Playing in an individual defensive player (IDP) league adds a whole new level of strategy and excitement to fantasy football. But it can also be intimidating for fantasy managers—especially those new to the format. The reason is simple—they aren't sure when to take defensive players. No manager wants to be the one that's left with a crippling deficiency on offense because they jumped the gun on IDPs. Or the squad that waits too long to address the defense and winds up with the fantasy equivalent of the 2012 New Orleans Saints defensively.
They were bad. Really bad.
Balance and value are the keys to a successful IDP draft—knowing the optimal time to target each position on both sides of the ball. Getting guys in spots where they have a solid chance of outperforming their draft slot.
Of course, that can be easier said than done. No two IDP drafts are the same. Generally speaking, the elite IDPs in a fairly standard setup with tackle-heavy scoring featuring a couple of starters on the defensive line, at linebacker and defensive back (with maybe a flex spot thrown in for kicks), the elite IDPs will come off the board somewhere between Round 4 and Round 6. But scoring and roster requirements can change that significantly, and it only takes a manager or two to hit defense early and spur the first big run on IDPs (more on that in a bit). As important as balance and value are in IDP drafts, flexibility can be just as important.
However, there is a blueprint of sorts that can usually be followed in IDP drafts. By chopping the draft into sections and approaching each one with a plan for which positions to address, IDP managers can assemble a defensive unit that is more than capable of competing for a playoff spot—without leaving the sorts of holes on offense that can derail a season.
Could draft flow force adjustments to this blueprint? Of course. Again, no two drafts are the same, and opponents have a tendency to screw up even the best-laid plans—the inconsiderate jerks.
But follow this blueprint, and even if this is your first IDP draft ever, (Welcome to the party, pal! Once you play IDP, there's no going back.) you should come out of draft day in good shape.
IDP Draft Blueprint Step 1: Getting Offensive (Rounds 1-6)
It can be tempting to pursue an elite IDP—to anchor your defensive unit with a star like Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith or Pittsburgh Steelers edge-rusher T.J. Watt. Provided they stay healthy, both should be high-end fantasy producers in the season to come.
But the reality is you don't need to be the first manager to draft an IDP. Or the second. Or the third. You don't have to be a trendsetter on defense to put together a competitive team. However, there is one thing IDP managers do need to do. A round or two after a handful of elite IDPs have trickled off the board, the first big run on linebackers will take place. Unless your league starts a large number of IDPs or the scoring favors defense as much as offense, it probably won't happen this early.
Do not get frozen out of that run. Linebackers are the foundation of IDP success, and with more teams playing three-safety looks or running more dime sets, the number of true every-down linebackers has decreased. In most leagues, IDP managers will go as far as their linebackers take them. If you are picking at the front of Round 5 and a handful of linebackers have already been drafted, it's a good idea to seriously consider taking one.
With that said, the early rounds of the draft should be about hitting the offensive side of the ball. Whether your strategy is to go Zero RB (no early running backs), Hero RB (one early running back), Robust RB (a handful of early running backs), or some combination of the lot, spend the first half-dozen or so rounds on offense. Get dependable running backs. Load up on wide receivers. Draft a high-end tight end or quarterback. And then buckle up—because IDP time is coming.
IDP TARGET: LB Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis (Rounds 5-6)
Franklin has been a machine the past two seasons for the Colts, surpassing 100 solos each of the last two years, posting a career-high 179 total tackles in 2023 and finishing as a top-five fantasy linebacker both times. Once Franklin is drafted, that run on linebackers will follow shortly thereafter. So, if you're the type who likes to start runs rather than finish them and don't mind paying up a little, Franklin is a good target—elite production at a bit of a discount relative to guys like Smith and Foyesade Oluokun of the Jaguars.
IDP Draft Blueprint Step 2: Baby's Got Linebackers (Rounds 7-12)
OK, now it's time to start hitting the defense. It doesn't necessarily have to be with the first pick in this section of the draft. Draft flow plays a big part in that—IDP managers have to let the value come to them. But it may well be that seventh-rounder that's the first defensive pick, but what's important here is accomplishing three things.
That's right, three—half the picks.
The most important is to acquire two of those dwindling number of every-down linebackers who were mentioned earlier. Linebackers aren't just the highest-scoring defensive players in most IDP leagues they are the most consistent thanks to the piles of tackles they amass each and every week. Linebackers are the foundation of IDP lineups, and in leagues with four-plus starters, having an every-down guy in each spot can give managers a sizable advantage.
The second is to procure one high-end starter on the defensive line. The advent of “True Position” and the inclusion of 3-4 rush linebackers with 4-3 defensive ends has deepened the available pool at the position greatly—what used to be IDP's shallowest position now offers some solid later-round values. But there's still something to be said for having one starter you can roll out every week without a second thought.
IDP TARGET: LB C.J. Mosley, NY Jetes (Rounds 7-8)
Yes, batterymate Quincy Williams actually had more fantasy points in 2023 than Mosley. But the 32-year-old surpassed 150 tackles last season for the third consecutive year and has hit triple-digits in that category seven times on the way to five Pro Bowls. Mosley's age is causing his asking price to drop into LB2 territory. There's value to be had there.
IDP TARGET: EDGE Danielle Hunter, Houston (Rounds 8-9)
Hunter made an appearance in this very column a year ago—albeit with a slightly lower price tag. That bump in asking price comes compliments of Hunter having himself a year in Minnesota in 2023, topping 80 total tackles and adding 16.5 sacks. Now in Houston playing opposite Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson, Hunter is the one of the cheapest edge-rushers with a legit chance to finish as the overall DL1.
