It’s Thanksgiving. A celebration of family. Fun. And dating back to the 1930’s, football. It’s a time for turkey and stuffing and cheesy potatoes and green bean casserole and arguing with Uncle Carl about politics and watching Cousin Sue crack a second bottle of wine before the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have even kicked off.
Thanksgiving is also the opening salvo of the penultimate week of the IDP regular season. Stakes are high for just about everyone. Can the winning teams lock up a playoff spot and/or a Round 1 bye? Can the fringe teams keep their postseason aspirations alive? Can the tomato cans exact some small measure of revenge and play spoiler?
No matter the circumstances, Week 13 is a big one. And the only way to end it thankful is to get a win. There’s no margin for error. IDP managers can’t afford a donut from an edge-rusher. A three-tackle game from a linebacker. A vanishing act from a safety. Everyone needs points like pumpkin pie needs Cool Whip.
Thankfully (never let it be said this writer won’t beat an analogy to death), IDP Studs and Duds is here at Footballguys to help make sure the only indigestion you have this weekend is from the sixth slice of said pie.
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).
No teams are on bye in Week 13, so we have that going for us. Unfortunately, next week is another story.
Numbers in parentheses denote ranking in fantasy points allowed to that position in 2025 in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
IDP STUD OF THE WEEK
LB Barrett Carter, Cincinnati (at Baltimore) (1)
It has been quite the year for Carter, a fourth-round rookie from which little was expected in 2025—right up until he surprisingly usurped veteran Logan Wilson as Cincinnati’s MIKE linebacker and green dot signal-caller. While speaking to reporters, Carter said he welcomes the pressure that comes with such a pivotal role on defense.
“You play in this league, you have so many eyes on you, so much attention, it comes with the territory,” Carter said. “I’m not scared of that challenge. I don’t just run to it, I run through it. I love the challenge of that. I embrace it. I’m just ready to get back to work and find a way to get some wins.”
Carter has admittedly struggled from an NFL perspective—he has one of the highest missed tackle rates in the league. But he’s also coming off a season-high 16 total tackles, has hit double-digits in stops four times in the last six games and draws the best IDP matchup for linebackers in the league on Thanksgiving Night.
IDP DUD OF THE WEEK
LB Bobby Wagner, Washington (vs. Denver) (29)
The 2025 season has not been kind to the Washington Commanders—a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations is now an injury-ravaged 3-8 mess with the NFL’s oldest roster. However, while addressing the media, Wagner said he remains convinced the Commanders can turn things around and improve.
"I think a lot of that is just your mentality,” he said. “That's the easy way to go, is to say, 'Why me?' The harder way is to just keep your head up and figure out how you can make the most of the situation, so that's what my energy is toward, and that's what I believe. Just the players believing, the coaches believing, the city believing. A lot of it is just belief and doing the work. A lot of times, work takes care of a lot of stuff."
Wagner isn’t the force he once was, but the 35-year-old’s 107 total tackles are good for fourth in the NFL and a sixth-place ranking among linebackers in fantasy points. But stops could be hard to come by this week against an erratic Broncos offense, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to linebackers.
WEEK 13 IDP STUDS
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