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. Each week during the regular season, they gather to answer the most looming questions facing IDP managers that week.
The calendar has turned to October, and before you know it, the first month of the 2026 fantasy season will be over. Time flies when you're having fun and all that.
The Guru and The Godfather are not—they enter Week 4 a combined 0-6 in the King's Classic Dick Butkus Division. The Godfather blames injuries. The Guru blames The Godfather. The break room has become quite awkward.
But they are ready to get after it once again. They are unfazed. Undaunted. Unstoppable.
And at least one of them is unhinged.
October Surprise
The calendar has turned to October, and the first month of the 2026 season featured no shortage of surprises.
Which defensive player has exceeded your expectations the most so far this season? Who has been your biggest September disappointment?
Guru: Since he entered the league, I've thought Greg Rousseau had the talent to be special. He's flashed at times and had his share of big games, but consistency has been a problem as he's vanished for stretches every year. Some of that has been related to snap counts, as the Bills would use too many players in a fairly even rotation. So far, it's been a perfect storm for Rousseau. Under the new coaching regime, his snap counts are up, he leads the league with 6 sacks, and is currently the fantasy games' No. 1 edge. Four weeks ago, I'd have bet the farm against that happening.
I was not all that surprised last season when Jack Campbell blew up, finishing at or near the top of the linebacker rankings in nearly all scoring formats. There was no coaching change, no scheme change, no anything that would point to Campbell backsliding into mediocrity. Yet, three games into the new season, he is the second-best linebacker on his own team. This is the kind of thing that causes premature grey hair.
Godfather: Know how I knew The Guru was going to mention Rousseau? Because I was going to mention him, and Norton always steals my guys.
Instead, I'll talk up a linebacker. There was admittedly some buzz surrounding Nakobe Dean when he joined the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency—buzz that grew after it became known that Dean would wear the "green dot" helmet communicator in Sin City. But Dean was still drafted as a low-end LB2 or high-end LB2 in more leagues than not. After his 12-tackle, 11-solo effort last week against the New Orleans Saints, Dean is third among linebackers in points in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring.
The list of linebackers who have disappointed this season stretches well past Campbell—and it includes the only player in the league who had more tackles than Campbell last season. Last year, Jordyn Brooks of the Miami Dolphins logged 183 total tackles and 99 solos. In 2026, Brooks has 22 stops, 11 solos, and ranks 46th in points among linebackers—two spots behind Campbell.
Hold the Line
All right, it's time to help IDP managers get a win in Week 4—starting with the defensive line.
Which less-than-obvious defensive lineman is set to go on a Week 4 rampage? Which big name is most likely to make like Dunkin and post a Donut?
Guru: I really like Lukas Van Ness of the Packers against a Buccaneers offense that has allowed three more sacks than any other team. That said, the way he's been playing, I'm not sure he qualifies as being less than obvious, so I'll throw out a deeper dive just in case.
The Texans are as close as anyone to Tampa Bay in giving up sacks. The Cowboys have no superstar edge defenders at the moment, but they have a guy on the rise in Donovan Ezeiruaku. He's been a little quiet after racking up 10 tackles, half a sack, and a forced fumble in Week 1, but the 2025 second-round pick has led the Dallas edge position in snaps every game and has seen his count increase each week. Ezeiruaku was up to a 78% share in Week 3.
I considered Maxx Crosby my most disappointing defender to date, but he fits better here since he at least had a sack and a half in Week 1 and a couple of turnovers in Week 3. Crosby has 3 tackles and 2 assists on the season. He's bailed out fantasy managers with the sacks or turnovers in two of the three games, but I don't think we can count on that against the Chiefs. Kansas City has allowed 4 sacks on the season and has yet to lose a fumble. Patrick Mahomes II was hard to sack even before he had an elite running game. If Crosby doesn't make some tackles in this one, he may not do anything.
Godfather: After 10 sacks with the Baltimore Ravens two years ago and 7.5 in 12 games with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025, the Washington Commanders signed Odafe Oweh in free agency to anchor the team's new-look edge rusher room. Three games into his tenure with the team, Oweh has 10 total tackles and a sack—he'll add another Sunday in London against a Colts team allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to edge rushers in 2026.
Denver Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto isn't off to the best start in his fifth professional season, although he did log his first sack of the season a week ago against the Los Angeles Rams. Don't expect Bonitto to get home for a second straight week Sunday in Santa Clara. San Francisco isn't just a bad fantasy matchup for edge rushers—the team has yet to allow a single sack this season.
Linebacker Largesse
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