IDP fantasy football is like a music festival. You have your headliners, usually front and center on the poster in big bold print. You know they’re the main grabs for these events and draw the biggest crowds. However, the underappreciated part of a music festival is discovering the bands just happy to be there. The ones who are still fighting for stage time, hoping to make this their moment that ultimately catapults them to headliner status at the same event years from now. We all know the Bobby Wagners and Aaron Donalds of the world, but who are the players that are going to use this year to be the next stars of IDP fantasy football. I have compiled a list of ten players all of who were outside of the top 40 in their respective positions. Some are old names in new places, others may be coming off an injury and some you may have never heard of. These will be listed as Can’t-Miss, Shouldn’t Miss, Sleepers, and one player your Hidden Gem. So whether you go for the main act, or you’re looking to explore your tastes take it from a guy who has been to a few. I’ll show you what to look for!
Can’t-Miss
Don’t overthink this. Some guys are simply more effective than others.
LB Zach Cunningham, Tennessee
It feels odd writing about someone who has almost assuredly been one of the most dominant players in IDP for many years, but Cunningham had the first bad year of his career last year. He missed two games due to injury and had a weird end-of-the-year split with the Houston Texans that included a pregame benching minutes before kickoff against the Jaguars. He finished as LB61 with 93 total tackles. To give context to how truly dominant he can be, the previous three-year tackle totals were 116 in 2018, 152 in 2019, and a whopping 165 in 2020. He now finds himself coming off the worst year of his career, a public breakup at the end of the season with his old team, and in unfamiliar territory. He also has my favorite trait for players that are under the radar, opportunity. He now plays in the same division as his old team with a defensive-minded head coach in an unproven linebacker corps. He is a slam dunk and may fall to later rounds in redraft and could be picked up at a discount in dynasty formats. He is a potential league winner that some people may give up on. He is Football Guys consensus LB28 but my LB6 this year.
DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, LA Chargers
It is hard enough to make a name for yourself on a team with a stud who garners all attention and notoriety. It’s even more difficult to do so when he plays the same position as you. Joseph-Day played on the interior defensive line next to arguably the NFL’s best player Aaron Donald. He has since signed to play in the same city, but with a different team. He now finds himself the lead interior defensive lineman on the Chargers and will have Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack on either side of him. This positioning in itself will help ease him into more 1-on-1 battles, ones he has proven he can win. He did miss most of last year due to a pectoral injury, but before this injury registered 38 tackles and three sacks in just seven games playing the same position as Donald. Had he continued this pace he would have finished as DT3. He is currently Footballguys consensus DL80 but I have him ranked preliminarily 41st among all qualified defensive linemen in the NFL but he may have the highest ceiling and lowest asking price of an every-week starter. He was allowed to be a part of a team spending money on defense and will not be high cost. He has proven he can play alongside studs and produce. He will no doubt be at the top of IDP defensive linemen in scoring, so go get him now while you can.
S Jamal Adams, Seattle
In IDP fantasy football, safeties can blur together and at times there isn’t much difference between the top guy and a middle-tier guy. You may reserve this position for a late pick in a redraft league or not value these pieces in a dynasty league due to the lack of breakaway stars. Adams is different. Adams is a playmaking safety who has the opportunity to explode on the field on any given play. He missed five games due to a labrum injury, but was averaging double-digit points and had six 8+ tackle games before the injury. His average would have put him amongst the top eight at his position without injury. On a team who will likely play from behind and load the box against the run, he is an in-the-box safety with a playmaking repertoire. Whether it’s getting at the quarterback (he has 21.5 sacks in just five years) or playing back in coverage (35 defended passes in the same span) he will make the play. In a position that may not get the love it deserves, you have to have guys that can win you weeks. Don’t be surprised if he surpasses the 100 tackle mark this year and pairs it with a few game-winning weeks for your squad.
Shouldn’t Miss
Opportunity is one thing, but you have to go get it. These guys have the talent and the spot but need to prove it.
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LB Jamin Davis, Washington
Davis was a surprise first-round pick for Washington in 2021 and was a late bloomer in college so it’s no shock that his rookie year wasn’t anything special. He is a rare combination of size and speed being 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds and running a 4.47 40-yard dash at his pro day and now has a full year of NFL training and coaching under his belt. He is poised for a breakout year that matches the draft capital Washington used on him. He now has a second full offseason available to get better and with a defensive-minded head coach in Ron Rivera, he will be given opportunities to shine in the defensive pecking order. He registered 5+ tackles in eight of the 16 games he played last year and that comes playing alongside heavy competition from overachiever Cole Holcomb who finished last year as LB8. I believe that this year Davis and Holcomb reverse roles and we see Davis begin to showcase his natural talents and athleticism. Certain NFL defenses can supplement two viable IDP linebackers, and Washington is one of them. Get Davis before he is famous.