IDP Draft Blueprint Step 3: Master the Middle (Rounds 13-18)
Here's where IDP drafts can get tricky for newcomers to the format—in large part because where many standard drafts are wrapping up here, most IDP leagues are only halfway home. Draft-day fatigue can set in. But this is also the part of the draft where some of the biggest values can be had if IDP managers are willing to be flexible.
And that's the thing about this blueprint or any other draft “plan.” You have to be willing to change or even abandon it on the fly. If there's a wide receiver you absolutely could not pass on in Round 10 and that means you only have one linebacker at this point, it's not the end of the world. Just be more aggressive at that position in this section. Value is king. Take it where you can get it.
Given that, The Godfather tends to try to accomplish one thing by the time the draft hits this point—fill in all my starting spots on the defensive line and at linebacker. Whether that means two defensive picks or three, so be it. IDP managers should want the same thing from defensive starters as on offense—reliability.
Watch much longer than this to fill those spots, and it could be hard to come by.
IDP TARGET: Haason Reddick, NY Jets (Rounds 14-15)
Reddick is playing for a new team in 2024, and his tackle numbers were down in 2023—his 38 stops were his fewest since his rookie year. But Reddick also hit 11 sacks for the fourth straight season spread over three teams. Look for a Robert Saleh-inspired rebound in 2024.
IDP TARGET: Kyzir White, Arizona (Rounds 16-17)
This is an area of the draft where there are a number of potential value plays at linebackers—guys like White and Robert Spillane of the Las Vegas Raiders who aren't household names or elite talents but who are defensive signal-callers who have shown they can fill up a stat sheet.
IDP TARGET: Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals (Rounds 15-16)
The Godfather does not draft defensive backs early—ever. It's become part of my brand, and it's a sound IDP strategy. But if you just gotta have a high-end anchor in the secondary, make it a guy like Baker—a consistent option who doesn't carry the sticker price of a Derwin James or Antoine Winfield.
IDP Draft Blueprint Step 4: Settling the Secondary (Rounds 19-24)
As was just stated, it has long been my position to wait to draft defensive backs in IDP leagues. The position is equal parts deep and volatile—always has been, always will be. Every year there will be a top-five pick in draft season who implodes. And a player like Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum who comes from nowhere to become an elite IDP. Again, value is king—and value at defensive back lies in patience.
Still, there's a thin line between bravery and stupidity, and it's wise to stay on the right side of it. About the time that 15 defensive backs come off the board, it's a good point to start considering taking one—and that's generally in this section of the draft. Heck, if the right players are there, banging both starters in successive rounds can be a smart play.
If the starting spots at linebacker and/or defensive lineman aren't full by Round 19, that should be a priority here—even over the defensive backs. Otherwise, it's a matter of seeing if any offensive gems are left. Maybe grab a backup quarterback (If you didn't draft an elite signal-caller, anyway). You know the drill.
IDP TARGET: S Julian Love, Seattle (Rounds 20-21)
Love has quietly been one of fantasy's most productive defensive backs the past two years, surpassing 120 total stops each season despite switching teams a year ago. The arrival of Rayshawn Jenkins in Seattle has depressed Love's asking price, but given the linebacker issues in Seattle, it's entirely possible both safeties will eat this season.
IDP TARGET: S Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco (Rounds 21-22)
Hufanga made it just 10 games into the 2023 season before tearing his ACL, but he was sixth in fantasy points among defensive backs two years ago and has intercepted seven passes over the past pair of campaigns. There aren't many 100-tackle safeties out there who also have that kind of big-play potential—especially this late.
IDP Draft Blueprint Step 5: The Home Stretch (Rounds 25-30)
There's not a lot to say once you hit the 25th round other than—sigh. We all know how it goes. At this point in the draft, fantasy managers are rounding out benches, mining for sleepers, and praying for the whole thing to just be over. The Dick Butkus Division of the King's Classic is 34 rounds. Full IDP lineup. Scoring that must be experienced to be believed. And by Round 25 in a couple of weeks, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all 14 (Yep. 14 teams, too.) drafters will be glazed-eyed zombie dorks staring at their screens and grunting.
However, this is a good time to mention something about IDP drafts that is especially helpful to those newer to the format. The shallower your IDP lineup, the less depth you need. In the configuration we used as the baseline here, a couple of reserves on the defensive line and at linebacker and one backup defensive back are all you really need. That's it.
Unless you play in a deep league, the waiver wire can serve as a quasi-bench.
IDP TARGET: EDGE Byron Young, LA Rams (Rounds 25-26)
Young had more total tackles, sacks and fantasy points last year than Will Anderson of the Texans, who is going inside the top-12 at his position. Young is an afterthought. The Rams could be a sneaky-good defense in 2024—and if Young takes a step, he could be a steal up front for IDP managers.
IDP TARGET: LB K.J. Britt, Tampa Bay (Rounds 25-26)
The Buccaneers parted ways with Devin White in the offseason and made no real effort to upgrade on Britt, who showed some potential in four starts with the Buccaneers a year ago. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has historically been aggressive with at least one of his linebackers—and Lavonte David is his coverage guy.
IDP TARGET: S Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis (Rounds 28-29)
Once Blackmon moved into more of a box safety role last year, he shined both on the playing field and the stat sheet. There's been nothing noteworthy to indicate that role will change in 2024—making the 25-year-old one of the Godfather's favorite late-round dart throws on the back end this year.
Gary Davenport (“The Godfather of IDP”) is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can't make him call it X) at @IDPSharks.