And for your offensive needs, check out the Offensive Points crew!
Welcome to the IDP Guys’ 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.
Listen to the top-rated FantasyPros IDP ranker, Steve Hungarter (@IDPHunter), talk through this week’s top IDP rankings here!
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Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
By Steve Tomasin (@DynastySanta)
wpDataTable with provided ID not found!Start Your Studs
Kyle Hamilton might finally be catching some steam with two great IDP fantasy finishes in the past three weeks. Not only is he being put in a better position usage-wise with more snaps on the defensive line, at slot corner, and in the “box” versus free safety. Hamilton played close to 40% of his snaps at free safety over the first seven weeks but that has dropped by 10% over the last three weeks to just under 30%. On top of this improved usage, the Bengals give up the 10th most IDP fantasy points to safeties on the year. I think we can finally trust Kyle Hamilton.
Ravens DT Justin Madubuike has entered stud territory until further notice. This is a decent matchup for him as the Bengals surrender the 15th most IDP fantasy points to DTs. With a depleted/banged-up WR corps, the Bengals might lean on the run, increasing Madubuike’s potential tackle floor.
Marlon Humphrey is injured and doubtful for this game so I’d expect Ravens CB Brandon Stephens to bounce back from a 1-point IDP fantasy performance last week, despite playing 100% of the snaps. He is likely to line up against Ja’Marr Chase and could be busy.
There are two stud linebackers in this game, one from each team. Roquan Smith is coming off a monster 21 total tackle game last week. I wouldn’t count on that production this week as the Bengals are the worst matchup for LBs in IDP fantasy.
Logan Wilson is vaulted up to stud status as not only is he really good for IDP fantasy but this week, he faces the Ravens giving up the 7th most IDP fantasy points to LBs. It could be a Germaine Pratt week but I am placing my bets on Wilson to be the top Bengals IDP scorer at LB.
Solid Starting Options
There are some interesting developments on the defensive line for the Bengals. Sam Hubbard is officially out. Trey Hendrickson picked up an injury late in the game last week but has returned to full practice. Enter rookie first-round draft pick Myles Murphy and third-year edge rusher Cameron Sample into the discussion. Both are listed as solid options this week due to assumed increased playing time along with the Ravens giving up the 11th most IDP fantasy points to DEs.
If Hendrickson officially plays, replace him for Myles Murphy in this tier and Murphy would head down to a Hail Mary. Cameron Sample is technically ahead of Murphy in playing time and should be a starter in this game no matter what. It appears Hendrickson is trending toward playing but could be limited by the injury.
Marcus Williams appears to be fully back and healthy so this plus-matchup against the Bengals should have him back in your starting lineups.
Hail Mary
Jadeveon Clowney is banged up and did not practice this week so he could be totally out for this game.
The same concerns for Kyle Van Noy, although he was a full participant in practice with a groin injury. Those can be reaggravated quite easily. If Odafe Oweh can remain healthy, he could have a big game.
With the Marlon Humphrey injury, we could see all three Ravens safeties taking the field in this game. Geno Stone has been on fire in the big splash play department and would be the definition of a Hail Mary start in deeper leagues that start 3 to 4 DBs.
No Thanks
As mentioned, Sam Hubbard has been officially declared out for this game.
Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers
By Steve Tomasin (@DynastySanta)
wpDataTable with provided ID not found!Start Your Studs
Let’s see if we can keep the DaRon Bland streak going! Each time I’ve had him in this tier, he has MONSTER games. With the Panthers giving up the 2nd most IDP fantasy points to CBs this year, this is a recipe for another smash performance. I would start Bland this week over many safeties in big splash play point-scoring leagues.
Yes, continue to play Micah Parsons despite his zero burger last week. He gets a pass.
Solid Starting Options
Panthers safety Vonn Bell returned last week from injury to mediocre IDP fantasy results. He should be able to improve upon his fantasy performance against the Cowboys who surrender the 9th most IDP fantasy points to safeties.
Demarcus Lawrence is officially washed. If he can’t give us a good fantasy game this week with the Panthers giving up the 8th most IDP fantasy points to DEs this year then he should probably retire. This ranking is purely faith-based and plus-matchup-based.
Hail Mary
The cheat code, Markquese Bell, let us down last week in the blowout of the Giants. He saw his snap share reduced to just 39% while newcomer LB Rashaan Evans played 49% of the snaps. Was this due to the game script? Or is Evans slowly being handed the LB2 reigns? It’s an interesting situation that hopefully this week will give us some concrete answers. Both Bell and Evans are Hail Mary plays this week with the uncertainty.
Brian Burns is returning this week so the opportunity for the likes of Amare Barno and DJ Johnson return to the bench.
The Panthers’ LB2 situation is equally a mess and confusing. Last week, Deion Jones played the most snaps but who knows what will happen from week to week. Stay away if you can.
No Thanks
With Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods healthy, Alex Cook can be tossed back into the free-agent pool in all IDP league formats.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
By Randy Johnson (@OldMan_FF)
This game delivers arguably two of the top five DE/Edge players in the NFL. Both are Studs and should never be on your bench, regardless of matchup strength. One has a great matchup and the other has an average matchup.
wpDataTable with provided ID not found!Start Your Studs
The Browns allow the second most points to opposing DE/Edge players, and T.J. Watt is coming to town. Watt has four games of 22 points scored or more, with a season-high of 39 points scored. He has a half-sack or more in seven of his games. Watt has 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and even 1 interception. He can win you a week all by himself.
Don’t forget about the other Steeler DE/Edge Alex Highsmith. He has one more tackle on the season than does Watt. Highsmith also delivers the splash plays with 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. You should start both of the Steeler DE/Edge players in this juicy matchup of division rivals.
