Well, Week 1 was a thing in IDP leagues.
We didn't even make it to Sunday before the IDP landscape was rocked. Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett was the first player at his position drafted in most leagues and the first defensive player selected overall in more than a few. After posting a goose egg in the team's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Garrett landed on injured reserve with a knee injury that will require surgery.
It wasn't the only fantasy gut punch in Week 1, either. The first linebacker taken in many leagues (Detroit's Jack Campbell) barely finished the week inside the top-40 in fantasy points. Last year's highest-scoring safety (Kam Curl of the Rams) had three tackles in Australia before exiting with a knee injury.
Not the start to a new season many IDP managers envisioned.
It wasn't all bad news. In his first NFL game, Josiah Trotter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the highest-scoring linebacker in IDP. Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt had two sacks and a pick-six against the Atlanta Falcons. Kam Curl and Myles Garrett may have disappointed in Week 1, but Rams safety Quentin Lake had a day.
It's just how things go in IDP—you take the good, you take them both, and then you have…
Much like Mrs. Garrett, IDP managers have to adapt and adjust to fantasy's weekly trials and tribulations—without overreacting. Week 1 can't be ignored, but odds are that Seattle Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett and Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes aren't going to remain top-five IDP options all season long.
So, let's all take a deep breath, put Week 1 in the rearview mirror, and dive into another round of IDP Studs and Duds here at Footballguys.
Each week during the 2025 season, I'll point out some Individual Defensive Players who could exceed expectations this week (Studs), as well as some that, for whatever reason, are riskier than normal (Duds).
This isn't necessarily to say 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).
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
LB Kaden Elliss, New Orleans (at Baltimore) (1)
After three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Elliss returned to where his NFL career began in the offseason, signing with the Saints to replace departed "green dot" linebacker Demario Davis. While addressing the media, Elliss said that he's confident he'll thrive in Brandon Staley's defense in New Orleans.
"There's a lot of ways to do it," he said, "and the way they do it is a lot of the same things I've done, and it's a lot of different things that I haven't done before. It's really cool to learn from them. They're special minds, and Brandon's got a really special defense here. Everybody is bought in, everybody is dialed, and I'm excited to play my part in it.
Elliss was productive in last week's loss to the Detroit Lions, piling up nine total tackles, three QB hits, and a pass defensed. The 31-year-old isn't going to hurt for opportunities to make tackles this week—the Ravens led the league in fantasy points allowed to linebackers last year and gave Derrick Henry 25 touches last week against the Indianapolis Colts.
IDP Dud of the Week
LB Anthony Hill Jr., Tennessee (vs. Philadelphia) (31)
With Cedric Gray Jr sidelined by a concussion in Week 1, it was Hill who drew the start at inside linebacker opposite Cody Barton. The second-round rookie from Texas shined in his NFL debut, leading the team with 16 total tackles and drawing praise from head coach Robert Saleh in his Monday press conference.
"He's going to be a hell of a football player, man," Saleh said. "He was all over the field, made a lot of tackles, showed really good range. I can't think of one glaring thing that he did wrong. And the more he sees it, he's only going to get faster. And if the speed at which he played is the slowest he'll ever be, we've got a really good one."
From all indications, Gray will be back in Week 2. That leaves the Titans with a decision to make between Hill and Barton, and while that decision appears to be an easy one (Hill. All day, every day Hill), there's no guarantee Saleh will feel the same. Even if Hill does start, the Eagles were an atrocious fantasy matchup for linebackers last season.
Week 2 IDP Studs
EDGE Yaya Diaby, Tampa Bay (vs. Cleveland) (7): Diaby quietly amassed 50 total tackles and seven sacks last year, and he has contract-year motivation on his side this season as well. Deshaun Watson was dropped five times last week in Jacksonville, and the team hasn't protected the quarterback well dating back to last year.
EDGE Kwity Paye, Las Vegas (at LA Chargers) (3): Paye's first game as a Raider was a great one—six tackles, a pair of sacks, and four quarterback hits against the Miami Dolphins. Look for the positive momentum to continue in a plus matchup with the Chargers.
EDGE Montez Sweat, Chicago (vs. Minnesota) (4): Sweat started the season on the right foot last week, notching a sack in Chicago's Week 1 win in Carolina. He'll make it two in a row Sunday against a Vikings team that will probably be starting Carson Wentz under center in Week 2.
