IDP Matchups, Living the Stream: Week 12

There's good news and bad news for IDP managers in Week 12.

The good news is simple—all 32 teams are in action this week for just the second time since Week 5—probably because with three games on Thanksgiving and another on Friday (because why not?), eight teams will already have played before Sunday's action even starts.

Of course, this is also where I get to the bad news.

Injuries happen every week in the NFL, but Week 11 brought some exceptionally well-rounded carnage—one prominent player at each position was lost to a major injury. Los Angeles Chargers edge-rusher Joey Bosa was carted off the field with a foot injury that probably has him headed to injured reserve. Arizona Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White suffered a season-ending arm injury. San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL.

Whammo. Whammo. And whammo.

Those injuries (and those that came before them) have blasted holes in IDP lineups at the worst possible time. Quite a few fantasy managers simply cannot afford to lose many more games. They desperately need a matchup play who can help get them through the week. Help earn a win. Help fill a hole.

They need more than just a match-up play. They need a patch-up play.

And that's what Living the Stream is all about.

DE Dorance Armstrong, Dallas (vs. Washington)

When the conversation turns to the Dallas Cowboys pass rush, usually two players are mentioned—youngster Micah Parsons and veteran Demarcus Lawrence. But in between that duo lies sixth-year veteran Dorance Armstrong, who quietly tallied 8.5 sacks of his own last year. Per Adam Schultz of Cowboys Country, Armstrong is just the kind of draft-and-develop player the Cowboys are all about.

"He was a young player when I first arrived in 2020," McCarthy said. "He was primarily looked at as a special-teams player, but every opportunity he was given at defensive end, he's been productive. I think he took another step last year. To me, he's the kind of poster child for what you're looking for. You talk about 'draft and develop,' you want to see a young player come in and grow each and every year."

It's not a season at Living the Steam until Armstrong shows up and takes advantage of a plus matchup, and here we are. In each of the past four games, Armstrong has logged at least half a sack. His 63 percent snap share a week ago was a season-high, And on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas, Armstrong and the Cowboys face a Commanders team that has surrendered the second-most sacks in the league in 2023.

DE Josh Uche, New England (at NY Giants)

Like just about everything else in New England this season, Josh Uche has been something of a disappointment this season. After logging 11.5 sacks a season ago, Uche has just two this season—in part due to injuries. However, while speaking to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Uche is hopeful that an increased role over the season's second half will help spur a late surge.

"It's kind of been the story of my career since I've been here. There have been times when I'm needed more than others, game plans when I'm implemented more than others. It's all about doing my job when I'm in there and not going outside the integrity of the scheme," he said."When I am in there, I try to make sure I maximize those plays in the opportunities I do get. I would love to be out there as much as possible, but if coaches and the scheme and the game plan say otherwise, then all I can do is do my job and the controllables and give my best effort."

Uche is a favorite of Footballguys' own John Norton and was a hot name at the trade deadline, but the Patriots like the 25-year-old enough that they held on to him despite free agency looming in 2024. The Patriots travel Sunday to face a New York Giants team that has allowed a staggering 63 sacks in 11 games this year. This is a dream pass-rush matchup—one Uche had a bye-week to get ready for.

LB Isaiah McDuffie, Green Bay (at Detroit)

It's been a rather disappointing season in Green Bay, in part because the defense has been hit hard by injuries. Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has already missed significant time, with third-year pro Isaiah McDuffie stepping into the starting lineup. McDuffie played well when called upon, crediting both another year's experience and preparedness for helping him to be ready when his name was called.

"Another year of experience," McDuffie told reporters. "Again, you just have to have the mentality next man up, honestly. Really the approach you have to take is always focus on your job and if something happens, be ready. If you're ready, you don't have to get ready."

It looks like McDuffie is going to have to answer the bell again—Campbell left last week's win over the Chargers with a shoulder injury and was a DNP on both Monday and Tuesday ahead of Thursday's matchup with a Detroit Lions team that ranks inside the top-15 in fantasy points per game allowed to linebackers. McDuffie has hit 10 tackles three times in Campbell's stead this season, vaulting him to the top of the fill-in list at linebacker in Week 12.

LB Sione Takitaki, Cleveland (at Denver)

To call the linebacker position in Cleveland a revolving door this year is an affront to revolving doors. Veterans Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki have taken turns with the green dot helmet communicator, while youngster Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah has manned the other spot in the team's predominantly 4-2-5 set.

The problem is that their snap counts have been all over the place. For every week where a linebacker hits 70 percent, there's another where he doesn't hit 50. It's made relying on any of the Cleveland linebackers in IDP leagues nearly impossible—there's just been too much rotation and variance to roll those dice.

However, the merry-go-round may be slowing—at least for a week. In last week's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Walker injured his hamstring so severely that he's being called "week to week." That would appear to indicate Walker isn't likely to play this week in Denver against a Broncos team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to linebackers in 2023. That could mean a more stable role for Takitaki—at least for now.

S Tony Adams, NY Jets (vs. Miami)

The Jets have struggled mightily of late, but it's hard to blame New York's defense for that—until finally imploding last week against the Bills, the Jets defense had kept the team in game after game after game. Adams has been a surprise starter for that defense, but defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich told reporters that Adams has absolutely earned his status as a starter.

"He is a guy that it is all so important to him," he said. "It is not pressure from a standpoint of it being too big for him; it is pressure from not wanting to let anyone down. You are starting to see him settle in, and he will just keep growing. He has all the things we can't coach."

This one comes with a disclaimer—Adams suffered a dislocated finger last week in which it certainly appeared that the bone was sticking out of his glove. However, Adams returned to the game, and head coach Robert Saleh said afterward that Adams was "fine" ahead of another AFC East showdown with a Miami Dolphins team allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to safeties.

S Amani Hooker, Tennessee (vs. Carolina)

It hasn't been a fun year for the Tennessee Titans, and when the team sent veteran safety Kevin Byard to Philadelphia, it signaled that the team is potentially more concerned about the future than the present. Bryant's departure leaves Amani Hooker as Tennessee's lone full-time safety, and he told reporters that while it may appear the franchise is focused on tomorrow, the players still want to win today.

"Just have to get back to the basics," he said. "Don't separate as a team. We're all a team. It's not that defense is one team, and the offense is another team. We're all one, and we're going to stick together. We got leaders on this team that have been here the last couple of years, and we've been through the ups and downs. We'll regroup, and we'll be better next week."

Hooker is a player who has bounced on and off the IDP radar over the past few years, and to be fair, his last couple of stat lines haven't been especially impressive. But before that, Hooker tallied at least six solos three weeks in a row. He should be able to produce a similar stat line Sunday against a Panthers team that has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points per game to safeties this year.

Gary Davenport (The Godfather of IDP) is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on Twitter at @IDPSharks.