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.

It's Week 12, and just a few weeks remain in the fantasy regular season. For more than a few IDP managers, that means the postseason has effectively started. They can't afford any more losses if they want to move on to the playoffs.

Unfortunately, it's also a six-team bye week. So, the Guru and the Godfather are going to kick off this week's column with some potential fill-ins for managers with holes in their starting lineups.

Filling the Gaps

With six teams on a bye this week, we're flipping the script—it's sleeper time right off the bat. There is no shortage of IDP managers who need a spot starter in what may well be a must-win week—give them one on the defensive line, at linebacker, and at defensive back.

Guru: When in doubt, look to whoever plays the Giants for help at the edge position. Yaya Diaby of the Buccaneers was slowed by an ankle injury for the first several games and has not put up the kind of numbers some of us expected based on his strong run late last season. Still, there is potential for an explosion in any given week. With an average of 10.5 combined stops, 2.1 sacks, and .8 turnovers per game, the Giants have allowed the most fantasy points to the edge position thus far. The change at quarterback could have an impact, but Tommy DeVito will be lining up behind the same offensive line.

There is a difference between a sleeper on a normal week and a sleeper on a week with six teams off. This one goes out to those in deep leagues with 14 or more teams and/or big rosters. Devin White has seen a few snaps for the Texans in every game since week eight and has looked pretty good. Last week, White saw his biggest play share with the team when he out-snapped Henry To'oTo'o 50 to 26. That on its own would not be enough to move the needle, but a matchup with the Titans is enough to tip the scale, at least if you're desperate enough. Even after a disappointing week eleven, Tennessee is still the third-best matchup for linebackers in terms of points allowed. For what it's worth, I'll be riding with anyone who gambles on White this week. I'm starting him in the Kings Classic Butkus division, where I am short three linebackers.

Kamren Kinchens of the Rams was not playing much until week nine. Now, the Rams are finding it difficult to take him off the field. Over the last three weeks, Kinchens is 10-3 with 3 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a score. With their situation at linebacker (they don't have any), the coaching staff is turning to their depth at safety to plug the hole. Kinchens is still not playing full-time, but he's getting about 40 snaps per game. What the snap counts don't tell us is that when he is on the field, Kinchens is lining up in prime position to make plays and allowed to be aggressive. It's a "swing for the fence" call, but I like Kinchens' chances of making another splash play or two against the Eagles. It doesn't hurt that he made 8 tackles last week, either.   

Godfather: So, it's going to be that kind of week, eh? Diaby would have been my pick as well.

Dante Fowler Jr of the Washington Commanders isn't the player he was back in, say, 2019, but his 8.5 sacks this season are the second-most of his long career. Fowler has multiple sacks in three games this year, including twice in three weeks. He could make it four times this week against a Dallas Cowboys team allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to defensive ends in 2024.

Christian Rozeboom of the Philadelphia Eagles hasn't been the full-time linebacker of late that he was when Troy Reeder first went down—his snap count hasn't eclipsed 65 percent since Week 9. However, Rozeboom turned that 60-ish percent snap share into 11 total tackles last week—and the Eagles have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points per game to linebackers in 2024.

Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams hasn't posted huge numbers this season, but he's had his moments here and there when the matchup was right. This week's tilt with the San Francisco 49ers certainly qualifies in that regard—the San Francisco 49ers have spent much of 2024 leading the league in fantasy points per game allowed to safeties.

Defensive Line Breakdown

Okay, let's get back on script. In this critical week for many IDP managers, point out one defensive lineman who will blow past his ranking for the season and have a big game and another who will pick a terrible time for a vanishing act.

Guru: He started slowly, but over the last six games, Danielle Hunter of the Texans has come to life. He's coming off a second multi-sack game in four weeks and has a juicy matchup. The Titans allow nearly two sacks per game to edge defenders and the third most points to the position. That's a recipe for a big game by Hunter.

It's not Christmas yet, but this one makes me feel like the Grinch. Maxx Crosby has not recorded a sack or reached double-digit points in a game since week seven. The Raiders have no one to help him, thus offenses have plenty of bodies to throw into the blocking scheme against him. As if that were not bad enough, Crosby faces a stingy Denver offense that gives up less than eight combined tackles and six-tenths of a sack per game to the edge position.  

Godfather: I'd love to argue with the Crosby call—but he's my Week 12 IDP Dud of the Week.

The Denver Broncos lead the NFL this season with 39 sacks, and edge-rusher Nik Bonitto has paced the team with nine in his breakout season. However, Jonathon Cooper's 6.5 is nothing to sneeze at, and this week, the league's most prolific pass rush takes on a Las Vegas Raiders team that has given up 33 sacks this season—fifth-most in the league.

At the opposite end of that spectrum, only two teams in the league have allowed fewer sacks than the 15 given up by the Baltimore Ravens. Tuli Tuipulotu of the Los Angeles Chargers has been the highest-scoring edge rusher in fantasy football over the past month, but keeping that hot streak going on Monday night ain't gonna be easy.

Lining up Some Linebackers

It doesn't matter what time of year it is—a big stat line from a linebacker is as welcome in Week 2 as it is in Week 12. Which second (or even third)-tier linebacker is about to provide one? Which big name is about to leave IDP managers in Letdown City?

Guru: Injuries create opportunities. With Alex Anzalone joining Derrick Barnes on injured reserve, the door is wide open for Malcolm Rodriguez of the Detroit Lions. He put up strong numbers during a run as the starter early in 2022, reaching double-digit points in four of six games. Even with a reduced role for most of that season, Rodriguez managed 87 combined stops with a sack and two turnovers on roughly half of the team's defensive plays. While the Colts have been a weak matchup for linebackers in general, having six teams on bye makes any linebacker who will see 80% of his team's snaps a viable option. I have a feeling that Rodriguez will be more than that this week.

