Dynasty Nerds 
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NerdHerd 
Welcome back, IDP Nerds! Whether you’re a seasoned manager or just getting started, three weeks of football have given us plenty to think about. Some of the players we trusted coming into the season have delivered, others have disappointed, and a few names we weren’t talking about enough have forced their way into the conversation. The Week 4 IDP Start/Sit takes what we’ve learned so far and looks for the matchups we can take advantage of this week.
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Before we get there, it’s time to check the receipts from Week 3. Our starts delivered with 5 of 6 calls hitting, but we struggled with the sits and streamers on our way to a 6-for-13 week overall. Some inconsistency is expected this early in the season when we’re still working with a small sample of matchup data, but that doesn’t give us a free pass. Every call stays on the record, and as the data gets stronger each week, the expectation is that we get better with it.
IDP Start/Sit Accuracy Report
Week 3 was a mixed bag for the Accuracy Report. Our starts had their best week of the season, hitting on 5 of 6 calls, but we went 0-for-3 on sits and just 1-for-4 with our streamers. That left us at 6-for-13 overall and dropped the season hit rate slightly to 47.4%. The good news is our starts continue to trend in the right direction, now hitting at a 66.7% rate through 3 weeks.
| Category | Week 3 | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | 5/6 (83.3%) | 12/18 (66.7%) |
| Sits | 0/3 (0.0%) | 2/9 (22.2%) |
| Streamers | 1/4 (25.0%) | 4/11 (36.4%) |
| Overall | 6/13 (46.2%) | 18/38 (47.4%) |
Top Performer: Chuck Clark — 23.5 fantasy points
Injury Exclusions: 0
Players to Start | Week 4 IDP Fantasy Football
Defensive Line | Week 4 IDP Start/Sit
Lukas Van Ness | DL | Green Bay Packers
What a difference a few weeks have made for Lukas Van Ness. After Week 1, he was still available on waivers in some shallower dynasty leagues. Now he sits at DL3 overall and has quickly become a player IDP managers can feel good about starting every week. Van Ness came back down to earth a bit with fewer than 10 fantasy points last week, but this matchup has me going right back to him in Week 4.
Tampa Bay just gave up 6 sacks at home against Minnesota and will now start rookie Jalon Daniels for the first time. That’s a matchup I want to attack with Van Ness, who has already shown us how big his ceiling can be this season. One quiet week isn’t enough to scare me away. Van Ness should be locked into IDP lineups in Week 4, and I like his chances to get right back to making impact plays.
Donovan Ezeiruaku | DL | Dallas Cowboys
Donovan Ezeiruaku has been one of the early surprises for IDP managers this season. His DL12 ranking is still doing some heavy lifting from that massive 35-point performance in Week 1, and he’s come back to earth a bit over the last 2 games. Still, the second-year pass rusher looks like a rising player at a position where we’re always searching for consistent production.
I like the matchup enough to go back to Ezeiruaku in Week 4. Houston has allowed 8 tackles per game to EDGE defenders while also surrendering 3.3 sacks per game through the first 3 weeks. They’ve also given up 5 top-12 DL performances already this season. The big Week 1 performance showed us the ceiling, but we don’t need another 35-point game here. This is a great spot for Ezeiruaku to get back into double digits and reward IDP managers who have kept him in their lineups.
Linebacker | Week 4 IDP Start/Sit
Tremaine Edmunds | LB | New York Giants
Tremaine Edmunds has been consistent through 3 weeks, but probably not as productive as IDP managers were hoping for. He’s played 100% of the defensive snaps and is still sitting as a high-end LB4, while rookie teammate Arvell Reese has grabbed most of the attention with his LB16 start. Edmunds did show some life with 10 tackles last week, and I think there’s more coming in Week 4.
Arizona has been one of the best matchups for opposing linebackers, allowing the most tackles to the position through 3 weeks. They’ve also surrendered a top-24 LB performance in Week 2 followed by a top-12 finish in Week 3. If you’ve been less than thrilled with Edmunds so far, this isn’t the week I’d move away from him. The playing time has never been the issue, and this feels like a spot where Edmunds can finally reward managers who have stuck with him.
