DL Streaming 101: Week 2
Professor IDP looks at the best DE and DT streaming options available in greater than 50% and 75% of your IDP fantasy football leagues for Week 2.
Welcome to the Week 2 edition of DL Streaming 101!
This season, I am going to be collecting two sets of metrics in order to track the success of my picks and the viability of DL streaming. To measure the success of my picks, I will be reporting the overall mean performance (using Big 3 scoring) as well as the mean performance within each tier. This allows me to be honest about my hits and misses, both overall and in order of how I have the streaming options rated.
To measure the viability of DL streaming, I am tracking the performance of my 20 picks each week against the pre-season top 20 DL (top 10 DE and top 10 DT) according to FantasyPros. I added this wrinkle this year to see just how much you are at a disadvantage if you wait and stream DL since the top 20 DL often go early in combined and IDP-only drafts, requiring you to forego offensive and/or LB options.
In Week 1, we expect DL streaming to be the most problematic since the adage “start your studs” never feels truer than at the start of the season. Still, the 20 under-rostered selections from last week held their own, including four players (Oliver, Granderson, Q. Williams, and Gary) who all ended the week as DL1s. The overall average was a solid 10.7 points with Tier 2 plays at 14.64, Tier 3 at 9.63, and Tier 4 at 3.1.
As expected, the top draft and hold options outperformed the streaming group by a mere 1.2 points per player. In fact, Tier 2 streaming options outperformed the overall top 20 (14.64 to 11.93) in Week 1. This level of success will be difficult to replicate and does not suggest getting crazy and benching the consensus top DL in Week 2, but it is another data point to suggest that if you had a rough Week 1, do not abandon hope!
With that out of the way, let’s get into our second batch of DL streamers for the 2025 NFL season (including several familiar faces)! As was the case last week, I selected 20 options spread across the DL positional and roster spectrum (5 DE available in 50-75% of leagues, 5 DT available in 50-75%, 5 DE available in greater than 75%, and 5 DT available in greater than 75%) and highlighted 6 across tiers below.
Featured DL Streamers
Jermaine Johnson, DE, NYJ (🎓🎓🎓🎓)
Rostered in only 35% of MFL IDP leagues and 23% of leagues on Sleeper, Jermaine Johnson is a rare ideal tier edge play in Week 2. Johnson played 89% of snaps in the Jets' narrow Week 1 loss to the Steelers but only managed two assists for a disappointing week for fantasy managers.
His underlying metrics (per PFF) were solid across the board, including a 75.8 run defense grade, 61.8 pass rush grade, and four QB pressures. In Week 2, the Jets take on a Bills offensive line that stifled the Ravens’ edge rushers' fantasy output in Week 1, allowing a total of 14.5 fantasy points to the position. While it is difficult to tell if this was the result of poor play by the Ravens (no edge graded above 67 overall in Week 1) or stellar play by the Bills' line, Johnson should frequently draw Tackle Spencer Brown in Week 2, whose 55.6 pass block grade was 45th in the NFL in Week 1.
Nnamdi Madubuike, DT, BAL (🎓🎓🎓🎓)
My pick for IDP MVP from 2023 had an expected regression in 2024 but has started off the 2025 campaign very strongly. Madubuike scored 17 BIG 3 fantasy points in Week 1 and likely left some meat on the bone having posted the 4th best overall DT grade in Week 1 at 84.8. As will be discussed again later, the Ravens are heavy favorites this week against the Browns, who allowed 30.6 points to B. J. Hill and company during their season-opening loss to the Bengals. Should this turn into a blowout requiring Joe Flacco to pass heavily, Madubuike could be a prime beneficiary as Flacco was second in the league last week in own pressures allowed with 18.
Dexter Lawrence, DT, NYG (🎓🎓🎓)
It is shocking to me that both Dexter Lawrence and Chris Jones are rostered in only 39-47% IDP leagues across MFL and Sleeper. While I relish the opportunity to write about either premier DT as a streamer, longtime readers will know that I have had a soft spot for Lawrence that goes back years. Lawrence had the misfortune of playing against Commanders’ Guard Nick Allegretti in Week 1, who put up the 5th-best pass blocking grade in the NFL at his position. The Giants were also playing from behind against one of the most mobile QBs in the league.
Fast forward to Week 2, where the Giants take on the more evenly-matched Cowboys, with Lawrence will likely draw Tyler Booker (41st in pass blocking in Week 1). I look for Sexy Dexy to bounce back in Week 2 and consider him not only a great streaming option, but one of the top 6 fantasy DT plays of the week.
Haason Reddick, DE, TB (🎓🎓🎓)
While many (including myself) were hyped for Yaya Diaby to continue his upward trajectory, we largely overlooked teammate Haason Reddick as a viable option in 2025. After a tumultuous 2024, Reddick had a phenomenal debut for the Buccaneers, playing 79% of snaps, posting a 73 run defense grade, a 73.2 pass rush grade, and a league-best 8 QB pressures in Week 1. None of this should be shocking given that Reddick was on pace for nearly 60 pressures on limited snaps last season, posted 68 in 2023, and 87 during his 21-sack campaign of 2022.
While his current pace may be unsustainable, he is very viable streaming option in Week 2 against the Texans. Last Week, Houston gave up a 22.55 point performance to Byron Young. Reddick is expected to have the same favorable matchup against Aireontae Ersery whose 29.4 pass block grade was 63rd of 65 NFL offensive tackles.
Mason Graham, DT, CLE (🎓🎓)
While I am usually reticent to stream a rookie in only his second game, particularly when he only scored 2.25 points in his debut, Graham feels like a nice floor play with limited upside in Week 2. The fifth overall pick in the NFL draft put up solid grades in his debut (particularly against the run at 67.3). As of this writing, the Browns are 11.5-point underdogs against the Ravens this week, which could result in many rushing attempts for Derrick Henry and company.
Despite the tight game against the Bills in Week 1, Baltimore still had the 9th most rushing attempts in the NFL last week, allowing Ed Oliver to score nearly 20 fantasy points outside of his QB sack. What has me excited about an admitted high-floor play and choosing to spotlight Graham is his participation. The rookie played 81% of snaps in his debut, and the Browns will likely need to rely on his frequent play in one of the thinnest DT rooms in the NFL.
Marcus Davenport, DE, DET (🎓🎓)
Are you ready to be hurt again? Davenport is one of the players who continuously vexes fantasy managers, given his underlying talent but poor output and inability to stay on the field. The Packers fully shut down the Lions’ defensive line, allowing only 10 fantasy points across all DL (3.25 for Davenport).
Fortunately for Davenport, they face the Bears in Week 2. All offseason, Chicago’s offensive line was touted as improving, but that improvement does not seem to have materialized yet in this very early season. Davenport has a positive one-on-one matchup this week against Braxton Jones. Even if Jones improves from his 56.2 pass block grade in Week 1, QB Caleb Williams led the NFL in pressures allowed with 20. Davenport plays enough snaps (69%) and has a strong enough pass rush grade (62) to be seen as a risky high upside play in Week 2.
Good luck, and if you have any questions about deep DL plays, my office is always open on Twitter (@ProfessorIDP).
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