IDP Start-Sit, Studs and Duds: Week 6

Well, it's that time of year. Time to freak…out.

Now, IDP managers have been doing so since the season started. All it takes is an 0-1 start to make them doubt every pick they made over the summer. By Week 2, the liquor cabinet has been raided. By Week 3, it's ranting to complete strangers at Starbucks and asking their dental hygienist why Jack Campbell is playing so much zone coverage. In Week 4, remote controls get broken. And come Week 5, they are ready to swear off fantasy football altogether and just make themselves insane playing Wordle.

Words. Pfft. Who needs them?

The cold, hard truth? If you're sitting at 1-4 or 0-5, you're probably cooked (2-3 is nothing—take a breath). But probably cooked isn't cooked. This writer has started a season 0-5 and won the championship. For reals.

Is it easy? Nope. Quite a few things that haven't been going right need to start doing so. Underperforming IDPs need to get off dey butts and start racking up stats. Injured players returning would be nice. Those things are outside our control. And after five rough weeks, it can be easy to just throw up your hands, resign yourself to your fate, and give up.

But there's no give up here at Footballguys. No quit. Never surrender.

If that song doesn't psych you up for a rebound run, nothing will.

All you can control is what you can control. Treat every week like it's a playoff game. Win and move on. Losing is not an option. Assemble the best roster you can that week—and then get the right IDPs in your lineup.

That's where IDP Studs and Duds comes in.

Each week during the 2026 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).

Week 6 is the first four-team bye week. The Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings are all off. You don't have to worry about a Jack Campbell letdown this week.

Numbers in parentheses denote ranking in fantasy points allowed to that position in 2026 in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring. 

IDP Stud of the Week

LB Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh (at Tampa Bay) (1)

In a year where so many linebackers have failed to meet expectations, Wilson has blossomed in his third season—he leads the Steelers in tackles by a sizable margin after five games. While talking to reporters, Wilson credited new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for his growth as a player in 2026.

"I was just talking to some of the guys today, and I just finally get to be myself," Wilson said. "I'm in a sense, [getting to] fly around, have fun, talk a little crap here and there. And the fear of failure is not there, or the fear of mistakes isn't there anymore. [Graham] is continually relied and told us that if you're gonna make a mistake, make it 100% in football."

Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, Wilson hit double-digits in tackles for the second time this season and posted a season-high eight solos. A third straight week with 10-plus stops is coming in Week 6 in Tampa—with Baker Mayfield hurt, the Buccaneers are leaning on the ground game, and no team has allowed more fantasy points per game to linebackers.

IDP Dud of the Week

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, LA Chargers (at Kansas City) (31)

After a bit of a slow start to his fourth NFL season, Tuipulotu has been a rare bright spot for the winless Chargers—he has 16 total tackles and two sacks over the past three games. It's a continuation of a breakout 2025 where Tuipulotu recorded 13 sacks, and defensive coordinator Chris O' Leary told reporters that he has seen the 24-year-old become a star before his eyes.

"The maturity, he's still got the humor to him, and he's still got the same personality, but there's a level of seriousness and level to his approach," O'Leary said. "He's in the meeting room and he has a good time, but he's also extremely focused on the task at hand. He goes on the field, and he's got his personality showing," he added. "You can tell the intentionality, detail, aggressiveness to which he attacks everything; to me that's what's really improved for him."

Tuipulotu has been the subject of multiple trade rumors amid the Chargers' implosion this season, but a new team isn't the issue for IDP managers in Week 6. It's the undefeated Chiefs coming out of the bye week. Patrick Mahomes II has been sacked six times in four games—fewest in the AFC.

Week 6 IDP Studs