2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 12

Welcome to our 2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 12!

Welcome to Week 12 of the IDP fantasy football season.

Fantasy Football Playoffs. Don’t let those words scare you. Navigating these fantasy football waters this time of year can be stressful, especially as the playoffs are in sight. However, before we talk about being in the playoffs, we have to get there.

Don’t worry, folks. I got you covered this week. Let’s get your IDP fantasy football squad ready for Week 12.

*Rankings and Fantasy point scoring will be based on FantasyPros IDP scoring, which can be found here.* 

**Base metrics are provided by FantasyData, and advanced metrics such as Pass Rush Productivity (PRP), Pass Rush Win Rate (PRWR), and Average Depth of Tackle (AVDT) will be referenced via Pro Football Focus.** 

Defensive Linemen

Play: George Karlaftis III, EDGE, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts

• Coming off a performance versus the Broncos that had him boast efficiency metrics such as a 19.4% pressure rate and a 22% win rate for 3 Total Tackles, 1 TFL, and 2 QB Hits, Karlaftis turns his attention to Daniel Jones and the Colts; a team that has allowed, since Week 8, THE HIGHEST FANTASY POINTS PER GAME AVERAGE to the Defensive End/EDGE Rusher position per FantasyPros IDP scoring.
• Daniel Jones has been the 9th-most-sacked QB this season. In fact, since Week 8, Daniel Jones has been sacked 15 times, the most by a QB in the NFL during that period of time.
• 2nd in the NFL in Pass Rush Win % since Week 8, Karlaftis only trails Myles Garrett in that department.

Play: Jaelen Phillips, EDGE, Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

• Since Week 9, Phillips is 4th in the NFL amongst EDGE Rushers with 17 total pressures and 6th in solo tackles.
• In terms of fantasy finishes he ranks as the DL12 overall in fantasy points per game and as the ED13 averaging 12.3 points per game.
• Dallas, specifically Dak Prescott ranks as the QB9 in terms of allowing pressures to turn into sacks, per PFF. Dallas has also allowed the 10th most fantasy points per game to the position.

Play: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens

• Baltimore actually ranks 7th in fantasy points per game allowed to the EDGE Rusher position since Week 9.
• Since that time Johnson has tallied 11 total pressures and 2 sacks, per PFF and ranks as the DL15 in fantasy points per game heading into the week.
• Lamar Jackson since Week 9 is tied for 5th in most sacks allowed when under pressure and given Johnson’s snap percentage and pressure metrics as of late this looks to be in an advantageous spot this week.

Fade:  Carl Granderson, EDGE, New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons

• Since Week 7, Carl Granderson has only generated 5 total pressures and ZERO sacks during that time period.
• I have been a Carl Granderson proponent for years but for whatever reason things have fallen off.
• Even versus a Falcons team that is Top 10 in fantasy points per game allowed to the EDGE Rusher position since Week 9, Chase Young is the EDGE I’d want to play for the Saints given HIS performance metrics as of late.

Fade: Byron Young, EDGE, Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Tampa Bay has allowed the 10th LOWEST PPG average to defensive ends since Week 8.
• Baker Mayfield is QB 16 in sacks taken during that same time period.
• Byron Young hasn’t registered a sack in over a month and has posted 9 pressures in that time period despite having a 12.4% pressure rate which is above the league average for EDGE rushers
• Young has been the DL95 since Week 8. What started off as a promising season to kick off the year has kinda taken a huge U-turn recently.

Fade: Micah Parsons, EDGE, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

• The Vikings have allowed the 5th fewest points per game average to the EDGE position since Week 9.
• J.J. McCarthy has the 8th lowest pressure to sack conversion percentage amongst all Quarterbacks since Week 9 and the Vikings have allowed 0 sacks during that time period.
• Parsons big performance these past three weeks only came in Week 11 versus the New York Giants. He ranks as the DL42 over the past three weeks. Fade expectations.

Linebackers

Play: Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons

• Atlanta, since Week 8, has allowed the 7th HIGHEST AVERAGE PPG to the LINEBACKER position, again using MFL True position data & FantasyPros IDP scoring.
• Per PFF, Demario Davis is 9th among off-ball linebackers in run defender tackling data and has been ranked 8th in Tackles per Opportunity amongst all linebackers playing a minimum of 50% snaps since Week 8
• While he’s most recently been a heavy-assisted tackle guy, given the matchup and the losses of linebackers such as Bobby Wagner, Dre Greenlaw, Jordy Brooks, Tyrell Dodson, and Daiyan Henley during Week 12’s bye week, Demario Davis is a more than worthy IDP LB streamer this week.