Ventrell Miller | LB | Jacksonville Jaguars
If you’ve been following along since Week 1, Ventrell Miller should be a familiar name by now. He was one of our strong adds in the Week 1 IDP Waiver Wire, and he’s done nothing but reward IDP managers who took the chance on him. Miller has finished as LB2, LB43, and LB36 through his first 3 games despite playing just 72% of the defensive snaps. He might not have the every-down role we typically chase at linebacker, but he continues to make the most of the snaps he gets.
This is exactly the type of player you hope to find on waivers when you need linebacker help early in the season. Miller has at least 7 tackles in every game and continues to find ways to produce without an elite snap share. The 72% will keep him from being the most attractive option every week, but at some point we have to trust the production. Miller keeps making plays when he’s on the field, and I’m riding that production again in Week 4.
| Player | Pos | Team | Opponent | Call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lukas Van Ness | DL | GB | TB | START |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku | DL | DAL | HOU | START |
| Tremaine Edmunds | LB | NYG | ARI | START |
| Ventrell Miller | LB | JAX | CIN | START |
| Xavier Watts | DB | ATL | NO | START |
| Andrew Wingard | DB | ARI | NYG | START |
| Gabe Jacas | DL | NE | BUF | SIT |
| Trenton Simpson | LB | BAL | TEN | SIT |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | DB | BUF | NE | SIT |
Defensive Backs | Week 4 IDP Start/Sit
Xavier Watts | DB | Atlanta Falcons
Xavier Watts is quickly becoming a player IDP managers can start every week. The second-year safety is one of 37 defensive backs averaging at least 14 fantasy points per game and has recorded 4 or more tackles in every game this season. The big plays have always been part of his game. Watts finished his college career with 13 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns, then added another 5 interceptions as a rookie. He’s made an impact play in each of the last 2 weeks and is DB17 over that stretch.
The matchup with New Orleans gives us even more reason to keep him in the lineup. The Saints have allowed the fourth-most tackles per game to safeties while throwing the ball on 63.96% of their offensive plays, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. That should keep Watts involved throughout the game. If you’ve been streaming defensive backs but have Watts on your roster, those days might be over. I’m starting him with confidence in Week 4.
Andrew Wingard | DB | Arizona Cardinals
Andrew Wingard has been another waiver-wire find who has quickly turned into a weekly starter for IDP managers. There’s nothing flashy about the veteran safety, but he just keeps putting up fantasy points. Wingard is averaging 7.3 tackles per game through the first 3 weeks and currently sits at DB7 overall. At this point, he’s been about as reliable as we could ask for from a player most managers didn’t have on their radar coming into the season.
The matchup with the Giants isn’t anything special, but it doesn’t need to be. New York has allowed 43 tackles to opposing defensive backs through 3 games, an average of 14.3 per game. Wingard has already shown us he can produce without an elite matchup, and I’m not looking for a reason to move away from him now. Until the production tells us otherwise, Wingard belongs in your lineup.
Players to Sit | Week 4 IDP Fantasy Football
| Player | Pos | Team | Opponent | Why We’re Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabe Jacas | DL | NE | BUF | Tough tackle matchup for opposing DL |
| Trenton Simpson | LB | BAL | TEN | Uncertain usage with Buchanan returning |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | DB | BUF | NE | Free safety usage + impact-play dependency |
- Gabe Jacas | DL | New England Patriots: The rookie has been impressive through his first 3 games, recording 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. Buffalo has allowed the fifth-fewest tackles per game to opposing defensive linemen, making this a week where I’m willing to leave the young pass rusher on the bench.
- Trenton Simpson | LB | Baltimore Ravens: Simpson has played well while filling in, but he was already playing just 61% of the defensive snaps before Teddye Buchanan returned for 3 snaps last week. Buchanan should continue to work his way back into the rotation, and that uncertainty is enough for me to look elsewhere at linebacker this week.
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson | DB | Buffalo Bills: Gardner-Johnson has topped 17 fantasy points in 2 of 3 games, but his production has needed impact plays to get there. With nearly 60% of his snaps coming at free safety last week and a matchup against a New England offense that hasn’t given us much reason to expect a high-volume passing game, I’m not comfortable betting on another big play to get him into double digits.