S Jordan Whitehead, NY Jets
As I mentioned earlier in the Jamal Adams section, safeties aren’t seen as needle movers by many people, but having the right one can keep your team competitive and contribute to wins. Most players are value acquisitions and Whitehead will make a move this year. He has moved teams this offseason to the New York Jets who we have seen have high-quality numbers from the safety position. Whitehead is of smaller stature at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds but has the speed and athleticism that pop on the field. Head coach Robert Salah has a defensive background so seeing that he was added to immediately start and contribute is huge for his potential fantasy production. Whitehead will almost assuredly go unnoticed in most leagues, so now is the time to pounce on his potential. The capital used to acquire him should be minimal and his production has the potential to be amongst the top of the league at his position. He has the opportunity, now let’s watch his talent take over.
LB Patrick Queen, Baltimore
Coming in just outside the Top 40, Queen is a young talent who had a sophomore slump that could sour some managers on his viability. To be fair, he went from 108 total tackles to 95, but over his first two years, he has been a tackle-dependent linebacker who doesn’t contribute much else to a stat sheet. A regression in the main stat line, let alone his only contributing factor to points, can be a red flag for managers but I wouldn’t get down on him. For starters, the Baltimore Ravens as a whole underachieved last year and were hit hard with injuries and I am a firm believer in team momentum affecting individual players, specifically defensive players. He goes into his third year as a former first-round pick and is now eyeing a potential payday shortly on a team arguably more motivated than in recent memory on both sides of the ball. He’s consistently good but has the perfect storm in place to have a breakout year and this should be taken seriously. Regardless of whether he breaks out, he assuredly is worth a roster spot and as the theme continues in this article, can likely be added to your team for good value.
Sleepers
They’re only sleepers until they wake! These guys are closer to "good morning" than they are to "goodnight"!
DE Kwity Paye, Indianapolis
Being an NFL player is one of the hardest professions in the world to do, let alone right out of college at 22 years old. Now imagine being the first pick of your team, expected to start from day one and contribute. The learning curve alone for a defensive lineman is intimidating, now go 1-1 with some veteran offensive linemen who know more and even outsize you at times. This can make you, or break you. Paye is going into year two on a team that underperformed and made significant offseason moves to right the ship. They added a new leader in quarterback Matt Ryan and significant defensive moves in former defensive player of the year Stephon Gilmore and veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakuoe. They have added leadership and a healthy dose of competition to Paye. A young player going into a crucial year, Paye didn’t perform badly but failed to make a name for himself in year one on a team already loaded with significant talent on defense. He finished his rookie year with 32 tackles and four sacks while missing three games. In a year where IDP defensive line and linebackers have been murky at best to predict, Paye should improve this year and has the opportunity to be in 1-1 situations being alongside stud defensive tackle Deforest Buckner. Look for Paye to show why the Colts invested a first-round pick in him.
DT Raekwon Davis, Miami
Of all the players I’ve mentioned and will mention in this article, this is your biggest risk. Davis is a player who has the physical attributes that aren’t easily found and is still young enough to put it together if he can stay healthy. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 310 pounds, he is as physically imposing of a defensive lineman as you’ll see in the league. Miami has gone all-in on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, so they will likely have the opportunity this year to sit back in coverage due to playing with a lead and will let their pass rush feast. He is going to be the starting nose tackle in Miami’s 3-4 defense and will have pass rushers Christian Wilkins and Emmanuel Ogbah take the pressure off him leaving the interior all to himself. You don’t win championships without taking chances. Some guys need a few years and Davis is worth a hold this season.
LB Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas
When Vander Esch burst onto the scene his rookie year, he was tasked with the burden of picking up where IDP stud linebacker Sean Lee left off. This was no easy task for anyone, but the 19th pick in the 2018 draft made his presence known. The 153 total tackles in his first year as a starter were unprecedented, and he certainly won some leagues for managers savvy enough to get him. He has only had 208 total tackles in the three years since. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a depreciating asset… or so some may think! It’s no secret that Vander Esch has an injury history, but the Cowboys’ defensive players usually compile pretty good statistics as long as they’re on the field. You have Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, Randy Gregory (while he was there), and Demarcus Lawrence to name a few. The Cowboys’ defense supports fantasy relevance and Vander Esch is someone who you can buy low or draft in later rounds. The neck surgery is something to monitor, but shouldn’t scare you away completely.
Hidden Gem
Sometimes you’re just digging around and stumble upon a real game-changer. Here’s a freebie!
DE Montez Sweat, Washington
It’s not normal to label a first-round pick as a Hidden Gem, but Sweat is arguably the third most notable player on his team’s defensive line behind Chase Young and Jonathan Allen. This is prime territory to fall under the radar. In nine games last year, he was either injured and didn’t play, or failed to compile any stats at all. That being said he still contributed five sacks and 24 total tackles and even forced three fumbles. Last year Washington’s defense was severely undermanned on the defensive line due to injury, but going into this year fully manned, Sweat should get back to his normal production. He is a top-five end disguised as FBG’s consensus number 18. He will almost assuredly outperform his ranks and should be drafted or acquired as such. This is a defensive line filled with talent, so the likelihood of him receiving double teams is low and he has accumulated 22 sacks in just three years. Don’t sweat this one…
Whether it’s Woodstock or just a local talent festival, something has to draw, but others need to set the mood. These ten players have all the potential to be acquired or drafted at great value and are poised to breakout. You never know, one of these guys could win you a league!
Be sure to follow me on Twitter @Steakspeare for all your dynasty football or IDP needs. Let’s debate!