I’m very fortunate to have an awesome dad.

My pop has never really been into sports, but I received my interest in language (and punnery) from him, an advertising writer and producer by trade. He instilled in me a love of art and culture, and he taught me from an early age to speak and think as I truly believed, even if it meant going against the grain of what people expected sometimes.

That’s why, when I see Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman dressing up in full Harry Potter wizard garb -- replete with wand and all -- for a press conference because his son asked him to, I know that’s the sort of dad I want to be someday: nerdy, fun, and totally unexpected.

When we take a look at our Individual Defensive Player (IDP) fantasy football teams, we can find it tough to raise them in the way we feel right because of groupthink and “common knowledge” approaches. I encourage you to be the guardians and guides of your fantasy teams the way my parents raised me, the way Richard Sherman is raising his son: be unexpected if that’s the way that seems right to you. In this column, we shun common knowledge and look solely at outside-the-box options to help you raise your team (and hopefully a championship banner) right.

Which IDP players owned in less than 5% of ESPN leagues are kid-tested, dad-approved for Week 8?