What is IDP Fantasy Football?

IDP stands for Individual Defensive Player.  IDP Fantasy Football includes NFL football players from the defensive side of the ball in the weekly scoring for a team.

Some fantasy football leagues will use both offensive and defensive players in the weekly rosters which score points for the team owners.  However, a true test of the skills of a fantasy football player comes when the league uses only defensive players.

If you think that you have what it takes to draft and field a weekly roster of NFL defensive players, there are a few options available. Some league owners advertise openings in their leagues on the popular fantasy football forums on the internet. There is also a site dedicated to using NFL defensive players to score fantasy football points. Check out Defense Wins: IDP Fantasy Football for a season of fun and the chance to win prizes for small entry fees.

Estimates are that over 27 million people will play some form of fantasy football this coming NFL season. The elite few that refuse to ignore the defensive side of the game will reap rewards for their fanatical dedication!

Top Defensive Player of 2009

The top scoring NFL defensive player of 2009 using the Defense Wins IDP Fantasy Football scoring system was Charles Woodson, star cornerback for the Green Bay Packers.

Charles had 66 solo tackles, 8 assisted tackles, 2 sacks, 9 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 18 pass defenses, and 3 touchdowns during the 2009 season. This tremendous effort scored 204 total points for his fantasy team owners! The former Heisman trophy winner from Michigan outscored Patrick Willis, linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, by 5 points and outpointed the 3rd highest point total of Brian Cushing, linebacker for the Houston Texans, by 10.5 points.

For a defensive back to outpoint linebackers in individual defensive player fantasy football is pretty rare. The Associated Press recognized his great season by naming him the 2009 AP Defensive Player of the Year!

Top Defensive Player of 2008

The 2008 NFL season was highly competitive for the defensive scoring title using the Defense Wins IDP Fantasy Football scoring system. The top scorer was DeMarcus Ware, linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. He scored a total of 181.5 total points with 69 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles, 20 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 pass defenses.

His score barely edged out the 2008 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harrison scored 181 points even with 69 solo tackles, 34 assisted tackles, 16 sacks, 1 interception, 7 forced fumbles, and 3 pass defenses. The 3rd highest total was by Patrick Willis, linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. He totaled 168 points. The top defensive back in 2008 was Charles Woodson, cornerback for the Green Bay Packers. Woodson was the 4th highest scoring individual defensive player with 165 total points.

Defensive players are finally gaining prominence in the minds of fans as they have been incorporated into fantasy football. Stars like DeMarcus Ware deserve greater recognition for their on-field performance and IDP fantasy football is helping fans understand their value!