Tag: IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers – Individual Defensive Players

Fantasy football IDP articles including IDP rankings, sleepers, and waiver wire pickups for individual defensive players.

Week 7 IDP Rankings, Streamers, and Notes

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date October 23, 2020

The big IDP news of the week happened just this Thursday morning, as our rankings were being finalized.

It was pretty big news, too. Yannick Ngakoue was traded to the Baltimore Ravens! Let’s discuss just how big this news is, and whether it’s good or bad for his short and long term fantasy prospects, shall we?

In the short term, fantasy managers should expect Ngakoue’s fantasy potential to actually improve after this trade, even if he was already on a 13 sack pace in Minnesota. The reason for this optimism is twofold.

Yannick Ngakoue Implications

The first reason to be optimistic about Ngakoue’s 2020 prospects in Baltimore is the likelihood that the Ravens will use him similarly to how they have used Matthew Judon this season. In 2020, Harbaugh and company have put Judon at or on the line of scrimmage on 79% of his snaps. That is encouraging, since Ngakoue is used to being a hand-in-the-dirt pass rusher and not a stand-up coverage 'backer. Fantasy managers do not want Ngakoue learning a new position mid-season, nor do they want him serving as an all-purpose linebacker. His strength is as a pass rusher, and Baltimore should use him that way.

The second reason to expect Ngakoue to continue his 2020 tear, despite changing teams and defensive schemes, is that he should get FAR more help from the secondary in Baltimore than he got in Minnesota. Baltimore’s three best corners this year (Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, and Marcus Peters) are giving up a 63.8% completion percentage to opposing passers despite seeing a dozen more targets than Minnesota’s corners. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s corners are giving up a 72.9% completion percentage to opponents. This upgrade in corner performance, as well an increase in opponent passing plays, should spell a much better opportunity for Ngakoue’s sack totals.

While the short term ramifications of this trade are positive for Ngakoue’s fantasy managers, the long term implications are even better. According to overthecap.com, the Vikings are currently more than $8 million over the 2021 salary cap, meaning they will likely be cutting talent rather than adding it this offseason. The same cannot be said for the Ravens, who have approximately $43 million in 2021 cap space. Keep in mind that Baltimore's rosy cap situation is with players like Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, Patrick Queen, and Chuck Clark all under contract through at least the 2022 season.

Overall, this trade is great for all IDP managers who roster Ngakoue. Dynasty managers should love the idea of a 25-year-old pass rusher going to a defense with good corners under contract for several years. Redraft managers should also love this move, as it makes big plays easier to come by for the stud pass rusher. In both formats, the needle is pointing up on this Maryland born star.

Top-25 Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Myles Garrett	Bengals
2	T.J. Watt	Titans
3	Joey Bosa	Jaguars
4	Jason Pierre-Paul	Raiders
5	Harold Landry III	Steelers
6	Chase Young	Cowboys
7	Za’Darius Smith	Texans
8	Bud Dupree	Titans
9	Khalil Mack	Rams
10	Aldon Smith	Washington Football Team
11	Aaron Donald	Bears
12	Bradley Chubb	Chiefs
13	Cameron Jordan	Panthers
14	J.J. Watt	Packers
15	Shaquil Barrett	Raiders
16	Montez Sweat	Cowboys
17	Chris Jones	Broncos
18	Frank Clark	Broncos
19	Josh Allen (Q)	Chargers
20	Brian Burns	Saints
21	Kyler Fackrell	Eagles
22	Carl Lawson	Browns
23	Grady Jarrett	Lions
24	Jeffery Simmons	Steelers
25	Sheldon Richardson	Bengals

DL Streamer of the Week: Chase Young, Washington Football Team

Young sits comfortably outside of the top-15 DL rankings for multiple prominent fantasy outlets this week, and that may make sense if you just looked at his output since he was injured in Week 2. Another factor that may be scaring some IDP managers/rankers is his matchup this week with a Dallas Cowboys team famous for its pass-blocking unit. The Cowboys' pass blocking isn't what it used to be, however.

This year, the Cowboys have allowed 14 sacks, which is only slightly below the league average. That number does not reflect what the Cowboys passing game has going on right now, though. So far this year, Dallas has lost both of its starting offensive tackles, Pro Bowl Guard Zack Martin, and mobile superstar Dak Prescott. Do not underestimate how many sacks Prescott has saved this season with his legs or how many Dalton won't save with his. If you want a better idea of what this Cowboys offense really looks like aftr all of these injuries, look no further than the three sacks they allowed against a Cardinals Defense that was missing its best pass rusher (Chandler Jones) on Monday.

Given his low rankings across the industry this week and his matchup with a gimpy Cowboys squad, Young is a nice sneaky play in pretty much all IDP formats. While he may already be a starter for some managers, Young is available in 25% of leagues right now. Young’s combination of availability, talent, and matchup mean he is a strong sleeper/streamer in Week 7.

DL Fade of the Week: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

Donald is arguably the best player in the NFL, and he is always a fantasy starter in leagues where you have to play a DT. In fact, most weeks Donald is a reasonable high upside fantasy play no matter what kind of league you play in. With all of that said, Donald doesn't have the ideal fantasy matchup in Week 7.

While Chicago’s offense has surrendered 11 sacks this year (tied for 13th lowest), their starting offensive line has been surprisingly efficient. The five starting blockers for the Bears have allowed only seven total sacks and 9.3 pressures per contest this season. That type of efficiency should concern Donald fantasy managers. Although Donald has the talent to blow up any blocking unit in the league, the Bears and their style of play suggest another dud of a week could be on tap for the former Defensive Player of the Year. Donald is a boom-or-bust fantasy prospect in Week 7

Sneaky Good Matchup of the Week: Jason Pierre-Paul v. the Oakland Raiders’ Offensive Line

You don’t need me to tell you to start Pierre-Paul. The fireworks fan stands third in the NFL in sacks right now, and he has already forced three fumbles while averaging nearly four tackles per game. He is arguably a top-ten DL each week, regardless of matchup. His matchup this week is particularly interesting, though.

On paper, fantasy managers should consider downgrading any defensive linemen going against the Raiders’ offensive line. Las Vegas has allowed the sixth least sacks in the NFL so far this season, and the Raiders rank 12th in Adjusted Sack Rate according to Football Outsiders. However, things in Sin City aren't quite as rosy in Week 7 as those factors may suggest.

One of the Raiders’ best pass blockers is Trent Brown, who just went on the COVID list. If Brown doesn’t play, Pierre-Paul could take advantage. On top of that, the Raiders are currently quarantining all of their starting offensive linemen because they had contact with Brown. If Vegas is missing multiple starting offensive linemen, it could turn into slaughter and a terrible fantasy week for the Raiders’ offensive players, too.

Top-25 Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Bobby Wagner	Cardinals
2	Blake Martinez	Eagles
3	Jaylon Smith	Washington Football Team
4	Roquan Smith	Rams
5	Fred Warner	Patriots
6	Devin White	Raiders
7	Zach Cunningham	Packers
8	Lavonte David	Raiders
9	T.J. Watt	Titans
10	Micah Kiser	Bears
11	Shaq Thompson	Saints
12	Joe Schobert	Chargers
13	Jordan Hicks	Seahawks
14	Deion Jones	Lions
15	Jon Bostic	Cowboys
16	Myles Jack	Chargers
17	Foyesade Oluokun	Lions
18	Kenneth Murray	Jaguars
19	Jayon Brown	Steelers
20	Demario Davis	Panthers
21	Alexander Johnson	Chiefs
22	Tremaine Edmunds	Jets
23	Kyzir White	Jaguars
24	Dre Greenlaw	Patriots
25	Avery Williamson	Bills

LB Streamer of the Week: Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers

Kwon Alexander missed last week’s matchup against the Rams with a high ankle sprain. It seems increasingly likely that he will miss this week’s game after he sat out practice this Wednesday, too. In games that Alexander sits, Dre Greenlaw averages a fantasy friendly nine tackles per game, with a ceiling of 13 tackles.

The Patriots are the third most run-heavy team in the NFL. Even better, Cam’s powerful yet improvisational running style tends to involve linebackers in the game more than usual. That bodes well for a guy like Greenlaw, who brings with him a high floor and ceiling in tackle premium IDP leagues.

LB Fade of the Week: Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas Cowboys

For those who read all of our IDP columns, you will notice that we have advised you to both add Vander Esch and fade him in this week. That is not an accident or a typo. As a season-long asset, fantasy managers should be eager to add the Boise State product. That doesn't mean you should start him this week, though.

As a Week 7 fantasy prospect, there are simply too many questions floating out there to start him. Chief amongst those questions is how much playing time Vander Esch will see against Washington. Last week he played only 52% of the Cowboys’ snaps, and it would make sense for this team to continue to take things slow with a guy who has a history of neck issues and a recently repaired clavicle. With only six total tackles this year and less than 55% of his team’s snaps in both of the games he has played (granted Week 1 was due to injury), Vander Esch should be rostered but benched until he is back to being a full-time starter.

Cautious Optimism of the Week: Foyesade Oluokun, Atlanta Falcons

If you know who Foyesade Oluokun is or how to pronounce his name, then you are probably one of his family members, a teammate, or an IDP fantasy manager. The Yale alumnus has never had the profile of an NFL superstar, nor has he ever been given the playing time necessary to become one. He is finally getting that opportunity now, though, and he is doing enough to make casual fans wonder just who this guy is and whether he is for real.

You want a reason to believe Oluokun is for real? Well, it helps that the Atlanta Falcons finally seem to think he is. While Oluokun occasionally popped with double-digit tackle games during his first two pro seasons, the Falcons rarely rewarded that play with significant playing time. For example, in 2018 the Yale grad only played on 29.88% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps, despite being available in all 16 games. This season is a different story, though, as the Yale Bulldog has played on nearly 60% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps despite missing time to injury. Expect that increased usage to continue, as Oluokun saw 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in Interim Head Coach Raheem Morris’s first game leading the Falcons.

A second reason for Oluokun optimism, beyond how often Atlanta is using him, is how Atlanta uses him. In his first two seasons combined, the Falcons brought Oluokun on a blitz just 25 times. In just five games this season, the Falcons have already sent him after the quarterback on 23 times. That increased blitz usage spells an increase in sack and TFL opportunities, which raises his fantasy value in all formats. Additionally, Oluokun has significantly improved in pass coverage. While quarterbacks had a 115.4 Passer Rating targeting him in 2017, they are now putting up an 85.6 Passer Rating against him. That improvement is likely one of the reasons that Atlanta feels comfortable keeping Oluokun on the field during passing downs.

Given his current production and increased usage, Oluokun is worth rostering in 16-team IDP leagues and unique IDP setups. Do not make the mistake of thinking you have to know how to pronounce his name in order to roster him, though. You don’t. If your friends ask you who he is or how you knew to add him, just say, "He’s that guy from that thing… you know, the guy! I've always liked him! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go poop!” That should end the conversation right there.

Top-25 Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Budda Baker	Seahawks
2	Jamal Adams	Cardinals
3	John Johnson III	Bears
4	Jordan Poyer	Jets
5	Tracy Walker	Falcons
6	Jessie Bates III	Browns
7	Jeremy Chinn	Saints
8	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Raiders
9	Justin Simmons	Chiefs
10	Landon Collins	Cowboys
11	Malcolm Jenkins	Panthers
12	Josh Jones	Chargers
13	Taylor Rapp	Bears
14	Vonn Bell	Browns
15	Johnathan Abram	Buccaneers
16	Jabrill Peppers	Eagles
17	Jordan Whitehead	Raiders
18	Carlton Davis	Raiders
19	Marcus Maye	Jets
20	Pierre Desir	Bills
21	Justin Reid	Packers
22	Keanu Neal	Lions
23	Logan Ryan	Eagles
24	Adrian Phillips	49ers
25	Kenny Vaccaro	Steelers

DB Streamer of the Week: Taylor Rapp, Los Angeles Rams

As we have already covered in past articles, fantasy managers with Taylor Rapp on their roster are in a precarious position this season. Rapp performs very well when he sees a ton of snaps, but he doesn’t tend to see a ton of snaps when rookie Jordan Fuller is healthy.

When Fuller was healthy in Weeks 1, 2, and 5 of his season, Rapp never played more than 24% of the Rams’ defensive snaps. When Fuller wasn’t healthy in Weeks 3, 4, and 5, Rapp played a vast majority of his team's snaps, and he consistently put up starter level fantasy numbers. This trend consistently reflects Rapp's 2019 season, too. Last year Rapp started ten games and saw more than 80% of his team's snaps in nine contests. Rapp put up enough stats to be a fantasy starter in most formats in each of those games.

The lesson to learn from all of this is that when Rapp plays a lot, fantasy managers play him. With Jordan Fuller on the IR, he isn’t going to play this week. That means Rapp will play a lot. It also means you should play him.

DB Fade of the Week: Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A constant favorite of mine and a streamer recommendation for us last week, Davis is a bit of a fade in Week 7. The primary concern with Davis this week is the fact Derek Carr likes to spread the ball around. Carr has given double-digit targets to seven different skill players on the Raiders this year. His most-targeted weapon by far is Darren Waller, who lines up inline or in the slot on 77.6% of his snaps this year. Davis rarely goes into the slot, preferring to stick outside. A diverse target selection and primary target in the slot means the Raiders could easily avoid Davis without changing their game plan much at all.

While Tampa may use Davis to shadow Waller, it seems unlikely. It also seems unlikely that Carr will force the ball to his tight end if Davis is blanketing him in good coverage. That means Davis should see limited opportunities for fantasy points this week.

Win Big With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

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The King's Week 7 Fantasy Football Lineup Rankings (Premium Content)

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 7) - Targets and Avoids

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Week 7 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2020 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Thursday Night Football Matchups Analysis - Week 7

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2020 nfl weekly lineup prep, DB, DL, IDP, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, NFL Streamers - Fantasy Football Streaming

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Week 6 IDP Rankings, Streamers, and Notes

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date October 17, 2020

I am glad football is back, I really am. I am forever grateful that the players are risking their health for our amusement, and I am thankful for each snap I get to watch. Pretty much all of us feel this way, I would imagine. So take what I am about to say with a grain of salt… but I have to say, there have been some pretty ugly football games played so far this season. I am talking about some eye-roll-inducing, nausea causing pigskin play.

One shining example of this ugly COVID tainted play occurred this past weekend, in the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins. Now, some watching that game may say that Ryan Fitzpatrick and company looked terrific. They could argue that it was a breakout moment for Miami’s offense, Fitz-magical even. The Dolphins Defense, some might also contend, performed beautifully. They shut down the vaunted Kyle Shanahan attack, and they did it with authority. It was a huge step forward for the hopes and dreams of all Miami fans!

Optimism wasn’t something that a lot of us took from this matchup, however. Hope is not what Trevor, our devoted and sometimes clingy IDP super fan, felt when he watched Preston Williams pick on San Francisco’s practice squad corners. Quality football wasn’t even what my creepy Instagram stalker ‘Taterguy121’ saw on Sunday, judging from the overly supportive messages he keeps sending me on the ‘gram… and the oddly graphic pictures… and that package I am afraid to open because it smells like feet covered in mustard and burnt hair. Anyways, the point is that many of us watching Sunday’s matchup in Levi’s Stadium didn’t see a breakout performance for Miami. We didn’t see the end of Kyle Shanahan’s brilliance, either. What we saw, instead, was a phenomenon that one might call “Backup Blowout.”

Week 6 Intro

The term ‘Backup Blowout’ refers to the war of attrition that the NFL is currently fighting in 2020. This season, more than any other in recent memory, games are being decided by third-string corners, scout team blockers, and second-string quarterbacks. While injuries and depth problems have always been a part of football, COVID and a rash of likely COVID-related injuries are pushing NFL coaches and fantasy managers to their limits in just our sixth week of play. Already, multiple superstars on both sides of the ball have gone down for good. Already, a plethora of solid starters and role players have gone missing as well. It’s infecting all stages of the game, including fantasy rosters.

With COVID-related issues striking down NFL players at a record pace, one could argue that IDP managers are put in a particularly precarious position. As superstars like Darius Leonard and Jamal Adams go down in IDP leagues, fantasy managers are having to decide whether to keep these stars on their bench rather than add a guy like Travis Fulgham. Many casual IDP managers may also be struggling with who to start on unexpected COVID bye weeks, or with who to add now that the 20-30 star defenders they already know are all hurt or rostered. This dire lack of stability at the top of the defender pool is something that casual IDP managers likely haven’t had to face before, but it is very real.

The best piece of advice to give IDP managers hurt by COVID is to know focus on matchups when you are picking up tier-two or tier-three defenders off of waivers. Once your star defenders succumb to injury or on a COVID bye, don’t just look for the most famous name or the highest tackle total. Instead, you should consider the opponents of any defender you may be looking to stream or start in perpetuity.

Now more than ever, weekly matchups are nearly as relevant in IDP fantasy leagues as they are in offense only fantasy leagues. Who your defenders are playing matters each week, just like it mattered that the Dolphins were playing a depleted 49ers team in Week 5. Don't be caught off guard like San Francisco was against Miami. Be prepared, and be vigilant. That is how you can weather this sloppy and often frustrating COVID-soaked fantasy season.

Note: As always, our rankings will be split into RotoBaller’s three primary IDP positions (DL, LB, and DB), and they will typically come with some flyer/fade notes for each position as well. Also, as per usual, we will include edge rushers in both our DL and LB ranks since they have different eligibility depending on the fantasy site you are using.

*Fantasy Relevant Defenders Not in Our Week 6 Ranks Due to Bye/Injury: Jamal Adams, Chandler Jones, Nick Bosa, Derwin James, Joey Bosa, Bobby Wagner, Cameron Jordan, Christian Kirksey, Demario Davis, Cory Littleton, Johnathan Abram, Maxx Crosby, and Sam Hubbard.

