IDP Matchups, Living the Stream: Week 15

Photo: Kevin R. Wexler-Nort, USA Today Sports

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There aren't that many teams still left standing in IDP leagues. In most, four. At the most, six. For at least half of each league, whatever last week was meant the end of the line. Frankly, it was probably the teams stronger on defense who advanced—there were too many offensive duds to count and big IDP stat lines galore.

It was an interesting week.

Here's the thing about most of the teams who are still playing—they don't need my help. There will be maybe two players in this week's column they even consider picking up, and that's as depth. Their rosters are solid. Their lineups are set. That's why they are still playing.

But some have stumbled ass-backward into the semis through a combination of a few good players and a ton of dumb luck. And those who looked a lot better a month ago have staggered in as injuries chip away at the lineup. Some teams will start some combination of every guy in this week's Living the Stream.

Matchup plays and plug-in starts have won me leagues. And lost me leagues, either because the other guy had one or they didn't pan out.

Yes. Hard though it is to believe, I am occasionally wrong.

There's a point in there somewhere about staying vigilant about your roster, whether you're a 12-1 No. 1 Seed or a 7-7 No. 6 Seed. That there are just two (maybe three) wins separating you from IDP Immortality. Blah Blah Blah.

But given that I can literally feel your boredom through my laptop right now, I'll just make with the calls.

For what it's worth, it's a good group.

DE Bryce Huff, NY Jets (vs. Washington)

There hasn't been much to be pleased about in New York this season. But the play of edge rusher Bryce Huff has quietly been outstanding—eight sacks, 25 tackles, and 17 QB Hits in under 400 snaps. Huff has been the most effective player on a line loaded with big names -- per Zack Rosenblatt of the Athletic. Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said that hasn't gone unnoticed by the team.

"When we first got here, we thought of him as a third-down specialist, a guy that went in and just burned an edge, and that was his primary role," Ulbrich said. "But the more he's in this system, and the more we work with him, this is a guy, I think, that has the potential to play every single down. He's a tremendous asset for us."

Huff has the same number of quarterback pressures (28) as Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams and Rashan Gary of the Green Bay Packers—and more than Bradley Chubb of the Miami Dolphins. He played a season-high 56 percent of the snaps last week against Miami. And this week he'll be chasing the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL in Washington's Sam Howell.

DE Josh Sweat, Philadelphia (vs. NY Giants)

Heading into 2023, Sweat appeared to be on the verge of elite status after an 11-sack 2022 season. But much like the Eagles' pass rush as a whole, Sweat's numbers have taken a dip—he has 6.5 sacks through 14 games, and Philly's vaunted front seven has looked mortal of late. Even Sweat admitted that the Eagles defense has to step it up.

"I'm tired of hearing you getting all these pressures and [bleep] like that. [Bleep] all that," Sweat told reporters. "You know me, I'm always a free spirit. But it's piling up, piling up, and I feel the season is slipping away from us, and it's getting me upset. We've got to take care of each other."

The Eagles "only" have 39 sacks this season, and Sweat barely ranks inside the top 40 defensive linemen in fantasy points for the year. But this week, a positively desperate Eagles defense faces a New York Giants team that has surrendered a staggering 76 sacks and the third-most fantasy points to defensive linemen. The Eagles are going to erupt at home this week.