I knew I was going to write an article about individual defensive player (IDP) leagues, and I had it all planned out. I was going to say how they’re an unnecessary addition, how fantasy football is all about offense and how silly it is to add arbitrary points to defensive plays.

But after thinking about it, I’m not going to do that. Because I think that philosophy is all wrong. After giving it more thought and discussing it with IDP players, it might be time (after nearly three decades playing this game) to give IDP leagues another look.

Adding in defensive players (and usually taking away the team defense) adds a new wrinkle to fantasy football. But it’s not an unfamiliar one. You’re judging players based on their ability to score points for certain stats like sacks, tackles, fumble recoveries, tackles for loss, etc. I’m not used to rewarding individual players with points for those plays, but we didn’t always award points for a reception, either. It’s in line with what we already do.

And I know that there are countless scoring systems, but there don’t seem to be too many where your player will lose points for you. If an OL delivers vicious pancakes to your guy, he’s not usually docked for it. So you have an opportunity to gain points, but the “damage” to picking poorly will probably be a low score to add to your other players. Meanwhile, a terrible defense can actually cost you points in many scoring systems, and takes less knowledge to choose than scouting entire positions.

It also adds a new wrinkle to garbage time, which is one of my favorite things about games that would otherwise hold little entertainment value. Just as your offensive players have a chance to rack up some stats when the game is out of hand, the defensive players can do the same. Sometimes defenses lie down and let an anemic offense look good, but other times they make a bad day worse for the quarterback and other skill players. Sacks, errant throws, and turnovers also occur late in a game, so you have an opportunity to enjoy garbage time in a different way.

Now, I realize that I’m speaking to a small subset of people. I’m not convincing IDP experts, since I’m a novice who doesn’t normally play in that format. They already love it, and for more complicated reasons than I can provide here. And there are also folks who absolutely hate the idea, and don’t want to even consider playing in that kind of league. They won’t be swayed by my words. Both of those positions are perfectly valid, and I won’t influence either of them.

But there are fantasy players who have perhaps considered it, but have found reasons to pass year after year. I’m one of those people. And the more I look at it, the more I see advantages without overwhelming disadvantages.

Perhaps the most convincing argument is the fact that IDP doesn’t have to dominate a league. Most don’t add eight or nine players to your starting lineup, and you don’t have to double your fantasy preparations to do a good job on draft day. Normally it’s just a handful of defensive players scoring points for your tea,. You can find a league that only adds one or two guys on the other side of the ball, and you won’t change your game too much. But you will add in something different, which can keep things fresh.

Finally, I think you have to be willing to try new things, especially if you’ve been playing fantasy football for a long time. It doesn’t have to be about IDP. Maybe it’s time to try a keeper league, which adds a sense of consistency for teams without the full-blown dynasty experience. Maybe join a league with 14 or 16 teams to see how that provides a new challenge. Or how about team quarterbacks, or a TD-only league? There are many ways to play the game, and you certainly haven’t tried them all.

Besides, you don’t have to put all your eggs in one fantasy basket. If you don’t like the new format, you still have the league(s) you love with the gameplay you know. But if you do like it, you’ve added some fresh fun to a game you’ve been playing for years (or maybe decades). I think IDP can do that for some fantasy teams. And if the NFL can tweak extra points or overtime, we can tweak our game, too.

This is a topic where a lot of you will know more than I do. What are the things you like about IDP leagues? What don’t you like? What surprised you about it when you first started playing? Share your thoughts below.