It's almost Halloween. Over the next several days, there will be much Trick-or-Treating. Tons of candy will be consumed—including quite a bit by adults enforcing candy safety standards and extracting a parent tax. Pumpkins will be carved, Scary movies will be binge-watched. Fun will be had by young and old alike.
It's also Week 8, which means we're entering the second half of the fantasy regular season. For some, the first half wasn't any fun at all—because they have been living a horror movie since September.
The edge rusher that was supposed to be the foundation of their defensive line? He lasted about as far into the season as Casey Becker in Scream. The linebacker that was going to carry the entire defense. He's been invisible as The Jackal in Thir13en Ghosts if you don't have your ghost glasses.
So dumb.
The late-round values they were certain would go from sleeper to star? They were bitten by an ancient evil and turned into Noscorepointsforyou. It's like a Nosferatu, only worse.
They are under .500. Their playoff dreams are hanging by a thread. They are running through the woods, just tripped over a tree root, and are ready to resign themselves to a gruesome fate.
Well, Sidney Prescott, it's time to get up. Continue the fight. The season ain't over yet—and even if the playoffs are unlikely, the least they can do is spread the misery and take as many other teams down as they can.
IDP Studs and Duds here at Footballguys is here to help. Because if there's one thing this writer specializes in, it's spreading misery.
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 8 is yet another four-team bye week. The Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers are all off. No Fred Warner or Will Anderson Jr. this go-round.
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 DeMarvion Overshown, Dallas (vs. Arizona) (1)
Overshown's 2026 campaign has been his career in a nutshell—when on the field, he can't stay there. Overshown returned to the Cowboys lineup last week after missing over a month with a hamstring injury, and he told reporters that he intends to have a much more impactful second half of the season.
"Sitting on the sideline is not fun for me, because I know what we went through," Overshown said. I know the goals that we got, that we want to achieve. Being back out there on the field is a blessing, and I know it's going to help us accomplish the goal if we want to as a team."
Overshown made a statistical dent in his first game—he tied for the team lead in tackles against the Philadelphia Eagles and logged a key interception. His snap share will likely increase this week against the Cardinals, and no team in the league has surrendered more fantasy points per game to linebackers this season than the Redbirds.
IDP Dud of the Week
EDGE Nik Bonitto, Denver (vs. Kansas City) (31)
Bonitto had been on a tear heading into Week 7—he had eight total tackles and 2.5 sacks in the two games preceding that trip to face the Arizona Cardinals. Bonitto's sack streak ended against the Redbirds, but as Brandon Walker wrote for Broncos Wire, in terms of pressuring Jacoby Brissett, Bonitto continued to impress.
"Bonitto was one of the more influential players on defense, having himself an incredible game," he said. "On 26 rushes, Bonitto generated a career-high 13 pressures in Week 7, hitting Brissett once during the contest. It was the most pressures by any player since San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa had 14 pressures against the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats."
Bonitto is a low-end IDP DL2 through seven weeks this season, but last week's single solo and a quarterback hit was one of his worst statistical efforts of the year. It's likely going to be a similar situation at home this week against the rival Chiefs—the last time these teams squared off in Week 1, Bonitto managed just a solo and an assist.
Week 8 IDP Studs
EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Tampa Bay (vs. Atlanta) (3): As is often the case with rookie edge rushers, Bain has struggled a bit to acclimate to the pros. But the youngster will log his second NFL sack Sunday against a Falcons team that allows the third-most fantasy points per game to edge rushers this year.
EDGE Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh (vs. Cleveland) (2): Highsmith is in a prolonged funk—the 29-year-old's last sack came all the way back in Week 2. If there's ever a week to bust out of that slump, it's against the Browns—Deshaun Watson has been dropped an NFL-high 25 times in 2026.
EDGE Byron Young, LA Rams (vs. LA Chargers) (1): Even without Myles Garrett on the field, Young has still been a productive IDP option this season. He could have his best effort of the season this week against the winless Chargers—Justin Herbert has been sacked 21 times this year.
