season. The Commanders are a great matchup for Ginkel to see increased playing time against. He is more than capable of sacking Sam Howell and he should be good for a handful of tackles as well.
David Long has been a bit of a disappointment overall this season. Many in the IDP community were expecting him to be a nice sleeper this year, but he hasnโt lived up to that hype. Inconsistent playing time and lackluster stats have been contributing factors to low IDP production. We should see Long get an increase in both playing time and productivity this week now that Van Ginkel will slide into the role that Jaelan Phillips occupied. With six teams on byes and a great matchup, Long should be a solid start this week.
Miamiโs top three cornerbacks are all viable streaming options this week. The Commanders are giving up the eighth most points to cornerbacks on the season, and they have given up the most points over the last three games. Kader Kohou is the safest of the group playing in the slot role. Ramsey will either grab a handful of solo tackles or come away with some interceptions. Howard is the bigger wild card of the group after scoring only a pass deflection last week.
Cody Barton returned last week against the Cowboys and went right back to playing 100% of the defensive snaps. The Dolphins arenโt the greatest matchup for linebackers, but Barton has been really solid in every game he has finished this season.
Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste will have their hands full of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill on Sunday. The Dolphins are giving up the third most points to cornerbacks and these two are the best starting option for Washington. Kendall Fuller is almost automatic for a handful of tackles in a normal matchup and St-Juste is right there with him in the tackles column. If your league rewards pass deflections, St-Juste is tied for second with 15.
Hail Mary
Jonathan Allen and DaRon Payne both take a significant hit with this weekโs contest against Miami. The Dolphins have been a terrible matchup for defensive linemen all season. It may be hard to bench these two with all the teams on bye this week, but this would be the game to do so. In deep DT-required leagues, you may have no better option this late in the season. Allen would be the preferred starter between the two based on sack upside.
Jamin Davis got bounced back down to 76% of the defensive snaps with Cody Bartonโs return from injury. He wasnโt terrible, but this defense has struggled to produce two viable starting IDP linebackers most weeks. Barton is the preferred starter, but Davis still holds plenty of value in deeper leagues. Look elsewhere for a bye-week starter in shallow leagues if possible since this isnโt a good matchup for linebackers.
Casey Toohill and any other edge rusher for Washington should be avoided in most leagues. Those who are in deep leagues and are truly desperate at the position can take a chance on Toohill but donโt expect much production in return. The Dolphins are allowing the fewest points to edge rushers this season.
No Thanks
David Mayo is completely off the radar with Bartonโs return.
Jaelan Phillips tore his Achilles against the Jets and he will miss the rest of the season. He should be dropped in redrafts.
Danny Johnson has lost the slot role, with Emmanual Forbes and Jartavius Martin taking over the last two weeks respectively.
Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets
Byย Steve Tomasinย (@DynastySanta)
Start Your Studs
We have two DTs in this tier, one from each team. David Onyemata from the Falcons as the Jets are giving up the fifth most IDP fantasy points to DTs this year. Onyemata has been battling injuries as of late but appears to be ramping up to full speed and teeing off against Tim Boyle is a recipe for success.
It's been a while since Quinnen Williams has appeared this high. Since the Falcons give up the 11th most IDP fantasy points to DTs, we think it's time for Williams to have an elite IDP fantasy performance this week.
Solid Starting Options
Quincy Williams has been slumping lately so he falls to tier two until he gets right. We believe he is playing through an injury that could be the culprit of his recent bad production. The snaps are still there and this matchup is a great one for him to get right as the Falcons give up the 9th most IDP fantasy points to LBs. But we understand if people have lost or are losing trust so until he proves he's back to stud status, here is where he lies.
Bryce Huff has been crushing the peripheral metrics tracked by PFF. He is 13 in overall pass rush grading and 9th in win rate! I bet not many people are aware of that. We would like to see him getting home and recording sacks more often, but that can be difficult. Since the Falcons give up the 7th most IDP fantasy points to DEs, we like Huff and Jermaine Johnson in this game.
Hail Mary
We are getting a little bit worried about both Nathan Landman and Richie Grant. Both players saw their snap shares plummet last week from their normal close to 100% of the snaps played down to 74% for Landman and 75% for Grant.
The Jets are a great IDP fantasy matchup for DEs (giving up the fourth most IDP fantasy points) but since the Falcons are basically a giant rotation filled with mediocre talents, Bud Dupree and Arnold Ebiketie are the best of the bunch whoย might have a shot at coming away with a sack.
No Thanks
Adrian Amos should be back off of the radar with Tony Adams back healthy and playing 100% of the snaps again. Even Ashtyn Davis is getting more snaps with Adams back.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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