For many IDP managers, Living the Stream has gone next-level.
No one wants to be running a fantasy squad that is teetering on the brink when it's still 80 degrees outside (Although it appears it is now always going to be over 80 degrees. All the time. In Minnesota). But that's the reality of the situation for some.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Edge-rushers like Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers and Andrew Van Ginkel of the Minnesota Vikings weren't supposed to get hurt. Linebackers like Zaire Franklin of the Indianapolis Colts and Kaden Elliss of the Atlanta Falcons weren't supposed to decide that tackling people was stupid. Defensive backs like Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals and Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't supposed to…
Actually, defensive backs really can't be trusted. So that's not a stunner.
Whatever the reason, what appeared to be an IDP squad with real potential in August is now adrift—and getting perilously close to going over the brink and into fantasy oblivion.
Believe me. No one wants to go for a ride in "The Thing."
But there's still time to paddle to safety. To avoid a plunge into putridity from which there can be no return. And in order to do so, holes in the defensive lineup have to be plugged—with some fantasy football Flex-Seal. With some Living the Stream
See? His boat's fine.
Week 6 IDP Matchup Plays
EDGE Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas (vs. Tennessee)
Koonce missed the entire 2024 campaign with a knee injury, but the year before, he piled up eight sacks in just 500 snaps. The Raiders thought enough of what they saw from Koonce in 2023 to bring him back on a one-year deal this offseason. While addressing the media, his battery mate, Maxx Crosby, said he's glad Koonce is playing opposite him again in 2025.
"He's a guy that shows up every single day and knows what it's like to work," Crosby said. "He knows what the standard is. He's somebody I never have to question. I never have to get on his ass, because I know he's going to be out there performing at his highest level, and he's always pushing to get better."
Koonce is playing a similar snap share to two years ago—the 45-50 percent range. That isn't ideal. Neither is the fact that he hasn't had a sack since the season opener. But the Tennessee Titans have been making pass-rushers look good all season long—the team's 19 sacks allowed are the most in the AFC in 2025.
EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami (vs. LA Chargers)
After Phillips logged 15.5 sacks over his first two seasons, he appeared to be a young edge-rusher on the path to stardom, only to see multiple catastrophic injuries derail that ascent. Phillips is healthy now, but he acknowledged to reporters that getting back to the player he was is a work in progress.
"Obviously, I want to have three sacks and two forced fumbles in every game," he said. "But I have to be patient with myself and understand I'm still warming up in a sense of two back-to-back season-ending injuries. I haven't played a ton of football the last couple of years. I feel like I'm getting into my stride a little bit, trying to improve on different aspects of my game. I'm definitely not where I want to be. But I feel like I'm making some progress."
Phillips hasn't done a lot so far this season, logging 14 total tackles and one sack. But that lone sack came last week against the Carolina Panthers, and this week Phillips and the Dolphins face a Chargers offensive line that is reeling with both their starting tackles sidelined by injuries.
LB Shemar James, Dallas (at Carolina)
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