Top-25 Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Aaron Donald	49ers
2	T.J. Watt	Browns
3	Myles Garrett	Steelers
4	Chase Young	Giants
5	Harold Landry III	Texans
6	Aldon Smith	Cardinals
7	Yannick Ngakoue	Falcons
8	Shaquil Barrett	Packers
9	Bud Dupree	Browns
10	Khalil Mack	Panthers
11	J.J. Watt	Titans
12	Jason Pierre-Paul	Packers
13	Deforest Buckner	Bengals
14	Chris Jones	Bills
15	Za’Darius Smith	Buccaneers
16	Leonard Williams	Washington Football Team
17	Carl Lawson	Colts
18	Frank Clark	Bills
19	Kyle Van Noy	Jets
20	Brian Burns	Bears
21	Bradley Chubb	Patriots
22	Josh Allen (Q)	Lions
23	Grady Jarrett	Vikings
24	Akiem Hicks	Panthers
25	Justin Houston	Bengals

DL Streamer of the Week: Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans

Simmons was officially activated off of the COVID list this week, and the hope is he can return to form quickly. Reports are that Simmons is feeling great, and we hope he is. If the former Mississippi State standout doesn’t have any setbacks in practice this week, he should be a prime streamer candidate in Week 6.

As we have covered before in this column, the Houston Texans' offensive line is below par in a variety of ways. Their pass blocking unit is particularly bad, ranking third to last in Adjusted Sack Rate, per Football Outsiders. Thanks to that poor unit, Deshaun Watson is taking over three sacks per game. While this Texans team may continue to ride a hot streak in the wake of Bill O’Brien’s firing, the Titans Defense has several talented defenders who can help Simmons contain a mobile quarterback like Watson. Remember that Simmons was a wrecking ball when he last played against Minnesota, and Houston’s performance so far in 2020 doesn’t suggest they can contain him any better than Minnesota did. You should feel comfortable streaming Simmons in deeper leagues, as long as he practices the rest of the week.

DL Fade of the Week: All Bengals Pass Rushers

Some have speculated that the Colts’ offensive line has been disappointing this season, in part because pre-season darling Jonathan Taylor isn’t averaging six-yards-per carry. Whether this unit is as good as it should be or not, it has allowed just five sacks in five games despite having a human statute at quarterback. That sort of unit spells concerns for fantasy managers looking for sacks and big plays against Indy.

Generally speaking, Carl Lawson is one of the only Bengals defenders worth rostering in fantasy. Lawson and his teammates tend to be boom-or-bust fantasy assets, however. They are often reliant on a sack or turnover for fantasy production. To make matters worse, the Bengals will be without Sam Hubbard this week. That means that the Colts can more easily hone in on Lawson and the Bengals' few other assets. This week, it seems less than likely that any of the Bengals’ defensive linemen will get the big play they need to start for you in fantasy.

Exploding Matchup of the Week: Aaron Donald v. San Francisco 49ers

Last week we listed Donald as our Explosive Matchup of Week 5, thanks to the fact he was going against Washington's weak offensive line. Donald rewarded our prediction with a whopping four sacks in one game. Do not expect him to repeat that sort of performance this week, but there is still a good chance that he gets a second consecutive multi-sack game against a feeble San Francisco offensive line.

Unquestionably, San Francisco’s most talented blockers are its offensive tackles, Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey. However, neither of these talented linemen have been particularly impressive in pass protection in 2020. McGlinchey has allowed 14 pressures in five games, and it could be argued that he was as responsible for the 49ers' collapse against Philadelphia in Week 4 as Nick Mullens was. Meanwhile, most who watch Williams’ blocking against the Eagles and Dolphins will tell you that his PFF grade is misleadingly high. Together, these tackles have allowed 22 pressures in five games, and they are the strength of the line. The 49ers’ guards are the real weakness, allowing 27 pressures between them.

Overall, this line is allowing approximately ten pressures per game. It doesn't help that the 49ers will likely start either C.J. Beathard (a career 8.5% sack rate) or a gimpy Jimmy Garoppolo under center, either. Put one of those immobile QBs behind a porous offensive line, and you have the same sack cocktail that Washington was mixing last week against Donald.

Top-25 Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Darius Leonard (D)	Bengals
2	Blake Martinez	Washington Football Team
3	Jaylon Smith	Cardinals
4	Fred Warner	Rams
5	Zach Cunningham	Titans
6	Roquan Smith	Panthers
7	Eric Kendricks	Falcons
8	Patrick Queen	Eagles
9	Lavonte David	Packers
10	T.J. Watt	Browns
11	Micah Kiser	49ers
12	Devin White	Packers
13	Myles Jack (Q)	Lions
14	Shaq Thompson	Bears
15	Deion Jones	Vikings
16	Jon Bostic	Giants
17	Jordan Hicks	Cowboys
18	Jerome Baker	Jets
19	Devin Bush	Browns
20	Eric Wilson	Falcons
21	Joe Schobert	Lions
22	Alexander Johnson	Patriots
23	Tremaine Edmunds	Chiefs
24	Josey Jewell	Patriots
25	Foyesade Oluokun	Vikings

LB Streamer of the Week: Bobby Okereke, Indianapolis Colts

This former Stanford Cardinal is ascending in the absence of Darius Leonard, and he is doing it against both pass and run-heavy offenses. Two weeks ago, Okereke performed well against a Bears offense that throws the ball 62% of the time, and in Week 5, he did even better against a Browns unit that runs the ball more than any team in the NFL. Okereke has the skills to help in coverage and run support, acting almost as a poor man's Darius Leonard.

Going against the Bengals this week, look for this talented sophomore to serve as an attractive IDP streamer if Darius Leonard is out. However, if Leonard does play, be more cautious about inserting Okereke into lineups in shallow IDP leagues.

LB Fade of the Week: Joe Schobert, Jacksonville Jaguars

For two weeks in a row, Schobert has put up disappointing stats. Even with Myles Jack out last week, Schobert wasn’t able to secure anything but four tackles. In fact, the Wisconsin alum has failed to get you anything but decent tackle totals all of this season. He hasn't secured a turnover, sack, or even a PD. The matchup this week doesn’t spell a high ceiling for the former Brown, either.

The Detroit Lions run the sixth-fewest offensive plays in the NFL this season. That means fewer fantasy opportunities than usual for all Jaguars defenders in Week 6. Detroit also employs a 60/40 pass-to-run ratio, meaning that Schobert and his poor coverage skills will be at a disadvantage on approximately 60% of his plays this week.

If Jack is fully healthy, expect him to be the primary coverage 'backer for the Jaguars when players like T.J. Hockenson or D’Andre Swift are running routes. The Jags should want to keep Schobert away from the passing action as much as possible, considering he allows a 100% completion rate in coverage this season. While the Lions may want to target Schobert for that reason, nothing indicates Schobert will break up or intercept the passes thrown his way. Instead, his history and skillset tell us that he will be a tackle only prospect this week and a low-ceiling fantasy option. Bench him if you can afford to do so.

IDP Star of the Week: Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens

Queen has consistently been in our top-20 LB rankings this season. On top of that, he has made multiple appearances in our columns as a waiver target, long-term investment, and weekly streamer. Now, he has officially made his way into our overall top-ten LB ranks. That is a big deal for a rookie who some are still discounting because he is a rookie.

Queen was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 5, accruing nine tackles, two FR, a FF, and a TD. That wasn’t his only big performance this season, though. In fact, Queen’s only poor fantasy showing this season came against Kansas City. Otherwise, he has been a worthy fantasy starter in even the shallowest of leagues every week. While some will be concerned about relying on a rookie defender in fantasy, and the odds are he will put up a few more stinkers before he is done, Queen is a worthy add in all leagues.

This week, in particular, Queen is a terrific IDP option. While you shouldn’t expect him to repeat his terrific Week 5 (just like with Aaron Donald), the LSU alum should be able to notch a sack or a couple of TFLs against a poor Eagles offensive line. The rookie will also have several shots at an INT or PD against Carson Wentz, who has targeted the intermediate-center of the field (where Queen will patrol) on 43% of his passes this season.

Top-25 Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Budda Baker	Cowboys
2	John Johnson III	49ers
3	Jordan Poyer	Chiefs
4	Tracy Walker	Jaguars
5	Jessie Bates III	Colts
6	Marlon Humphrey	Eagles
7	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Packers
8	Landon Collins	Giants
9	Justin Simmons	Patriots
10	Jeremy Chinn	Bears
11	Chuck Clark	Eagles
12	Josh Jones	Lions
13	Marcus Maye	Dolphins
14	Jordan Whitehead	Bears
15	Carlton Davis (Q)	Packers
16	Mike Hilton	Browns
17	Vonn Bell	Colts
18	Keanu Neal	Vikings
19	Pierre Desir	Dolphins
20	Justin Reid	Titans
21	Jabrill Peppers	Washington Football Team
22	Logan Ryan	Texans
23	Adrian Phillips	Broncos
24	Trevon Diggs	Cardinals
25	Harrison Smith	Falcons

DB Streamer of the Week: Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Davante Adams is set to come back from injury this week, and we should expect Davis to shadow him all game long. That is great news for IDP managers since Aaron Rodgers has targeted his favorite receiver on 18% of Adams' snaps this season. Think about that for a second. If Adams is on the field, there is an 18% chance the ball is thrown his way. That rate is only slightly lower than in 2019 when Rodgers targeted Adams on 15.7% of his snaps.

Adams could realistically see 15+ targets against the Bucs this week. That would give Davis ample opportunities to collect tackles and turnovers. Davis should easily be the second-overall fantasy CB this week and a DB starter in 16-team fantasy leagues.

DB Fade of the Week: Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants

While Peppers established himself as a high-floor fantasy option in 2019, thanks to his high tackle rates and ability to force fumbles, Peppers' 110-tackle pace from last year has disappeared in 2020. This year, Peppers has become a fantasy afterthought. While his draft pedigree, talent, and past production will keep him on fantasy radars for some time, Peppers should be faded in Week 6 and every subsequent week until he proves he is what he used to be.

Now, one might think that the woeful Washington offense would be an excellent spot for Peppers to get right this season. After all, Ron Rivera starts a QB who loves to get sacked and turn the ball over. So why wouldn't fantasy managers hope for Peppers to blitz in and win them glory with a strip-sack? Or maybe a pick-six?

One problem with expecting big things from Peppers in Week 6 is that he only has one sack in four NFL seasons. Even worse, he has zero sacks as a Giant. Neither the Browns nor the Giants have used the Michigan grad as a Blitzer off of the edge. So why should fantasy managers expect this to change suddenly?

A second problem with expecting big things in Week 6 is that Washington runs a low volume offense that cannot establish the run game. Rivera’s squad passes the ball on over 60% of its plays. Given that Peppers has lined up in the box or at the line on nearly 70% of his defensive snaps as a Giant, he should see a low fantasy opportunity against a Washington team that will pass more than run. That spells a meager opportunity for tackles and big plays.

Win Big With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Start/Sit Advice

Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 7

Booms and Busts - Starts and Sits for Week 7 Lineups

WR/CB Matchups to Target and Avoid - Week 7

Week 7 Stream Team - Shallow and Deep-League Pickups

Lies, Damned Lies, and Fantasy Football Statistics (Week 7)

The King's Week 7 Fantasy Football Lineup Rankings (Premium Content)

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 7) - Targets and Avoids

Week 7 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2020 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Week 7 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2020 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Thursday Night Football Matchups Analysis - Week 7

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2020 nfl weekly lineup prep, DB, DL, IDP, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, NFL Streamers - Fantasy Football Streaming

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings and Streamers - Week 5

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date October 9, 2020

Let’s start Week 5 off with a piece of obvious, but apparently necessary, advice. It is advice that no IDP manager should need, but approximately 8% of IDP managers have to hear. Are you ready for this nugget of wisdom? Wait for it…. Here it comes….

Stop dropping the best defender in fantasy (Darius Leonard)!

This nugget of information seems blatantly obviously, but approximately 6% of fantasy managers have dropped Leonard this week so it has to be said. It is staggering to think that Leonard is currently available in about 8% of IDP leagues (an average of Yahoo and ESPN leagues combined). That’s about 8% too many.

Week 5 Overview

Before you ask, yes, I am aware that Leonard may miss Week 5 with a groin injury. And before you hit send on the inevitable hate tweet you have ready for me, yes, I am also aware that Leonard hasn't provided you a turnover or sack this season. I know all of this. Still, remind yourself of who we are talking about here. Leonard is a young superstar who, when healthy, has been the highest-scoring fantasy defender over the past two seasons in almost all IDP formats. He is also a player who, even during his “slump” this season, is averaging a solid nine tackles per game in 2020. That is a fantasy floor that many fantasy LBs would call their ceiling.

Further, recall that Leonard started 2019 with a relatively quiet streak that culminated in three missed games due to injury. During those missed games, many fantasy managers dropped Leonard just like they are this season. All Leonard did after that was punish those who dropped him by racking up 103 tackles, four sacks, five interceptions, seven PDs, and two forced fumbles over the season's final 11 games. That streak saw Leonard match top-ten fantasy QB production multiple times, and it serves as a reminder why you should never give up on him in fantasy.

Now, I hear you. You need to fill that valuable RB role after Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley went down. I get you. D'Ernest Johnson and Justin Jackson can look pretty appetizing to fantasy managers who are hurting. My question is, do you really have to drop Leonard to roster one of those guys? Isn’t there someone else you can drop? And if there isn’t someone else you can drop, is it worth losing a fantasy LB capable of outscoring Tom Brady just to get a few weeks of spot starter work from Johnson or Jackson?

My answer is no, neither Johnson nor Jackson has more fantasy value than Leonard does the rest of this season in most IDP leagues. There are few fantasy assets who are as reliable as a healthy Leonard. Heck, the only things more reliable in this world that come to mind are Patrick Mahomes, airplane glue, Fruit of the Loom underwear, and a tasty chalupa from Taco Bell (sponsorship pending).

*Fantasy Relevant Defenders Not in Our Week 5 Ranks Due to Injury/Bye Include: Jamal Adams, Nick Bosa, Derwin James, Chase Young, Tracy Walker, Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Trey Flowers, and Christian Kirksey.

Top-25 Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	T.J. Watt	Eagles
2	Aaron Donald	Washington Football Team
3	J.J. Watt	Jaguars
4	Myles Garrett	Colts
5	Joey Bosa	Saints
6	Bud Dupree	Eagles
7	Shaquil Barrett	Bears
8	Aldon Smith	Giants
9	Chandler Jones	Jets
10	Khalil Mack	Buccaneers
11	Yannick Ngakoue	Seahawks
12	Harold Landry III	Bills
13	Jason Pierre-Paul	Bears
14	Carl Lawson	Ravens
15	Chris Jones	Raiders
16	Deforest Buckner	Browns
17	Cameron Jordan	Chargers
18	Frank Clark	Raiders
19	Arik Armstead	Dolphins
20	Josh Allen (Q)	Texans
21	Bradley Chubb	Patriots
22	Kyle Van Noy	49ers
23	Grady Jarrett	Panthers
24	Sam Hubbard	Ravens
25	Justin Houston	Browns

DL Streamer of the Week: Carl Lawson, Cincinnati Bengals

Lawson is an exciting player who is ascending now that he is healthy, despite having limited snaps so far. He was a promising prospect with first-round talent coming out of Auburn, and when healthy he has been the Bengals' most gifted pass rusher over the past three seasons. While Lawson is often hit-or-miss in fantasy thanks to his rotational role on this defense and his sack dependency, he is a significant enough sack artist to be worth starting in prime situations. While this situation against Baltimore may seem less than ideal, it could turn out to be a prime situation in which you can nab Lawson and start him thanks to others discounting his matchup.

This week Lawson is going against a QB who has been on the injured list all week and may not have his extra gear on Sunday. While Baltimore has a good blocking unit, they aren't quite as good as they were last year and if Lamar Jackson isn't himself, Lawson could get a sack or two in Week 5 as a quality fantasy spot starter. The prospect of Baltimore keeping Lamar in the pocket a bit more, or Lamar being slowed by illness/injury is enough to make Lawson a really interesting streamer, even if on paper he doesn't seem to be.

DL Fade of the Week: Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

The Chiefs have allowed an average of 11 pressures per game so far in 2020, which isn't ideal. Despite that, Mahomes and company have given up only one sack per contest. While this blocking unit is just average in the running game, allowing 18% of their runs to be stuffed at or behind the line, they have surrendered very few big defensive plays despite going against some good defenses (Baltimore and New England, specifically).

KC's ability to avoid significant losses, sacks, and turnovers is a problem for Crosby's fantasy managers. The second-year pass rusher derives almost all of his fantasy value from big plays (sacks and TFLs). He is averaging less than two tackles per game in 2020, getting nearly all of his fantasy production from three sacks and one PD. That means he is a particularly sack dependent fantasy player. Against this KC unit, don't expect him to get one of those. Feel free to leave Crosby on your bench, or waivers in shallow leagues, this week.

Exploding Matchup of the Week: Aaron Donald v. Washington Football Team

Putting Donald in this spot seems like low hanging fruit since we all know just how good he is as a player. That said, Donald should utterly dominate Washington’s offensive line this week.

Washington has allowed 13 sacks this season so far, and the team is now starting Kyle Allen under center. Allen is a veritable statue who took 3.5 sacks per game in Carolina (an 8.6% sack rate), and who fumbled the ball a whopping once per game in 2019. Combine Washington’s offensive line with an 8.1% sack rate, a fumbling QB who takes sacks like gummy vitamins, and put them up against the best defender in football together, and you’ve got a bleak opening to Mr. Allen Goes to Washington.

