IDP The Guru and the Godfather: Week 17

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. Every week during the 2024 season here at Footballguys, The Guru and The Godfather will come together to offer guidance for the week to come.

Well, y'all—this is it. Championship Week (in most IDP leagues). If you're reading this, odds are you are one of two teams still left standing. When the dust clears, one team will be left—and that team will be the champion.

This is what IDP managers have been working toward all season long. But victory in Week 17 won't be easy. Every lineup call could be the difference between victory and defeat. Between glory and despair. The margin for error is slimmer than in any other week of the season.

No pressure.

Destiny on the Defensive Line

There has literally never been a week in the history of this column when IDP managers more needed you dorks to be right. So, get your head in the game, and let's do this.

In some IDP leagues, a smash week from a defensive lineman can be the sort of score that wins a week—or, in this case, a championship. Which non-elite option has the best chance to do that in Week 17, and which high-end lineman is set to disappear when needed the most?

Guru: It crossed my mind to put Atlanta Falcons edge-rusher Matthew Judon in the sleeper category. A string of eight games with six or fewer fantasy points could have landed him solidly to that category, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt and go with “non-elite” status. Judon began showing signs of life in week eleven and has three sacks over the last five games. He will have a tough time improving on the 23 points he racked up against the Giants last week, but a matchup with the Commanders should help. Washington has allowed 3.6 sacks per game since week eleven, including 2.5 per game to the edge position. They are also fantasy-friendly to the position when it comes to tackle production, ranking near the top at 10.4 per game. Factor in that, not counting sacks, they have allowed five splash plays in the last six games, and Judon gives us a good, high-upside option. 

As a Bengals homer who will be at this week's game, it pains me to call out Trey Hendrickson as a potential bust. Yes, he is leading the league in sacks. Yes, he had a lot to do with getting managers to the doorstep of a championship. If only he were playing someone besides Denver. Edge defenders tend to put up mediocre tackle numbers versus the Broncos, but Denver is stingy in the sack department, allowing five sacks to all positions combined over their last five games. 

Godfather: The top four teams in terms of sacks allowed have already played this week. But sitting fifth in the league in that regard is the Las Vegas Raiders, who have given up 49 sacks in 15 games. New Orleans Saints edge-rusher Carl Granderson hasn't produced the numbers that IDP managers expected in 2024, but this week's matchup affords the sixth-year veteran an opportunity to finish the IDP season strong.

Sitting Minnesota Vikings edge-rushers Jonathan Greenard or Andrew Van Ginkel in a must-win game is an awfully tall ask—the pair both rank among the top five at the position in fantasy points for the season. But this week the Vikings host a Packers team that has surrendered just 16 sacks all season long. In their first meeting with Green Bay back in Week 4, neither Greenard nor Van Ginkel was able to get home for a sack.

Linebacker Lineup

Defensive linemen may score big in some leagues, but having a solid lineup of linebackers is critical to victory in every IDP league out there.

Which linebacker ranked outside the top 15 in the Footballguys Week 17 rankings is most likely to be a title-winning breakout? Which big name most makes you antsy?

Guru: Edgerrin Cooper of the Packers falls just outside the top 25 in our consensus rankings this week, but I can safely say it's not because I ranked him that low. He has a good matchup with the Vikings, but this one is more about the player than the opponent. He is still not playing every snap, but apparently, he doesn't need to. Cooper was productive, if a little inconsistent, earlier in the year when he was getting about 65% of the playing time. With Quay Walker sidelined, Cooper's snap count was up last week and his production with it. The three games he missed, starting in week twelve, gave him fresh legs for the playoff push. This is a bigger deal than most people realize, especially when it comes to rookies. Cooper is 14-3-1 with an interception and 2 passes defended in the last two games. He's been even more impressive on the field than the numbers tell. This guy is going to be special.

When I took Foyesade Oluokun in round one of the King's Classic Butkus Division draft back in August, I never dreamed I'd be nervous about starting him late in the year, but this game is fickle. Unfortunately, I don't have to worry about it in that league after my team went AWOL in Week 16. Oluokun has simply not been the same player this year that we've seen in the past. He has exceeded 13 points in one game since week one and has four or fewer solo stops in five of his eleven games, including two of the last four. The Titans were a stellar matchup early in the season but have faded considerably of late as the offense struggles, not to mention that they are banged up at running back. At best, Oluokun has a low ceiling and a moderate floor.    

Godfather: Can we not talk about the Butkus Division? The Guru wasn't the only manager who was bounced in the semis a week ago.

Over the second half of the 2024 season (from Week 8 on), the Las Vegas Raiders may not be winning, but they are giving up fantasy points to linebackers—sixth-most in the NFL. At 35 years young, Demario Davis has remained a productive IDP asset, hitting double-digit stops in four of the past six games. With 114 total stops on the season, Davis has a real chance to close out what may well be his last NFL season with a big stat line.

The New York Jets have struggled to maintain offense this season, and it shows in more ways than one—no team in the AFC has allowed fewer points to linebackers this year than the Jets. Terrel Bernard of the Buffalo Bills has finally gotten some momentum going, with double-digit stops in three straight games. That momentum may well be slowed this weekend against Gang Green—at the worst time imaginable.