IDP Matchup Plays: Living the Stream: Week 10

IDP managers have reached the point in the season where Living The Stream is both 12 kinds of not ideal and potentially critical—in equal measure.

There are those lucky few who get to roll out the same defensive starters every week. Their IDPs have met or even exceeded expectations this season. Their lineup has stayed healthy; they've watched as their IDPs ravaged their opponents like Genghis Khan rolling across a steppe in 1204.

Come for the IDP advice. Stay for the bad historical metaphors.

But they are just that—the lucky few. Many other IDP managers are dealing with an injury. Or trying to upgrade over a disappointing player. Or both. And for every one of those IDP managers, there are two who also have precious little margin for error. The line has been crossed where the next loss could be the one that sinks the 2024 campaign.

Quite a few IDP managers have little recourse but to Live the Stream. Worry about Week 11 when it gets here. Live in the now.

EDGE Charles Harris, Carolina (vs. NY Giants)

There hasn’t been much that has gone right for the Carolina Panthers this year—on either side of the ball. Things haven’t gone especially well for edge rusher Charles Harris; the former first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2017 has spent much of his career bouncing around the NFL.

After spending most of the summer looking for work, Harris landed in Carolina just after the season began—and over the last two months, he has become arguably the best edge rusher the Panthers have. And last week against the Saints, Harris had his best game with the team, posting six total tackles, a sack, and two tackles for loss.

In words that are very rarely written, the Panthers are going for their second consecutive win this week in Germany against the Giants. They are also taking on a New York team that has allowed the second-most sacks in the NFC and the most fantasy points per game in that conference to defensive ends this season.

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, LA Chargers (vs. Tennessee)

Tuipulotu has been thrust into a significant defensive role in each of his two professional seasons by injuries to veteran edge rusher Joey Bosa—and in both seasons, the former USC standout has stepped up when called upon. While speaking to reporters, Tuipulotu said that with every snap of experience, it gets easier for him to do his job and make opposing quarterbacks miserable.

"I've felt way more relaxed," Tuipulotu said. "I think I have a little bit more confidence going in. Especially when everyone around you has confidence also, the leaders, you go out there and just play ball. You know your guys got you, and I got them too. A lot of confidence.”

Tuipulotu did last week what a great many pass rushers have done this season—went ballistic against the Cleveland Browns, to the tune of six total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Bosa is healthy but not anywhere close to 100 percent—just 19 snaps last week. And while the Titans aren’t as good a matchup for defensive ends as the Clowns (who is?), the team has surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to defenses this season.