Are you looking for an introduction to IDP fantasy football leagues? You’ve come to the right place! Read on to learn all you need to know!
It should come as no surprise that we here at IDP+ are big fans of IDP fantasy football leagues. While the format is gaining popularity, many folks still are unaware of what IDP is! This article serves as your one-stop shop for an introduction to IDP, hopefully convincing you to give it a try!
What is IDP in fantasy football?
IDP stands for “individual defensive players”. Instead of using team defenses, leagues with IDP start the actual players. Fantasy teams in most leagues don’t start team offenses. They play with quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and tight ends. IDP also uses positions such as defensive tackles, defensive ends, linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties. A majority of leagues play with three IDP positions: defensive linemen (DL), linebacker (LB), and defensive back (DB).
How do you play IDP fantasy football?
First, you decide how many defensive players your league wants to include in your starting lineup. You can include a few IDPs to go along with mostly offensive players or you may choose to do Full IDP. This is when we start eleven players, which is a full defense!
Then you choose how to score the defensive players. For offense, yards and touchdowns are the main ways to earn points. For IDP, points come from tackles and turnovers. Some of the different types of turnovers are interceptions and fumbles. There are many different systems for IDP scoring. You can reward players that produce big plays or tackles. It’s up to you and what brings you and your friends the most excitement and fun.
Why should I play IDP fantasy football?
Football is not played on one side. There’s offense and defense. When we watch a game on Sundays, as a fan we enjoy exciting plays. When a defensive end sacks a quarterback or a cornerback intercepts a pass, we jump out of our seats and celebrate. That is as fun as a running back or receiver scoring a touchdown. So why should we only use offense for fantasy football? IDP adds more fun to the game that we all love!
Where can I play IDP?
Most platforms for fantasy football allow you to add individual defensive players to a league. MyFantasyLeague (MFL) is very popular for IDP leagues. The Sleeper app is also a great choice. ESPN and Yahoo also are options. There’s no shortage of possibilities. I personally use MFL because they give you the choice to start five defensive positions instead of the three that Sleeper uses.
When do you draft IDP in fantasy football?
In a draft that has both offensive and defensive players, I usually wait until the league has drafted the top 24 players at quarterback, running back, and receiver before deciding to draft IDP. Real-life football teams only have a few players each on offense that score well enough to start in fantasy. On defense, most of the players can score at least a few points. So drafting offense first is important.
I have never played IDP before. Where can I learn more about it so I can try it?
You are in luck. Here at IDP Plus, we have a bunch of people who have played in these leagues and it is our goal and passion as a team to give advice to help you not only compete in IDP but win!
Thank you for reading my Introduction to IDP article! Follow me on Twitter at @BigSteveFF and the @IDPGUYS main account! For the best articles and fun IDP + offensive fantasy football banter, please consider becoming a subscriber!
