5 Undervalued Linebackers

Photo: USA Today Sports

A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft, and grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. To point out this value, we asked our staff to look through IDP ADP from TheIDPShow.com and identify players that should outperform their draft position.

Here are the players who received the most votes:

• Azeez Al-Shaair
• Ernest Jones

And here are all of the players mentioned and the reasons why.

Players Receiving 3 Votes

Azeez Al-Shaair, Tennessee Titans

Gary Davenport: There may not be a better value at the linebacker position this season than Al-Shaair—although the more the IDP community (especially me) gushes about his prospects in 2023, the more that value shrinks. We’ve seen what Al-Shaair can do when the snaps are there—he surpassed 100 total tackles two years ago with the San Francisco 49ers. Now out from under the shadow of Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner, Al-Shaair should serve as the No. 1 off-ball linebacker for the Titans in 2023. And with an every-down skill set and quite a bit of talent in his own right, he’s going to shine. A top-20 IDP finish is a real possibility.

Tripp Brebner: With an honorable mention to Monty Rice, at least one Titans linebacker - and probably both - will be a useful fantasy option in 2023. New general manager Ran Carthon brought Al-Shaair with him from San Francisco, where talented players blocked his path to snaps. Al-Shaair demonstrated he could be a successful player and fantasy asset in 2021, working in relief of Dre Greenlaw. The new Titan should easily clear 100 tackles for the second time in his career.

Kyle Bellefeuil: Azeez Al-Shaair was stuck behind two talented linebackers in San Francisco, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, which limited his weekly involvement when all three were available. However, during the 2021 season, when Greenlaw was limited to three games, Al-Shaair filled in admirably, compiling 102 tackles (58 solos) and nine tackles for loss. With Tennesee’s weak linebacker group, Al-Shaair has a prime opportunity to be the anchor in the middle of the defense. Al-Shaair is an excellent value right now (LB53 ADP) with another triple-digit tackle season on the horizon.

Ernest Jones, Los Angeles Rams

Gary Davenport: By the time we hit August, the Ernest Jones hype train may be barreling along faster than the Shanghai Maglev. But it’s not hard to see why so many IDP analysts are high on Jones in 2023. He’s shown the ability to produce, tallying 114 total tackles playing with Bobby Wagner gone. Now, Wagner is gone. Jones appears to be locked into an every-down role on a defense where he’s surrounded by a questionable (at best) array of talent. No one expected Frankie Luvu to be a top-12 fantasy linebacker in 2022. More people may see it coming with Jones, but he has a similar upside this season.

Tripp Brebner: Jones takes over for Bobby Wagner in the middle of a Rams defense rich with tackle opportunities. The defense heavily used zone coverages in 2022, shown to bolster linebackers' tackle efficiency, and lacks the talent to increase reliance on man-to-man coverages in 2023. This lackluster unit could struggle to get off the field, further increasing tackle opportunities for Jones.

Kyle Bellefeuil: With Bobby Wagner heading back to Seattle, the Rams defense will turn over the keys to third-year man Ernest Jones. Jones had a solid 2022 season, producing 114 tackles (66 solos) on 723 defensive snaps. Both those numbers are destined to increase this upcoming year as Jones will be heavily relied upon by a Rams’ defense that should be on the field a good amount. Jones is staring at a potential Top-12 LB finish for 2023 and is an excellent value coming off the board as LB29.