DL Streaming 101: Week 15
Professor IDP looks at the best DE and DT streaming options for the start of your IDP fantasy football playoffs.
Welcome to the Week 15 edition of DL Streaming 101!
We have made it through the final round of byes for the 2025 NFL season and to the fantasy playoffs for many of us! Before we get into last week and season-long metrics, a quick plea. If you have found this article helpful at any point this season, please consider completing the State of IDP Survey. The survey only takes a minute or two and is very helpful for giving us a better sense of how you play IDP.
In Week 14 was a solid one for DL streaming. Three of our calls finished in the top 12 DL for the week (Jalyx Hunt, Zach Sieler, and Chris Jones). Across all 28 healthy picks, streamers averaged 8.8 points per game. For the season, streamers have a success rate of 38% and a boom rate just over 10%. Tier 1 streamers are still averaging a strong 14 points, and there are four such options in Week 15.
The full list of streamers (with underlying data) is presented below for your consideration. Be sure to check the injury status of these players close to game time. I tried to filter out most players who have a level of uncertainty I was not comfortable with, but your risk profile might be different than mine, so proceed accordingly!
Featured DL Streamers
Sheldon Rankins, DT, HOU (🎓🎓🎓🎓)
I’ve included Sheldon Rankins in previous streaming lists, but this is his first time making the elite Ideal Tier. While snap share is still a concern, he has not cracked 70% since Week 1, the performance and matchup are pushing him up the rankings this week.
Rankins is currently the fifth-highest-rated interior defensive lineman per PFF and has shown his floor and glimpses of his ceiling over the past four weeks. He has had three or more tackles each game over this span, has accumulated 12 quarterback pressures, and recorded one sack.
His matchup this week is a great one for defensive tackles. The surging Houston Texans take on the Arizona Cardinals this week, who give up the fifth-most points to opposing interior defenders on the season. The Cardinals have also allowed a 10-point performance to the position in each of their last three games. The right side of the offensive line grades out as one of the worst in the NFL, which bodes well for both Rankins and star Will Anderson in Week 15.
A.J. Epenesa*, DE, BUF (🎓🎓🎓)
I mentioned above that I vetted players in this week’s list for injury and only included players with a certain degree of certainty of playing. That’s also true for other players not included, which is why I have put an asterisk next to Bills edge rusher A.J. Epenesa this week. If Joey Bosa plays, ignore this recommendation. If he doesn’t, Epenesa is a high upside streaming option in Week 15.
In Bosa’s absence, Epenesa played 82% of snaps last week against the Bengals. While managers should not expect another interception this week, should Epenesa play the same role, he still has significant upside. I often leverage pressures as a predictor of sacks, but Epenesa has struggled in this regard, with zero pressures in his last 45 pass rush snaps. His pass rush grade suggests upside in this regard as his season-long mark is 63.9, and he has four games graded over 70.
The Bills have another big matchup this week against the division-leading New England Patriots. Epenssa (or Bosa) will draw fourth-year player Vederian Lowe who will be in only his second game filling in for rookie Will Campbell. Lowe played one of the best games of his career against the Giants in Week 13, still only grading out at 65.7, but time will tell if that is sustainable or was the high watermark of his season.
Christian Barmore, DT, NEP (🎓🎓🎓)
While A.J. Epenesa’s viability as a streamer might be contingent on a teammate’s availability, New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is a locked-in solid streaming option for Week 15.
Since Milton Williams was lost to injury in Week 11, Barmore has stepped up his game, accumulating 11 of his 40 pressures (and his only sack) in these three games. While run defense is the weakest part of Barmore’s game (evidenced by an abysmal 36.3 PFF grade), he still has seven solo tackles and two assists over this same stretch. For the season, Barmore is still among the unluckiest pass rushers in the NFL with only one sack to show for his 40 pressures.
Barmore primarily plays on the left side, meaning he will draw the weakest link of the Bills’ line in O’Cyrus Torrence who just gave up a sack last week to the Bengals’ B.J. Hill. Overall, the Bills have been a reliable matchup for opposing defensive tackles over the past two weeks, allowing four viable fantasy performances.
D.J. Wonnum, DE, CAR (🎓🎓)
If Panthers’ edge rusher D.J. Wonnum is not available in your league (or if Joey Bosa ruins your opportunity to steam A.J. Epenesa), I had teammate Nic Scourton ranked just below Wonnum as there is upside (and risk) associated with both.
Wonnum made the cut over Scourton due to snap opportunity. Last week, Scourton played his lowest snap share since Week 8 (65%), whereas Wonnum played his highest of the season (81%). Neither has a standout season, with Wonnum generating 22 pressures (0 sacks) and Scourton generating 23 pressures (4 sacks). Given more recent snaps for Wonnum and a pressure rate that is past due for him to get home, I lean his direction as a streamer this week.
The Panthers edge rushers have a good matchup this week against the New Orleans Saints. Since the Panthers and Saints last faced off in Week 10, the Saints have averaged 38.6 fantasy points allowed to opposing edge rushers. Scourton draws a more favorable matchup in unproven right tackle Will Sherman, but rookie first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr. has also had his share of ups and downs this season, with five games graded at less than 60. Wonnum is a high-risk play, but if you find yourself unexpectedly in the playoffs and are looking to take a big swing, he is an intriguing option.
Good luck, and if you have any questions about deep DL plays, my office is always open on Twitter (@ProfessorIDP).
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