We have reached the point in the fantasy football season when Living the Stream can sink your postseason hopes like an overturned kayak. Or shoot the rapids and propel your IDP squad one step closer to the playoffs.

The waters have become that much more treacherous. It’s not bad enough that injuries continue to fell players. Others continue to disappoint. And a green-dot linebacker was not only benched but released outright (only to be claimed by another team) last week.

For many fantasy managers, the margin left for error this season has dwindled to just about zero. There are a lot of 5-5 and 4-6 teams for whom one more loss could be it. Kiss the playoffs (and an excuse to put off putting up Christmas lights) bye-bye.

So not only is there a gap in the troops that needs filling in, but pick Gomer Pyle instead of Alvin York, and that’s that. Hand me the extension cords.

Oh, that’s right. We’re in this together now. So, let’s get it right.

IDP Matchup Play: EDGE Rashan Gary, Green Bay (at Chicago)

There were some IDP analysts who thought Gary would be an excellent value pick over the summer—we won’t get into who because it isn’t really all that important. Let’s not play the blame game. As Brian Sampson wrote for Dairyland Express, it isn’t easy to pinpoint why Gary has been so quiet in the box score this season.

“Gary, on paper, has every tool needed to be a game-changer for the Packers,” he wrote. “His motor never stops, and his combination of raw strength, speed, and explosiveness off the edge should make him one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the league. He also boasts a refined arsenal of pass-rushing moves and technical ability to win one-on-one battles.”

There’s no sugar-coating it—Gary has been a major disappointment for both the Packers and IDP managers. But coming out of the off week, the Packers face a Chicago Bears team that just surrendered nine sacks to the New England Patriots and has surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points per game to defensive ends this season.

IDP Matchup Play: EDGE Chase Young, New Orleans (vs. Cleveland)

Young’s career hasn’t gone according to plan—the former second-overall pick is on his third team in as many years after injuries derailed a career that started with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020. But earlier this season, former Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters that Young had been everything the team asked when he inked a one-year deal in the offseason.

"I would say he's exceeded my expectations to this point, just in terms of, I didn't really know the player. I knew of him coming out of Ohio State, the talent that he was, and saw him play in our league. But I didn't really know him personally. "Just the way that he's gone about his business, the way that he has come to work every day – he's done everything we've asked him to do, the way we've asked him to do it, never has there been any sort of kickback on anything.”

Young’s third sack of the season last week hasn’t told the whole story with Young this year—his pressure and win rate numbers are significantly better than his stats. The biggest story, however, is facing the Cleveland Browns—the Browns have surrendered a whopping 43 sacks in 2024—easily the most in the league.