2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 14

Welcome to our 2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 14!

And now we are off, running down to the Ript-IDP! Let’s uncap our pens and discuss the fades and plays for Week 14! Turkeys have been eaten, just as has the majority of our season! Time to win this final stretch and get some momentum on the path up Mount Olympus – the playoffs!

In this series, I will help point out some players who could surpass expectations or fall below them. We will hit 3 plays and 3 fades at each position (DL, LB, DB) from varying positions in weekly rankings. While they will not be forced, I will also try to add in a DT and a CB from their respective position groups. The goal for each group will be to have at least one high-level name and a lower-ranked player, ones who could rise tiers based on matchups or falter a bit due to “empty” statistics. Now it is time to saddle your mount (horse, pegasus, dragon, etc) and ride into the fires (seas?) of IDP week 14!

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: Mason Graham, DT, Cleveland Browns vs Tennessee Titans

• Over the past weeks, Graham has taken hold of the DT1 job for the Browns. This has led to fantasy success, where he has been a borderline DT1 over the past month. In that stretch he averaged 3.5 tackles/game and had a TFL in 3 of 4 games. Metric-wise, Graham should see some sacks soon. He is 2nd in pressures amongst DTs over the past month while also being top-15 in both PRWR & PRP.
• The Titans were a team we attacked often for EDGE players, but they are also a strong matchup for interior rushers. Over the same stretch discussed for Graham, the Titans allowed 3.5 sacks to opposing DTs in 3 games. Cam Ward has taken an obscene amount of pressure and sacks, giving the fellow top-5 pick a good chance to end as a DT1.
• Last Week: Zach Sieler recovered a fumble to give him a borderline DT1 finish! The 3 total tackles is nothing to write home about, but the impact play and a TFL were great to see.

Play: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Chargers (MNF)

• We will play this one back, even though it did not work out great last week. Phillips’ metrics are strong since coming over to the Eagles and is bound to translate to IDP production as he continues to see the most snaps amongst the EDGE group. 
• After two rough IDP performances, Phillips is merely a borderline EDGE2 since coming over the Philly, but a great matchup with the Chargers could spark a return to EDGE1 status. In the last month (3 games), the Chargers have allowed 8.5 sacks to EDGE players – nearly 3 per game! Aside from the sacks, they are allowing solid totals to EDGE players, with a poor run game. Phillips’ usage and overall metrics combined with the matchup make him a great bet for a bounceback EDGE1-2 finish. 
• Last Week: Phillips had another strong game that did not translate to IDP production, with only 4 total tackles.

Play: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets

• Going back to an offseason crush of mine, Chop Robinson has had a solid few performances of late (meaning last week). In week 13 Robinson had 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks (compared to 9 and 1.0 total before this game). His metrics have been ticking up as he has seen more snaps with Jaelan Phillips’ departure. 
• The Jets are a big-play matchup, allowing 4.5 sacks to EDGE players in the last two games. Tyrod Taylor makes the passing game competent enough to drop back enough for sack attempts to be present. The floor for Robinson is low, but a fun matchup and off his best game of the year gives this Robinson-stan hope that we could see a mini-breakout over the back-half of the year.
• Last week: Oweh saw a massive downturn in snaps and was shut out of the boxscore. 

Fade: Travis Jones, DT, Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers

• It did not work out last week, but we will go back to the well by fading the Ravens’ top interior defender. The Ravens have another awful DT matchup in Pittsburgh, who has allowed the least points to the position over the past month. 
• Jones’ last matchup was saved by a fumble forced and recovered. We know turnovers cannot be expected, so the poor matchup should hold (again) this week from that standpoint. Jones will not have high sack potential, with Aaron Rodgers’ quick time to throw. The floor is also lower with the Steelers’ run game that has not allowed prolific tackling. 
• Last Week: Jones continued a hot streak by forcing and recovering a fumble. That combined with 5 assisted tackles and a TFL put him in the top-6.

Fade: Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers @ Philadelphia Eagles (MNF)

• Tuipulotu will be incredibly difficult to bench with the streak he is on, but remember.. Fade ≠ Bench! Tuipulotu has been a top-10 EDGE this season with 10 sacks and 3 tackles/game. He has been hit or miss, with over half of his total points coming in two games (Giants with 10 tackles and 4.0 sacks along with the second Raiders matchup last week with 7 tackles and 2.0 sacks). The hit-or-miss nature of his game makes him a tough start in poor matchups.
• This game is one of those poor matchups. Philly has been a middle-of-the-pack matchup over the course of the season, but have been the worst for EDGE players over the past month. In that span, they have not allowed a single EDGE to finish in the top-36. That stretch includes some pretty good rushers; from last week’s fade Montez Sweat, to perennial superstars Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson. Tuipulotu is in for a rough game against a dominant OL and an Eagles offense that is starting to put some things together.
• Last Week: Sweat was all-but held out of the stat-sheet, with only 1 assisted tackle.

