By Sean Haugh, IDPs specialist for Fantasy Football Maniaxs.com
I’ll be honest; at this time last year, I was facing my first IDP dynasty-league draft and felt like anything but a genius picking players on that side of the ball.
However, I studied hard, absorbed the thinking of some brilliant IDP minds across this big wide Internet, and won my championship. Now I am here to add to that knowledge.
If my example proves anything, it’s that anyone can figure out how to pick and play the right defensive players. It isn’t rocket surgery. You too, can win championships right out of the gate.
There are some prejudices I have which will come out in my advice. I play in dynasty and keeper leagues exclusively, so I favor younger players and often ignore older ones entirely.
I prefer players that score consistently, week in and week out, over guys with a knack for the occasional big plays. For IDPs, that means I’ll take a tackle machine over a sack artist every time.
I hold all defensive backs in contempt, as they swing wildly in performance from game to game and year to year. Of course they have value, but their inconsistency makes them disposable.
I hate to draft all players from USC. They’re certainly fearsome in college, but that program sends them to the NFL thinking they have it made already. Sometimes it takes a couple years for them to figure out that everyone in the NFL is actually as good as or even better than they are. Most of them never recover.
Yes, I am a Sooners fan and darn proud of it, but I won’t hesitate to tell you if they are naughty or nice, as you’ll see below. (Here’s a hint: All Sooner WRs in the NFL stink—I mean, there are sleepers and then there’s the dead—although I hold out hope for Malcolm Kelly.)
As you enter your August drafts and prepare for the season, here are a few things I have learned about IDPs. During the season, I’ll offer you start/sit and waiver-wire suggestions.
Everybody tells you this, but it bears repeating: Know your league’s scoring system, especially with IDPs. There are all manners of differences between point values for tackles, sacks, and turnovers.
The first thing to ask yourself is if your league counts return stats for your players. If so, then a DB like Terrence McGee or Antonio Cromartie becomes someone worth reaching for in your draft. Otherwise, you can let someone else spend a high draft pick on them.
This leads to the fact that there can be a remarkable difference between a great football player and a great fantasy football player. In every draft, some poor fool reaches way too early for DE Dwight Freeney.
Sure, when healthy he is an exciting player to watch and a dominant force for his team, but there are plenty of other DEs that will score more points on a weekly basis.
4 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Rich Kotite 11 months ago
SAMMY KNIGHT IS A GIANT NOW-NOT A JAG..THE STUD DB TO TAKE FROM THE JAGS THIS YEAR IS REGGIE NELSON..THE NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR IS WOWED BY THE KID ( 1 ROUNDER IN HIS SECOND YEAR) AND WILL BE USING HIM ALL OVER THE FIELD FOR STUNTS, BLITZES AND THE LIKE...WILL PROVIDE SOLID NUMBERS FOR SURE
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Tanner Kluth 11 months ago
Why is it necessary to type in all caps? It makes it seem like you're yelling, and for no reason.
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Football Maniaxs 11 months ago
Thanks Rich. It's fixed now!
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Rich Kotite 11 months ago
IT'S ( ALL CAPS) A JOB REQUIREMENT HERE AT WORK, SO THEY HAVE US LOCKED PERMANENTLY ON ALL CAPS, SORRY, MY BAD, PERHAPS SOME EARPLUGS WHEN YOU READ THIS POST?
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