Top-25 Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Darius Leonard (Q)	Browns
2	Bobby Wagner	Vikings
3	Jaylon Smith	Giants
4	Fred Warner	Dolphins
5	Devin White	Bears
6	Zach Cunningham	Jaguars
7	Blake Martinez	Cowboys
8	T.J. Watt	Eagles
9	Lavonte David	Bears
10	Micah Kiser (Q)	Washington Football Team
11	Devin Bush	Eagles
12	Roquan Smith	Buccaneers
13	Eric Kendricks	Seahawks
14	Myles Jack	Texans
15	Deion Jones	Panthers
16	Patrick Queen	Bengals
17	Jon Bostic	Rams
18	Joe Schobert	Texans
19	Shaq Thompson	Falcons
20	Jerome Baker	49ers
21	Kenneth Murray, Jr.	Saints
22	Alexander Johnson	Patriots
23	Tremaine Edmunds	Titans
24	Demario Davis	Chargers
25	Jordan Hicks	Jets

LB Streamer of the Week: Josey Jewell, Denver Broncos

A member of our IDP Waiver column this week, Jewell is an ascending fantasy prospect with a concrete floor and a decent ceiling. Last week we saw the Broncos use both Jewell and Alexander Johnson more as pass rushers, which was impactful. Expect them to be utilized like that more as the season goes on.

Jewell has a nice matchup against a run-heavy New England team this week, especially if Cam Newton starts at QB. Newton has historically allowed opposing LBs to put up good fantasy weeks against him, thanks to his style of running up the middle and through defenders. An example of this would be in Week 1 when Newton helped Jerome Baker to a big fantasy day. Expect a similar game plan from New England this week if Cam plays, and expect Jewell to put up starter fantasy stats as a result.

LB Fade of the Week: Jayon Brown, Tennessee Titans

Brown is usually a stable and steady fantasy contributor. He suffers this week from two problems, however. One problem is that his game this week, which was already moved to Tuesday, may still be canceled. That makes it hard to play any Titan or Bill this week. The second problem is that we don’t even know how any of these Titans players will perform if the game does go.

Football is genuinely in new territory with this COVID pandemic, especially regarding how these COVID delays will impact NFL players’ readiness. We have already seen how a shortened offseason and a lack of conditioning time has caused more injuries, more lineup rotations, and more unpredictable results than usual in 2020. The question now is how well Titans players, like Brown, will be able to go from their couches to the field with little to no practice time over the past two weeks. Do you want to risk your fantasy week on an LB, or any other player, who hasn't been able to take a snap with his teammates for more than 14 days?

Top-25 Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	John Johnson III	Washington Football Team
2	Budda Baker	Jets
3	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Bears
4	Landon Collins	Rams
5	Jordan Poyer	Titans
6	Justin Simmons	Patriots
7	Jessie Bates III	Ravens
8	Marcus Maye	Cardinals
9	Jeremy Chinn	Falcons
10	Malcolm Jenkins	Chargers
11	Josh Jones	Texans
12	Johnathan Abram	Chiefs
13	Chuck Clark	Bengals
14	Marlon Humphrey	Bengals
15	Vonn Bell	Ravens
16	Harrison Smith	Seahawks
17	Jordan Whitehead	Falcons
18	Jabrill Peppers	Cowboys
19	Carlton Davis	Bears
20	James Bradberry	Cowboys
21	Adrian Phillips	Broncos
22	Keanu Neal	Panthers
23	Justin Reid	Jaguars
24	Tyrann Mathieu	Raiders
25	Mike Hilton	Eagles

DB Streamer of the Week: James Bradberry, New York Giants

Last week we faded Bradberry because the Rams were a multi-faceted offense that could easily avoid the Giants' top corner, spelling low opportunity rates for Bradberry to score fantasy points. This week Bradberry is an excellent bet to get multiple fantasy opportunities, however, against the high-flying Dallas Cowboys. While some may question whether Dallas may look to finally establish a consistent run game against the woeful Giants this week, it seems safe to assume the Cowboys will throw the ball at least 35 times this game, with many targets coming Bradberry’s way.

Dak Prescott loves to target Amari Cooper, as evidenced by the pick he forced towards Cooper to end the Browns game last week. Bradberry should see plenty of Cooper, and plenty of targets as a result. Expect this corner to return to his pace of three PDs per game, which he maintained through the first three weeks of this season, in Week 5. That is significant in leagues that reward points for deflections.

DB Fade of the Week: Justin Reid, Houston Texans

So far this year, Reid has been a steady but unspectacular fantasy DB. Reid’s fantasy ceiling has been seriously capped so far because he has zero turnovers or sacks. While Reid can make those kinds of plays, fantasy managers shouldn't expect them to come this week.

Reid’s opponent in Week 5, the Jacksonville Jaguars, runs the fifth-fewest plays in the NFL so far this season. That low volume limits all defenders' opportunities for fantasy points. To make matters worse, the Jaguars average just 1.25 turnovers per game, which limits the odds that Reid will pick up his first pick or fumble this week. While Reid should spend more than half his time in coverage against the Jaguars, who run the fourth pass heaviest offense in the NFL, the low volume and low turnover rates of this Jaguars offense seriously limits Reid’s fantasy upside in Week 5.

Red Flag of the Week: Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills

Poyer is valuable enough that you can't just drop him like you can many fantasy defenders, even if he and the Bills may miss Week 5 due to COVID delay. The Bills’ standout safety is a top-three fantasy DB this week if his game goes. The problem is that we won’t likely know if Poyer is going to play in Week 5 until probably Monday or Tuesday morning of next week. Because this game has already been moved to Tuesday, with no indication if it will be played, fantasy managers must decide what to do with their Bills and Titans this week.

Poyer managers have to decide whether to risk playing him with no available backups on Tuesday, or they have to bench him for a lower ceiling player they know will play on Sunday. The only real option, beyond benching Poyer, is adding a player like C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The hyphenated Saints DB plays on Monday, and hopefully you will know whether Poyer’s game will be canceled before Gardner-Johnson takes the field on Monday night.

Win Big With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Start/Sit Advice

Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 7

Booms and Busts - Starts and Sits for Week 7 Lineups

WR/CB Matchups to Target and Avoid - Week 7

Week 7 Stream Team - Shallow and Deep-League Pickups

Lies, Damned Lies, and Fantasy Football Statistics (Week 7)

The King's Week 7 Fantasy Football Lineup Rankings (Premium Content)

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 7) - Targets and Avoids

Week 7 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2020 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Week 7 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2020 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Thursday Night Football Matchups Analysis - Week 7

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2020 nfl weekly lineup prep, DB, DL, IDP, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, NFL Streamers - Fantasy Football Streaming

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Final IDP Tiered Draft Rankings and Analysis

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date September 9, 2020

Welcome back for our last Individual Defensive Player (IDP) rankings analysis of the pre-season! With the season just around the corner, many of you are making the final tweaks to your roster or setting up for your final 2020 draft. Hopefully, these ranks and tiers will help you draft the right guy or avoid dropping the wrong one.

Note that while our RotoBaller ranks use only the defensive line (DL), linebacker (LB), and defensive back (DB) positions, our ranks do not assume that your league drafts on one particular website or uses one type of scoring.

If you are new to IDP, we do this because IDP scoring is highly customizable and is best when you and your league mates find what works best for you.

IDP Scoring

Because so many IDP leagues operate with different rules, scoring, and lineups, we try to accommodate you all in our rankings. If it helps, the following analysis does segregate IDP scoring into two general categories, which are as follows:

Standard scoring- This is the most common format used in general IDP leagues. It is a format that awards 1-2 points for solo tackles, a ½ point for half-tackles, 3 points for sacks, 2 points for Tackles for Loss (TFL) & Passes Defended (PD), and 4-5 points for Interceptions (INT) & Forced Fumbles (FF).
Big Play scoring- This format seeks to even out the scoring between LBs, DLs, and DBs by rewarding more points for big plays like sacks and INTs. They typically reward 1-2 points for tackles, 4-5 points for sacks, 2-4 points for TFLs and PDs, and 8+ points for turnovers.

Tier 1: One Defender Who Should Go Top-90

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB	1	1	1	1.000

There is no change here. Darius Leonard is our unanimous top individual defender in fantasy, just like he was back in May. Last year, he scored 24+ points in standard-scoring leagues multiple times, and he matched several QBs in Big Play scoring leagues as well. He is the rare tackler who merits being the top-overall defender in both Big Play and standard IDP scoring, thanks to his high tackle floor and lovely ceiling in sacks, INTs, and PDs.

Tier 2: Defenders Worthy of Drafting Ahead of A WR4

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
2	2	Bobby Wagner	LB	2	2	3	2.333
2	3	Danielle Hunter	DL	3	3	2	2.667
2	4	Cory Littleton	LB	4	8	4	5.333
2	5	Joey Bosa	DL	5	6	5	5.333
2	6	Blake Martinez	LB	7	12	7	8.667
2	7	Myles Garrett	DL	13	4	10	9.000
2	8	Budda Baker	DB	10	7	12	9.667
2	9	Landon Collins	DB	8	10	13	10.333
2	10	Joe Schobert	LB	6	11	15	10.667
2	11	Nick Bosa	DL	9	13	11	11.000
2	12	Jaylon Smith	LB	18	9	8	11.667

The fantasy stock of Budda Baker and Landon Collins is elevated this year by the lack of depth at their position. With the season-ending injury of Derwin James, there aren't many DBs you can trust for consistent fantasy production in 2020. That is why you may have to reach for Baker and Collins earlier than you would like. They are two of the few DBs with a high ceiling in standard scoring and a high floor in Big Play scoring leagues.

Perhaps the most important thing to note about this tier, however, is how many DLs are rated ahead of LBs who will likely outscore them in standard scoring. We do this because the DL position is perilously thin on a majority of fantasy websites/apps. You have an elite tier of four or five pass rushers who you can count on most weeks, and then you have a bunch of inconsistent guys with low floors. However, this dynamic changes drastically if you play on apps such as ESPN's, which gives 3-4 outside linebackers fantasy eligibility at the DL position. There, you have the option of drafting players like T.J. Watt, Chandler Jones, and Shaquil Barrett to start at your DL position, and so the DL position is suddenly much less thin. In those leagues, which are not the norm, you may see the value of some of these DLs drop a tiny bit.

Remember to check all defenders' position eligibility on the app/website you're using before you draft or make roster moves, so you know just how deep or thin the DL position is for you.

Tier 3: Mid-Round Defenders Who Can Win Their Position

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
3	13	Jamal Adams	DB	14	19	6	13.000
3	14	Roquan Smith	LB	12	17	14	14.333
3	15	Leighton Vander Esch	LB	15	14	16	15.000
3	16	Aaron Donald	DL	23	15	9	15.667
3	17	Devin Bush	LB	11	18	18	15.667
3	18	Tremaine Edmunds	LB	17	20	17	18.000
3	19	Zach Cunningham	LB	16	22	22	20.000
3	20	Jordan Hicks	LB	24	24	19	22.333
3	21	John Johnson	DB	21	26	25	24.000
3	22	Deion Jones	LB	20	29	24	24.333
3	23	Lavonte David	LB	22	31	20	24.333
3	24	Demario Davis	LB	26	25	26	25.667
3	25	J.J. Watt	DL	25	28	27	26.667
3	26	T.J. Watt	LB/DL	40	5	37	27.333

When he was healthy last year, Jamal Adams was the top overall DB in most fantasy setups. He is still talented enough to be an elite DB for you this year, too. That is why Justin has Adams in his top-10 overall defenders. However, Adams falls in our overall ranks because his new job in Seattle may bear better real football fruits than it will fantasy stats. Remember that Kam Chancellor only topped 100 combined tackles in a season once and only two career sacks during eight seasons in Seattle, while Earl Thomas never notched a sack playing for Pete Carroll. Also, recall that much of Adams' fantasy value has come from sacks and tackles. Expect a slight dip in fantasy production for Adams this year, even if he is joining a better defense overall.

Another player that Justin has higher than the overall ranks do is Aaron Donald. Donald's stock should be exceptionally high in IDP leagues that force you to start a Defensive Tackle (DT) and in leagues that highly reward TFLs. In those leagues, feel free to draft Donald higher than several of the guys on this list. However, his low tackle totals and lack of PDs keep him below players like Hunter and Bosa in standard IDP leagues.

The final outlier in this tier is T.J. Watt. Two of our rankers have Watt outside of their top-35 players, while yours truly places him in the top-5. Why this discrepancy? Well, there are two reasons for it.

I have Watt so much higher than others do because he is eligible as a DL in ESPN leagues, where he should be the top overall DL selected. I also have him higher because he is an elite fantasy LB if you play in a Big Play scoring league. Watt’s elite and consistent FF, TFL, and sack production make him a top fantasy LB in that sort of scoring. However, if you play in a standard scoring league on an app where Watt is only LB eligible, feel free to rank him lower.

Tier 4: Big Name Bargains

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
4	27	Cameron Jordan	DL	29	23	32	28.000
4	28	Fred Warner	LB	42	16	30	29.333
4	29	Chandler Jones	LB/DL	28	21	40	29.667
4	30	Harrison Smith	DB	34	27	31	30.667
4	31	Devin White	LB	38	35	23	32.000
4	32	Shaq Thompson	LB	31	39	34	34.667
4	33	Jordan Poyer	DB	36	40	29	35.000
4	34	Shaquil Barrett	LB/DL	19	41	47	35.667

Fred Warner is a bust candidate for many this year, which is reflected in some of our rankings. The low projections some have for him could be supported by the fact Warner is currently on the team’s Covid-19 list, too. However, Warner finished last year as the leader of an elite San Francisco defense and a top-seven LB in most fantasy formats. This summer, the camp reports were glowing for Warner too, as he added muscle and was showing more pop against the run game. When healthy, the 49ers' defensive leader shouldn't come off the field, and he shouldn't have trouble matching or even topping his fantasy production from last year.

Chandler Jones is another player who sees added value on ESPN and others that use 3-4 edges as DLs in fantasy. If you can use Jones at the DL spot, he should be a top-five player at his position thanks to his five straight years of double-digit sacks. He also holds extra value as an LB in Big Play scoring. However, just like with T.J. Watt, you can fade Jones if you play in standard-scoring leagues where Jones is only LB eligible.

Tier 5: Risks vs. Rewards

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
5	35	Keanu Neal	DB	30	47	33	36.667
5	36	Kwon Alexander	LB	27	57	28	37.333
5	37	Khalil Mack	LB/DL	35	36	51	40.667
5	38	Jayon Brown	LB	33	51	41	41.667
5	39	Jabrill Peppers	DB	41	34	53	42.667
5	40	Tracy Walker	DB	45	33	52	43.333
5	41	Cameron Heyward	DL	46	38	50	44.667
5	42	Christian Kirksey	LB	43	56	36	45.000
5	43	Shawn Williams	DB	59	43	39	47.000
5	44	Eric Kendricks	LB	37	59	46	47.333
5	45	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB	32	53	58	47.667
5	46	Taylor Rapp	DB	49	37	60	48.667
5	47	Vonn Bell	DB	#N/A	62	38	50.000
5	48	Justin Simmons	DB	56	30	66	50.667
5	49	Tyrann Mathieu	DB	48	50	54	50.667
5	50	Chase Young	DL	58	32	71	53.667

In this tier, you will find several players of the boom or bust variety. Included in that category are Keanu Neal, Kwon Alexander, and Christian Kirksey. These players have been good, if not elite, fantasy starters in the past. Each of them also stands to inherit a fantasy-friendly role on their defense, with Kirksey inheriting a particularly attractive position from Blake Martinez in Green Bay.

Neal, Alexander, and Kirksey each carry injury and inconsistency risks, however. Alexander also carries the additional risk of losing playing time to the sure-tackling sophomore, Dre Greenlaw. Feel free to draft Alexander, Kirksey, and Neal in deeper leagues, but don’t reach for them based on name value or past production.

The safer players in this boom-or-bust tier are Cameron Heyward and Justin Simmons. Both Heyward and Simmons are steady performers who play valuable positions (DL and DB, respectively). Neither of these players has to worry about learning new schemes or playing on a poor defensive unit, and both are still relatively young. Expect Heyward to put up consistent tackle and sack numbers on a talented Pittsburgh defense. At the same time, Simmons will fly under the radar despite consistently having a relatively high fantasy floor the past two seasons.

Tiers 6-7: Depth and Dynasty Value Galore

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
6	51	Jerome Baker	LB	54	48	62	54.667
6	52	Isaiah Simmons	LB	53	46	65	54.667
6	53	Jessie Bates III	DB	80	42	43	55.000
6	54	Sam Hubbard	DL	65	58	42	55.000
6	55	Patrick Queen	LB	39	44	82	55.000
6	56	Von Miller	LB/DL	47	72	49	56.000
6	57	Carlos Dunlap	DL	44	80	45	56.333
6	58	Calais Campbell	DL	50	66	55	57.000
6	59	Yannick Ngakoue	DL	51	61	59	57.000
6	60	DeForest Buckner	DL	78	49	48	58.333
6	61	Melvin Ingram III	DL	55	64	57	58.667
6	62	Kenneth Murray	LB	68	45	70	61.000
6	63	Bradley Chubb	LB/DL	64	60	64	62.667
7	64	Frank Clark	DL	60	70	63	64.333
7	65	Justin Reid	DB	62	76	61	66.333
7	66	Alexander Johnson	LB	#N/A	54	80	67.000
7	67	Justin Houston	DL	52	94	56	67.333
7	68	Kareem Jackson	DB	#N/A	68	#N/A	68.000
7	69	Grady Jarrett	DL	69	#N/A	67	68.000
7	70	K.J. Wright	LB	70	#N/A	68	69.000
7	71	Marlon Humphrey	DB	#N/A	69	#N/A	69.000
7	72	Josh Allen	DL	74	52	85	70.333
7	73	Chuck Clark	DB	#N/A	55	87	71.000

For now, the fantasy LB position is so deep that you shouldn’t be drafting Isaiah Simmons, Patrick Queen, or Kenneth Murray as a starter in shallow redraft leagues (i.e., leagues that start less than 2 LBs per team). However, you should value them quite a bit in dynasty leagues or deeper setups.

