IDL and Edge Streaming Matchups, Week 18

Welcome to Week 18. If you are reading this, congratulations; you made the finals and are looking for some matchups to stream. Week 18 Championships pose some serious problems due to the fact that teams who have already clinched playoff births will rest their star players to avoid injury before the playoffs. This makes streaming matchups very important for those looking to fill roster gaps in the final week of the season. The best thing to do is to look for the teams still slugging it out for a potential playoff birth with strong matchups. Here are the top IDL and Edge streaming matchups for Week 18.

IDL and Edge Streaming Options

EDGE, Preston Smith, Green Bay Packers

Matchup: Chicago Bears - Ranked 23rd in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings

The Bears and the Packers are in the mix for the final playoff spot in the NFC. This means that they will both be playing their hearts out. Smith has always been a high-volume snap player. He has not played less than 66% of his team's snaps since he played 48% in his rookie season. He is currently at 66% this season and riding a hot streak. Smith has two-and-a-half sacks in his past two games and currently sits at 46 tackles and eight sacks on the season.

Smith is a great run defender, one of the reasons he is such a high-volume snap player. He has also had one of the higher tackle floors of NFL edge defenders over the past two seasons. In 2022, Smith posted 59 tackles on the season, and as I mentioned above, he currently sits at 46 tackles for 2023. The Bears offensive line has given up the 8th-most sacks on the season with 45. Add the facts that Smith will be tasked with setting a strong edge to contain Justin Fields and that the Packers are fighting for the playoffs, and we now have a high-floor and high-ceiling situation. Smith has a great Week 18 matchup.

EDGE Boye Mafe, Seattle Seahawks

Matchup: Arizona Cardinals - Ranked 18th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings

Mafe has been one of the great stories of the 2023 NFL season. After a rather disappointing rookie campaign, Mafe currently sits at 48 tackles and nine sacks as the Seahawks' leading edge rusher. The Seahawks are still in the playoff race, as well. Oddly enough, the NFC West can potentially send three teams into the playoffs this year. Who saw that coming? I'll just say I did not. Either way, the Seahawks are battling for the final spot.

The Seahawks square off with their division foe, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have given up the 12th most sacks on the season with 41 and sit at 4-12. Sure, they have nothing to lose and come out guns blazing, but the Seahawks should be playing with a sense of urgency. I expect Mafe to cap his breakout regular season with a bang.

EDGE Yaya Diaby, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matchup: Carolina Panthers - Ranked 20th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings

Diaby has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers this season. He was likely drafted in the last two rounds of your rookie drafts or even picked up off of waivers. Yet, he has made a strong case for the defensive rookie of the year conversion. He would be cemented in the conversation had his role been bigger to start the season. Since Week 8, Diaby has been a monster. During that 10-game stretch, he has racked up 25 tackles and six-and-a-half sacks.

Diaby's role on the defense has only grown. Over the past six games, he has been on the field for 60.16% of the team's defensive snaps. The matchup and situation against the Panthers is a mouth-watering one. The Panthers have given up a tie for the third most sacks with 62 and are a reeling offensive line. With the Buccaneers having the potential to lock up the NFC South, they will be getting after the Panthers quarterback.

IDL Bryan Bresee, New Orleans Saints

Matchup: Atlanta Falcons - Ranked 14th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings

Bresee has been big over the past three weeks for fantasy managers waiting for him to hit his potential. Well, he finally did, and better late than never. Bresee has six tackles and three sacks over his last three games, showing interior pass-rush potential. Bresee has always been a polarizing prospect, though he never truly hit the stride that his recruiting ranks called for.

Still, he is riding a hot streak, facing a division rival, and fighting for a playoff spot in the last week of the season. The Saints play the Falcons in Week 18. The Falcons gave up two sacks to the likes of Gervon Dexter Sr and Demarcus Walker. Needless to say, neither guy is a game-changing player. Bresee has plenty more talent than either of the previously mentioned. With the playoffs on the line, he will be looking to make his coaches proud.

IDL Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matchup: Carolina Panthers - Ranked 20th in Matt Bitonti's Offensive Line Rankings

Vea has been quiet over the last half of the season, but the big man has been battling injuries. He looked more like his athletic behemoth self in Week 17, though, where he piled on six tackles. Vea always has the ability to rack up volume tackles with his 347-pound frame, but it is the explosion in his interior pass rush that makes him so intriguing. He has six sacks and 29 pressures in 14 games while piling up a 72.4 pass-rushing grade per PFF.

Getting matched up with the Panthers to fight for the playoffs is a dream for the Buccaneers. They currently hold the lead in the NFC South and the 2-14 Panthers do not pose to be much of a threat. They do pose to be a great streaming matchup, though. The Panthers have allowed a tie for the third most sacks in the league with 62. With the Buccaneers looking to secure the NFC South, Vea should be able to push Carolina on the interior.

Final Thoughts

Going into a Week 18 Championship is vastly different than a Week 17 Championship. The potential of star players sitting makes these streaming articles that much more important. Congratulations on making it to where you are! I also want to thank you for reading my work all season, and hopefully, it brought you some success. I will see you this off-season.