IDP Matchup Plays: Living the Stream: Week 3

Sometimes, the fantasy football season is like a lovely vacation. A cruise through the Caribbean filled with delicious food, umbrella drinks, and hanging out by the pool while the wins pile up.

At least that's what I heard. It certainly hasn't ever happened to me.

However, sometimes the ship that is your team gets out to sea. Then there's a fire in the engine room—injuries or underperforming players. The boat loses both propulsion and power. The season is dead in the water. Sewage starts backing up. The booze runs out. And next thing you know, you're marooned onboard the IDP equivalent of the Carnival Triumph.

Otherwise known as the "Poop Cruise." The season goes to…well…

No, really. That happened in 2013.

The thing is, when things start to go sideways, IDP managers can do one of two things. They can resign themselves to weeks of flip-flops in turdwater. Or they can fight. They can stare adversity in its ugly face and tell it to pound sand. They can look to their bench or the waiver wire for matchup plays that can hold down the fort until their injured players return. Find replacements for the bums that just aren't cutting it.

There are two options. A vacation of fecefication. Or Living the Stream.

Week 3 IDP Matchup Plays

EDGE George Karlaftis, Kansas City (at Miami)

After logging eight sacks with the Chiefs back in 2024, Karlaftis was rewarded with a four-year, $93 million extension the following summer. Now in the early weeks of his fifth professional season, Karlaftis has become a leader for the team defensively—a role he told reporters he takes seriously.

"When I was a rookie, Frank Clark gave me some tips that have really helped me out throughout my career so far, and I'm really thankful that I've had great vets," Karlaftis said. "Now I'm starting to reach that role. I'm only 25--I feel old in here--but yeah, I had great vets. Carlos (Dunlap), Frank, Chris (Jones), obviously. Those guys helped me a lot, just seeing keys and how I can improve offseason training and all that kind of stuff, too."

Karlaftis' sack total dropped to six last year (with admittedly higher tackle numbers), and he has yet to get home in the 2026 campaign. That's going to change this week when the undefeated Chiefs travel to face the hapless Dolphins—no quarterback has been dropped more times this year than Malik Willis.

EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Green Bay (vs. Atlanta)

Lukas Van Ness wasn't supposed to be Green Bay's top edge rusher—ever. But with Rashan Gary gone and Micah Parsons still recovering from last year's ACL tear, that's where the 25-year-old finds himself, and he's rolling to start the season. Teammate Tucker Kraft told reporters that he believes Van Ness' hot start is the beginning of a star turn for the fourth-year veteran.

"You hate to say the sky's the limit because I think that he can be even better than that," Kraft said. He's a dog. He's a physical specimen, and I'd hate to have to play against him when the lights are actually on."

Not only has Van Ness piled up 2.5 sacks over the season's first two games, but he's added 14 total tackles—including 10 in last week's win over the New York Jets. Now, the Packers will play host to the 0-2 Falcons, who have allowed seven sacks in two games and the most fantasy points to edge rushers so far this season.

LB Jack Gibbens, Arizona (at San Francisco)

When the Cardinals signed Gibbens to a two-year, $7.5 million contract in free agency, it wasn't expected to be an impact addition. But as FBG's own Darin Tietgen wrote last week, Gibbens won a starting job in training camp and has become an every-down player opposite Mack Wilson Sr.

"Cody Simon was slated to man the weakside linebacker spot for the Cardinals as recently as the end of preseason, but it was the 27-year-old Gibbens who got the snaps there in Week 1," he said. "He came through with seven total tackles (five solo) and a half-sack.  Gibbens has bounced around but has always been a valuable asset to his team's defense.  He could easily become a cheap source of tackles."

Gibbens followed up that effort against the Los Angeles Chargers with nine total tackles and a QB hit last week against the Seattle Seahawks, and he's tied with Budda Baker for the team lead in stops. He should have similar success this week in a matchup in San Francisco where the game script is probably going to look a lot like Week 2.

LB Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh (vs. Cincinnati)

Over his first two seasons, Wilson has been something of an IDP tease—he would blow up in a full-time role one week and then see his snap share plummet the following week. While addressing the media, Wilson said that he isn't worried that will be the case with a new regime in charge in the Steel City.

"We were really tight as a linebacker unit, and they kind of empowered me in a sense to just go to play," Wilson said. "And then just [Patrick Graham], his schematics, the way he coaches it. I'm finally just getting back to playing ball, rather than 'Hey, if you make a mistake they might take you out.' Or 'Hey, if you do this wrong, you might come out of the game,' and you don't know when you're coming back."

Sure enough, Wilson has essentially been a full-time player for the Steelers so far this year—he has played 87 percent of the defensive snaps for the Steelers so far this season. After 13 total tackles in the opener, Wilson cooled off last week, but he'll heat back up this week against a Cincinnati Bengals team that has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to linebackers this season.

S Chuck Clark, Detroit (vs. NY Jets)

Clark is like the Freddy Krueger of veteran defensive backs—he just won't die. The Detroit Lions mark Clark's fourth team over eight-plus seasons—including a year with the New York Jets. While talking to reporters, the 31-year-old said that he's greatly enjoying the defensive scheme in the Motor City.

"I love being in this defense," Clark said. "I remember when I first got here, there were a lot of opportunities for safeties to make plays in this defense, and I've come to learn that. You have to capitalize on your point-of-attack plays. People always ask me, 'What's your game? Are you a box safety or deep safety?' I like to play both, and I feel like in this system, you have the opportunity to make plays at both."

With Brian Branch on injured reserve and Avontae Maddox headed there after a season-ending injury last week in Buffalo, Clark is a full-time starter for the Lions at least for the next few weeks. Last week, that translated to a team-high 11 total stops, and now he gets a Jets team that is leading the league in fantasy points surrendered to his position.

S Amani Hooker, Tennessee (at NY Giants)

There is no way we were going to get through a season without mentioning Amani Hooker. It is a rite of passage as annual as the Cleveland Browns disappointing me. (It's coming. Trust me.) Now in his eighth season in Nashville, Austin Stanley of A to Z Sports called Hooker a steadying force at the back end of the Titans defense.

"Hooker is a pro's pro," he said. "He's a proven veteran, a reliable player, a past team captain, and a leader in the locker room. If Titans fans don't recognize how much say Hooker has in that locker room, take what you think it is and add to it. He is that well respected. But we all know he's never been the RAS score freak athlete. He's never been the guy who jumped off the page or made a spectacular play. He's a smart player, a gritty player, a tough player."

Batterymate Kevin Winston Jr. has garnered the hype, but Hooker has just two fewer total tackles, the same number of solos, and he nearly took an interception to the house in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. This week the Titans face the Jameis Winston-led New York Giants, so a second straight game with an interception is well within the realm of reason.

Gary Davenport ("The Godfather of IDP") is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can't make him call it X) at @IDPGodfather.

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