Simmons has terrific long-term potential that could make him a top-10 overall fantasy defender someday, especially if Arizona ever uses him enough in the secondary to give him DB eligibility. Meanwhile, Murray is the best rookie LB prospect to draft in your standard-scoring leagues, and Queen has Fred Warner like potential that could make him an asset in any format.

Also worth noting are the two Ravens’ DBs in this tier. Look for Chuck Clark to provide sneaky DB production, and he is a terrific sleeper if you wait on DBs until late in your draft. Meanwhile, Humphrey is the top CB prospect for those who play in leagues that force you to start at least one CB. Despite his big-play skills, QBs continue to challenge Humphrey. He is a good source of PDs and tackles.

Tiers 8-9: Deep League Starters

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
8	74	Kevin Byard	DB	67	74	75	72.000
8	75	Demarcus Lawrence	DL	63	86	69	72.667
8	76	Chris Jones	DL	57	89	73	73.000
8	77	Nick Vigil	LB	75	#N/A	72	73.500
8	78	Matt Milano	LB	61	77	89	75.667
8	79	Trey Flowers	DL	73	#N/A	79	76.000
8	80	De'Vondre Campbell	LB	76	#N/A	77	76.500
8	81	Maxx Crosby	DL	81	73	76	76.667
8	82	Rashaan Evans	LB	77	65	93	78.333
8	83	Za'Darius Smith	LB/DL	91	63	83	79.000
9	84	Brian Burns	DL	#N/A	71	88	79.500
9	85	Jarrad Davis	LB	71	#N/A	90	80.500
9	86	Terrell Edmunds	DB	72	79	91	80.667
9	87	Bud Dupree	LB	#N/A	81	#N/A	81.000
9	88	Anthony Walker	DB	88	75	#N/A	81.500
9	89	Carlton Davis	DB	#N/A	82	#N/A	82.000

Maxx Crosby had an excellent rookie season that saw him exceeding most expectations, but there are questions about whether he can keep it up long term. If he can produce this year as he did last, we will have to raise him in our ranks and recommend adding him even in shallow leagues.

If you play in leagues that require you to start a CB or a DT, Chris Jones and Carlton Davis are both VERY valuable players. Jones is arguably the second or third best fantasy DT this year, while Davis is an up-and-coming young corner who deflected 19 passes last year while notching 54 solo tackles. Expect Davis to continue to produce in CB mandated leagues, since he plays in a division full of pass-happy offenses that will target him regularly.

Tiers 10: Super Deep League Adds & Waiver Watch Players

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Consensus
10	90	Bradley McDougald	DB	66	#N/A	100	83.000
10	91	Everson Griffen	DL	83	#N/A	#N/A	83.000
10	92	Micah Kiser	LB	#N/A	83	#N/A	83.000
10	93	Dante Fowler, Jr.	DL	79	78	92	83.000
10	94	Malcolm Jenkins	DB	90	#N/A	78	84.000
10	95	Danny Trevathan	LB	85	93	81	86.333
10	96	Jadeveon Clowney	DL	100	85	74	86.333
10	97	Raekwon McMillan	LB	87	#N/A	#N/A	87.000
10	98	Johnathan Abram	DB	#N/A	87	#N/A	87.000
10	99	Logan Ryan	DB	#N/A	88	#N/A	88.000
10	100	Jeremy Chinn	DB	98	67	99	88.000

Jeremy Chinn and Johnathan Abram each have the terrific pedigree of high draft picks, and they start at the back end of leaky defenses. Do not be surprised if Chinn in particular loads up on fantasy stats as a rookie because he is a big safety with cornerback experience and terrific speed.

Finally, some may question why Jadeveon Clowney is so low on this list. There is a good reason for his place here, though. Remember that he is just now joining a new team, with no training camp or pre-season prep in this unit. Also, recall that he has been historically inconsistent as a fantasy performer over the years, never once collecting double-digit sacks or 60+ tackles. While Clowney’s immense potential and flashes of brilliance still merit watching him on waivers or adding him in deep leagues, he doesn't belong on most fantasy rosters right now.

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NFL Betting Picks For Week 7 (10/25/2020) - Moneylines, Totals, and Spreads

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags DB, DL, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

2020 IDP Rankings - Top 120 Defensive Players for Fantasy Football

Post author By RotoBaller
Post date September 6, 2020

Welcome back RotoBallers! Below you will find our staff's updated 2020 fantasy football rankings (top 120) for IDP formats. For those of you who are not familiar with fantasy football IDP leagues, these are formats where individual defensive players (IDP) are drafted by fantasy managers and accrue points for defensive stats like tackles, sacks, interceptions, etc. Our staff ranks include linebackers, defensive line, and defensive backs.

These rankings are being released after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft, and things will of course change as we get closer to the start of the NFL season. Adjustments will be made to all of our staff rankings all offseason long up until Week 1, so check back regularly for any player movements. You can also see our staff's ongoing rankings analysis articles discussing draft values, sleepers, players to target/avoid, the NFL rookies, and analyzing the NFL Draft results.

And of course, be sure to also check out our 2020 fantasy football rankings dashboard and bookmark it! That RotoBaller rankings homepage is loaded up with lots of other great staff rankings - all updated after the NFL Draft - including our PPR Rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard league rankings, Best Ball rankings, Dynasty League rankings and 2020 NFL Rookie rankings. Bookmark those pages, and prepare for all of your drafts.

IDP Fantasy Football Rankings

For those who are not familiar, three of our fantasy football analysts - Pierre Camus, Justin Carter and Chris Gregory - have come together to offer their individual rankings, which we aggregated into a consensus. Feel free to click those links and give these fine gentlemen a follow on Twitter, or let them know how much you love or hate their rankings.

Rankings table below last updated on September 6th, 2020.

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB	1	1	1
1	2	Bobby Wagner	LB	2	2	3
1	3	Danielle Hunter	DL	3	3	2
1	4	Cory Littleton	LB	4	8	4
1	5	Joey Bosa	DL	5	6	5
1	6	Blake Martinez	LB	7	12	7
2	7	Myles Garrett	DL	13	4	10
2	8	Budda Baker	DB	10	7	12
2	9	Landon Collins	DB	8	10	13
2	10	Joe Schobert	LB	6	11	15
2	11	Nick Bosa	DL	9	13	11
2	12	Jaylon Smith	LB	18	9	8
3	13	Jamal Adams	DB	14	19	6
3	14	Roquan Smith	LB	12	17	14
3	15	Leighton Vander Esch	LB	15	14	16
3	16	Aaron Donald	DL	23	15	9
3	17	Devin Bush	LB	11	18	18
3	18	Tremaine Edmunds	LB	17	20	17
3	19	Zach Cunningham	LB	16	22	22
4	20	Jordan Hicks	LB	24	24	19
4	21	John Johnson	DB	21	26	25
4	22	Deion Jones	LB	20	29	24
4	23	Lavonte David	LB	22	31	20
4	24	Demario Davis	LB	26	25	26
4	25	J.J. Watt	DL	25	28	27
4	26	T.J. Watt	LB/DL	40	5	37
4	27	Cameron Jordan	DL	29	23	32
4	28	Fred Warner	LB	42	16	30
4	29	Chandler Jones	LB/DL	28	21	40
4	30	Harrison Smith	DB	34	27	31
5	31	Devin White	LB	38	35	23
5	32	Shaq Thompson	LB	31	39	34
5	33	Jordan Poyer	DB	36	40	29
5	34	Shaquil Barrett	LB/DL	19	41	47
5	35	Keanu Neal	DB	30	47	33
5	36	Kwon Alexander	LB	27	57	28
5	37	Khalil Mack	LB/DL	35	36	51
5	38	Jayon Brown	LB	33	51	41
5	39	Jabrill Peppers	DB	41	34	53
5	40	Tracy Walker	DB	45	33	52
5	41	Cameron Heyward	DL	46	38	50
5	42	Christian Kirksey	LB	43	56	36
5	43	Shawn Williams	DB	59	43	39
5	44	Eric Kendricks	LB	37	59	46
6	45	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB	32	53	58
6	46	Taylor Rapp	DB	49	37	60
6	47	Vonn Bell	DB	#N/A	62	38
6	48	Justin Simmons	DB	56	30	66
6	49	Tyrann Mathieu	DB	48	50	54
6	50	Chase Young	DL	58	32	71
6	51	Jerome Baker	LB	54	48	62
6	52	Isaiah Simmons	LB	53	46	65
7	53	Jessie Bates III	DB	80	42	43
7	54	Sam Hubbard	DL	65	58	42
7	55	Patrick Queen	LB	39	44	82
7	56	Von Miller	LB/DL	47	72	49
7	57	Carlos Dunlap	DL	44	80	45
7	58	Calais Campbell	DL	50	66	55
7	59	Yannick Ngakoue	DL	51	61	59
7	60	DeForest Buckner	DL	78	49	48
7	61	Melvin Ingram III	DL	55	64	57
7	62	Kenneth Murray	LB	68	45	70
7	63	Bradley Chubb	LB/DL	64	60	64
7	64	Frank Clark	DL	60	70	63
7	65	Justin Reid	DB	62	76	61
7	66	Alexander Johnson	LB	#N/A	54	80
7	67	Justin Houston	DL	52	94	56
7	68	Kareem Jackson	DB	#N/A	68	#N/A
7	69	Grady Jarrett	DL	69	#N/A	67
7	70	K.J. Wright	LB	70	#N/A	68
7	71	Marlon Humphrey	DB	#N/A	69	#N/A
7	72	Josh Allen	DL	74	52	85
8	73	Chuck Clark	DB	#N/A	55	87
8	74	Kevin Byard	DB	67	74	75
8	75	Demarcus Lawrence	DL	63	86	69
8	76	Chris Jones	DL	57	89	73
8	77	Nick Vigil	LB	75	#N/A	72
8	78	Matt Milano	LB	61	77	89
8	79	Trey Flowers	DL	73	#N/A	79
8	80	De'Vondre Campbell	LB	76	#N/A	77
8	81	Maxx Crosby	DL	81	73	76
8	82	Rashaan Evans	LB	77	65	93
8	83	Za'Darius Smith	LB/DL	91	63	83
8	84	Brian Burns	DL	#N/A	71	88
8	85	Jarrad Davis	LB	71	#N/A	90
8	86	Terrell Edmunds	DB	72	79	91
8	87	Bud Dupree	LB	#N/A	81	#N/A
8	88	Anthony Walker	DB	88	75	#N/A
8	89	Carlton Davis	DB	#N/A	82	#N/A
8	90	Bradley McDougald	DB	66	#N/A	100
8	91	Everson Griffen	DL	83	#N/A	#N/A
8	92	Micah Kiser	LB	#N/A	83	#N/A
8	93	Dante Fowler Jr.	DL	79	78	92
8	94	Malcolm Jenkins	DB	90	#N/A	78
8	95	Danny Trevathan	LB	85	93	81
9	96	Jadeveon Clowney	DL	100	85	74
9	97	Raekwon McMillan	LB	87	#N/A	#N/A
9	98	Johnathan Abram	DB	#N/A	87	#N/A
9	99	Logan Ryan	DB	#N/A	88	#N/A
9	100	Jeremy Chinn	DB	98	67	99
9	101	Anthony Hitchens	LB	93	#N/A	84
9	102	Myles Jack	LB	92	#N/A	86
9	103	Tahir Whitehead	LB	82	#N/A	98
9	104	Logan Wilson	LB	#N/A	90	#N/A
9	105	Matt Judon	LB/DL	#N/A	84	97
9	106	Benardrick McKinney	LB	86	#N/A	96
9	107	Ronnie Harrison	DB	84	98	#N/A
9	108	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB	#N/A	91	#N/A
9	109	Dre Greenlaw	LB	#N/A	92	#N/A
9	110	Arik Armstead	DL	89	99	94
9	111	Adrian Amos	DB	94	#N/A	95
9	112	Akiem Hicks	DL	95	#N/A	#N/A
9	113	Jamie Collins Sr.	LB	#N/A	95	#N/A
9	114	Avery Williamson	LB	96	#N/A	#N/A
9	115	Willie Gay Jr.	LB	#N/A	96	#N/A
9	116	Tre'Davious White	DB	97	#N/A	#N/A
9	117	Josey Jewell	LB	#N/A	97	#N/A
9	118	A.J. Johnson	LB	99	#N/A	#N/A
9	119	Kyle Fuller	DB	#N/A	100	#N/A

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2020 IDP Rankings Post NFL Draft (May), DB, DL, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Sleepers Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

IDP Draft Sleepers: Linebacker

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date August 20, 2020

There are at least 25 linebackers (LB) in fantasy right now that are not only well-known names in the IDP community but are also consistent fantasy contributors in even the most shallow of IDP leagues. Given that kind of depth, many IDP managers in shallow leagues will have little to no use for LB sleepers this year or next.

There are, however, a lot of IDP managers who play in deeper and more unique leagues. In those leagues, finding a sleeper LB can be just as important as finding one at WR or TE. We must swim out into uncharted waters for those people, looking for undrafted or underrated fantasy LBs who stand to outperform their ranks/ADP in most fantasy circles.

Here we will identify some of these LBs currently being undervalued in a variety of deeper IDP formats. Each of the players on this list falls outside of the top-40 LBs in most IDP fantasy rankings (including Rotoballer's), yet they have a realistic chance of finishing in the top-30 this year or next.

1. Anthony Walker (ILB), Indianapolis Colts

There is a fantasy superstar who plays the linebacker position in Indianapolis. He is well-known by both fantasy managers and casual fans alike. He will rack up sacks, interceptions, and tackles with the best of them. He will win you matchups in fantasy.

That superstar isn't named Anthony Walker, but Walker is pretty good, too.

Walker is currently the 45^th overall LB in the Rotoballer ranks, and as the 46^th best on both ESPN and FantasyPros. This rank undersells Walker's fantasy floor in tackle-centric IDP leagues, however. In fact, the Northwestern product should be an easy top-35 fantasy LB in such leagues. Over the past two seasons, Walker has averaged 7.4 tackles per game (4.9 solo). Last year, in just his third year as a pro, Walker upped his average to 7.75 total tackles and 5.5 solo tackles per game. That is valuable consistency from a guy currently going undrafted in many deep IDP leagues.

While Walker may not be a superstar in leagues that put a premium on sacks and interceptions, his contribution in these areas should continue to improve in 2020. Last season Walker collected two turnovers and two and a half sacks, but that was with Leonard missing time and Deforest Buckner playing in San Francisco. If Buckner and Leonard can demand the double-teams that they deserve, Walker should have no trouble registering 80+ solo-tackles, 10 TFLs, and four sacks next season.

That's a valuable fantasy return for a guy whose price tag is as a waiver claim or late-round draft pick.

2. Dre Greenlaw (OLB), San Francisco 49ers

One position battle for IDP fantasy players to watch this summer will be the fight between Greenlaw and Kwon Alexander for the 49ers' second starting LB spot in their nickel packages. Last season San Francisco ran some variation of the nickel on 58.6% of the time. That means that the team played less than three LBs on over half of their snaps last year, and that either Greenlaw or Alexander could be missing half of the team's defensive snaps in 2020 if that trend continues.

There are two reasons that Greenlaw could realistically win his battle with Alexander and get at least 70% of the 49ers' total defensive snaps in 2020. One of those reasons is that Greenlaw is the far superior tackler.

Last season, the former Razorback missed a tackle once every four games, while Alexander averaged a miss every game. Alexander's tendency to whiff is no outlier, either. When Alexander was in Tampa Bay, he missed 22 or more tackles in every season that he played more 12 or more games. For a 49ers team that may not have made the Super Bowl without Greenlaw's heroic stop in their final game at Seattle, sure tackling against both the run and pass should be a high priority going into this season.

The second reason that Greenlaw could win a +70% snap share is his low cap hit, compared to Alexander. While Alexander's contract averages $13.5 million per season, Greenlaw makes approximately $710,000 per year. Considering that Greenlaw is the younger, healthier, cheaper, and better tackling option than Alexander, why wouldn't the 49ers throw him out there and see what they have in him long-term?

If Greenlaw does manage to match or top his 70% snap rate from last season, the fantasy implications could be noteworthy. Had the former Razorback started a full 16 games last season, he was on pace to rack up 112 solo-tackles. That would have led the NFL, and it makes him an excellent bargain for 2020 IDP players who play in formats that value solos.

3. Micah Kiser (ILB), Los Angeles Rams

While the Rams have moved on from Wade Phillips as their defensive coordinator, they are reportedly keeping the 3-4 scheme with which most of their defensive holdovers are familiar. That means that the players still in Los Angeles won't face a massive change in their defensive system, so they can hopefully hit the ground running. That type of advantage could be essential for a player like Kiser, as he looks to take over for the ultra-productive Cory Littleton.

Kiser's college career, and the accolades he got out of Rams camp late last year suggest that he could be an impactful fantasy defender in this defense. At the University of Virginia, he averaged 133 total tackles and 6.3 sacks per season over his final three seasons. Though viewed as a limited athlete in the Draft, the Rams valued Kiser's superior nose for the ball and potential to man the middle.

Going into his third year as a pro, Kiser has the daunting task of replacing the elite production that Littleton had in Los Angeles, and replicating the role Roquan Smith played in Chicago under the Rams' new defensive coordinator. While Smith and Littleton may be impossible comparisons for Kiser to live up to, remember that the former Cavalier doesn't have to match their athleticism or production to be an LB3 or LB4 in fantasy. He simply needs to rack up 100+ junk tackles, while batting a few balls and grabbing a few sacks along the way.

