6 IDP Assets to Acquire Cheaply

If you are bored with how free agency started, you do not play IDP fantasy football. The IDP side of free agency has been an absolute frenzy...and I love it. Some teams have made huge fantasy moves, most notably the Chicago Bears with signing T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. There was some under-the-radar movement that will open up some starting roles for players who were either young or relegated to part-time roles in previous seasons. Let's check out the top IDP assets to acquire cheaply for 2023.

Edge Assets to Acquire Cheap For 2023

Drake Jackson, San Francisco 49ers

2022 Stats: 14 tackles (8 solos), 3 sacks, 8 passes defended, 1 interception

Jackson is one of my favorite IDP assets to acquire cheaply for 2023. For starters, the 49ers drafted Jackson in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2022, Jackson had to fight for snaps with edge defenders Samson Ebukam and Charles Omeihu, with both playing rather well. This left Jackson only a 32.73% snap share during his rookie season. Jackson showed plenty in his limited snap share, producing three sacks and eight passes defended. One of Jackson's traits that jumped out was his ability to drop in coverage.

Jackson owned a coverage grade of 71.0 per Pro Football Focus and used his gangling long arms to swat down eight passes. Ebukam (Indianapolis Colts) and Omenihu (Kansas City Chiefs) departed in free agency. Jackson seems to be the benefactor and projected starter across from 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. The 49ers have only added former first-round bust Clelin Ferrell for depth, leaving the door wide open for Jackson. There is still little buzz surrounding acquiring Jackson, so strike before his value skyrockets. At most, acquiring Jackson would probably take a mid-third-round rookie pick.

Carl Granderson, New Orleans Saints

2022 Stats: 53 tackles (30 solos), 5.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery

For years, IDP managers were waiting for the breakout of Saints edge defender Marcus Davenport...maybe they were waiting for the wrong player. Davenport was the starter opposite of Cameron Jordan at the start of 2022, though injuries and inefficiency saw his role dwindle yet again. Granderson filled in, starting five of the season's final eight games, while finishing the season with a career-high in tackles (53) and sacks (5.5) with 19 pressures over his final seven outings. Granderson showed terrific three-down versatility with career highs in his run defense grade (84.4 per PFF) and overall defensive grade (80.4 per PFF).

Davenport is finally gone, and hopefully, Granderson's play from 2022 can carry over to a starting role. The only possible bump in the road is yet another underperforming, oft-injured first-round edge defender, Payton Turner. Granderson is still a cheap option, especially with another high draft capital edge defender battling him for a role. It would not take much more than a fourth- or fifth-round rookie pick to land Granderson, making him a solid IDP asset to acquire cheap for 2023.

Linebacker Assets To Acquire Cheap For 2023

Divine Deablo, Las Vegas Raiders

2022 Stats: 74 tackles (38 solos), 2 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery

Deablo was on his way to a stellar IDP campaign until a forearm injury landed him on season-ending IR. He averaged an absurd 9.25 tackles per game and was a bright spot in an otherwise dark, dingy, basement-dwelling run defense. During his short tenure in the NFL, Deablo has graded out strong as a run defender (71.45 per PFF) and a tackler (74.65 per PFF). The Raiders have one of the weakest linebacker rooms in the entire NFL.

To make matters worse for the Raiders, though better for the Deablo, Las Vegas let Denzel Perryman leave via free agency. The Raiders signed Robert Spillane from the Steelers to replace Perryman, a significant downgrade. Either way, Deablo is likely entering the 2023 season as the Raiders LB1 and holds LB1 upside with his tackle rate. He could probably be acquired for a mid-third-round rookie pick.

Monty Rice, Tennessee Titans

2022 Stats: 63 tackles (36 solos) AND 2 passes defended

Monty Rice was sprung into action following multiple injuries in the middle of the Titans defense and showed huge improvements from his rookie season. Rice racked up 53 of his 63 tackles over the Titans' last six games, an average of 8.83 per game. His run defense grade was 73.8, and his tackle grade was 79.2 per PFF, above-average numbers for an interior linebacker. He also showed strong tackle efficiency and technique, missing just 4.7% of his attempted tackles.

The Titans' top linebacker from 2022, David Long, just recently signed with the Miami Dolphins. The only addition the Titans made was signing Azeez Al-Shaair away from the 49ers. Al-Shaair always produced when given the opportunity, so he and Rice will be battling to be the top producer in Tennessee. Either way, Rice has LB2 potential, and you could probably land him for a fifth-round rookie pick. This makes him one of the best IDP assets to acquire cheaply for 2023.

Defensive Back Assets To Acquire Cheap For 2023

Rayshawn Jenkins, Jacksonville Jaguars

2022 Stats: 112 tackles (71 solos), 1 sack, 12 passes defended, 3 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and a touchdown

Many IDP managers talk about how great Jenkins was in 2022. Still, after doing multiple best ball drafts and start-ups already, he does not garner the respect you would assume a 100-plus tackle safety deserves. The odd part is that not much has changed in Jenkins' situation. As a result, his role in this young and ascending defense likely does not change at all. He will be a playmaker.

Jenkins played 60.8% of his 2022 snaps in the sweet zone. That zone IDP enthusiasts gush over is in the slot, on the defensive line, or in the box. The Jaguars, as a whole, showed unbelievable improvement in 2022. Jenkins is a name that you could probably land for virtually nothing, maybe a fifth- or sixth-round rookie pick, mainly because he is 29 years old.

Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions

2022 Stats: 73 tackles (53 solos), 8 passes defended, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery

Kerby Joseph took over a starting role during Week 4 of the 2022 season. As a rookie, he showed an unbelievable ability to create turnovers, forced two fumbles, recovered one, and came away with four interceptions. There was a possibility of a diminished tackle role with the possibility of the Lions adding a stronger linebacker unit. That is not the case. Instead, they re-signed the golden locks of thunder Alex Anzalone to a new contract. What did this do for Joseph's value?

Joseph was able to rack up over five tackles per game, playing predominantly a free safety role on defense. He played 72.5% of his snaps lining up as the deep free safety. With Anzalone in front of him, there should be plenty of opportunities to make plays on the second and third levels of the defense. This is where Joseph will be able to capitalize. The Lions' roster also allows Joseph to capitalize on the back end of the defense. The pass rush and interior line have been strong, forcing quarterbacks to unleash the ball earlier than they hoped. Joseph uses his anticipation and ball skills to lock down the back end, as showcased by his four interceptions. Joseph is still priced out, likely at a late-third or early-fourth-round rookie pick. He could be a steal in trade.

Final Thoughts

Outside of Rayshawn Jenkins, all these assets are young and ascending. Jenkins is just a massively under-appreciated asset. The most you would have to give up to acquire any of these players is a 2023 mid 3rd round rookie pick. With how well all of these players produced, plus the fact most have a role increase, it is almost a no-brainer. Start throwing out some trade ideas, and see if you can get some managers to bite. Good luck in the 2023 season, and thank you for reading.