DT-Premium & CB-Premium Streamers
| Player | Pos | Team | Opponent | Why We’re Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deone Walker | DT | BUF | NE | League-high 21.2% DT tackle efficiency allowed |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | NO | ATL | Atlanta allows 11.7 tackles per game to DTs |
| Will Lee | CB | CAR | MIA | 91% snap share with Jaycee Horn on IR |
| C.J. Henderson | CB | ATL | NO | 22 targets + No. 1 tackle matchup for CBs |
Deone Walker has cooled off considerably since his 35-point performance, failing to reach double-digit fantasy points in each of the last 2 weeks. I’m willing to take another chance on him this week against New England. The Patriots are 1 of 8 teams allowing 3 sacks per game and have allowed a league-high 21.2% tackle efficiency to defensive tackles through 3 weeks. Davon Godchaux is a bit more of a matchup play for me. He’s recorded 5 tackles in 2 of 3 games this season and gets an Atlanta offense allowing 11.7 tackles per game to defensive tackles. Neither player is a slam dunk, but that’s what this section is all about. If you need a DT this week, both give us a chance to find some production without paying for it.
At cornerback, Will Lee is worth a look after Jaycee Horn landed on IR. Lee played just 27% of the snaps in Week 1, but that number has climbed all the way to 91% in Week 3. He’s still available nearly everywhere, making him an easy option for CB-required managers who need help. C.J. Henderson is my favorite of the group this week. The former first-round pick has played over 90% of the snaps in each of the last 2 games, is averaging 13 fantasy points per game, and has already seen 22 targets. Now he gets the most tackle-friendly matchup for cornerbacks against New Orleans. I’m more than willing to ride that matchup in Week 4.
IDP Hidden Gems | Week 4 IDP Fantasy Football
Before we wrap up, here are a few dynasty takeaways from Week 3.
- IDP Matters: Will Anderson Jr. (48.5) and Greg Rousseau (43.5) were the 2 highest-scoring fantasy players in Week 3. Tell your friends. Investing in elite defensive players can pay off in a big way.
- Consistency at Linebacker: Nakobe Dean (LB1) and Blake Cashman (LB4) are the only 2 linebackers to score at least 20 fantasy points in all 3 games this season. Plenty of linebackers have given us big weeks, but those 2 have yet to let IDP managers down.
- The Quentin Lake Effect: Lake played just 10 games last season, when Nate Landman finished as LB10 and Kamren Curl finished as DB1. Now healthy, Lake is averaging 7.6 tackles per game while leading the NFL with 7 passes defended. That production has to come from somewhere, and Lake taking a bigger piece of the tackle pie is something Landman and Curl managers need to keep an eye on.
- Rookies Aren’t Wasting Any Time: We now have at least one rookie sitting inside the top 12 at every IDP position. David Bailey is DL11, Josiah Trotter is LB8, Jacob Rodriguez is LB10, Dillon Thieneman is DB5, and Caleb Downs is DB10. Three weeks in, this rookie class continues to deliver.
- Defense Owned Week 3: For the third straight week, 50 IDPs scored at least 20 fantasy points. Even crazier, 12 defensive players reached 30+ compared to just 9 offensive players. I’m not sure how many more weeks we’ll be able to say that, so IDP managers can enjoy this one.
Final Thoughts
Three weeks might not seem like much, but in dynasty fantasy football it can change how we look at a player in a hurry. We’ve already seen waiver wire pickups turn into weekly starters, rookies make an immediate impact, and a few players we trusted this offseason leave us wanting more. There’s still a long way to go, but part of playing dynasty is adjusting when the production starts telling us something different than we expected coming into the season.
As always, use these recommendations as another tool when setting your lineups. Every league and scoring format is different, so if you’re stuck on a decision, reach out on X @Glosser13 or find me on Reddit u/IDPGlosser. I’ll do my best to help with any IDP lineup questions. Week 4 gives us another chance to learn a little more, find an edge, and hopefully stack another win. Good luck this week, IDP Nerds!
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