Draft Strategy and Sleepers for IDP Leagues

In our first three 2014 fantasy football draft strategy articles we looked at standard league drafts, PPR leagues, and Dynasty Leagues. In this article we will break down draft strategy for IDP leagues, and throw in some IDP sleepers as well.

2014 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy and Sleepers for IDP Leagues

Unlike our previous fantasy football previews, we will not preview the draft by rounds. Instead we will focus on the top selections and sleepers each of the defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs.

Defensive Ends

DE is extremely top heavy this year with a small group of players available that could be in line for the top spot at the end of the season. J.J. Watt tops our list this year as the top overall player in IDP leagues as he brings the best combination of tackles, sacks and forced fumbles. Last season was a bit of a down year with 10.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles, however expect a huge bounce back with Jadeveon Clowney now on the other side of him. If you cannot get your hands on Watt, Robert Quinn is certainly a viable number two option. Quinn had a monster 2013 with 19 sacks and 7 forced fumbles to go along with 50 solo tackles and should only continue to get better. After the top two players there is a bit of a drop off to the next group of players. Chandler Jones, Mario Williams, DeMarcus Ware, and Charles Johnson are all capable of 10+ sack seasons while also adding in some forced fumbels.

Defensive End Sleeper: Brian Robison

For the past handful of seasons Jared Allen terrorized opposing quarterbacks for the Vikings. With Allen now in Chicago, Robison takes over the role as lead defensive end for Minnesota. He has increased his sack total each of the last four seasons and had a career high 9 last season. Robison is also a problem in the passing game as he has an amazing 10 passes defensed over the last two years which adds to his value. The last thing that is a positive for the Vikings end is that he is now being coached by the defense genius that is Mike Zimmer. Last year Cincinnati was top 10 in sacks despite not having Geno Atkins for much of the year. Look for Robison to be a steal late in an IDP draft.

Linebackers

Unlike defensive ends and backs who tend to have big swings in fantasy points, linebackers are generally the most steady in terms of putting up solid point totals. Because they often lead their teams in tackles, this group can bring a level of consistency not found in other groups. Like Watt does with DE’s, Luke Kuechly stands out atop the list of fantasy linebackers. The Panthers tackling machine is coming off of a 156 tackle year. Along with that he also had 2 sacks, 7 passes defensed, and 4 interceptions. He may not lead the league in tackles but he is a lock to finish in the top 5 and provide great value. The number two option is open to a few different options, but Lavonte David in Tampa Bay is our choice. David is not only a tackling machine (145 last year) but also gets after the quarterback as he had 7 sacks last year. Adding in 10 pass defenses and 5 interceptions doesn’t hurt his value either. The next player to target is Robert Mathis who had a resurgent season in 2013 that saw him lead the NFL in sacks with 19.5. Mathis also lead the NFL with 8 forced fumbles which adds a ton of fantasy value. His downside remains in that he does nothing in terms of the passing game as he only recorded 1 pass defensed and 0 interceptions last year. The next tier of players includes the top two tacklers of 2013 in Vontaze Burfict and Paul Posluszny. Unfortuneatly Kiko Alonso would have made the list, but tore his ACL in the offseason and thus will not be a factor this year.

Linebacker Sleeper: C.J. Mosley

There are not many negative things you can say about Mosley who is going from one of the fiercest defenses in college football to one of the best in the NFL in the Ravens. The team has gotten older at linebacker and had just one player in the top 40 in tackles last year. With Haloti Ngata protecting him, Mosley should be in line for a ton of tackles with the ability to pick off a few passes and cause some fumbles as well.

Defensive Backs

DB’s are like DE’s in that they are more prone to huge games while also being subject to low scoring days due to lack of tackles. In 2013 only 1 DB (Barry Church) ranked in the top 25 in tackles. Richard Sherman will be a top target for a lot of IDP league managers due to his stellar coverage skills which lead to 8 interceptions and 16 pass breakups last year. However, because he is so good it will cause teams to avoid his side of the field and thus lower all of his counting stats. Safety’s generally provide more value as they not only garner more tackles but remain capable of interceptions and return touchdowns. Eric Weddle is our top option at DB this year due to his consistent all-around play. In 2013 he had 115 total tackles, 9 passes defensed, and 3 forced turnovers. Battling him for top spot could be up and comer Harrison Smith who missed much of last year but now has Mike Zimmer coaching him and is a force in both the run and pass games. Denver new comer T.J. Ward is also near the top of the list as he possesses a similar game to Weddle and should get more looks at interceptions with Denver opponents often needing to throw to get back in the game. Some cornerbacks to look at are Darrelle Revis who should be reenergized in New England, Joe Haden in Cleveland, Patrick Peterson in Arizona and Charles Tillman who has a knack for making big plays.

Sleeper: Justin Gilbert

Joe Haden is on par with Sherman, Peterson and Revis in terms of coverage ability which means the rookie Gilbert should get plenty of action. The 6’0" former Oklahoma State star won the Jim Thorpe award as the nation’s top DB last year and added a handful of return touchdowns. Because you won’t be penalized for number of times beaten, it can only be good news that he will get tested early. Look for him to rack up some monster games with interceptions and return touchdowns.