IDP Start-Sit: Studs and Duds, Week 1

Photo: USA Today Sports

Here we go again, folks.

It’s the dawn of another season of NFL football—and with it, another year of fantasy football. IDP managers have drafted their squads for the season, but now the focus has shifted from building teams to setting lineups. From maximizing your team's potential to maximizing the points it scores this week.

Points equal wins. Wins lead to the playoffs—and then hopefully to a fantasy championship.

Of course, to score the most possible points, you need to know which IDPs will log big scores and which ones will come up short. Who has the perfect combination of talent, matchup, and situation to culminate in a fat stat line?

Early in the season, that can be tricky. A lot can change from one season to the next in the NFL. Last year’s excellent matchup can become this year’s mediocre one. Last season’s mediocre matchup can become this season’s mess.

Fantasy managers need every resource they can get—any and every tool that will help them in their quest to milk every possible point from their lineups.

And beginning in 2024 here at Footballguys, IDP Studs and Duds is here to help.

Each week during the 2024 season, I’ll point out some individual defensive players who could be set to exceed expectations this week (Studs) and some who, for whatever reason, are riskier plays than normal (Duds).

This isn’t necessarily to say that every Stud is a must-start (it depends on your other options) or that every Dud should be glued to your bench (just that the odds of a letdown week are greater than usual).

Numbers in parentheses denote ranking in fantasy points allowed to that position in 2023 in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring. 

IDP STUD OF THE WEEK: LB Tyrel Dodson, Seattle (vs. Denver) (1)

After four seasons as a reserve and part-time starter in Buffalo, Dodson signed with the Seahawks in free agency and emerged as the team’s defensive signal-caller. But the 26-year-old told reporters that despite his newly increased role, he hasn’t forgotten that he needs to go all-out on every single snap.

“Yeah, I’m a starter but I still have to play at a high level even if you’re on special teams or running down on kickoff, punt,” Dodson said. “You’ve got to play at a high level and that’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to bring to Seattle, and I just want to be a good teammate, play at a high level, and have fun while I’m doing it.”

Dodson has never had even 75 total tackles in a season before, but that’s apt to change in a big way in 2024. As a matter of fact, Dodson may well wind up one of this year’s biggest values at the position, and a Week 1 home tilt with the Broncos is a prime opportunity to start his breakout season off right.

IDP DUD OF THE WEEK: LB Tremaine Edmunds, Chicago (vs. Tennessee) (29)

Edmunds signed a four-year, $72 million pact with the Bears last year, and while he topped 100 stops for the sixth straight season, his performance was generally regarded as OK at best. However, former NFL Scouting Director Greg Gabriel told reporters that he expects Edmunds to have a career year in 2024.

“Where I am looking for improvement from Edmunds is with his run defense,” Gabriel said. While he finished the (2023) year with 113 total tackles, he is capable of 130 or more. I felt that being in a new scheme, he was reacting more than anticipating for a good part of 2023. His numbers will improve because he will be a better anticipator this year with his experience in the scheme. One thing is certain—there are few linebackers in the league that have the physical traits Edmunds possesses.”

The thing is that folks have been saying something similar about Edmunds for essentially his entire career, and he has hit that 130-stop mark exactly zero times. He hasn’t surpassed 120 tackles since his rookie season. Edmunds is what he is—and this week’s bottom-five fantasy matchup with the Titans isn’t going to change that.