Elandon Roberts is the last man standing in the Steeler LB room. The Browns are a good matchup for opposing LBs also. His main job is to tackle, and he does that well. He has three straight games of double-digit scoring, and with the LB injuries, more games will be added to this streak. Roberts has five games of at least eight tackles so far this season.
The Steelers are a worse-than-average matchup for opposing DE/Edge players, but you will always fire up Myles Garrett regardless of the matchup. Like Watt, Garrett can take over a game and deliver your squad a win all by himself. He is on a roll right now of four games straight with 1-2 sacks and double-digit scoring. Garrett has two games this year with 34 and 38 points scored. He has seven games with at least one sack.
Solid Starting Options
The Browns are also very good matchups for opposing CBs and safeties. Joey Porter Jr. has found his place in the Steeler defense, and you need to take advantage of his ever-increasing snaps. He has grown to 100% of the snaps last week. Porter Jr. has had 3-5 tackles in each of his last 3 games with 1 tackle for a loss, and 1 pass defended.
Damontae Kazee is the other safety. Minkah Fitzpatrick is most likely missing another game this week, so get Kazee in your lineups. He had his best game of the year last week with Fitzpatrick out. Kazee had 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 pass defended, and 1 interception for a very nice 20 points scored. Expect more of the same this week.
Hail Mary
Larry Ogunjobi plays about 60-70% of the snaps and has had two very nice games this season. Weeks 2 and 7 had him produce 12 and 17 points. In those 2 games combined, 8 tackles (5 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. He has delivered two of the one-point games also, but this matchup could be a good showing out of him.
Cameron Heyward returned to the lineup in Week 9 after missing six games due to injury. He promptly put himself on the stat sheet with 9 tackles (6 solo) and 2 tackles for a loss over the past 2 games. He is listed as questionable with a groin injury, so check his status before making a final decision on start.
Mark Robinson should get a majority of the snaps and should score some tackles for you.
Keanu Neal might be the greatest beneficiary of the Steeler injuries, although he is dealing with a rib injury himself. The last three games have him at 82-97% of the snaps. He has produced double-digit scoring in those 3 games by posting a combined 22 tackles (14 solo), 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defended, and 1 interception.
Za’Darius Smith has scored double-digit points in 3 of the last 4 games by posting a combined 12 tackles (9 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. The problem is he has five games of posting anywhere from 1-3 points in each game.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has had five double-digit scoring games with three of them being 16-19 points. Last week was one of his better games this year with him posting 7 tackles (4 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass defended for 18 points scored. The Steelers are better than average against LB scoring, but Owusu-Koramoah has the ceiling of a game-winning performance. The problem is he also has the floor of a nonparticipant in scoring single digits in four games.
Safeties have a hard time scoring points against the Steelers, but Grant Delpit is on a nice five-game run of double-digit scoring. He has anywhere from 6-10 tackles in each of the last 5 games with a combined 3 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass defended.
Second-year CB Martin Emerson has had three games of 17-27.4 points in the last five games. In the other two, he got 2.5 points with just 1 tackle. The Steelers are tough against opposing CBs, so tread lightly.
Mykal Walker has joined the Steelers and been thrown into the fire practicing in all packages and donning the green dot. The expectation is that Elandon Roberts will still call plays, but this shows little confidence in both Roberts and Mark Robinson going forward. Walker is a sneaky waiver pickup but we wouldn’t suggest starting him just yet this week.
Big IDP Green Dot update out of Pittsburgh.
Mykal Walker has practiced all week preparing for this role. He called plays in Atlanta as well.
Worth stashing at the bare minimum in plenty of formats, and possibly playing in a perfect matchup against Cleveland. https://t.co/7nYaUwje5H
— IDP+ Offense | Betting (@IDP_Plus) November 17, 2023
No Thanks
Due to injury, make sure you check the status before inserting Minkah Fitzpatrick and Denzel Ward into your lineup. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander are lost for the year.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
By Steve Tomasin (@DynastySanta)
wpDataTable with provided ID not found!Start Your Studs
We are hammering Aidan Hutchinson in this game. He has been in a lull and facing a healthy Justin Fields could be just the remedy to get back to stud status. Even through the Tyson Bagent weeks, the Bears continue to give up the sixth most IDP fantasy points to DEs. If Hutchinson can’t get right in this game, then it is officially time to hit the panic button.
Solid Starting Options
DT Alim McNeill doesn’t have the strongest tackle floor each week but this is a nice matchup from a fantasy perspective for DTs. The Bears also might be getting RB Khalil Herbert back this week so McNeill could find himself with more opportunities for tackles than recently.
Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds returned to limited practice this week. The Lions are an okay matchup for LBs, giving up the 17th most IDP fantasy points to the position so if he plays, he would replace Jack Sanborn in this tier so watch his game status closely!
Hail Mary
Jack Campbell continues to not see enough consistent snaps to be a consideration in most IDP leagues, no matter the size.
All of the Bears DEs land in as Hail Mary plays this week as Jared Goff is among the league leaders in the least amount of pressures converting to sacks (per PFF). He ranks 51st and only allows 13.4% of pressures to lead to sacks. So, one of Montez Sweat or Yannick Ngakoue could find themselves lucking into a sack but I wouldn’t bet on it. Also, their tackle floors are lower with the Lions offensive line being among the best in the league allowing RBs to get to the second level of the defense (or even third).
No Thanks
Los Angeles Chargers at Green Bay Packers
By Joseph Harlow (@joelow63)
