IDP the Guru and the Godfather: Week 3

John Norton ("The Guru") and Gary Davenport ("The Godfather of IDP") are two of the most experienced and knowledgeable IDP analysts in the fantasy football industry.

It's Week 3 of the 2025 season, and the only IDP managers more freaked out than those after a 0-1 start are those after a 0-2 start. Even a lot of the 1-1 teams are uneasy. Despite a limited sample size of data, they are convinced that something isn't right. That the fate of the entire campaign is teetering on the brink of oblivion.

It can be quite unnerving.

However, all it takes is a win or two to chase away the doom and bring the sunshine and puppies back. The Guru and the Godfather did not bring puppies. They cannot control the weather. But they can aid you in getting a win in Week 2 that will soothe those frazzled nerves.

Defensive Line Dilemmas

It has been about what you'd expect from defensive linemen two weeks in—the top 10 is some familiar names, some surprises, and a lot of IDP managers wondering why so-and-so is nowhere near it.

Which of those early no-shows comes roaring back in Week 3? And which hot starter is the best bet to maintain at least top-20 IDP value over the entire season?

Guru: It has nothing to do with matchup, scheme, or role. It's simply because T.J. Watt is still T.J. Watt, and he can't be held down forever. The Steelers' defense is off to an unusually poor start in general. Much of that is because offenses have managed to virtually neutralize Watt, who has five tackles and four assists through two games. A breakout for the entire unit is inevitable, and I expect Watt to lead it, starting this week.

When the Saints moved to a 3-4 this year, my initial reaction was that Carl Granderson would not be a good fit. He is bigger than most successful stand-up edge defenders, and not as fleet of foot as those guys who line up wide and blow past bigger blockers. What I saw in the preseason confirmed my concerns as he struggled greatly dropping into coverage. The coaching staff apparently saw those same issues and had a solution: don't ask him to drop in coverage and slide him in tight so he can use his other tools to win. As a result, he is currently leading the edge position in solo tackles, is tied for the league lead with 3.5 sacks, and is the fantasy games' number one at the position. I won't be placing any bets on him finishing the season at number one, but I'll be shocked if he isn't in the top 10.

Godfather: Josh Hines-Allen isn't a name on par with Watt, but IDP managers are no doubt not happy to see Hines-Allen sitting at DL69 in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring after two games. But Hines-Allen is playing in a full-time role and faces one of the NFL's worst offensive lines, in the eyes of many pundits, in the Houston Texans. The Texans allowed nine pressures and three sacks on 30 pass plays last week against Tampa. Hines-Allen gets home for the first time in Week 3.

Not that long ago, Green Bay Packers edge-rusher Rashan Gary was an IDP afterthought. But the arrival of Micah Parsons in Green Bay has changed Gary's fortunes drastically. With teams dedicating so many resources to Parsons, Gary has faced single-teams almost constantly. He has thrived, logging a sack in each of the Packers' first two games ahead of a Week 3 trip to Cleveland. Will he stay inside the top-10? Maybe not. But a career year (and tremendous fantasy value) is very much in play.

Can We Be Frank(lin)?

There's no sugarcoating Zaire Franklin's fantasy start—nine total stops in two games after over 165 stops in each of the past three seasons. Is Franklin atop your early panic-meter? If not, who is?

On the flip side of that IDP coin, the top-10 two weeks in is actually pretty chalk. Who's the best bet to be the name most don't expect to crash that party in Week 3?

Guru: I defended Franklin as the Week 1 flop I was least concerned about. I am far more concerned after his week two output, but still not in panic mode. The Dolphins' offense scored points in Week 2, but their offensive game script did not provide much opportunity for volume tackle guys. If he pitches another stinker this week…

There are a lot of good, high-expectation linebackers that have IDP managers talking to themselves right now. Franklin, Logan Wilson, Alex Singleton, Robert Spillane, Quincy Williams, Terrel Bernard, Kaden Elliss, and Lavonte David all rank outside of LB36. By the end of the season, I expect all of those guys to be inside of that ranking, with the possible exception of Ellis. What concerns me there is the role I am seeing him in. He's on the field full-time, so snaps are not an issue, but I noticed in week two that, instead of having him 3 yards deep in the middle of the field where he can flow and soak up tackles, they are moving him up on the line in a strong-side linebacker/part-time pass rush kind of role, way more often than I would like. Divine Deablo got a lot of the work at middle linebacker in week two. If this trend continues, I can see Deablo leading the team in tackles.

The Vikings' Eric Wilson is the outsider I expect to have a big Week 3. Some will look at Minnesota's box score from last week and want to jump all over Ivan Pace Jr.. Dig a little deeper before making that assumption. Pace's expanded play share and great production last week were not due to him inheriting the full-time job. Rather, it was due to the Falcons running the ball nearly 40 times, keeping the Vikings in their base defense. It was Wilson at middle backer, calling the plays and never leaving the field.

As matchups go, we should not downgrade the Bengals due to Joe Burrow being out. Cincinnati will move the ball with Jake Browning. They might even run more with the backup quarterback. One thing that seems certain, especially after seeing Browning turn the ball over three times in two and a half quarters last week, is that Cincinnati will provide more splash plays for defenses. I think Wilson, a former University of Cincinnati grad, can take full advantage of the situation.

Godfather: I mostly agree with Norton on Franklin. His first two matchups weren't great. Week 3 isn't either. He's also getting no help—he's the last man standing at linebacker in Indianapolis. But Lou Anarumo's defense wasn't exactly a goldmine for fantasy linebackers in Cincinnati, and I'm starting to believe that we underestimated the impact of a scheme change on Franklin's IDP upside.

The Guru also rattled off a who's who of underperforming linebackers, although Terrel Bernard rebounded nicely with Matt Milano on the shelf in Thursday's win over the Miami Dolphins. I also (sadly, given how many shares I have) share his concern about Elliss. But this analyst won't pretend to be surprised that Spillane is struggling in New England, and there's no light at the end of that tunnel. For whatever reason, Belichick-ian defenses don't produce big numbers for off-ball linebackers. Said so in the offseason. And make no mistake—the Patriots are, in essence, running the same defense they have for two-plus decades.

For my "outsider," I'll go with Mack Wilson Sr. of the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson got some buzz as a value pick over the summer ("Green dot" LB always do), but four solos and four assists in each of his first two games this season is slightly below-average. He'll have easily his best game of the season against a San Francisco 49ers team that has given Christian McCaffrey 25 touches per game so far in 2025.

The Safety Dance