Fantasy Football: IDP Draft Strategy Revealed

. Not the flashiest player in the world, but he will quietly rack up the tackles and more than likely end the year as a top-10 DE. I believe the addition of Taylor will free Carter up to be even more productive in 2008.

My late-round DL shocker pick in the Maniaxs’ draft was Minnesota’s Ray Edwards in the 24th. As with the Redskins and Giants, having two solid DEs helps them both become even more productive. I love Edwards’ blustery claim that he will break the sack record this year.

While opposing offenses will have their hands full with Allen on the other side, he just might have a chance to back up that boast.

For a sweet super sleeper, how about rookie Quentin Groves in Jacksonville? While all eyes are on Derrick Harvey after we saw how much the Jags were willing to pay to get him, Harvey sits at home unsigned while Groves is wowing them in camp.

If he holds out too much longer, it may be another year before Harvey can earn a spot on the starting line, alongside a battle-hardened Groves.

You may have noticed that I only talk about DEs here and not any defensive tackles.  That’s because DTs with fantasy value are very few and far between. I don’t have any experience with leagues that require separate starters at DT, so all I have to say is if you draft a Sooner, you can’t go wrong there.

Defensive backs, as I ranted above, drive me nuts with their inconsistency. The upside of this chaos is that there are usually some excellent options waiting for you on the waiver wire. On that same championship team, unlike my LBs, only one of the DBs I drafted was still on my roster at the end of the season, Madieu Williams, and I took him in the 26th round.

Interceptions are sweet, but just like touchdowns, they don’t happen for every player every game, which is why at DB especially, I favor the ones with the most tackles.  Williams, in his new home in Minnesota, has a chance to increase his already steady numbers.

Other DBs to whom I give this tackle edge are Sammy Knight in New York, Marcus Trufant in Seattle, Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan, Nate Clements with the 49ers, and another Viking, Cedric Griffin.

In fact, except for bye-week concerns, when in doubt, draft a Viking. That defense is going to be beyond sick this year and will yield multiple weekly IDP starters.

A lot of attention is paid to nickel packages and every-down players, which means some players get devalued but can still produce excellent fantasy points, even with limited opportunities. 

One such player I’m very high on is Carolina’s Richard Marshall. Fantasy owners the world over are wondering when the heck coach John Fox will wake up and make Marshall an every-down starter, but in the world of real football, he’s still the third CB on the team, Steve Smith’s impromptu rearrangement of Ken Lucas’ face notwithstanding.

Yet, even coming off the bench, Marshall puts up solid numbers in the time he sees the field, and he’s only getting better.

Feel free to save your DB picks until the end, comfortable in the assurance that if you mess up, the waiver wire will be there to help you at this position like no other.

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