DvP is a fantasy term that stands for Defense vs Position. In Layman’s terms, it relates to how many Fantasy Points per Game (FPPG) a defense allows, on average, against each position.
FPPG is simply the number of fantasy points a player or defense averages per week. In DvP, FPPG is used to showcase the average points scored by a position against that defense. So if a DST has allowed 15.0 to the RB position, then that is the average points scored against that defense by that position.
The DvP table is useful both as a way to help make lineup decisions and plan for future matchups. For example, if you were choosing between two RBs with equal expectations in an upcoming matchup, then the RB who was going against the defense that allowed more FPPG to opposing RBs would theoretically have better ceiling potential. This makes DvP useful as a tiebreaker for weekly fantasy football lineup decisions and for identifying potential bye-week waiver wire pickups as well.
The DvP tool can also be used to project which fantasy players have the most advantageous matchups for future weeks. This makes it extremely useful for planning for the fantasy playoffs as you can identify strong ceiling candidates for those specific weeks, and also make plans to trade for them or target them on the waiver wire. By cross-referencing a player’s schedule with the DvP Table, you can find more advantageous trade and waiver targets as the season progresses.
It’s important to remember that the DvP table operates on the in-season performance of each DST unit, so early-season results will be based on very small sample sizes. The accuracy of the table should increase as the season progresses.
A team that starts poorly by allowing a lot of points to one position in a single game, could theoretically still end the year ranked above average in DvP vs that position. In this sense, it’s important to remember the context of the current DvP rankings and the specific performances that may have led to each defense’s current stats.