Week 6 IDP Matchups to Exploit & Streaming Options

Oct 13, 2026

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We saw the start of bye weeks in Week 5, and that ramps up in Week 6 with four more teams (Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, and Vikings) off, meaning we have to be more intentional about how we treat the bottom of our rosters.

In this space, the weekly targets will range from individual players and positional groups to entire defensive units. IDP leagues are like snowflakes, so if you have specific questions, jump into our subscriber Discord, find the IDP channel, and tag me with any questions you have.

Some of you play in leagues where all of these players are already owned, and some of you play in IDP leagues where only 3-4 players are rostered on each team, so the players listed below might not even be on your radar.

The goal here is to highlight the game environments and individual matchups that are worth exploring when you're making your waiver claims or start/sit decisions. All of this data feeds into the projections and rankings, so always start there, but again, come find me in our subscriber Discord.

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Week 6 IDP Matchups to Exploit

Quick victory lap before we get going on Week 6. Denver sacked Justin Herbert five times on 31 dropbacks last week, and the Jets dropped Deshaun Watson eight times, three of them from David Bailey. Both of those quarterbacks are back on the menu this week. Miami, Cincinnati, Detroit and Minnesota are on bye, so check your lineups.

Kansas City Gets Herbert, and Maybe Without Joe Alt

No offense on the slate sets up better for a pass rush than the Chargers. They're allowing pressure at the third-highest rate in the league, Herbert is going down on 7.7% of his dropbacks, and Kansas City is an 8.5-point home favorite. On top of it, we have a healthy Chiefs defense rested after their Week 5 bye.

The Chargers' offensive line was already a problem before the injuries. Cole Strange has allowed 10 pressures with a 30.0 PFF pass-block grade. Joe Alt missed last week with a neck injury, and Kayode Awosika (fibula) was out too, so watch Alt's practice schedule this week. If he sits again, this matchup gets even better for the Chiefs.

George Karlaftis (0.67 proj sacks) and Chris Jones (0.51) are the obvious starts. Karlaftis has 19 pressures and zero sacks through four games, so some positive regression is coming. R Mason Thomas (0.35) is the streaming name for deeper leagues. He's only playing 54-57% of the snaps, but he has 10 pressures on 89 rush snaps. Felix Anudike-Uzomah (0.26) is the deeper edge option, rushing on 77% of his snaps in a rotational role. DC Steve Spagnolo loves to use his second level to blitz too, so someone like Drue Tranquill gets a slight bump in big-play scoring formats this week.

Saints at Giants: Both Fronts Feast

A pick'em with a 45.5-point total between two of the five fastest offenses in the league, with two quarterbacks who take sacks. This is THE recipe for IDP goodness, and you can use either side.

Let's start with the Saints' pass rush. Jameis Winston is going down on 9.1% of his dropbacks, the fifth-highest rate in the league. The Giants' line actually ranks 26th in pressure rate allowed, so this one is on Winston holding the ball, not the guys in front of him. That's fine. A sack is a sack for us.

Chase Young (0.57 proj sacks) is the ideal start. He has 20 pressures and 4 sacks and ranks second in pass rush grade through the first 5 weeks, according to PFF. Carl Granderson (0.31) is the streaming name with 2.5 sacks on the year. Pete Werner played every snap last week, and Danny Stutsman remains a play if Kaden Elliss misses another week.

The Giants' side is more about the line. New Orleans is allowing pressure at the sixth-highest rate in the league, and Taliese Fuaga is the problem. He's allowed 21 pressures and 4 sacks, with a 45.9 PFF pass-block grade. Asim Richards has allowed 17 in just 144 pass-block snaps, and guard Jeremiah Wright missed last week with a concussion.

Abdul Carter (0.64) is the obvious play and continues to play better than his weekly stat line shows. Carter has the best pass rush grade in the league on true pass sets, and his 30.3% pass rush win rate ranks fourth. His snap rate is up too, with Brian Burns lost for the season. Burns' replacement, Kayvon Thibodeaux (0.34), is playing 87% of the snaps, but seven pressures on 108 rush snaps isn't inspiring, so he's a deeper-league option only. Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds are both every-down linebackers, and Reese rushed the passer on 26% of his snaps last week. That's trending up now that Burns is out.