IDP Matchup Plays: Living the Stream: Week 1

It's Week 1, and if you're reading this column, then it's quite possible that the S.S. 2025 season has already sprung a leak.

Perhaps you drafted early and were hit by an injury in training camp or the preseason. Maybe the role you envisioned for a player just hasn't come to fruition, and a guy you thought was a draft-day steal is instead holding down the bench with his butt. Or maybe you just zigged when you should have zagged on draft day. It happens.

The why really doesn't matter. What does matter is that the season hasn't even started and your team is already taking on water.

Now, a Week 1 loss won't necessarily sink a season—if it did, I'd have quit fantasy football and started knitting years ago. But no one wants to start off a new season as a big fat loser.

You need to patch that hole in the starting lineup, if only for a week. Flex-Seal that bad boy long enough to paddle your way to a victory in Week 1.

You need to Live the Stream.

Now, matchup plays can admittedly be tricky early in the season, if only because we don't truly know what the juiciest matchups are. Not yet. But this writer has never shied away from a challenge.

Plus, I'm rather used to being wrong.

Wait—I wasn't supposed to say that last part out loud.

Week 1 IDP Matchup Plays

EDGE Joseph Ossai, Cincinnati (at Cleveland)

In 2023, the Cincinnati Bengals used a first-round pick on Clemson edge-rusher Myles Murphy. In 2025, the Bengals spent another first-rounder on Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart. But when the Bengals face the Browns Sunday, it will be fifth-year veteran Joseph Ossai who starts opposite Trey Hendrickson—and he told reporters he's ready to help the Cincy defense any way he can.

"I just want to be an impactful player, wherever they need me, wherever they need me to be on the line," Ossai said. "I don't know what defense he's (Al Golden) up there cooking up, but if he needs me to stand up and do some things too, I can do that. You know, I have no problem playing, as long as I'm playing, but just hoping to be impactful in this defense, hoping to help turn this around."

Ossai had the best season of his career last year, logging 46 total tackles and five sacks in 576 snaps. However, while those numbers are encouraging, this is less about Ossai than it is a Cleveland Browns team that gave up a staggering 66 sacks last year and will be rolling out Zombie Joe Flacco under center in Week 1.

EDGE Byron Young, LA Rams (vs. Houston)

Young plays in the shadow of 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse in Los Angeles, but the 27-year-old has quietly had two solid seasons to start his career—over 60 tackles and at least 7.5 sacks both years. While speaking to reporters, Young said he's looking to take his game to the next level in 2025.

"Just growth that has me being the best player I could be," Young said. "I'm just seeing this part of my life that I definitely needed for years, and I just didn't notice it. I'm glad I found it. But I'm looking at being a lot stronger, faster, fit, being able to do plays longer, last longer than O-lineman (or) whoever I'm going against. So, I see that kind of improving everything all around. That's what I'm hoping for."

Young is actually available in a surprising number of leagues—especially those with short benches or fewer IDP starters. Young opens the regular season against a Houston Texans team that surrendered the third-most sacks in the league a year ago, and more than one pundit has called Houston's offensive line the worst in the league.

LB Joe Bachie, Indianapolis (vs. Miami)