Given Kiser's production in college and his beneficial role in the middle of a defense that plays against a lot of high-volume rushing attacks, Kiser is worthy of a late-round flyer in your deeper IDP leagues. Littleton was once a sleeper himself before racking up tons of stats playing behind Aaron Donald. It's worth a late-round pick in deep IDP leagues to see if Kiser can take similar advantage of a similar situation. If he can come close to 110 tackles and four sacks, he will be at least a decent bench stash on your fantasy roster.

4. Logan Wilson (ILB), Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati had been looking for a leader in its linebacker corps for years. During that time, the defense has been a sieve against both good and bad offenses. It has lacked both leadership, and superior tackling ability, at the second level.

This prolonged deficiency is why the Bengals passed on offensive tackle Josh Jones in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and instead selected the roughneck named Logan Wilson.

During his time in college, Wilson was 13^th in the FBS in career tackles per game and 10^th in career solo-tackles per game. He wasn't just a sure tackler, either. The Wyoming Cowboy scored three touchdowns on defense in college, proving his big-play ability. While these plays didn't come against top competition, Wilson showed he had NFL level athleticism at the NFL Combine, too. Though Wilson's film shows he has a long way to go in pass coverage, he should be considered a decent bet to lead the Bengals in tackles as soon as he earns a starting job.

Considering that Wilson should lead early in Cincinnati, while going against some of the more run-heavy offenses in the NFL, it is safe to say that the former Wyoming standout is an attractive dynasty IDP target. He should be considered a top-45 dynasty rookie draft selection, and a high-upside stash in 14-team redraft leagues that start two LBs.

5. Zack Baun (OLB), New Orleans Saints

Baun is different from the others on this list because he is a dynasty sleeper, but not a real redraft option. The kid has the drive, talent, and motor to be elite someday, but he landed on a talented and veteran team that could bring him along slowly. If this Wisconsin grad had gone to the Jets, he could have immediate fantasy value. In New Orleans, fantasy players may have to wait before utilizing the former Badger.

When he does take the field regularly, however, you should look out.

At Wisconsin, Baun was an all-around force. He showed himself capable of blowing up plays against big-time programs like Michigan in a variety of ways. Baun won with power, speed, and finesse while playing at both linebacker and defensive end. He could also drop into coverage off the line, showing the ability to bait quarterbacks into bad decisions and big defensive plays. While this all-purpose defender may not be an elite athlete, his game showed shades of dominance in the Big Ten for most of his senior year. I had Baun as one of my top-25 players in the entire 2020 Draft class, and he fell to a team that can afford to groom him and unleash him in a variety of fantasy-friendly ways.

As a long-term fantasy asset, Baun has the ability and tenacity to be a real force. During his senior year of college, he posted 12.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 75 total tackles. His skillset and drive suggest he is capable of putting up similar numbers in the NFL, if he is used properly and stays healthy. Fantasy players should value him particularly high in leagues that pay a premium for sacks and TFLs. Like Logan Wilson, you should target this former Badger as a fourth-round pick in your rookie-drafts and stash him in your TAXI.

Win Big With RotoBaller

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Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 7

NFL Betting Picks For Week 7 (10/25/2020) - Moneylines, Totals, and Spreads

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Tags 2020 NFL sleepers, IDP, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, More NFL Analysis

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Sleepers Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

IDP Draft Sleepers: Defensive Back

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date August 5, 2020

As of August 1^st, several relevant fantasy defenders have decided that they rather sit out this season than have a swab shoved up their nose before they are locked in a quarantine trailer for two days. Those defenders who chose to stay home include C.J. Mosley, Dont'a Hightower, Michael Pierce, and Patrick Chung. These are all good players, and they are players who would have had some impact on Individual Defensive Player (IDP) rosters during the 2020 fantasy season.

With this kind of uncertainty and turnover sure to continue in a year with no pre-season, it is more important than ever for IDP managers to keep an eye on the state of NFL defenses and individual defenders. That is why we will spend our August running through the various defenders who stand to become booms, busts, and sleepers in this COVID-ravaged season.

We will start this dive with a discussion of which defensive backs (DB) stand to outperform their current ADP/Rank this season. In other words, who are our top DB sleepers in 2020?

1. Kyle Dugger (S), New England Patriots

Since the end of last season, the New England Patriots have lost three starting linebackers (Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, and Dont'a Hightower), as well as their starting strong safety (Patrick Chung). Both of the McCourty brothers are possible opt-outs, too. That means that the elite defensive unit that Bill Belichick fielded last year is desperately thin in both the secondary and at linebacker.

Patriots safety Patrick Chung tells me that he plans to opt out of the 2020 season. He is the sixth Patriots player to do so.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 28, 2020

That's where Kyle Dugger comes in.

Dugger has the frame to play linebacker, but he has the speed (4.49 on the 40) and burst (42-inch vertical) of a safety. Dugger's college film (most of it on handheld quality cameras) from Lenoir-Rhyne showed his ability to cover ground in zone coverage and fill holes against the run. This potential to play multiple positions is likely why Belichick invested the 37^th overall pick in him in the first place.

For those questioning if Belichick would start a rookie like Dugger, remember that 'the Hoodie' started Richard Seymour, Devin McCourty, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Sony Michel, Chandler Jones, Jerod Mayo, and Hightower as freshmen. A majority of those players were fantasy relevant as rookies, too.

For those of you saying Adrian Phillips' presence at safety renders Dugger irrelevant in 2020, remember three things. One, the Patriots often utilize three-safeties. Two, they invested more in Dugger (37^th overall pick) than they did Phillips (a 2-year, $7.5 million deal signed in May). Three, Dugger's size and versatility mean he doesn't have to beat Phillips at safety to be a starter for you and the Patriots.

While Dugger's floor is as a third safety, he should have a shot to start at both safety and linebacker in 2020. If Dugger starts at safety, he is a deep league consideration. If he starts at linebacker while retaining DB eligibility, he is a must roster in all IDP formats.

2. Jeremy Chinn (S), Carolina Panthers

Traditionally, the best fantasy DBs often play a cleanup role behind weak defensive fronts. Take Budda Baker, Jamal Adams, and Tracy Walker from 2020, for example. Each of those players was a talented closer, and they cleaned up behind poor play in front of them.

Why is it that the best fantasy DBs play in these situations?

Well, there are a couple of reasons that talented DBs tend to clean up in fantasy points behind weak fronts. The first reason is that bad defenses usually stay on the field a lot, and more plays means more fantasy opportunities. The second reason is that fantasy DBs get most of their points when the players ahead of them miss, or when the defense needs a DB to come down and blitz or close holes that the front seven couldn't handle on their own.

Here might be the right place to remind you that the Carolina Panthers spent their entire 2020 NFL Draft class on defense. The only free agents they signed to help replace Luke Kuechly, Bruce Irvin, Eric Reid, and Mario Addison were Tre Boston and Tahir Whitehead.

Jeremy Chinn has elite speed (4.46 forty time) for his size (6'3" and 221 lbs.), which should help him feast at the back end of a lousy defense in Carolina. Expect him to have success blitzing, while offenses focus on Brian Burns and Yatur Gross-Matos in the pass rush. This former Saluki should easily lead all rookie DBs in tackles, and he could be tops in sacks and turnovers, too. His fantasy floor is as a high upside IDP reserve, but he is worth rostering in both deep redrafts and dynasties.

3. Emmanuel Moseley (CB), San Francisco 49ers

When people draft cornerbacks in fantasy, they often gravitate towards the biggest and best names at the position. After all, doesn't it make sense for fantasy managers to want the best overall players? Shouldn't they want shutdown guys like Jalen Ramsey, Richard Sherman, and Patrick Peterson?

The answer to that question is yes; you want the best players at their position in fantasy… unless you're talking about cornerbacks.

You see, NFL quarterbacks often avoid throwing anywhere near the best shutdown corners in football. In fact, good quarterbacks will typically avoid throwing the ball to the side of the field that players like Sherman and Peterson are on. When balls don't come the way of your fantasy corners, they won't get any tipped passes, tackles, or interceptions.

Opportunity is crucial in fantasy, and it is the reason that a player like Moseley has sneaky fantasy value in deep IDP leagues.

Moseley started 11 of the 49ers' 19 games last season, including their two most important (the NFC Championship and Super Bowl). During those starts, opposing quarterbacks targeted Moseley often because he was considered the weakest link on a 49ers Defense that sported Richard Sherman across the field and the underrated K'Waun Williams in the slot. Despite being targeted frequently, Moseley held up and produced decent fantasy stats. As a starter, he averaged 4.1 tackles per game while racking up two interceptions and nine passes defensed in 11 games. These are solid stats that could prove valuable in deep fantasy leagues that require you to start multiple CBs.

Consider Moseley only in deep leagues that require you to start a CB specifically, but know that he may end up a top-15 fantasy CB in 2020.

4. Marcus Maye (S), New York Jets

With Jamal Adams traded to Seattle and C.J. Mosley opting out of this season, no one can blame fans for thinking that the New York Jets Defense is a dumpster fire. When you look at that unit, the only names most fans will even recognize are probably Jordan Jenkins, Marcus Maye, and last year's disappointing #3 overall NFL Draft pick Quinnen Williams. So it's entirely reasonable to say that this entire defensive unit should be ignored in IDP redraft leagues, right?

Wrong. I mean, someone has to tackle and cover for this team, right?

While Maye isn't a shiny new toy, nor is he anything to get too excited about, he is a sturdy defender who has shown flashes over three years. He has always earned positive grades for both his run defense and coverage skills, and he showed glimpses of pass-rush potential during his injury-shortened 2018 season. With their defensive leader (Adams) now gone, it is perfectly reasonable to expect the Jets to use Maye similarly to how they used Adams, simply because they have no better options. Expect this former Seminole to lead his woeful defense in tackles, passes defensed, and interceptions in 2020. He is worth rostering in deep IDP leagues, and fantasy managers should keep an eye on him as a possible waiver steal as the season progresses.

5. Carlton Davis (CB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Coming out of Auburn in the 2019 NFL Draft, Davis was considered a promising but flawed cornerback prospect. While he had great size and length, his inconsistent film and average Combine numbers caused him to fall to the Bucs at the back of the second-round. Despite the concerns that some teams had about him, Davis performed admirably as a rookie against high-powered NFC South offenses. He went a long way towards establishing himself as a long-term IDP fantasy asset, too.

In 2019, the former Auburn Tiger netted a terrific 19 passes defensed and a solid 60 tackles in just 14 games as a rookie. If Davis can continue this pace of 1.3 PDs and 4.3 tackles per game, he will be a perennial top-10 fantasy CB even if he doesn't net very many turnovers. This talented sophomore should be rostered as a legitimate top-12 fantasy CB in leagues that require you to start a CB, even if he isn't on many of the top rankings/ADP lists.

Honorable Mentions

Antoine Winfield Jr. (S), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Johnathan Abram (S), Las Vegas Raiders
Xavier McKinney (S), New York Giants
Juan Thornhill (S), Kansas City Chiefs
Damontae Kazee (S), Atlanta Falcons

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2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Tips 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note Featured Football NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

IDP One-Man Mock With Multiple Personalities

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date June 25, 2020

For those of you in fantasy football IDP leagues (Individual Defensive Player), it can be hard to find content that helps you decide when you should draft defenders in your drafts, and when you should expect others to select them. To help you through this process, we are going to conduct a one-man mock with IDP players included.

However, a simple one-man mock won't give you the best idea of how your draft will go. One man drafting for every team with one strategy for all will not give you a realistic feel for how a real draft with various personalities and draft strategies will go. That is why this one-man mock will be a little different than others.

Meet the Squad

In this one-man mock, one analyst (me) will be putting on a different personality for each of the 10 teams drafting. Those different strategies/characters are as follows:

The Steady Eddies- This team will embody your old-school analyst views on drafting. That means they won't usually invest in risky players or a lot of rookies. Think of ESPN's Eric Karabell as the captain of this ship;
The Mavericks- This is one of two unpredictable risk-takers participating in this mock. They do not shy away from injured players, streaky players, or boom-or-bust types;
The Hype Trains- This team will be prone to hype, big names, and hyperbole;
Zero RB 4 Life- This team employs the zero running back theory;
The Best Players Available- This team will traditionally draft the best player on their board, regardless of position;
Half-Back 2 Da Future- This team goes running back heavy early;
The Basic B's- This team prints off an analyst's draft rankings and they draft from that almost exclusively;
The Wild Cards- This is The Mavericks' twin. They are also risky and unpredictable drafters. There is always one, if not two, of these types in any draft;
Jack Reacher- Reacher will always try to get his guy, often a round or two higher than expected;
The Trend Setters- This team will start runs at positions like QB and TE. They will value securing the best player(s) at a position, whether those positions are deep or not.

With our various personalities explained, let us note that the offensive scoring and roster setup in this mock league is traditional. That means this league will start one QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE, two FLEX, one DL, one LB, one DB, and one IDP-FLEX. This league also uses the 'standard IDP scoring' system, which awards one point for a solo tackle, a half-point for a half tackle, two points for a PD or FR, three points for a sack, and four points for an INT or FF.

With all of this established, let us get to the picks.

Rounds 1 & 2

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
1	1	Steady Eddies	Christian McCaffery	Panthers	RB
1	2	Mavericks	Saquan Barkley	Giants	RB
1	3	Hype Trains	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	RB
1	4	Zero RB 4 Life	Michael Thomas	Saints	WR
1	5	Best Players Available	Alvin Kamara	Saints	RB
1	6	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Derrick Henry	Titans	RB
1	7	Basic B's	Davante Adams	Packers	WR
1	8	Wild Card	Josh Jacobs	Raiders	RB
1	9	Jack Reacher	Joe Mixon	Bengals	RB
1	10	Trend Setters	Tyreek Hill	Chiefs	WR
2	11	Trend Setters	Patrick Mahomes	Chiefs	QB
2	12	Jack Reacher	Lamar Jackson	Ravens	QB
2	13	Wild Card	Dalvin Cook	Vikings	RB
2	14	Basic B's	Nick Chubb	Browns	RB
2	15	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	Chiefs	RB
2	16	Best Players Available	DeAndre Hopkins	Cardinals	WR
2	17	Zero RB 4 Life	George Kittle	49ers	TE
2	18	Hype Trains	Chris Godwin	Bucs	WR
2	19	Mavericks	Odell Beckham Jr.	Browns	WR
2	20	Steady Eddies	Julio Jones	Falcons	WR

One note worth making in these first two rounds is that both Pat Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are likely to go much earlier than most analysts, including myself, would advise. If you play with people who like to get the "best player at his position," know that they are prime candidates to take Mahomes or Jackson in the top-20 picks. Don't buy into that trend, even in super-flex and dynasty leagues, however. Sit back and let others make these moves. Focus your attention on elite RBs and WRs early.

It is also worth noting that Dalvin Cook's holdout has him sliding into the second round of most fantasy drafts right now, and this mock reflects that. Cook's fall is an understandable trend, as his injury history and potential holdout are worrisome in both redraft and dynasty leagues. Do not overestimate how far Cook should fall, however. It is June, and there is still plenty of time for the Vikings to come to an agreement with the player they have repeatedly identified as a franchise cornerstone. If you can get this FSU product in the late first or early second round, you should jump on him. He is risky, but he was also the second-best fantasy back in 2019 when healthy. That kind of potential rarely falls outside of the first round.

Rounds 3-5

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
3	21	Steady Eddies	Kenyan Drake	Cardinals	RB
3	22	Mavericks	Austin Ekelar	Chargers	RB
3	23	Hype Trains	Miles Sanders	Eagles	RB
3	24	Zero RB 4 Life	Mike Evans	Bucs	WR
3	25	Best Players Available	Aaron Jones	Packers	RB
3	26	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	RB
3	27	Basic B's	Adam Thielen	Vikings	WR
3	28	Wild Card	JuJu Smith-Schuster	Steelers	WR
3	29	Jack Reacher	A.J. Brown	Titans	WR
3	30	Trend Setters	Kenny Golladay	Lions	WR
3	31	Trend Setters	Leonard Fournette	Jaguars	RB
4	32	Jack Reacher	Jonathan Taylor	Colts	RB
4	33	Wild Card	D.J. Moore	Panthers	WR
4	34	Basic B's	Le' Veon Bell	Jets	RB
4	35	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Chris Carson	Seahawks	RB
4	36	Best Players Available	Allen Robinson	Bears	WR
4	37	Zero RB 4 Life	Todd Gurley	Falcons	RB
4	38	The Hype Trains	Calvin Ridley	Falcons	WR
4	39	Mavericks	David Johnson	Texans	RB
4	40	Steady Eddies	James Conner	Steelers	RB
5	41	Steady Eddies	Cooper Kupp	Rams	WR
5	42	Mavericks	Kyler Murray	Cardinals	QB
5	43	The Hype Trains	Mark Andrews	Ravens	TE
5	44	Zero RB 4 Life	Amari Cooper	Cowboys	WR
5	45	Best Players Available	Stefon Diggs	Bills	WR
5	46	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Robert Woods	Rams	WR
5	47	Basic B's	Melvin Gordon	Broncos	RB
5	48	Wild Card	Cam Akers	Rams	RB
5	49	Jack Reacher	D.K. Metcalf	Seahawks	WR
5	50	Trend Setters	Raheem Mostert	49ers	RB

Even if his best blocker (Brandon Brooks) is out for the season, Miles Sanders is going to go high. How high should he go, though? Remember that Sanders' touches and efficiency, both at the goal and elsewhere, were all over the place last year. He is a talented player, but the loss of Brooks, the history of Doug Pederson backfield timeshares, and Sanders' inefficiency near the goal are all reasons to fade him out of the top-25 picks. He may go in the top-20 picks of your draft, but you should think twice about being the person that makes that pick. Picks 23-30 are a better range for his risk/reward profile.

