First Time IDP Lineup Help (1 Viewer)

[sackman]

First time IDP player ...

Here is my roster and settings in a 12 team yahoo league...

DL: Pierce, A. Davis, Briggs, Dansby, Brackett, Farrior, A. Thomas

DB: Sanders, Bouleware, Rhodes, Gamble

We start 3DL, 3DB, and 3D.

The settings are :

Tackle Solo (2)

Tackle Assist (1)

Sack (5)

Interception (3)

Fumble Force (2)

Fumble Recovery (1)

Touchdown (6)

Safety (2)

Pass Defended (1)

Block Kick (2)

Since we can start 6 LB each week, I imagine that I would want to start 6 LB in my 3 DL and 3 D spots. So I will leave Dansby on the bench. Actually I may pick up Demeco Ryans based on Jene's recommendations and drop Dansby.

So how do you pick your 3 DBs?? Does the matchup come into play? Do you play your corners and FS when you expect the other team to be throwing a lot. Would you start your SS when the opposing team is expecting to run a lot. So for this week, I think I would leave Boulware on the bench because I am expecting Detroit (Martz) to be throwing a lot and not as many opportunities for him to help with run support.

Does anyone have any insight into IDP strategy. I'd would like to know generally when to and when not to play certain players based on their position.

 

[Biabreakable]

This is a great topic and I hope others will pile on as I would like to hear thier philosophies on picking starters each week.

There are many factors to take into consideration.

1. IDPs role in the defense. Type of defense they play.

2. IDPs talent. Talent is not always what makes a IDP a good play.

3. IDPs on your players team that may effect production. Other more talented players on your IDPs team may get to the ball before they can limiting the plays they make.

4. Injuries to key players on your IDPs roster. If a NT is injured then blockers may get to the 2nd level and block your Lbers more limiting thier ability to make plays. This in turn to make you lean towards a Db from same team or cause you to bench the Lber in question.

5. Opposing teams offensive tendencies. How will your players role in the defense be effected by this?

6. Talent of opposing offensive players that will match up against your IDPs. If your DE is playing against a elite offensive tackle you might want to consider starting someone else. Likewise maybe your DT has a good matchup against a poor offensive guard that might lead your to start him over a DE.

6. Injuries to key offensive players your IDP faces. Starting a good DE against a weak offensive tackle because of injury for example. Or if the teams starting Rb is injured this could cause that team to throw more than normaly.

7. Inexperienced or trunover prone Qbs. You might favor a IDP player because of the Qb they face having a greater chance of turning the ball over.

8. Overall strength and weakness of opposing offense vs. your IDPs defense. This is somewhat backwards thinking but you will get used to it. If the team your IDP faces is very good on offense then you should expect that team to have more time of possesion. The more offensive plays they run the greater opportunity your IDP will have to make plays trying to stop them. The flip side of this is a very good defense against a poor offense will not be on the field as much and so have less opportunity to make plays. However chances are a strong defense against a weak offense has a higher chance of forcing turnovers.

9. Strength of your IDPs offensive team against opposing defense. If your IDP plays on a team with a good offense that controls the clock this gives your IDP less chances to make plays.

I think your on the right track of thinking about running teams vs. passing teams. Although it is not always a direct translation of starting a SS vs. running team or FS against passing team. Each situation is different based on the factors I listed above and possibly some others I have missed.

If your a subscriber Aaron tracks a matrix that shows IDP scoring by position against each offense. I think this is a great tool to help you pick matchups after week 3 or so when tendencies begin to show.

Picking week one starters is always tough. A lot changes from year to year. So for the most part I would just start who you consider to be your best players in week 1. Then start looking at trends and tendencies from matchups later.

 

[Jene Bramel]

That's a doubleplus from biabreakable.

I'll readily admit that submitting a starting lineup is the weakest part of my playbook. I thoroughly hate it. My general philosophy is to acquire as many set-em-and-forget-em studs as I can and let 'em ride.

Failing that, I do the following.

1 Consider the team matchup and surrounding cast.

See most of biabreakable's post. Run-pass differential, injuries to surrounding cast, recent trends all cross your mind at first pass.

2 Consult the previously mentioned FBG matrix to see if there's a clear trend.

You'd be surprised how often you're surprised that a certain borderline stud is facing a unexpectedly terrible trend in a given week. I don't put too much stock into these matrices (sample size, injury, matchup issues) but by midseason they can become very difficult to ignore.

3 Look for a mismatch, particularly at DE or CB, especially if you need the waiver wire that week.

When injuries mount and bye weeks hit, sometimes even the deepest pre-season roster is forced onto the replacement level cycle. I look for corners facing crappy quarterbacks who'll likely have to throw in bunches. Or a inconsistent DE with an awesome matchup (LDE against a shaky pass protecting RT and TE who's more often running pass routes.

4 Consider the home field statisticians.

Rudnicki is doing a lot more in depth look at this but there are clearly some stat crew that give out assisted tackles (CLE, BUF, TEN) or passes defended (PHI) like candy on Halloween or are ridiculously stingy with either. I'm not convinced the difference is meaningful enough to mess with my pre-season rankings yet (although Aaron may convince us all otherwise), but I will consider it on a week-to-week basis if I'm scraping the dregs off the waiver wire.

5 Cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Understand that the middle ranks of every IDP position are one huge tier of players and the year end raw points from the top to the bottom of said tier is really insignificant and if a clear frontrunner hasn't presented himself with any of the above machinations there's little you can do.

6 Try like hell to secure a set-it-and-forget-it lineup for the following week by hook, crook, waiver, or trade.

 

[cracKer]

9. Strength of your IDPs offensive team against opposing defense. If your IDP plays on a team with a good offense that controls the clock this gives your IDP less chances to make plays.

This is very important in regards to both offenses on the field. Consider a game like Pittsburgh v. Houston. You'd think it was a great IDP play for the Steelers but it could turn out to be a 40-20 type Time of Possession advantage for Pitt. Not good for their defenders, unless there are quite a few big plays involved in that short time period.Probable T.O.P is a big factor that I take into account when trying to decide between players.

 

[Lash]

I look at scoring first ... and find what tackles bring

if like yours, the scoring is heavily weighted through tackles, start safeties at DB and the rest LB

in your scoring two tackles are worth more than an interception (WOW!)

if solos are two then you absolutely (like you have) max out LB