Play: Cody Simon, Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

• The rookie linebacker is coming off of his best performance of his young career in Week 11 in which he tallied 12 total tackles (4 solo & 8 assisted) with an ELITE tackle efficiency of 21.8%.
• Playing as an every down linebacker going forward now that Mack Wilson is on IR, Simon is a must play, especially versus a Jaguars team that is 10th in total points allowed to the linebacker position since Week 9.

Play: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

• With Quay Walker listed as doubtful for this matchup, Cooper is in line to scoop up ALL THE TACKLES versus the Minnesota Vikings. Lol.
• His 18.3% tackle efficiency plus his projected every down role for Green Bay has him in a fantastic spot versus Minnesota who allows on average the 7th most fantasy points per game average to the position.

Fade: Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs

• Outside of Bobby Wagners 19.3 fantasy points performance in Week 8, no other linebacker has come close to anything resembling that performance.
• The LB40 since Week 8, Franklin has been a huge disappointment for IDP managers investing in him as their LB1 this season.
• This Chiefs matchup doesn’t do him any favors. Fade him if at all possible this week.

Fade: Tremaine Edmunds, Chicago Bears vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

• The Steelers have allowed the 4th lowest fantasy points per game average to the off-ball linebacker position since Week 9.
• Health concerns notwithstanding heading into this matchup, Edmunds has merely had a lowest tackle efficiency of 13.1% since Week 9.
• Even he suits up you should fade expectations for him this week.

Fade: Barrett Carter, Cincinnati Bengals vs. New England Patriots

• What started as a promising beginning for IDP fantasy football fans of Barrett Carter a few weeks ago has taken an ugly turn as he has posted a VERY low 8.3% tackle efficiency and a massive 31.6% missed tackle rate.
• New England is the 3rd stingiest defense against off-ball linebackers making Carter a MUST FADE this week and potentially going forward.

Defensive Backs

Play: Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks 

• Gary Davenport’s favorite hooker, Amani Hooker, since Week 8, has been the FantasyPros DB11 in points per game and has been the ninth-highest scoring average safety during that same time period.
• Tied for 7th in PFF’s “Plays of Ball” metric, Hooker is 6th in solo tacklers since Week 8 and has a fantastic matchup versus a Seattle team that gives up, on average, the 9th most fantasy points per game during that time period.

Play: Chamarri Conner, S, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts

• All this guy does is produce for Kansas City. Against a Colts team that will look to play to it’s strengths by running the ball with Jonathan Taylor, look for Conner to creep down the line of scrimmage, per usual, and garner those valuable box tackle numbers and help fantasy managers come away with a win this week.

Play: Marcus Jones, CB, New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals

• Marcus Jones has been on a bit of a cold streak the past three weeks, but this week versus the Bengals he’ll get his shot at redemption.
• The Bengals have ranked 3rd in terms of fantasy points allowed to the cornerback position. Slot corner back is still by far the more trust worthy of the CB alignments for IDP fantasy football making Jones an excellent regression candidate this week.

Fade: Dane Belton, S, New York Giants @ Detroit Lions

• Dane Belton had a VERY solid game last week. That shouldn’t be the case this week as Detroit as allowed the 3 lowest fantasy points per game average to the position.
• Look elsewhere this week.

Fade: Josh Metellus, S, Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

• Interestingly, both Green Bay and Minnesota are neck in neck in some of LOWEST FANTASY POINTS ALLOWED AVERAGE teams to Safeties this past month.
• In fact, during this time period, Metellus has been the DB80 in fantasy points per game average.
• While excelling as a run-stopping safety, with Josh Jacobs probably not playing for the Packers, the game script narrative favors Green Bay throwing the ball more which is one of Metellus’ weaknesses, a la playing in coverage. In fact, per PFF, since Week 8, Metellus is THE WORST GRADED COVERAGE SAFETY IN THE NFL among qualified candidates.

Fade: Xavier McKinney, S, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

• Don’t let one game from Week 9 fool you into thinking McKinney is still this all-worldly stud for IDP managers. Outside that 20+ fantasy point performance, his only other double-digit fantasy game came in Week 3.
• While he does play a large number of box snaps for Green Bay the volume of Free Safety snaps makes him more a coverage threat, which as we all know makes someone high unpredictable in IDP fantasy football.
• On top of that Minnesota allows the 11th lowest fantasy points per game average to the safety position. Fade, Fade, Fade McKinney this week!

Thanks for checking out my recommendations for your league’s 2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 12. You can find all of our IDP Plays & Fades articles for 2025 by clicking here!

Jorge B. Edwards is an FSWA member, FantasyPros ECR ranker & award winner, and creator of FANTASY IN FRAMES, specializing in IDP, Redraft, and Dynasty Fantasy Football. Follow him on Twitter/X at @JorgeBEdwards.