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There is no such thing as too much Fantasy Football. Maybe there's such a thing as too many leagues to play in, too many trades to make, paralysis by analysis and all that excess, but when it comes to the basics like the players who are in a lineup, more is merrier.
As you know, football is not a one-sided offensive game. Defense matters. In most Fantasy leagues defense is limited to one measly roster spot that's shared with an NFL club's special teams unit. But some leagues have broken through the DST barrier and bravely utilized individual defensive players, also known as IDPs. It means longer drafts, more waiver work and bigger rosters, but it adds more fun to Fantasy. Unpredictable fun.
When you decide to start a standard offensive player like a running back or a receiver, you aim for the guy who will touch the ball the most and make the most plays. The same sort of theory rings true for defensive players -- you want to start guys who will be around the ball the most and make the most plays. Sounds simple enough but it's tough to predict weekly numbers for a player even if he plays 90-plus percent of snaps. Even the best guys in the NFL could produce four tackles and two assists on a given week. If you think basic Fantasy Football requires some luck then IDPs are even more crapshooty.
That doesn't mean IDPs are a bad idea, though. It just means you have to find the players who have a track record of success and/or are in a position to put up stats. Middle linebackers and safeties are the gold standard for top Fantasy success if your league counts tackles. If your league does not count tackles then pass rushers -- either defensive linemen or outside linebackers -- and high-interception defensive backs are in play. And you might think these players are always the big-name studs, but offenses tend to shy away from the best defensive players (when they can help it, anyway), making household names like Darrelle Revis not always the best in Fantasy. It adds another layer to your pre-draft research.
Here's a FAQ for IDPs:
Our league is beginning to consider IDPs. How many should each owner
start on a weekly basis?
If you're truly new to IDPs, don't go
overboard. A nice first step is to start four: one defensive lineman,
one linebacker, one defensive back and a flex (yes, IDPs have flexes
too). This is better than starting just one or two IDPs regardless of
position. It also makes for everyone to have all-star IDPs.
What's the next step up from four starting IDPs?
We run an experts
league every year that starts two defensive linemen, three
linebackers, three defensive backs and one flex. That's nine IDPs per
team, which greatly diminishes the talent pool. Suddenly, drafting IDPs
become a priority.
What's a fair scoring system for IDPs?
Again referencing our
expert's league, each solo tackle is worth a point and an assist is half
a point. A sack or a pass defensed is worth a point. Any turnover -- an
interception, forced fumble or recovery -- is worth two points. A
touchdown is worth six. Obviously, this system rewards those IDPs that
make the most tackles.
Could a league run a scoring system that either devalues tackles or
eliminates them altogether?
You can do anything you want but
tackles are basically the equivalent to rushing yards for IDPs. If you
lower their value or eliminate them the scoring will be very
inconsistent for pretty much every defensive player. That may or may not
be more appealing to you.
What's a basic draft strategy for IDP leagues?
Tough to answer
because not all IDP leagues are built the same. The first thing you
should do is find out how many starting IDPs you need, then review last
year's results to get an idea of which positions score the most points
in your league's setup. If the IDPs don't score nearly as much as, say,
the third tier of running backs and receivers then you could conceivably
punt on IDPs until the midway point of your draft. Some owners might
target one or two IDPs with picks earlier in drafts (say, Round 6) just
to lock up a top-tier stud and then backfill the rest with mid- to
late-round picks.
Are quality IDPs hard to find like quality running backs or are they
easy to find like, say, backup quarterbacks?
Again, tough to
answer without knowing how many IDPs your league starts but we can
safely say that every year, quality stat stuffers come out of the
woodwork. Use some common sense: There are 32 NFL teams that utilize at
least three defensive backs, two linebackers and two defensive linemen
pretty much every play. Compare it to teams typically leaning on one
quarterback, one running back, one tight end and two receivers on almost
every play and you'll see that the talent pool to pick from is
middle-of-the-Atlantic deep. I'm not saying you'll find players with the
skills of J.J. Watt or Luke Kuechly on the waiver wire week after week but warm bodies with
quality tackle production aren't hiding like pins in bales of hay.
Tackling the rankings
Through the preseason, here's our rankings of the Top 40 IDPs at each position based on the scoring system described in the third question of our IDP FAQ (tackles matter).
IDP sleepers
We've identified a handful of sleepers for you to consider drafting this summer. These guys make swell mid- to late-round picks in deeper IDP leagues with the idea that if they start off hot for their teams, you've got a winner. If they don't then they're lemons and you throw them back and find someone usable on waivers.
Deone Bucannon, DB, Cardinals
Darqueze Dennard, DB, Bengals
Winston Guy, DB, Jaguars
Dezmen Southward, DB, Falcons
Brock Vereen, DB, Bears
Sen'Derrick Marks, DL, Jaguars
Quanterus Smith, DL, Broncos
Emmanuel Lamur, LB, Bengals
Kevin Minter, LB, Cardinals
C.J. Mosley, LB, Ravens
Keenan Robinson, LB, Redskins
Manti Te'o, LB, Chargers
Justin Tuggle, LB, Texans
Kyle Van Noy, LB, Lions
DeKoda Watson, LB, Jaguars