The Steady Eddies get excellent value at the end of the fourth in James Conner, even if he isn't going amongst the top-40 picks in most current drafts. Pittsburgh's history of using one primary RB and Mike Tomlin's offseason comments about Conner being that lead tells us this Pitt Panther is a prime bounce-back candidate in 2020. While the Steelers' primary back is going behind rushers who carry just as much risk as he does (see David Johnson and Le' Veon Bell), Conner could end up the better player in redrafts and dynasties. Conner's age, upside, and blocking are all more attractive than Bell or Johnson.

The Hype Trains take a risk by passing on Amari Cooper (who was a top-10 WR last year) for Calvin Ridley. In doing so, the Hype Trains buy into the narrative that Ridley will see elite usage this season, and some of your league members will buy this hype too. This Crimson Tide star is a former first-round draft pick who was on pace to be WR16 in PPR settings and WR14 in standard leagues before injuries hit him last year. WR15 may be the ceiling for Ridley, however. Remember that Julio Jones will still get 160 targets from 'Matty Ice' while Russell Gage, Hayden Hurst, and Todd Gurley are all receiving buzz about their roles in this offense. That competition for targets could keep Ridley as a low-end WR2 in 2020, and his week-to-week inconsistency could continue for a third straight year.

Rounds 6-9: Defenders Appear!

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
6	51	Trend Setters	Zach Ertz	Eagles	TE
6	52	Jack Reacher	Kareem Hunt	Browns	RB
6	53	Wild Card	Terry McLaurin	Redskins	WR
6	54	Basic B's	David Montgomery	Bears	RB
6	55	Half-Back 2 Da Future	D'Andre Swift	Lions	RB
6	56	Best Players Available	Courtland Sutton	Broncos	WR
6	57	Zero RB 4 Life	Dak Prescott	Cowboys	QB
6	58	Hype Trains	Deshaun Watson	Texans	QB
6	59	Mavericks	Deebo Samuel	49ers	WR
6	60	Steady Eddies	Mark Ingram II	Ravens	RB
7	61	Steady Eddies	Keenan Allen	Chargers	WR
7	62	Mavericks	Darren Waller	Raiders	TE
7	63	Hype Trains	Devin Singletary	Bills	RB
7	64	Zero RB 4 Life	J.K. Dobbins	Ravens	RB
7	65	Best Players Available	D.J. Chark	Jaguars	WR
7	66	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Tyler Locket	Seahawks	WR
7	67	Basic B's	DeVante Parker	Dolphins	WR
7	68	Wild Card	Alexander Mattison	Vikings	RB
7	69	Jack Reacher	Rob Gronkowski	Bucs	TE
7	70	Trend Setters	Darius Leonard	Colts	LB
8	71	Trend Setters	Ke’Shawn Vaughn	Bucs	RB
8	72	Jack Reacher	Joey Bosa	Chargers	DE
8	73	Wild Card	Russell Wilson	Seahawks	QB
8	74	Basic B's	A.J. Green	Bengals	WR
8	75	Half-Back 2 Da Future	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	WR
8	76	Best Players Available	Evan Engram	Giants	TE
8	77	Zero RB 4 Life	Jarvis Landry	Browns	WR
8	78	Hype Trains	Michael Gallup	Cowboys	WR
8	79	Mavericks	Julian Edelman	Patriots	WR
8	80	Steady Eddies	Hunter Henry	Chargers	TE
9	81	Steady Eddies	Tyler Boyd	Bengals	WR
9	82	Mavericks	Will Fuller V	Texans	WR
9	83	Hype Trains	Marquise Brown	Ravens	WR
9	84	Zero RB 4 Life	Darius Slayton	Giants	WR
9	85	Best Players Available	Derrius Guice	Redskins	RB
9	86	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Tom Brady	Bucs	QB
9	87	Basic B's	Tarik Cohen	Bears	RB
9	88	Wild Card	Bobby Wagner	Seahawks	LB
9	89	Jack Reacher	Cory Littleton	Raiders	LB
9	90	Trend Setters	CeeDee Lamb	Cowboys	WR

FINALLY, we see some defenders come off the board!

Darius Leonard is the only defender worthy of a top-75 fantasy selection. The Colts' star defender may even be worth taking even higher than that. One could easily argue that Leonard's lead at the top of the LB position is more established and substantial than the edge CMC has on his fellow top-tier RBs, or that Michael Thomas has on the WR group.

Joey Bosa and Cory Littleton are defenders who join Leonard and Bobby Wagner as reasonable top-90 selections in this mock. Jack Reacher secures them both thanks to his willingness to spend prime picks on players he doesn't want to miss out on by waiting. While it is not a reach to select Bosa and Littleton in this range, many will prefer to grab offensive players like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Noah Fant before they take their first defenders.

One general lesson to learn from this early run on defenders is that defenders in IDP are not the same as your standard D/ST units. Smart owners usually wait until the later rounds to draft even the best D/ST units, but IDP defenders are different. Elite defenders are worth taking higher than you would expect. Project the Trend Setters, Jack Reachers, and Wild Cards in your leagues to start runs on defenders in these rounds.

It is also worth noting the recent news that Deebo Samuel broke his foot, as that the injury could sideline him through all of camp. This injury has him falling out of the top-55 picks in this mock, but a variety of factors could influence his draft position come August. If the reports are accurate that Samuel could be back by Week 1 and in great shape, he may deserve to go in the top-50 picks. However, if the former Gamecock re-aggravates his foot or shows up out of shape, he could fall out of the top-70 selections in redrafts. Keep an eye on Samuel's recovery and his conditioning. Remember that South Carolina Head Coach Will Muschamp warned the 49ers about the receiver's lax conditioning habits during the 2019 draft process.

Rounds 10-13

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
10	91	Trend Setters	Jerry Jeudy	Broncos	WR
10	92	Jack Reacher	Justin Jefferson	Vikings	WR
10	93	Wild Card	Noah Fant	Broncos	TE
10	94	Basic B's	Tyler Higbee	Rams	TE
10	95	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Damien Williams	Chiefs	RB
10	96	Best Players Available	Marvin Jones, Jr.	Lions	WR
10	97	Zero RB 4 Life	Matt Breida	Dolphins	RB
10	98	Hype Trains	Myles Garrett	Browns	DE
10	99	Mavericks	Danielle Hunter	Vikings	DE
10	100	Steady Eddies	Josh Allen	Bills	QB
11	101	Steady Eddies	Brandin Cooks	Texans	WR
11	102	Mavericks	Marlon Mack	Colts	RB
11	103	Hype Trains	Ronald Jones II	Bucs	RB
11	104	Zero RB 4 Life	Jordan Howard	Dolphins	RB
11	105	Best Players Available	Henry Ruggs III	Raiders	WR
11	106	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Sony Michel	Patriots	RB
11	107	Basic B's	Carson Wentz	Eagles	QB
11	108	Wild Card	Aaron Donald	Rams	DT
11	109	Jack Reacher	Mecole Hardman	Chiefs	WR
11	110	Trend Setters	Jamal Adams	Jets	S
12	111	Trend Setters	Jaylon Smith	Cowboys	LB
12	112	Jack Reacher	James White	Patriots	RB
12	113	Wild Card	Christian Kirk	Cardinals	WR
12	114	Basic B's	Jamison Crowder	Jets	WR
12	115	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Michael Pittman, Jr.	Colts	WR
12	116	Best Players Available	Matt Ryan	Falcons	QB
12	117	Zero RB 4 Life	Budda Baker	Cardinals	S
12	118	Hype Trains	Emmanuel Sanders	Saints	WR
12	119	Mavericks	Derwin James	Chargers	S
12	120	Steady Eddies	Phillip Lindsay	Broncos	RB
13	121	Steady Eddies	Diontae Johnson	Steelers	WR
13	122	Mavericks	Blake Martinez	Giants	ILB
13	123	Hype Trains	Zack Moss	Bills	RB
13	124	Zero RB 4 Life	Nick Bosa	49ers	DE
13	125	Best Players Available	Landon Collins	Redskins	S
13	126	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Roquan Smith	Bears	ILB
13	127	Basic B's	Joe Schobert	Jaguars	ILB
13	128	Wild Card	Darrell Henderson	Rams	RB
13	129	Jack Reacher	Kerryon Johnson	Lions	RB
13	130	Trend Setters	J.J. Watt	Texans	DE

Rounds eight through eleven are where you can expect to see smart drafters considering rookie receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Justin Jefferson in IDP redrafts. Mind you, these rookies carry significantly more value than this in dynasty leagues. Concerns about target shares, depth charts, and various other issues are enough to drive these rookies' stock out of the first 80 picks in redrafts, however.

Myles Garrett falls to the late tenth here, but he merits discussion in the same breath as Joey Bosa and Cory Littleton in your IDP drafts. He was on pace to be one of the most productive fantasy defensive linemen in 2019 before his suspension, and he could pick up that pace again in 2020. Expect him to finish as a top-four DL in 2020, or higher.

Public perception has Derwin James' fantasy stock falling, even in the risk-taking eyes of the Jack Reachers and Wild Cards in this mock. The consensus amongst experts and fans is that Budda Baker, Jamal Adams, and Landon Collins are better fantasy assets than James, due to his injury concerns and lack of production last season. This perception will probably force James down boards during your draft, where you could get a bargain as the Mavericks did at pick #119.

Finally, notice here that the Trend Setters drafted a second LB at pick #111. The IDP-FLEX position should almost always be filled with an LB, at least when playing in standard IDP scoring leagues. That is why the Trend Setters made this move for Jaylon Smith. They can now start two of fantasy's best LBs, giving them a weekly edge at both the LB and IDP-FLEX spots.

Rounds 14-18

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
14	131	Trend Setters	Tevin Coleman	49ers	RB
14	132	Jack Reacher	Tremaine Edmunds	Bills	ILB
14	133	Wild Card	Hayden Hurst	Falcons	TE
14	134	Basic B's	Leighton Vander Esch	Cowboys	LB
14	135	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Devin Bush	Steelers	LB
14	136	Best Players Available	Latavius Murray	Saints	RB
14	137	Zero RB 4 Life	Antonio Gibson	Redskins	RB
14	138	Hype Trains	Tony Pollard	Cowboys	RB
14	139	Mavericks	Drew Brees	Saints	QB
14	140	Steady Eddies	Zach Cunningham	Texans	LB
15	141	Steady Eddies	Cameron Jordan	Saints	DE
15	142	Mavericks	Dallas Goedert	Eagles	TE
15	143	Hype Trains	Jordan Hicks	Cardinals	LB
15	144	Zero RB 4 Life	Fred Warner	49ers	LB
15	145	Best Players Available	Lavonte David	Bucs	LB
15	146	Half-Back 2 Da Future	John Johnson III	Rams	S
15	147	Basic B's	Harrison Smith	Vikings	S
15	148	Wild Card	Deion Jones	Falcons	LB
15	149	Jack Reacher	Justin Simmons	Broncos	S
15	150	Trend Setters	Boston Scott	Eagles	RB
16	151	Trend Setters	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	QB
16	152	Jack Reacher	Gio Bernard	Bengals	RB
16	153	Wild Card	Lynn Bowden, Jr.	Raiders	RB/WR
16	154	Basic B's	Cameron Heyward	Steelers	DL
16	155	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Chase Young	Redskins	DE
16	156	Best Players Available	T.J. Watt	Steelers	OLB
16	157	Zero RB 4 Life	Demario Davis	Saints	ILB
16	158	Hype Trains	Tracy Walker	Lions	S
16	159	Mavericks	Anthony Miller	Bears	WR
16	160	Steady Eddies	Chase Edmonds	Cardinals	RB
17	161	Steady Eddies	C.J. Mosley	Jets	LB
17	162	Mavericks	Jalen Reagor	Eagles	WR
17	163	Hype Trains	Patrick Queen	Ravens	LB
17	164	Zero RB 4 Life	Baker Mayfield	Browns	QB
17	165	Best Players Available	Jared Cook	Saints	TE
17	166	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Daniel Jones	Giants	QB
17	167	Basic B's	Austin Hooper	Browns	TE
17	168	Wild Card	Jabrill Peppers	Giants	S
17	169	Jack Reacher	Joe Burrow	Bengals	QB
17	170	Trend Setters	Preston Williams	Dolphins	WR
18	171	Trend Setters	T.J. Hockenson	Lions	TE
18	172	Jack Reacher	Chris Herndon	Jets	TE
18	173	Wild Card	Denzel Mims	Jets	WR
18	174	Basic B's	Tua Tagovailoa	Dolphins	QB
18	175	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Joshua Kelley	Chargers	RB
18	176	Best Players Available	Calais Campbell	Ravens	DL
18	177	Zero RB 4 Life	DeSean Jackson	Eagles	WR
18	178	Hype Trains	Mike Williams	Chargers	WR
18	179	Mavericks	Devin White	Bucs	LB
18	180	Steady Eddies	Minkah Fitzpatrick	Steelers	DB

You will notice that teams like the Steady Eddies and the Hype Trains waited to fill a lot of their defensive needs until late in this mock. Expect some of your more practical drafters, or those who draft based on headlines, to wait on defenders until later. It is a common belief amongst fantasy players, and not an entirely false one, that individual defenders are nearly as replaceable as kickers and D/ST units. You can often get some solid defenders late in your draft. However, these later round defenders will usually carry limited ceilings or a boom-or-bust nature with them, making them significantly inferior options to the Bosa brothers, Budda Baker, or Darius Leonard.

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Tags 2020 nfl mock drafts, DB, DL, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

IDP Defensive Linemen - NFL Rookies to Watch in 2020

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date June 16, 2020

We've already looked at the top rookie linebackers and defensive backs to watch in 2020. Now, we'll finish up on the front lines where the big boys fight in the trenches to find the top tackles and edge rushers. In this space, I'll highlight some rookie IDP (individual defensive player) targets for fantasy football IDP leagues.

I won't be mentioning Chase Young because that just seems like a waste of valuable space. In case you need it in writing, here goes: He's the top rookie DT to target.

Once we get beyond the first-round talent, however, there are plenty of options that could make an impact in year one.

Yetur Gross-Matos (DE, CAR)

Carolina has a type and Yetur Gross-Matos definitely fits the bill. After spending a first-round pick on undersized edge rusher Brian Burns last year, who weighs all of 249 pounds, they spent a second-rounder on 265-pound Gross-Matos. Burns was able to pick up 7.5 sacks as a rookie and the team is hoping that Gross-Matos also shows the burst to break the edge on passing downs. He has an additional advantage - his 35" arm span ranks in the 92nd percentile. After a quiet freshman season at Penn State, he registered 34.5 tackles for loss between 2018-2019, 17 of which came in the form of QB sacks. His job description is simple - take down the quarterback whenever possible.

This is a unit on the rebuild under new coach Matt Rhule, no question. Carolina spent all seven of its draft picks on that side of the ball, starting with dynamic interior lineman Derrick Brown in the first round. It's a much-needed overhaul; the Panthers Defense was statistically the second-worst in the league last year and now will be without longtime anchor Luke Kuechly. As bad as the Panthers were defensively, the one thing they did right was to apply pressure in the backfield.

Carolina finished second in the NFL with 53 sacks, including the seventh-highest pressure rate. For that reason, Gross-Matos fits perfectly into this scheme where he and Burns can pressure the outside while Brown and Kawann Short plug up the middle. Matt Rhule brought defensive coordinator Phil Snow with him from Baylor in hopes that he can continue the success they had together; Baylor ranked first in the Big 12 with 19.8 points allowed per game and 43 sacks on the season. In tackle-heavy formats, he won't move the needle, but if you are simply looking for sack upside at DE, Gross-Matos might be the best bet after Chase Young.

A.J. Epenesa (DE, BUF)

Epenesa slipped on draft day after being speculated as a possible late first-round pick. Luckily, he fell to one of the top defenses in the league in a year that Tom Brady leaves the division. With Epenesa, the college production was there, but you have to throw the workout numbers out the window.

See what I mean? His disappointing combine numbers caused him to fall out of round one but allowed him to enter a better situation in Buffalo. He doesn't have the speed of Gross-Matos, but as part of a veteran defense where he can be mixed and matched, he may still be opportunistic enough to be productive.

Considering the recent news of Ed Oliver's legal troubles, the team could depend on their rookie lineman even more than expected as last year's first-round pick may face suspension. Epenesa may be slow out the gate and there's a chance he doesn't have enough burst to penetrate the offensive line frequently enough, so he is simply a name to monitor for now.

Julian Okwara (DE, DET)

With only his older brother Romeo to beat out on the depth chart, the younger Okwara could make a splash in 2020. Both are edge rushers out of Notre Dame, standing at 6'4" apiece. The difference is that Romeo was undrafted and doesn't possess superior athleticism. Julian is younger, stronger, and should be more productive.

Like several other players who fell to the third round, Okwara could have been drafted higher if his production didn't slip in 2019. Coming off a junior season where he collected eight sacks, Okwara experienced some injury issues and fell to just five sacks as a senior. That doesn't mean he lost the ability to rush the passer.

Despite a smaller frame, Okwara showed his strength with the occasional bullrush move. This won't fly so often in the NFL, but he won't be pancaked regularly by NFL tackles either.

The Lions' depth chart favors Okwara at the moment. Keep him on your radar in leagues where sacks are rewarded more heavily.

Leki Fotu (DT, ARI)

We've highlighted several Utah players on the defensive side of the ball already, including Jaylon Johnson in the DB version of this article. Fotu is a massive 6'5", 330lb prospect who looks to be another coming of former Ute Star Lotulelei, currently a DT for the Buffalo Bills. While Lotulelei has been light on sacks and fantasy production, Fotu is a heavier build and could benefit fantasy owners in tackle-heavy scoring systems where DT is required.

