Eyes of the Guru IDP Info: Week 17

We are down to one last challenge for those who have survived. With the short week and the holiday, this year's final edition of the EOTG will be a Cliff's Notes version. I'll hit all the important things that I've seen, but I won't have time to dig as deep into the matchups as usual. That said, I use the IDP Matchup Tool at Footballguys extensively when making those calls.  Dig in and shoot your best shot.

Guru's IDP Notes: Arizona Cardinals

Garrett Williams was carted off with an Achilles injury and is done for the year. With the injury occurring so late in the season, he is at risk of not being ready for the start of 2026 as well. Denzel Burke and Willie Johnson are set to be the starters versus Cincinnati. The Bengals have been a great matchup for the position. It's anyone's guess how the Cardinals will play the matchup. Burke has been far more fantasy-friendly in general, but I can't imagine the team putting a rookie on Ja'Marr Chase. I would expect mixed coverage.  

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had a solid week sixteen, going 5-6 with a pass breakup while standing in for Jalen Thompson. The hamstring injury also calls Thompson's availability for this week's game into question. Taylor-Demerson could be a strong start this week and is likely the future of the Cardinals' safety position.   

Cody Simon was back in the every-down role last week. Akeem Davis-Gaither had a more productive game, going 5-6 on an 88% snap share. The Bengals have been a less-than-stellar matchup for linebackers, but Davis-Gaither has the extra motivation of facing his former team. There was no sign of Owen Pappoe.

Josh Sweat lasted seven plays before leaving with an ankle injury. Even if he can go in week 17, the Bengals have become a poor matchup for the position.

Guru's IDP Notes: Atlanta Falcons

Here is a great example of why the corner position is so hard to predict and why so many IDP managers have grey hair at an early age. More often than not, Dee Alford has been a productive option for us. When Mike Hughes was injured two weeks ago, Alford played nearly 90% of the snaps with Cobee Bryant coming off the bench to be the third corner. The Cardinals have been a great matchup for the position, so many managers picked up Alford. His four tackles in week 16 were disappointing, but not a complete bust. When we find out on Tuesday that he was limited to 44% participation, those four tackles were actually pretty solid. To rub a little salt on the wound, C.J. Henderson, who had not played a single defensive snap all season, saw 65% of the action. Maddening…

Guru's IDP Notes: Baltimore Ravens

Trenton Simpson lost the starting job to Teddye Buchanan in week two. Given how Simpson is playing right now, I have to wonder whether Buchanan will take the job back once he is healthy. Simpson stepped up big, going 6-1-1 in the loss to New England. It's hard to say what the Packers' matchup will look like with their top two quarterbacks possibly sidelined, so playing him this week might be a desperation move. If, however, you are a dynasty manager looking to 2026, Simpson might be a good stash.

Guru's IDP Notes: Buffalo Bills

Shaq Thompson left week 16 with a first-quarter neck injury. There was some concern heading into the game about how the playing time would be divided among the linebackers. The injury resolved that question, with Terrell Bernard and Matt Milano both getting over 90% of the snaps. The Eagles have been a solid matchup for linebackers recently, so either of these guys is worth consideration.  

Guru's IDP Notes: Carolina Panthers

As my readers know, I'm not a huge fan of safety Nick Scott. I see him as a marginal NFL starter at best. That said, it's hard to ignore the numbers he is putting up of late. Seattle is a below-average matchup for safeties, but after his 9-1 against the Buccaneers, it is hard to argue against playing Scott this week, especially with the Panthers' deficiencies at the second level.

I will, however, remind all dynasty managers of three things: Scott has never started for the same team in consecutive years, his contract is up when the Panthers play their last snap, and Lathan Ransom is waiting in the wings.

P.S. Ransom sealed last week's win with a pick on the final drive.

Guru's IDP Notes: Chicago Bears

There were no warm-up games or pitch counts for Tremaine Edmunds, who logged 93% of the snaps in his return. He didn't do as much with his playing time as some would have liked, totaling 1-5 with a fumble recovery, but there is no question about his health or availability if you need him this week.

Once again, C.J. Gardner-Johnson proves to be a gambler's dice roll. After a pair of sevens in weeks 14 and 15, he went snake eyes when we needed him in week 16. His snap total fell significantly against the Packers, dropping below 80% for the first time since his first appearance in a Bears uniform back in week nine.

Tyrique Stevenson continues to battle a hip injury. After missing two games, he returned with a near-60 % play share in week 15, leading us to believe he would be back to a normal role last week. Fooled us again, those nasty corners did. Stevenson saw action but was limited to a 38% share of the snaps.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cincinnati Bengals

If you enjoy a game with a lot of action, the Bengals/Cardinals matchup is for you. Barring another curveball from the fantasy football gods, the air will be full of footballs when these teams meet. Jacoby Brissett has attempted at least 31 passes in every game since taking over as the starter in week six. He had at least 21 completions in every game until the Falcons held him to 16 last week. I already talked about the Cardinals' corners being options. If you have Dax Hill or D.J. Turner, this would be a good opportunity to play them.

Guru's IDP Notes: Cleveland Browns

Remember when everyone thought that Brett Favre took a dive for Michael Strahan to get the sack record? Myles Garrett was completely shut down, but was gifted half a sack by the stat crew about an hour after Josh Allen slipped and fell a couple of feet away from him. I don't believe I have ever seen a player credited for a tackle when he neither touched the ball carrier nor ran him out of bounds.

Guru's IDP Notes: Dallas Cowboys

DeMarvion Overshown suffered a concussion early in the game, and Logan Wilson turned in his best numbers since joining the Cowboys. Oddly, the two are not related. Wilson's snap count remained around 40% while Shemar James saw 78% of the playing time after coming on for Overshown. There is nothing we can do in this situation other than wait until next year to see whether Dallas develops a better plan.

Guru's IDP Notes: Denver Broncos

Add five more sacks to the team total, but the edge guys let us down yet again. Jonathan Cooper has half a sack over the past five games, and Nik Bonnito has come up empty in the last two games. To add a little insult for anyone depending on Bonitto, he played 47% of the snaps in the loss to Jacksonville, with no mention of an injury as of Tuesday afternoon.

Guru's IDP Notes: Green Bay Packers