LB Nakobe Dean, Las Vegas (at LA Chargers) (2): It was an OK (albeit not great) Raiders debut for Dean against the Dolphins—six total tackles, five solos, two tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble. He should do even better in a much more favorable matchup Sunday with the Chargers.
LB Jacob Rodriguez, Miami (at San Francisco) (3): Rodriguez Fever has hit 103 degrees after the rookie led the Dolphins with 14 tackles in his NFL debut against the Raiders. It's going to become full-blown hysteria after Rodriguez has another big outing in a top-three fantasy matchup for linebackers with the 49ers.
LB Drake Thomas, Seattle (at Arizona) (6): Thomas had a solid opener against the New England Patriots, logging a sack on top of nine total tackles. Perhaps even more importantly, Thomas played a full-time role, which should mean good things in a Plus Week 2 matchup with Jeremiyah Love and the Redbirds.
S Talanoa Hufanga, Denver (vs. Jacksonville) (1): Hufanga was relatively quiet in Monday night's lopsided loss to Kansas City. But a big-time bounceback looms for the 27-year-old. The Jaguars led the league in fantasy points allowed to safeties a year ago, and the Jacksonville passing game was cooking in Week 1.
S Tyler Nubin, New York Giants (at LA Rams) (3): Nubin regressed last year after an impressive rookie season, but he's locked in as New York's box safety ahead of a matchup with a Rams offense that isn't going to post back-to-back clunkers. The Giants secondary is going to be, um, busy Monday night.
S Xavier Watts, Atlanta (vs. Carolina) (4): This totally isn't this analyst wishcasting after he talked up Watts all offseason and he lid a big fat ostrich egg against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. Nope. It's totally not that. Kidding aside, the Bears were led in tackles last week by Dillon Thieneman, who, last I checked, played, well, safety.
Week 2 IDP Duds
EDGE Brian Burns, NY Giants (at LA Rams) (32): The Giants got a win at home over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, but the team's edge rushers were quiet in a tough matchup. Things won't get better this week at SoFi—no one allowed fewer fantasy points to edge rushers last year than the Rams.
EDGE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville (at Denver) (31): Hines-Allen and Travon Walker were dominant last week against the hapless Browns, but the sledding will be far tougher this week in Denver—as bad as the Broncos were last week, this is still a team that allowed a league-low 23 sacks last season.
EDGE Jared Verse, Cleveland (at Tampa Bay) (24): Verse was decent setting the edge for the Browns in Week 1, logging four total tackles. But he did nothing as a pass rusher, and that's unlikely to change Sunday in Tampa, given the complete lack of push the Browns got up front in the opener.
LB Zack Baun, Philadelphia (at Tennessee) (22): Last week against Washington, Baun was his usually productive self, logging a dozen total tackles. He's going to be hard-pressed to match that level of production this week against the Titans—the Tennessee offense looked positively atrocious last week against the Jets.
LB Divine Deablo, Atlanta (vs. Carolina) (30): Deablo's first game as the "green dot" linebacker in Atlanta was OK but no more than that—seven stops, a TFL and a fumble recovery. Things aren't likely to get much better this week against a Panthers offense that allowed seven combined tackles to T.J. Edwards and Devin Bush last week.
LB Mack Wilson Sr., Arizona (vs. Seattle) (26): In defense of Wilson's underwhelming opener, the Chargers just could not get untracked offensively in Week 1. The Seahawks weren't exactly an offensive juggernaut last week either, and Drew Lock will be drawing at least one more start under center.
S Budda Baker, Arizona (vs. Seattle) (26): Baker had just five total tackles against the Chargers, but half a sack salvaged a decent fantasy outing. Things aren't going to get any better this week—the Seahawks aren't a good matchup for safeties when the offense is humming. Right now, they're just trying to stay afloat until Sam Darnold's butt isn't ouchie.
S Derwin James Jr., LA Chargers (vs. Las Vegas) (28): James came out of the gate hot, pacing the Bolts with 10 total tackles in a stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He's going to cool off Sunday against the Raiders, though—the Vegas passing attack was as crisp as a wet box of Frosted Flakes in Week 1.
S Joshua Metellus, Minnesota (at Chicago) (29): Metellus was a non-factor in last week's wild win over the rival Packers, tallying just four total tackles despite playing all 68 snaps. IDP managers are going to need to be talked off ledges after another clunker against a Bears team that is a surprisingly bad matchup for safeties.
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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