Fade: Josh Sweat, EDGE, Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams

• Sweat has had an incredible first year in the desert, being a borderline EDGE1 with 11.0 sacks and 2 tackles/game. The tackle floor is scary, giving us pause against poor matchups. He has been quite consistent as a pass-rusher, with a sack in 8 of 12 games, but the tackle floor still remains. 
• The Rams are an awful matchup for Sweat, which makes the concern higher. Yaya Diaby is the only EDGE in the past month (4 games) to record a sack against Matthew Stafford and co, and he finished that game with only 2 tackles which kept him out of the top-24 EDGE players. As a whole, the Rams have only allowed EDGE players to finish in the top-15 this season: DPOY candidate Will Anderson in week 1 and Laiatu Latu in week 4. Sweat cannot be benched in most formats, but if you have a loaded roster, this is a matchup to consider putting others ahead of him.
• Last Week: Young did rebound from his cold streak, as the Rams struggled far more with the Panthers than expected. He recorded 8 total tackles and a sack. 

Linebackers

Play: Nate Landman, Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals

• We hit the Arizona matchup again, as they have allowed more points than any other team to the position over the past month. The Cardinals have allowed multiple top-18 picks in 3 of 4consecutive matchups since Jacoby Brissett took over at QB. Arizona has leaned on the run and a high-efficiency passing attack that has allowed LBs to stack up numbers, which should continue for the Rams’ green-dot this week.
• Landman has been great for IDP leagues, being a borderline LB1 on the season. This matchup and his overall usage continue to give him that ceiling, while keeping a high-floor. He has averaged nearly 10 tackles/game over the past two months, which can be expected again.
• Last Week: Overshown remained the team’s LB1, but did not have a strong IDP day.

Play: Drake Thomas, Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons

• Thomas has been awesome since taking Tyrice Knight’s spot as LB2. He has been an LB1 since taking over in week 4, though that does include a few games as the top LB when Ernest Jones was out. He is a solid LB2 over the past month, where he has continued his 6 tackle/game pace while having a TFL in nearly every game. 
• This is a fun matchup for Thomas, as the Falcons have been centered even more heavily on Bijan Robinson & Tyler Allgeier since Michael Penix Jr & Drake London were injured. Over the last month, they have allowed the 4th most points to LBs including multiple double-digit performances 3 times. The Jets LBs did not have as great of a game as others, but the Hawks line should clear up for more for their LBs than the Jets’ could. Thomas has a clear path to LB2 status yet again. 
• Last Week: Having a Tampa Bay Linebacker was correct.. But we picked the wrong one. David had a middling day while SirVocea Dennis finished as an LB1.

Play: Barrett Carter, Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills

• Carter may have stolen the job of my fellow Wyoming grad Logan Wilson, but we will not hold that against him (too much!). Carter has been paced the room in snaps for nearly two months, giving him IDP ceiling in the right matchup. He have averaged around 9 tackles/game in that stretch, though they have come in bundles.
• The Bills look like a great matchup, especially off of their game last week where they allowed 3 top-36 LB performances to the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s top LB Payton Wilson finished as a borderline LB1 with 14 total tackles (the other two LBs combined for that total). Carter should be the beneficiary of a great run-game and can finish as a top-18 LB if it breaks right!  
• Last Week: Simon had a solid week, finishing as a mid/high LB3 with 9 total tackles. 

Fade: Quay Walker, Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

• Chicago has been a tough matchup for LBs as of late, giving up a few solid performances, but no elite ones over the past few months. That fact made this matchup a point of attack last week, though it did not come to fruition. Still, Nakobe Dean’s performance was largely on the back of having snaps cleared out with Jihaad Campbell out.
• We face another snap-share fade situation, with Quay Walker prepping to return from an injury that held him out last week. Even if back, he would not expect to have a full snap-load with how well McDuffie has played in his wake. McDuffie has been an LB1 with Walker out, so Walker’s return would dampened his outlook. Now if Walker misses again (which appears unlikely as of writing on Tuesday evening), McDuffie would be a fine play, though not the LB1 type that we have seen lately. 
• Last Week: Dean had a strong game with Jihaad Campbell out. 12 total tackles made him a borderline LB1.

Fade: Cody Simon, Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams

• Simon has been a good find for the Cardinals since Mack Wilson went down, but that train may be coming to an end shortly. Wilson is not ready to return yet, but in a bad matchup, Simon could struggle. His 9 tackles/game since taking over is solid, however a large amount of those have been assisted (20 of 34). Add in that he has not made many impact plays, and Simon expects to struggle in a non-ideal matchup.
• The Rams are a poor matchup, allowing the least points to LBs on the season and a bottom-three total over the past month. They have allowed a few decent performances this year, but none that were truly transcendent. The middling performances they allow, combined with few mistakes make it a very tough call for Simon to be more than a mid-high LB3.
• Last Week: the rust was real as Wilson also had a phenomenal game. 11 total tackles (4 for loss) and a sack made him a top-3 play on the week.

