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.
Of course, it's not the regular season—not quite. We're less than a week away from the season opener, but there's still a little time to look to the future instead of just focusing on the next Sunday on the calendar.
With that in mind, The Guru and The Godfather have come together one final time this offseason. But there will be no questions. Only proclamations. Predictions so prescient that they make Nostradamus look like Nostradumba**.
Take notes, kids.
School is in session.
2026 IDP Predictions
Derrick Moore of the Detroit Lions Will Pull an Upset and Lead all Rookie Edge Rushers in Fantasy Points This Year
Guru: It's been a long journey, but I predict the Lions have finally found their bookend for Aidan Hutchinson. Second-round rookie Derrick Moore missed most of training camp with a sore groin, so no one has been talking about him. After his preseason performance, that will change. The guys who have been practicing with him recently are not surprised. Moore has been dominating practices.
There is plenty to like about Moore. He is a three-down player who excels against the run and is well above average as a pass rusher. With 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a recovery at Michigan last year, the production box is checked. The talent and competitiveness are present. The last ingredient is opportunity.
Detroit has been searching for a second dominant edge defender since they drafted Hutchinson in 2022. The position has been a revolving door, with a different veteran player signing seemingly every year. D.J. Wonnum was supposed to be this year's band-aid. He's a dependable veteran who will be a factor when it comes to playing time, but he is not the long-term answer. Moore's cause gets another boost from the loss of Payton Turner to IR.
In His Second NFL Season, New York Giants Edge Rusher Abdul Carter Will Explode Into Stardom, Finishing with More Fantasy Points Than Teammate Brian Burns and Cracking the Top 10 at the Position
Godfather: What the heck? Been riding this horse all summer long—might as well take her across the finish line.
On one hand, there are a lot of factors pointing toward a second-year jump from Abdul Carter. The hot finish to his rookie season, with 3.5 sacks down the stretch. His 48 quick pressures last year, which led the league. A 16 percent pass rush win rate last year, per ESPN, that ranked inside the top 10. Glowing reports from camp.
On the other hand, there's Burns, who had more fantasy points than any edge rusher not named Myles Garrett last year thanks to a career-high 16.5 sacks. But that was just the second time in seven professional seasons that Burns hit the 10-sack mark. "Spider-Man" is going to regress in 2026. The question is by how much.
This isn't to say I don't like Burns this year. But at cost, Carter is going to be the far better IDP value—especially after he out-points Burns on the way to a top-10 season in 2026.
A star is born.
Cincinnati Bengals Edge Rusher Myles Murphy Will Live Up to His First-Round Pedigree in 2026 and Become a DL2 for IDP Managers
Guru: I predict that Myles Murphy will finally play and produce as a former first-round pick should. Murphy did next to nothing over his first two seasons. In 2025, he tallied 52 tackles and five sacks, going 11-7-3 with a turnover and a batted pass over the final month of the season. The Bengals made a big investment on the defensive side over the offseason. The upgraded supporting cast is a big plus, but the biggest factor is that you could see the light come on for him in December. Murphy is just 24 years old and already has three seasons of experience under his belt as he enters the prime of his career.
Odafe Oweh of the Washington Commanders Will Set a Career-High in Sacks On the Way to a Top-20 Season in Fantasy Points Among Defensive Linemen
Godfather: This might be wish-casting—Oweh has wound up on quite a few of my teams this season as a DL3 or DL4. The Godfather can't lie—having this many shares of an edge rusher who had logged 40 tackles just once in five years runs contrary to my manifesto.
What? You don't have a manifesto?
But Oweh has something of a history of production—7.5 sacks in 12 games with the Los Angeles Chargers last year and 10 with the Baltimore Ravens the season before that. The advanced metrics like Oweh too—only Micah Parsons had a higher pass rush win rate in 2025 than Oweh.
There's going to be some weekly variance—there always is with sack-dependent edge rushers. But the snaps are going to be there in Washington. The talent appears to be as well. And if Oweh logs, say, a dozen sacks this season, those relatively low tackle numbers are going to become a lot more palatable.
Rookie Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez of the Dolphins Will Star in His First NFL Season
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