With so many of our starting linebackers on bye, a lot of managers will be leaning on Kyzir White this week. Don't be one of those managers. There is no worse matchup in the game for linebackers than the Seahawks, who have allowed the fewest points to linebackers on the season. How bad could they possibly be, you ask? Fred Warner recorded one tackle and two assists against them last week in a game that Seattle won.   

Godfather: Would love to argue with the White call, but I can't—the Seahawks have been a barren wasteland for opposing linebackers this season.

The Indianapolis Colts haven't been much better—in the Godfather's Default IDP Scoring, no team in the AFC has surrendered fewer fantasy points per game to linebackers in 2024. So, while the Guru has some confidence in "Rodrigo" this week, the Godfather thinks that Jack Campbell of the Lions could be on the cusp of yet another disappointing stat line in Week 12. The second-year pro is just an IDP heartbreaker—either the snaps aren't there or the matchup's bad.

There isn't a team in the NFL who has given up more fantasy points per game to linebackers this season than running back Aaron Jones and the Minnesota Vikings. T.J. Edwards of the Chicago Bears is an every-week start, but Tremaine Edmunds ranks outside the top 35 at the position for the season. Edmunds is an every-down player capable of blowing up when the matchup is right. Sunday's NFC North tilt at Soldier Field is just such a matchup.

Week 12 Defensive Backs

This time of year, the unpredictability of defensive backs becomes that much more problematic—pick the wrong guy and it could be curtains. No playoffs. Go put on a goofy sweater and have some pumpkin spice egg nog, loser.

Who is the right guy who isn't a no-doubt weekly starter? Who is Mr. Wrong in Week 12?

Guru: I'm not sure what Mr. Right's name is, but I'm pretty sure he's wearing a Packers uniform this week. Green Bay seems to have turned to a big nickel as their base defense. Like the Vikings last year, all three starting safeties are putting up good numbers. Xavier McKinney is as close to a sure thing as it gets, Evan Williams is rock solid, and Javon Bullard is seeing a lot of action as a box safety/nickel linebacker. Factor in a matchup with the 49ers who lead the league in points allowed to safeties even before the return of Christian McCaffrey. All three of these guys had at least five solo stops last week and should be productive for us in this one. I'll put my money on McKinney to blow up big.

I'm not sure what Mr. Wrong's name is either, but it's a safe bet he will be playing in Los Angeles this week. Derwin James Jr. and Kyle Hamilton are two players who will be started in virtually 100% of IDP leagues, and for good reason. That said, the Chargers have allowed the fewest points to the safety position, with Baltimore a distant second. I have more confidence in Hamilton, so I'll put my chips on James to be the biggest safety bust of the week.

Godfather: Really? You're going to take James and Hamilton? Where's your holiday spirit?

Tre'von Moehrig of the Raiders has been one of those defensive backs whose 2024 performance explains why The Godfather waits to draft defensive backs. Moehrig was an afterthought in IDP drafts over the summer, but he ranks 14th among defensive backs in fantasy points for the season. The fourth-year veteran gets an excellent fantasy matchup this week—the Broncos have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to defensive backs this season.

It's not exactly surprising that the Tennessee Titans rank toward the bottom of the league in fantasy points given up to safeties—the offense hasn't exactly been a picture of efficiency this season. Jalen Pitre of the Houston Texans has been a decent matchup play this season and is coming off a nice outing against the Dallas Cowboys, but Pitre is a fade in Week 12.

Big Men and Corner Boys

Because you're both such swell fellas and in the spirit of Christmas (which apparently starts in September now), let's give some love to defensive tackles and cornerbacks. Pick a streamer-type managers with the Byepocalypse Blues can insert into starting lineups with confidence this week.

After all, this whole column is a confidence game.

Guru: The jolly fat fellow in me says to start Zach Sieler of the Dolphins this week against New England. Big guys like to eat, and the Patriots are a statistical smorgasbord. Since week four, the interior line positions have averages 10.4 tackles per game against them, along with 1.6 sacks, 1.1 turnovers, and a batted pass in every other game. Sieler makes a lot of tackles and is more than capable of sampling from all four categories. If Sieler doesn't fit the description of a streamer, look at Emmanuel Ogbah for all the same reasons.

If you need a sleeper corner on any given week, see who plays against the bombs away Bucs. Tampa Bay has allowed the seventh most points to the corner position. They would rank much higher if not for the fact that they run a tight ship in terms of splash plays allowed. With opposing corners averaging 13 solo stops and almost 5 assists per game against them, this would be a good week to roll the bones on New York Giants rookie Andru Phillips.  

 Godfather: You aren't fat, Guru—you're just big-boned.

The Indianapolis Colts have struggled to move the ball consistently this season, but they have also been kind to opposing defensive tackles this season—eighth in the league in fantasy points per game surrendered to the position. Alim McNeill of the Detroit Lions has just one sack over his last five games, but the fourth-year veteran can be IDP-relevant when the matchup's right. Detroit's buzzsaw offense tends to put opponents in catch-up mode. That enables the Lions pass rush to pin its ears back and go after opposing quarterbacks.

The Carolina Panthers aren't exactly a fine-tuned offensive machine, but there is just one team in the league giving up more fantasy points per game to cornerbacks in 2024. Third-year cornerback Nazeeh Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs is hardly a household name. He's not an especially good cornerback—his passer rating against this season is almost 120. But Johnson has 18 total tackles over the past two weeks, and he has been targeted with regularity by opposing quarterbacks.

John Norton (The Guru) and Gary Davenport (The Godfather of IDP) have over 45 combined years of IDP experience. Follow John on Twitter (still not calling it X, so there) at @JohnPNorton and Gary at @IDPSharks.