IDP Start-Sit, Studs and Duds: Week 12

And then there were three.

In most IDP leagues, just three weeks remain in the regular season. For the fortunate few, that's no big deal—they have either already clinched a playoff spot or will barring a complete collapse. There's still the matter of a bye in Round 1, but once the season ends, they will play on.

Some sit at the other end of the spectrum—approximately nothing has gone according to plan, and they are just waiting for the season to end. Maybe trying to play spoiler.

But for a large portion of fantasy managers, the next three weeks will determine everything. Start the right players and peel off a string of victories, and it's on to the second season. Start the wrong ones and take multiple losses, and the only "Three" left to be determined is which Stooge you are in 2025.

Please not Larry. No one wants to be Larry.

In some respects, if you're hovering around .500 after 11 weeks, the playoffs have already started. Win, and you get to fight another day. Lose, and your season gets poked right in the eyes.

The pressure is higher now than at any point this season. It's enough to make an IDP manager feel as though they were poked in the eyes. But IDP Studs and Duds here at Footballguys is part Advil and part eyeglasses—here to make sure a defeat-induced headache doesn't start in the first place.

OK, the writing may give you a little one. But other than that.

Each week during the 2025 season, I'll point out some Individual Defensive Players who could be set to exceed expectations this week (Studs), as well as some that, for whatever reason, are riskier plays than normal (Duds).

This isn't necessarily to say that every "Stud" is a must-start (it depends on your other options) or that every "Dud" should be glued to your bench (just that the odds of a letdown week are greater than usual).

Week 12 is another four-team bye week—the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Commanders are off. It's not a quartet to teams one would expect to blast holes in IDP lineups—but tell that to fantasy managers without Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner this week.

Numbers in parentheses denote ranking in fantasy points allowed to that position in 2025 in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring. 

IDP STUD OF THE WEEK

EDGE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville (at Arizona) (2)

It has been a relatively quiet season for Hines-Allen, but in last week's blowout victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the seventh-year veteran became the Jaguars' all-time franchise sack king. While addressing the media, the 28-year-old Hines-Allen said that while breaking the record was fun, mud-stomping a seven-win Bolts team was that much better.

"It felt great. I think our energy was up all game, from the beginning, from the first play of defense, tried to get the intentional grounding. I wish they could call those sacks to affect the game in first, second, and third down just to get off the field," Hines-Allen said. "And for me, just to break the record, it was just cool from the many achievements that had happened today. So cool to be a part of that and just keep stacking."

Last week's sack was just Hines-Allen's third of the season, but 2.5 of those sacks have come over the past three weeks. The Cardinals have surrendered 34 sacks so far this season—tied for the most in the NFC. Look for Hines-Allen to keep the hot streak going and get to Jacoby Brissett at least once.

IDP DUD OF THE WEEK

DT Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee (vs. Seattle) (22)

Simmons returned to Tennessee's starting lineup a week ago, and while the Titans kept on losing, Simmons picked up right where he left off—with 5.5 sacks, he has now surpassed last year's total. After last week's loss, Simmons put his teammates on full blast while talking to reporters.

"Say what we want, but I mean, 3-and-out, 3-and-out, 3-and-out," he said. We gotta be better. I'm tired of sugarcoating it, I'm tired of sugarcoating it. We need to be better. Especially at home. "We're grown men, everybody has a job, and we need to attack this game and attack it every day with a better attitude. We need to play better football as a team."

If Simmons thought he was mad before, wait until the Titans host a seven-win Seattle team that took the Los Angeles Rams down to the wire last week. Fantasy managers won't be any happier with Simmons in IDP leagues, either—in 10 games, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been dropped just 10 times.

WEEK 12 IDP STUDS