What helps Fotu is the lesser competition on the D-line in Arizona but also the pace of play. Arizona was fourth in pace of play last year and could pick that up even more with better weapons on offense in DeAndre Hopkins and a full year of Kenyan Drake. That leads to more opportunities on the defensive side of the ball, especially in pass-rush situations if the Cards can score like they want to. Fotu isn't an exciting IDP prospect, but there are precious few DT options that can bring a high point total each week. Fotu is better viewed as a dynasty stash or player to watch than a must-draft.

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Tags 2020 NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Post Draft), 2020 NFL Rookies, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note Featured Football NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Early IDP Tiered Rankings & Analysis for 2020

Post author By Chris Gregory - RotoBaller
Post date June 7, 2020

Individual Defensive Player (IDP) formats are becoming more popular in fantasy leagues, but not all IDP leagues are the same. Your IDP ranks can and should change depending on your league's format. An example might be that if your league requires you to start a defensive tackle (DT) specifically, then Aaron Donald's fantasy value would be higher in your league than in leagues that use only a general defensive line (DL) position.

Our ranks are rooted in IDP leagues that use only DL, linebacker (LB), and defensive back (DB) positions. My rankings rely on a common IDP scoring format that I will refer to as "standard scoring." This scoring system awards one point for a solo-tackle, a half-point for a half-tackle, two points for passes defensed, two points for a safety, three points for a fumble recovery, three points for a sack, four points for an interception, and six points for a touchdown.

Below you'll find my analysis of our IDP rankings.

Tier 1: One Defender Who Should Go Top-90

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
1	Darius Leonard	LB	1	1	1	1.000

As you can see, RotoBaller rankers universally agree that Darius Leonard is the top individual defender in fantasy. His short but impressive NFL resume proves he is capable of leading the NFL in tackles while picking off passes like a corner, sacking quarterbacks like an end, and scoring touchdowns. In standard scoring formats last year, Leonard had two games of 24+ fantasy points, and he scored eight or more fantasy points in 12 of his 13 games. That kind of ceiling/floor combo in a fantasy defender is almost unheard of, and it places Leonard in a tier of his own. This Colt is young too, making him the top defender in both dynasty and redraft stables.

Tier 2: Defenders Worth Drafting Before a WR4

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
2	Bobby Wagner	LB	2	2	3	2.333
2	Joey Bosa	DL	3	3	5	3.667
2	Danielle Hunter	DL	4	6	2	4.000
2	Cory Littleton	LB	5	5	4	4.667
2	Jaylon Smith	LB	7	7	8	7.333
2	Jamal Adams	DB	8	10	6	8.000
2	Myles Garrett	DL	12	4	10	8.667

This tier of defenders offers a good lesson in positional value for those new to the IDP game. The LB position in fantasy is incredibly deep, while the DL and DB positions are top-heavy. The lack of elite supply at DL and DB means that the top players at these positions will often hold more value than most fantasy LBs, even though LBs typically score the most points amongst defenders. Although players like Leonard and Bobby Wagner should go early regardless of their position, fantasy owners should prioritize the likes of Joey Bosa, Danielle Hunter, Myles Garrett, and Jamal Adams over almost any LB.

Tier 3: Mid-Round Defenders Who Can Win Their Position

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
3	Aaron Donald	DL	9	11	9	9.667
3	Blake Martinez	LB	6	17	7	10.000
3	Landon Collins	DB	11	12	11	11.333
3	Roquan Smith	LB	10	14	12	12.000
3	Budda Baker	DB	14	9	16	13.000
3	Joe Schobert	LB	13	13	13	13.000
3	Tremaine Edmunds	LB	18	19	15	17.333
3	Leighton Vander Esch	LB	16	24	14	18.000
3	Devin Bush	LB	17	18	23	19.333
3	Zach Cunningham	LB	20	20	20	20.000

There is a solid argument for Budda Baker to be included in the second tier of our defender rankings. Tackles (especially solo tackles) are the best indicator of consistent weekly performance in IDP, and Baker is the first DB to lead the NFL in solo tackles since 1996. That spells an uncommon fantasy floor for any DB, and good draft value in the double-digit rounds.

Another player who may be too low on this list is Aaron Donald, especially for those playing in leagues that utilize a starting DT slot. If you have to start a DT, Donald should arguably be one of the first three fantasy defenders drafted due to the giant drop from him to the next DT on the list. If he gets back to his 20-sack form, the Pitt product could be the top overall DL.

Finally, Blake Martinez is a tier-two prospect for two of our three rankers. He has been a tackle machine and a consistent fantasy contributor for years in Green Bay. This new New Yorker carries two question marks that could make him a risky tier-two defender, however. First, there are questions about whether his new Giants teammates can keep him as clean as his superior teammates in Green Bay did. Second, there are doubts about whether he can raise his fantasy ceiling by improving upon his unimpressive turnover numbers (five in four seasons). Those questions could be enough to put players like Baker, Landon Collins, and Roquan Smith ahead of Martinez on many boards.

Tier 4: Big Name Bargains

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
4	Jordan Hicks	LB	21	25	17	21.000
4	Lavonte David	LB	15	30	18	21.000
4	~~Derwin James~~	DB	23	8	35	~~22.000~~
4	Nick Bosa	DL	24	15	29	22.667
4	Deion Jones	LB	19	28	22	23.000
4	Demario Davis	LB	22	29	25	25.333
4	Fred Warner	LB	29	21	30	26.667
4	Cameron Jordan	DL	34	16	32	27.333
4	Devin White	LB	28	35	21	28.000
4	Harrison Smith	DB	30	23	31	28.000
4	J.J. Watt	DL	26	32	26	28.000

Derwin James is one of the most talented DBs in the NFL, but his injury history has him ranked as just the 22nd defender in our overall ranks. If James can stay healthy, he should replicate or better the elite fantasy stats he produced during his rookie year. This former Seminole has the potential to be the top overall fantasy DB for years to come, and those kinds of players aren't usually available 21 defenders deep into drafts.

Nick Bosa also represents great fantasy value if he is the 23rd defender selected in your draft. There are valid concerns about how he will do without Deforest Buckner playing next to him, but there is still a lot of potential on that line and in Bosa's biceps. This former Buckeye's fantasy floor should be as a top-eight fantasy DL if he stays healthy in 2020.

Finally, J.J. Watt falls lower in our ranks than expected thanks to the litany of injury issues he has suffered over the past four years. The older Watt brother's inability to consistently finish seasons is a concern, and it should impact his draft value, but it doesn't mean he shouldn't be valued at all. While this former Defensive Player of the Year is now too risky to go amongst the top-15 defenders, his upside at the thin DL position means he is still a substantial value outside the top-25 defenders.

Tier 5: Starters With Upside

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
5	John Johnson	DB	27	34	24	28.333
5	~~C.J. Mosley~~	LB	25	50	19	~~31.333~~
5	Shaq Thompson	LB	32	31	34	32.333
5	Jordan Poyer	DB	41	36	28	35.000
5	Keanu Neal	DB	35	38	33	35.333
5	T.J. Watt	LB	40	39	37	38.667
5	Kwon Alexander	LB	31	60	27	39.333
5	Shawn Williams	DB	42	41	39	40.667
5	Jayon Brown	LB	36	46	41	41.000
5	Chandler Jones	LB	43	43	40	42.000
5	Jabrill Peppers	DB	48	26	53	42.333

T.J. Watt and Chandler Jones are both serviceable starters at the fantasy LB position thanks to some stellar sack and turnover production. Still, their low tackle totals keep them out of the top-tier of LBs in standard scoring IDP leagues. If your league uses an EDGE position or offers added incentive for sacks and tackles for loss, however, their fantasy value should skyrocket. Consider Watt and Jones to be boom-or-bust standard league LBs, but high-end fantasy EDGE options.

Like Watt and Jones, C.J. Mosley could also be a steal in the right circumstances. Mosley has the talent and ability to be a top-five fantasy LB, and he has been one in the past. There are valid reasons why Mosley is ranked lower than his resume suggests, however. Mosely is now on a weak Jets Defense that won't do him many favors, as opposed to the strong Ravens Defenses he regularly worked on in the past. Additionally, this former Crimson Tide is recovering from a groin injury that may or may not fully heal by the start of the season. These question marks may be enough to take Mosley out of the top-ten fantasy LBs early in this process, but he still has the upside to sneak into that range if healthy.

Finally, Kwon Alexander was an elite fantasy LB for two seasons in Tampa, and he could replicate that sort of performance if he stays healthy and on the field in SF. The problem is, Alexander's missed games in four of his five NFL seasons. Another problem is that this 'Hot Boy' may lose time in nickel packages to Dre Greenlaw, who is a far cheaper and more efficient tackler. If Fred Warner and Greenlaw are SF's nickel' backers, Alexander's playing time and fantasy opportunities will drop by half.

UPDATE: Mosley has opted out for the 2020 NFL season due to COVID concerns.

Tiers 6-7: Late Round Selections With Versatility Or Upside

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
6	Shaquil Barrett	LB	33	56	47	45.333
6	Cameron Heyward	DL	50	37	50	45.667
6	Khalil Mack	LB	37	49	51	45.667
6	Eric Kendricks	LB	39	53	46	46.000
6	Jessie Bates III	DB	53	42	43	46.000
6	Tracy Walker	DB	59	27	52	46.000
6	Christian Kirksey	LB	45	63	36	48.000
6	Vonn Bell	DB	38	68	38	48.000
6	Todd Davis	LB	49	54	44	49.000
6	DeForest Buckner	DL	54	47	48	49.667
6	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB	44	55	58	52.333
6	Justin Simmons	DB	74	22	66	54.000
6	Isaiah Simmons	LB	57	40	65	54.000
7	Sam Hubbard	DL	66	58	42	55.333
7	Jerome Baker	LB	58	48	62	56.000
7	Von Miller	LB	51	72	49	57.333
7	Patrick Queen	LB	46	44	82	57.333
7	Melvin Ingram III	DL	56	62	57	58.333
7	Chase Young	DL	71	33	71	58.333
7	Taylor Rapp	DB	63	52	60	58.333
7	Tyrann Mathieu	DB	61	61	54	58.667
7	Calais Campbell	DL	52	70	55	59.000
7	Justin Houston	DL	55	75	56	62.000
7	Yannick Ngakoue	DL	62	66	59	62.333

Shaquil Barrett's projections for 2020 are all over the place, and our ranks reflect that. He is a fantasy starter at EDGE or DE if he is eligible in your league. Still, his viability as a top-ten standard scoring LB depends on whether he can repeat his 2019 breakout performance. Given that Barrett collected more sacks and forced fumbles last year than he had in the first four years of his career combined, it seems unlikely he will repeat as the NFL's sack leader in 2020.

Two other players worth note in this tier because of their positional flexibility are Khalil Mack and Isaiah Simmons. Mack is a valuable fantasy player in leagues that allow him to start as an EDGE or DL, but he is not a top-ten LB in standard formats. Meanwhile, Simmons is a fascinating fantasy pick in dynasties. Simmons could also be a top-five DB in redrafts if he gains DB eligibility while playing most of his snaps at LB.

Last but not least, in this tier is the best defender to come out of this year's NFL Draft, Chase Young. Young should hit the ground running just like his former teammate Nick Bosa did last year. If Young can get enough playing time, he will produce starting fantasy DL numbers in his rookie season. In dynasty formats, Young should be considered a top-five DL.

Tiers 8-9: Bye Week Fill-Ins & Deep Defense Starters

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
8	Bradley Chubb	LB	65	59	64	62.667
8	Carlos Dunlap	DL	47	99	45	63.667
8	Frank Clark	DL	64	67	63	64.667
8	Demarcus Lawrence	DL	69	57	69	65.000
8	Justin Reid	DB	68	69	61	66.000
8	Jamie Collins	LB	#N/A	#N/A	70	70.000
8	K.J. Wright	LB	72	#N/A	68	70.000
8	Josh Allen	DL	80	45	85	70.000
8	Jadeveon Clowney	DL	60	78	74	70.667
8	Grady Jarrett	DL	75	#N/A	67	71.000
8	Brian Burns	DL	#N/A	71	#N/A	71.000
8	Kevin Byard	DB	77	64	75	72.000
8	Jarrad Davis	LB	73	#N/A	#N/A	73.000
8	Kenneth Murray	LB	95	51	#N/A	73.000
9	Nick Vigil	LB	76	#N/A	72	74.000
9	Jeremy Chinn	DB	#N/A	76	#N/A	76.000
9	Chris Jones	DL	67	89	73	76.333
9	De' Vondre Campbell	LB	78	#N/A	77	77.500
9	Rashaan Evans	LB	79	65	93	79.000
9	Dante Fowler	DL	#N/A	#N/A	80	80.000
9	Malcolm Jenkins	DB	86	#N/A	78	82.000
9	Matt Milano	LB	70	90	89	83.000
9	Maxx Crosby	DL	92	81	76	83.000

If you play in a deep or unique IDP league, such as ones that start DTs and defensive ends (DE), this tier of players should interest you. These deep league values include Grady Jarrett and Chris Jones as top-five DTs, Bradley Chubb as a starting Edge option, and Brian Burns as a promising EDGE or DE. Jones is arguably the second-best DT in fantasy, and Burns should be able to add to the 7.5 sacks he had as a rookie now that Bruce Irvin and Mario Addison are no longer in Carolina.

Other interesting deep league additions in this tier include Jeremy Chinn and last year's rookie surprise Maxx Crosby. Crosby notched ten sacks last year and should have more help around him this year, as Las Vegas added several good defenders in free agency. Chinn is an all-around defender who is likely to take over for Eric Reid in Carolina, and he could clean up playing behind a young and flawed defense that should be on the field a lot.

Tiers 10: Super Deep League Adds & Waiver Watch Players

Tier	Player Name	Pos	Pierre	Chris	Justin	Overall Rank
10	Micah Kiser	LB	#N/A	83	#N/A	83.000
10	Myles Jack	LB	91	73	86	83.333
10	Za'Darius Smith	LB	90	77	83	83.333
10	Terrell Edmunds	DB	82	80	91	84.333
10	Dante Fowler Jr.	DL	85	85	#N/A	85.000
10	Trey Flowers	DL	83	94	79	85.333
10	Logan Ryan	DB	84	#N/A	87	85.500
10	Anthony Walker	LB	#N/A	86	#N/A	86.000
10	Danny Trevathan	LB	81	97	81	86.333
10	Ronnie Harrison	DB	#N/A	87	#N/A	87.000
10	Anthony Hitchens	LB	96	82	84	87.333
10	Eric Reid	DB	#N/A	#N/A	88	88.000
10	Kyle Fuller	DB	#N/A	88	#N/A	88.000
10	Adrian Amos	DB	98	74	95	89.000
10	Reshad Jones	DB	#N/A	#N/A	90	90.000
10	Arik Armstead	DL	94	84	94	90.667
10	Jamie Collins Sr.	LB	87	95	#N/A	91.000
10	Antoine Bethea	DB	#N/A	#N/A	92	92.000
10	Benardrick McKinney	LB	88	#N/A	96	92.000
10	Logan Wilson	LB	#N/A	92	#N/A	92.000
10	Tahir Whitehead	LB	89	91	98	92.667
10	Johnathan Abram	DB	100	79	99	92.667
10	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB	93	#N/A	#N/A	93.000
10	Mack Wilson	LB	#N/A	93	#N/A	93.000
10	Dre Greenlaw	LB	#N/A	96	#N/A	96.000
10	Matt Judon	LB	#N/A	#N/A	97	97.000
10	Bud Dupree	LB	97	#N/A	#N/A	97.000
10	Marlon Humphrey	DB	#N/A	98	#N/A	98.000
10	Jonathan Allen	DL	99	#N/A	#N/A	99.000
10	Bradley McDougald	DB	#N/A	#N/A	100	100.000
10	Marshon Lattimore	DB	#N/A	100	#N/A	100.000

This final tier of players should remain on waivers in all but the deepest of formats, such as leagues that require you to start cornerbacks (CB) or a full 11-man defense. Players like Kyle Fuller and Marshon Lattimore are fantasy starters at CB, but they aren't consistent performers at the DB position. Dre Greenlaw, Za'Darius Smith, Logan Wilson, Benardrick McKinney, and Anthony Walker all could be starters in deep leagues that require you to play an outside linebacker (OLB) and inside linebacker (ILB).

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2020 IDP Rankings Post NFL Draft (May), DB, DL, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice Editor Note Featured Football #2 NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

IDP Defensive Backs - NFL Rookies to Watch in 2020

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date June 2, 2020

We continue evaluating the top rookie IDP targets for 2020 with the secondary. Read up on the top rookie linebacker targets right here.

At RotoBaller, we aim to give IDP owners detailed fantasy football IDP league coverage all season long, starting with our IDP Top 120 consensus preseason rankings.

Seasoned IDP vets know the top names already and likely know the type of players to target on draft day. But what about those who have yet to suit up in an NFL game? Rookies often surprise us by emerging in unlikely situations or surpassing expectations. For that reason, we are going to analyze the top rookies to monitor throughout the preseason at each major positional category. Let's look at the top safeties and corners today.

Grant Delpit (S, CLE)

No, not every single LSU player from last year's team is going to make these lists. Delpit is a good candidate though, simply because he'll have the chance to step right in and assume the starting free safety role in Cleveland.

Delpit wasn't just targeted by the Browns because of his association with a championship team. In fact, his draft stock fell a bit in 2019 after his numbers slipped from his excellent sophomore campaign. Delpit registered career highs across the board in 2018 with 74 total tackles, five sacks, and five interceptions to lead the SEC. Those numbers dropped his junior year to 65 tackles, two sacks, and two INT, which prevented him from being a first-round selection.

He has shown his playmaking ability already, including a knack for getting behind the line of scrimmage. Some are painting Delpit as the next Jamal Adams, which is a lofty comparison. Others agree with pre-draft sentiments that he may not be tough enough or be a consistent tackler at the pro level. The tape doesn't seem to agree with either of these ideas though.