LB Zack Baun, Philadelphia (at Washington) (2): Baun has been a disappointment this season—he ranks outside the top-30 fantasy linebackers in points per game seven weeks in. But a bounceback week is coming in the second-best fantasy matchup for linebackers in 2026.
LB Devin Bush, Chicago (at Seattle) (5): The linebackers in Chicago have spent most of the season disappointing fantasy managers. But folks in an injury or bye-week pinch may have little recourse but to turn to Bush in Week 8. From a matchup perspective, this is a good week to do that.
LB Kendal Daniels, Atlanta (at Tampa Bay) (3): Daniels was outstanding filling in for Divine Deablo as Atlanta's green dot linebacker last week, piling up 11 total tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. He'll make it two in a row this week in a top-five fantasy matchup with the Buccaneers.
S Nick Emmanwori, Seattle (vs. Chicago) (1): Emmanwori was quiet in Monday's trouncing of the Kansas City Chiefs. But he has at least seven total tackles and a sack in two of his last four games, and there may not be a team in the NFL that likes attacking the middle of the field more than Da Bears.
S Joshua Metellus, Minnesota (at Detroit) (6): Metellus topped 100 total tackles in both 2023 and 2024, but the seventh-year veteran's numbers have been down so far this season. This week's trip to Motown has the looks of a "get right" game—the Lions have a tendency to keep opposing safeties busy.
S Malaki Starks, Baltimore (at Buffalo) (4): You don't need this column to tell you to start Kyle Hamilton—I hope. But Starks could be a quality Week 8 play in his own right—the young safety appears to be coming into his own, and the Bills have given up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position this season.
Week 8 IDP Duds
EDGE George Karlaftis, Kansas City (at Denver) (27): Karlaftis and the Chiefs have racked up pressures but not sacks this season, and in Week 8 he faces a Broncos team that has allowed just nine sacks this season--second-fewest in the NFL.
EDGE Boye Mafe, Cincinnati (vs. Tennessee) (14): Mafe has been rolling of late, with 11 total tackles and 3.5 sacks over his past three games. But Mafe is sack-reliant as an IDP option, and while there isn't a lot that Tennessee has done well this year, the Titans have only given up 11 sacks.
EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, LA Chargers (at LA Rams) (28): Speaking of horror movies, how about those Chargers? Tuipulotu has just one game this season with a full sack and the Rams are a bad matchup—11 sacks allowed and the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game surrendered to edge rushers this season.
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Indianapolis (at Jacksonville) (29): Davis-Gaither has been productive for the Colts this season—his 60 total tackles rank just outside the top-10. But the Jaguars have been stingy to opposing linebackers in 2026—only one AFC team has allowed fewer fantasy points per game to the position.
LB Isaiah McDuffie, Green Bay (vs. Carolina) (32): McDuffie is a hot name on waiver wires this week after 11 stops, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last week against the Lions. But he could go from the outhouse to the penthouse and then right back to the outhouse in a trash fantasy matchup for linebackers with the Panthers.
LB Bobby Okereke, Carolina (at Green Bay) (31): Okereke has been a nice value for IDP managers after joining the Panthers late in the offseason. But both Okereke and Devin Lloyd will have their work cut out for them Thursday night against a Packers team that hasn't run the ball well at all this season.
S Chamarri Conner, Kansas City (at Denver) (31): Conner's role is different in 2026 than it was a year ago, and between that and missed time, he's back to being a fantasy afterthought. This week's matchup at Mile High won't change that. No AFC team has allowed fewer fantasy points per game to safeties.
S A.J. Haulcy, Indianapolis (at Jacksonville) (30): The good news is that the highly-touted rookie is coming off the best game of his professional career statistically. The bad news is that it's not going to be easy to duplicate in a bottom-three fantasy matchup for safeties with the Jaguars.
S Brandon Jones, Denver (vs. Kansas City) (28): Over the past month, Jones sits sixth among safeties in fantasy points—in part because Talanoa Hufanga has been banged up. Hufanga could return this week, but even if he sits, Jones faces a matchup against the Chiefs that has been bad for safeties for years.
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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