Fade: Quincey Williams, New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins

• Miami has been a bottom-5 LB matchup over the past month. Bobby Wagner and Terrel Bernard, and now DeMario Davis had incredibly middling games in the last three games, which does not trend well for Williams. Big plays have been required by LBs to put up big numbers against Miami, and Williams has not been able to post those this season. Williams is still a decent bet for LB2/3 production, but his ceiling is not much higher. 
• If that sounds familiar, that would be because it is the almost word-for-word analysis given for DeMario Davis last week. Williams has still been very good for the Jets, being an LB2 on the year. His numbers have been a bit better over the last month, even with his brother being traded and a two-second benching. The tackle totals have still been middling, with just over 7 tackles/game since returning from injury in week 8. He will be hard to bench in multi-LB leagues, but expected LB1 or even high-end LB2 numbers this week would be quite zealous.
• Last Week: Davis was exactly what was predicted, as a borderline LB2/3 behind 9 total tackles. 

Defensive Backs

Play: Taron Johnson, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals (Thanksgiving Night)

• After massive success last week, we attack the Bengals for our CB matchup again. No team has allowed more points to CBs this season than the Bengals, with most production coming from the slot. 
• Taron Johnson remains the main slot-CB for Buffalo, so projects to be the best recipient of a great matchup. He has averaged nearly 4.5 tackles/game thus far, giving him a solid floor when active. Johnson has similar upside as Humphrey showed last week, with a high-tackle and bit of big-play potenti
• Last Week: Humphrey finished as CB2 overall after tallying 9 tackles and a sack.

Play: Nick Cross, Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

• Cross has had another great IDP season for the Colts, with nearly 7 tackles/game while playing in the box. His overall numbers have been a bit down lately, but a strong matchup against the Jags could put him back on track.
• Jacksonville has bled points to the Safety position over the past month, with only 2 teams allowing more points. This has been especially true for box safeties, where their last two opponents (Jalen Thompson & Kevin Winston Jr) each tallied 8 tackles and a sack. While the safety blitz sack cannot be counted on, Cross is primed for nearly double-digit tackles, which keeps him in S1 conversations.
• Last Week: Ji’Ayir Brown had a solid game, but Malik Mustapha would have been the right call, as he took a (slight) lead on the box role and totalling 7 tackles.

Play: Tykee Smith, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints

• New Orleans has been a top-5 matchup for Safeties over the past month, giving up an S2 performance or better in 7 straight games. Smith himself had an S2 performance in their earlier matchup, with 8 total tackles.
• Smith has had a breakout sophomore season, with over 7 tackles/game. This has lead to the most total points across the league. He has struggled lately, with 13 total tackles in the last 3 games, but this matchup looks to get Smith back on track. He should be ranked as an S2 with S1 upside if he can make an impact play or two.
• Last Week: Justin Reid left the game early with an injury.

Fade: Kyler Gordon, CB, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers

• Kyler Gordon returned from injury last week in a limited role. He had only a few snaps and a single tackle to show, but the return was much awaited for Bears fans and managers alike. He went right back to his slot role, which is a great outlook for the rest of the season.
• That may have to wait another week or two, though, as the Packers are a stingy defense against CBs. The Packers have shut opposing CBs down since week 7, Now that the Packer’s passing game is heating up, Gordon will have an even tougher time than normal while having a non-full schedule.
• Last Week: Jarrian Jones finished with only 3 tackles, keeping him out of IDP Flex range.

Fade: Grant Delpit, S, Cleveland Browns vs Tennessee Titans

• Yet another installment in our “fade but don’t bench” series. Delpit is a stalwart in IDP lineups, though not as strong as hoped (thanks awful offense). His tackle numbers are closer to 5/game than 7, which makes him much more reliant on big plays.
• The Titans are a tough matchup for Safeties, actually allowing the 2nd least points to the position this season. They have not allowed a top-18 performance since week 5, giving Delpit an even tougher outlook. With a poor run game, the Titans lean heavily on rookie gunslinger Cam Ward, which also lowers Delpit’s tackle floor. He is a borderline S2/3 play this week.
• Last Week: Evan Williams had a hot start and was close to a great game, however 6 of his 9 tackles were assisted, keeping him in S3 range.

Fade: Calen Bullock, S, Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

• Bullock has been one of the breakout players of the year, combining his elite ball-hawking profile with a shockingly willing run-defense. In the last month he has had 6 tackles/game, en route to being a top-12 S. He has become a great player, but his role as deep safety does not always allow for IDP stardom.
• The Chiefs have been a bottom-5 matchup for safeties over the past month. They have allowed a few decent performances in that stretch, but all have been to primary box safeties. Bullock still can change your situation with an INT or two, but that is hard to expect from Patrick Mahomes. 
• Last Week: Isaiah Pola-Moa was mostly held out of the stat sheet, with only 2 solo tackles.

Thanks for checking out my recommendations for your league’s 2025 IDP Plays & Fades for Week 14. You can find all of our IDP Plays & Fades articles for 2025 by clicking here!

I hope you enjoyed it and took some information away, helping you win your IDP matchups. You can find my past & future work here, and can catch me on the Ride or Dynasty Podcast (@RideorDynasty) every week, live at 7 pm EST with JJ Wenner (@JJWenner) and Jameson Hutchison (@Jamesonrulez). Feel free to reach out to me directly @JoeLow63 on Bluesky, X, or in Discord, where you can also find and follow @FantasyInFrames!