Welcome back to the NFL regular season! It is time to start IDL and edge streaming because the injury bug already hit us in the preseason. Haason Reddick is continuing his egregious holdout. Bradley Chubb, D.J. Wonnum, John Cominsky, Darius Robinson, Myles Murphy, Christian Barmore, Uchenna Nwosu, and Charles Omenihu are all starting the season on IR. B.J. Ojulari, Sam Williams, Drake Jackson, and Samson Ebukam have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Now that all of that is out of the way, we are here to help you through those struggles. Whether the injury bug hit your team or you waited too long on the position, there are still options. Here are your Week 1 IDL and edge streaming matchups.
IDL and Edge Streaming Options
IDL Streaming Option: Harrison Phillips, Minnesota
Matchup: NY Giants - Ranked 29th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Phillips is quietly coming off his best season as a pro in 2023, his second season in Minnesota. He became an interior vacuum cleaner, swarming ball carriers to a career-high 89 tackles. Phillips also showed some pass-rush upside as well. He posted three sacks in 2023, also a career-high. Phillips showcased picturesque run defense all season, which is highlighted here against the Broncos:
In love with this rep from Harrison Phillips@Beau_Allen | @horribleharry99 | @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/65Xst9dUCR
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) August 26, 2024
Phillips squares off with the Giants in Week 1. The offensive line in New York has been historically bad, and they have not done much to fix it. Saquan Barkley was productive because of his uncanny ability to make people miss. His replacement, Devin Singletary, is nowhere near as elusive as Barkley. He was one of the least efficient runners in 2023. Phillips should routinely win his matchups and gobble up the never-elusive Singeltary, making him a top-tier IDL streaming option in Week 1.
IDL Streaming Option: Sheldon Rankins, Cincinnati
Matchup: New England - Ranked 28th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings
Rankins is coming off his best season since 2018 in 2023. He posted 37 tackles and six sacks with the Texans, showing that he still has plenty of pass-rush upside. The Bengals are playing Rankins alongside B.J. Hill, who seems to be a supreme interior running mate to play alongside. While Hill is more of a run-stopper, he, like Rankins, shows a keen sense for interior pass rushing. Rankins will likely be the better pass-rusher of the two, making him a great streaming option.
They play the Patriots in Week 1, whose offense seems like a mess, at least for now. They do not have a true WR1, their offensive line was putrid in 2023, and they did not do much to improve it, and they are starting journeyman Jacoby Brissett to begin the 2024 season. This seems like a recipe for a Bengals defensive domination in Week 1.
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