IDP Matchups, Living the Stream: Week 9

Photo: USA Today Sports

There are certain unpleasant realities in IDP leagues, just as there are in the NFL. Sometimes, players get injured. Other times, players just (for whatever reason) fail to produce statistically at the level required to make them fantasy-relevant. Neither is fun. Both can create holes in starting lineups.

That's bad enough. But occasionally, the NFL comes along and blasts a massive hole in lineups, too.

For reasons known only to the brain trust at 345 Park Avenue in New York, Week 9 is one of two instances this season in which half a dozen teams aren't playing (The second is in Week 14—which is a nightmare for another day.). The Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are all idle this week.

That's rather a problem for IDP managers.

Myles Garrett of the Browns, Nick Bosa of the 49ers, and Demarcus Lawrence of the Cowboys are all top-five defensive ends this season. None are playing in Week 9. Neither are 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, Steelers linebacker Myles Jack, or Micah Parsons of the Cowboys. Neither are San Francisco's Talanoa Hufanga or Pittsburgh's Minkah Fitzpatrick, both of whom are top-10 safeties after eight weeks.

That's quite the list--and it's by no means exhaustive.

All those holes in lineups are far from ideal. But lamenting them doesn't get IDP managers any closer to filling them. To finding matchup plays, injury replacements, or waiver options who can potentially help get teams through the Byepocalypse. To help them grind out a win to get one step closer to a playoff spot.

In that respect, this may well be the most important edition of Living the Stream so far this season.

No pressure. I'm only hyperventilating a little.

DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Carolina (at Cincinnati)

A second-round pick out of Penn State back in 2020, Gross-Matos was a pre-season favorite of Footballguys' own John Norton. And to be fair, the youngster brings a lot to the table—he's a ferocious edge-setter capable of lining up at edge and tackle. And per Augusta Stone of the Panthers' website, Gross-Matos said going into the 2022 season that he's intent on taking the next step this year.

"I feel like I could be one of the better players in this league," Gross-Matos said. "I feel like I'm definitely ready to make the jump going into this season. I just have to focus on keeping myself on the field. I'll be able to produce when I'm out there."

That production hasn't so much been there this season—the half-sack that Gross Matos logged last week against the Falcons was his first of the year. But Gross-Matos also tallied six total tackles in Week 8 and played a whopping 82 percent of Carolina's defensive snaps. This week, the Panthers face a Bengals team that just allowed five sacks while employing the "matador" blocking technique. If Gross Matos is going to have a breakout game in 2022, this is the week.

EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami (at Chicago)

A first-round pick of the Dolphins a year ago, Phillips showed flashes as a rookie, tallying 8.5 sacks while playing 54 percent of Miami's defensive snaps. That performance in 2021 led to a sizable boost in snaps in 2022, and as Phillips told Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post, that bump in snaps has left him digging deep at times to avoid getting gassed.

"You have that mental toughness because it's easy to quit," Phillips said. "It's easy when you're tired to tap out, say, 'Coach, replacement' or whatever it is, when the game's on the line. I feel like I need to be out there for my teammates. And so that's when you really just got to go to a dark place and just dig deep. That's where the passion and the love that I have from our teammates comes in moments where you know everything, your whole physiological being, is telling you to quit like your body is telling you to quit, but your mind you got to be stronger than that."

To date this season, the production hasn't exactly met the bump in playing time—Phillips has just 3.5 sacks in eight games. But not only does Phillips have a great pass-rushing matchup this week with a Bears team that has allowed a league-leading 31 sacks, but the arrival of Bradley Chubb should mean many more single-team blocks moving forward. This could be more than just a one-week investment.

EDGE Joe Tryon-Soyinka, Tampa Bay (vs. LA Rams)

When the Buccaneers spent a first-round pick last year on Washington edge-rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the plan was that the Washington standout would eventually step in as a starter opposite Shaquil Barrett. Back before the season began, veteran linebacker Lavonte David told reporters that he believed the sky was the limit for Tryon-Shoyinka in 2022.

"People may not know, but he had to do a lot of different things (last year) for us just because you had to get him on the field, a guy like that," David said. "He played a lot of different positions for us, even played some stand-up linebacker sometimes. His upside is real good. Now he's got the opportunity to be a full-time starter and show what he can do, and I'm looking forward to that. He showed flashes at times."

Results have been mixed at best this season for Tryon-Shoyinka, although he did register a sack in last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. But with Barrett's season now over thanks to a torn Achilles, Tryon-Shoyinka isn't just a pass-rusher for Tampa. He's the pass-rusher for the Buccaneers, and as such, he's not going to be leaving the field much.