Ashtyn Davis (S, NYJ)

This isn't the Jets safety that has been talked about all offseason but it could be one we talk about during the season. Jamal Adams is on the verge of being traded any moment and we know that once a player's relationship sours with Adam Gase, it's over. That means the second-round pick out of Cal could be the last line of defense all season.

Davis started out by redshirting his freshman year and then played two seasons at cornerback before switching to safety. Knowledge of multiple positions gives him added versatility if needed and four years of playing time provide experience that many of his fellow rookies don't have. His "advanced age" of 23 may have worked against him to some degree on draft day but it could benefit him in fantasy.

Obviously, much of Davis' value hinges on whether Adams stays a Jet or not. With his advanced pro-readiness, Davis could still find his way onto the field enough to be an impact player.

Jaylon Johnson (CB, CHI)

Johnson didn't emerge as a combine warrior, putting up decent but not great workout numbers ranging in the 50th percentile. He was sought after due to his performance on the field at Utah. Johnson was a major part of a unit that led the Pac-12 in total defense and pass defense, allowing a league-low 187.4 passing yards per game. Over the past two years, Johnson picked off six passes and defended 15 of them, including 11 PD in 2019.

While the Bears Defense of 2019 didn't match the level of 2018, they still have the talent to be dominant again. Joining one of the better defenses in the league alleviates pressure for Johnson to perform instantly. That said, he has the chance to see significant playing time, not just in nickel packages. Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller occupies one corner spot but only disappointing Artie Burns, who comes over from Pittsburgh after four years, stands in his way on the other side. Burns fell out of the starting rotation last year after seeing his play decline. He hasn't intercepted a pass in the last 27 games played.

If Johnson can show off his coverage skills early on, he has the chance to earn a starting job right away. He could prove an opportunistic player worth noting in IDP leagues that require a CB and reward passes defended.

Antoine Winfield Jr. (S, TB)

The Bucs went with an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft because protecting new franchise QB, 42-year-old Tom Brady, has to be the first priority for a team that allowed 47 sacks last year. After that, they made the secondary the next order of business by taking Winfield Jr. in round two. Those who watched his papa play in the earlier part of the century know that he brings a wealth of on-field knowledge and a hard work ethic. His draft stock certainly wasn't based on physical attributes alone.

Winfield Jr. stands just 5'9" which isn't exactly the ideal size for a safety. He did run a 4.45 40 at the combine, however, and has the speed to help out in the return game where much of his pro potential lies. You won't see many more impressive punt returns than the one below (granted, it's against New Mexico State but still...).

Of course, at safety we as IDP players want someone who can rack up tackles and make big plays. Winfield has done both in spades during his tenure at the University of Minnesota. He averaged seven tackles per game and picked off seven passes last year alone. Two of those came in a huge upset over then-fourth-ranked Penn State, who came in undefeated. Winfield did his part to make sure the Gophers came out on top.

He doubled up with his second INT of the day, both of which came in the red zone.

Winfield may be overlooked in fantasy as he was by some teams in the draft due to his lack of physical stature. Don't be surprised if he adjusts quickly and piles up stats early in the season as the Bucs will face QBs like Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor, and Mitch Trubisky within the first five weeks.

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Tags 2020 nfl ADP Sleepers Targets Undervalued, DB, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice Editor Note Featured Football NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

IDP Linebackers - NFL Rookies to Watch in 2020

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date May 30, 2020

Here at RotoBaller, we recently released our IDP Top 120 consensus preseason rankings. We aim to provide top-notch coverage for fantasy leagues of all types and fantasy football IDP leagues (individual defensive players) are no exception.

We begin with the most productive defender of them all - the linebacker. Is the next Darius Leonard ready to emerge? Here are the most likely candidates.

Kenneth Murray, Los Angeles Chargers

Murray wasn't the first linebacker taken in the 2020 NFL Draft but his landing spot puts him on a path to instant stardom. Murray jumps into our top-80 IDP rankings immediately with ranker Chris Gregory putting him as high as 51 overall. There's good reason - he was a big part of the Oklahoma defense for three years. Oh, his workout numbers weren't too shabby either...

The Chargers have been big on young talent but have underachieved on defense the last couple of years. Joey Bosa and Derwin James should be perennial Pro Bowl selections but injuries have limited them from reaching their full potential. Jayon Brown is a solid player who also warrants strong consideration in IDP leagues. Murray could be the complementary piece the team needs to put it all together on the defensive side of the ball.

It won't hurt that the team figures to play a more controlled brand of offense now that gunslinger Philip Rivers and his 20 INT are out of town, not to mention Melvin Gordon III and his sudden fumbling issues. The Chargers turned the ball over on offense 31 times in 2019, fourth-most in the league. That kept the defense on the field more than they would like, often in bad positions. If the team can play from ahead or at least even more often, this could help the whole defense.

Aside from collecting tackles, Murray also took down the QB four times and registered 17 tackles for loss in his junior year. He will likely be used in a similar attacking manner and figures to be a big play waiting to happen any given week.

Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens

He wasn't even the first LSU linebacker taken in the draft, but Queen immediately jumps into the conversation as a DROY candidate. We have him as the 45th-ranked IDP in our preseason rankings, ahead of veteran linebackers such as Kwon Alexander and Von Miller. Those are big expectations off the bat, but they are warranted.

At LSU, the offense made all the headlines, but Queen was a big part of the championship-caliber defense. He ranked fourth in the SEC with 12 tackles for loss despite not being part of the starting unit to open 2019. Once he did, he became a force to be reckoned with and showed up loudly on tape.

The main appeal is that Queen should step right in at middle linebacker for one of the best defenses in the league at Baltimore. He replaces Josh Bynes, who now makes Cincinnati his fourth NFL team. Although Bynes didn't put up great fantasy numbers with just 23 solo tackles, much of that was due to injury and limited time on the field. Ultimately, he graded out as PFF's sixth-rated linebacker in 2019. Queen can conceivably stay on the field for 90% or more of the Ravens' defensive snaps if he proves to be nearly as effective a run-stopper. It's premature to promise a breakout season right away, but as of now Queen has the opportunity and should be considered the top rookie IDP in all formats.

Malik Harrison, Baltimore Ravens

If there is a defense that can support two rookie linebackers on the same team, it's Baltimore. Harrison is also filling the shoes of a veteran who left via free agency in Patrick Onwuasor. Harrison spent four years at Ohio State honing his craft, although his numbers in his final season took a slight dip from 81 total tackles his junior year to 75 as a senior despite playing two more games. This caused him to fall to the third round, where the Ravens promptly plucked him to be their WLB.

While his stats weren't overwhelming, he did nearly double his tackles for loss. Right off the bat, Harrison will be asked to patrol the weakside and provide pass-rush support. His raw athleticism is still developing; keep in mind he was a quarterback in high school. Harrison may not make an instant splash but he could turn into a productive defender by midseason.

Shaquille Quarterman, Jacksonville Jaguars

K'Lavon Chaisson is the bigger name to chase in Jacksonville, but Quarterman is one to watch throughout training camp if you're looking for a sleeper. Quarterman may become the next in a long line of Miami Hurricane linebackers to succeed in the NFL. He may also prove to be another former Cane who excels as a pro after showing inconsistency in college, despite being a four-time All-ACC selection.

Quarterman's biggest assets are his experience and his motor. He was a four-year starter who amassed 182 solo tackles, 12 sacks, 13 passes defended, and five fumble recoveries as a collegiate. He also finished tied for sixth all-time in ACC history with 47 tackles for loss. His lack of elite speed (4.74 40 time) and relatively limited athleticism presume a backup role in the NFL or a limited ceiling in terms of productivity. Still, if Chaisson struggles or gets hurt, Quarterman has a chance to start for a young defense lacking established playmakers outside of recently-signed Joe Schobert.

More NFL Rookie Analysis

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Tags 2020 nfl ADP Sleepers Targets Undervalued, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice Editor Note NFL Analysis NFL Draft RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Day Two NFL Mock Draft (Rounds 2-3)

Post author By Andrew Lalama - RotoBaller
Post date April 24, 2020

Welcome to day two of the 2020 NFL Draft. The first round is in the books, but the draft is just heating up. The second and third rounds are opportunities for teams to add potential starters and fill needs.

There are still high-upside prospects on the board, especially at running back, wide receiver, offensive tackle, and safety. Expect more movement on the trade front, as decision-makers will have had all day to make deals.

This mock draft is a projection of what I think will happen tonight. Click here for my top 100 and undervalued players and here for my top 50 players with write-ups.

Round 2

33. Bengals - Cole Kmet - TE, Notre Dame
The Bengals need more weapons for Joe Burrow, especially at tight end. Most believe Cole Kmet is the best tight end in the draft.

34. Colts (f/WAS) - Denzel Mims - WR, Baylor
It's quite surprising that a player with the profile of Denzel Mims fell to the second round. He won't be available very long.

35. Lions - Yetur Gross-Matos - EDGE, Penn St.
The Lions added to the third level of their defense with Jeff Okudah. Yetur Gross-Matos can help apply some pressure on quarterbacks and set the edge in the run game.

36. Giants - Matt Hennessy - C, Temple
After adding Andrew Thomas at tackle with the fourth overall pick, the Giants solidify their offensive line even more with one of the best interior prospects in this class.

37. Patriots (f/LAC) - Raekwon Davis - DT, Alabama
The Patriots had no problem trading down all the way to pick No. 37. They may have been targeting an impact defensive lineman like Raekwon Davis.

38. Panthers - Trevon Diggs - CB, Alabama
Trevon Diggs fell out of the first round but has the talent to develop into a starting corner. Diggs is the brother of Stefon and actually played some wide receiver at Alabama.

39. Dolphins - Jonathan Taylor - RB, Wisconsin
The Dolphins will surely use one of their many picks on a running back. Jonathan Taylor is arguably the best pure runner in this class and should still be available.

40. Texans (f/ARI) - Ross Blacklock - DT, TCU
The Texans traded for Brandin Cooks but still may go receiver here if they move on from Keke Coutee. They also need help along the defensive line, though, so Blacklock makes sense.

41. Browns - Xavier McKinney - S, Alabama
The Browns luck out and have their top-ranked safety in the draft fall into their laps.

42. Jaguars - Michael Pittman Jr. - WR, USC
After addressing the defense in the first round, the Jaguars opt for a big-bodied target for Gardner Minshew.

43. Bears (f/LVR) - A.J. Epenesa - DE, Iowa
The Bears stop A.J. Epenesa's surprising slide. Epenesa's poor 3-cone time is a bad sign but his film shows strength at the point of attack.

44. Colts - Kristian Fulton - CB, LSU
After getting a first-round talent at wide receiver, the Colts fill a need with a highly productive and talented cornerback.

45. Buccaneers - D'Andre Swift - RB, Georgia
The Bucs wanted to go defense here but decide they can't pass on the talents of D'Andre Swift. Swift's pass-catching ability makes him a perfect fit in Tom Brady's offense.

46. Broncos - John Simpson - OG, Clemson
Simpson is not always technique-sound or balanced, but he has mauler capabilities on the inside.

47. Falcons - Neville Gallimore - DT, Oklahoma
Despite rumors they would trade up, the Falcons stand pat and add another talented young piece to an underachieving defense.

48. Jets - Tee Higgins - WR, Clemson
The Jets took the risk with Mekhi Becton in the first round, probably in part due to the receiver depth of this class. Tee Higgins has WR1 written all over him and is slipping due to durability concerns.

49. Steelers - Ezra Cleveland - OT, Boise State
The Steelers need a tackle and did not expect Ezra Cleveland to fall this far.

50. Bears - Antoine Winfield Jr. - S, Minnesota
The Bears could use a safety opposite Eddie Jackson, and Antoine Winfield Jr. can play free safety or slot corner.

51. Cowboys - Jaylon Johnson - CB, Utah
After filling a need at slot receiver in the first round, the Cowboys upgrade the secondary with Jaylon Johnson.

52. Rams - Zack Baun - EDGE, Wisconsin
The Rams need help on the defensive line and at linebacker. There are questions about whether Zack Baun is an edge-player or off-ball linebacker, but there's no denying he's a quality football player.

53. Eagles - Logan Wilson - LB, Wyoming
Logan Wilson had over 400 tackles at Wyoming and the Eagles need help at linebacker.

54. Bills - J.K. Dobbins - RB, Ohio St.
Regardless of the constant debate about running back value, J.K. Dobbins is a quality football player that fits Buffalo's tough, physical style.

55. Ravens (f/NE t/ATL) - Laviska Shenault Jr. - WR, Colorado
It's no secret the Ravens want to keep adding weapons for Lamar Jackson. Laviska Shenault Jr. is one of the most explosive players in this draft.

56. Dolphins (f/NO) - Grant Delpit - S, LSU
Good players will undoubtedly fall further than expected. In this projection, the Dolphins steal a sliding Grant Delpit to be a starting safety for years to come.

57. Rams (f/HOU) - Lloyd Cushenberry - C, LSU
The Rams need a center and Lloyd Cushenberry was the leader of the National Champion LSU Tigers' offensive line.

58. Vikings - Josh Jones - OT, Houston
While the Vikings don't have a glaring need at tackle right now, they can't pass up the value of Josh Jones outside the top-50.

59. Seahawks - Lucas Niang - OT, TCU
The Seahawks need a right tackle. Lucas Niang doesn't have the best-looking body, but he gets it done.

60. Ravens - Cam Akers - RB, Florida St.
Mark Ingram is going to be 31 next season and the Ravens surely don't want to run Lamar Jackson as much as they did last year.

61. Titans - Marlon Davidson - DL, Auburn
The Titans worked on the offensive line in the first round, so go to the trenches on the defensive side of the ball with their second pick.

62. Packers - K.J. Hamler - WR, Penn St.
The Packers add a legitimate deep threat for Aaron Rodgers... and Jordan Love.

63. Chiefs (f/SF) - Bryce Hall - CB, Virginia
Bryce Hall flashes on film. If he can stay healthy, he can be a starter in the NFL.

64. Seahawks (f/KC) - Lynn Bowden Jr. - WR, Kentucky
In a mild surprise, the Seahawks add to their offensive weaponry with the explosive and versatile Lynn Bowden Jr.

Round 3

65. Bengals - Malik Harrison - LB, Ohio State

66. Redskins - Jeremy Chinn - S, Southern Illinois

67. Lions - Prince Tega Wanogho - OT, Auburn

68. Jets (f/NYG) - Chase Claypool - WR, Notre Dame

69. Panthers - Kyle Dugger - S, Lenoir-Rhyne

70. Dolphins - Darrell Taylor - EDGE, Tennessee

71. Patriots (f/LAC) - Jonathan Greenard - EDGE, Florida

72. Cardinals - Bradlee Anae - EDGE, Utah

73. Jaguars - Jalen Hurts - QB, Oklahoma

74. Browns - Julian Okwara - EDGE, Notre Dame

75. Colts - Curtis Weaver - EDGE, Boise State

76. Buccaneers - Josh Uche - EDGE, Michigan

77. Broncos - Willie Gay Jr. - LB, Mississippi St.

78. Falcons - Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, App. St.

79. Jets - Alex Highsmith - EDGE, Charlotte

80. Raiders - Netane Muti - OG, Fresno St.

81. Raiders (f/CHI) - Jacob Eason - QB, Washington

82. Cowboys - Ashtyn Davis - S, Cal

83. Broncos (f/PIT) - Terrell Burgess - SCB, Utah

84. Rams - Matt Peart - OT, Connecticut

85. Lions (f/PHI) - Zack Moss - RB, Utah

86. Bills - Reggie Robinson II - CB, Tulsa

87. Patriots - Van Jefferson - WR, Florida

88. Saints - Antonio Gibson - WR, Memphis

89. Vikings - Bryan Edwards - WR, South Carolina

90. Texans - Damien Lewis - OG, LSU

91. Raiders (f/SEA) - Devin Duvernay - WR, Texas

92. Ravens - Jordan Elliot - DL, Missouri

93. Titans - Terrell Lewis - EDGE, Alabama

94. Packers - Davon Hamilton - DT, Ohio St.

95. Broncos (f/SF) - Donovan Peoples-Jones - WR, Michigan

96. Chiefs - Cameron Dantzler - CB, Mississippi St.

97. Browns (f/HOU)* - Troy Dye - LB, Oregon

98. Patriots* - Amik Robertson - CB, La. Tech

99. Giants* - Alton Robinson - EDGE, Syracuse

100. Patriots* - Antonio Gandy-Golden - WR, Liberty

101. Seahawks* - Justin Madubuike - DL, Texas A&M

102. Steelers* - Josiah Scott - CB, Michigan St.

103. Eagles* - Brandon Jones - S, Texas

104. Rams* - John Hightower - WR, Boise St.

105. Vikings* - Tony Pride Jr. - CB, Notre Dame

106. Ravens* - Jonah Jackson - OG, Ohio St.

More NFL Draft Analysis

Week 6 Fantasy Preview- Woos and Boos

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Tags 2020 NFL Dynasty Strategy, 2020 nfl rankings analysis, 2020 NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Post Draft), 2020 nfl wide receivers, WR

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice Editor Note Featured Football Featured Homepage NFL Analysis NFL Draft RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Final 2020 NFL Mock Draft

Post author By Andrew Lalama - RotoBaller
Post date April 23, 2020

It’s draft day! Hopeful NFL fans are optimistic and excited, ready for their favorite team to ace the draft. For some fanbases, the reality may be more disappointing. Part of the fun of the NFL Draft is the uncertainty of it. "Chalk" mock drafts rarely turn out to be even remotely accurate.

Creating a mock draft for accuracy is usually an exercise in futility. After the first trade, the whole thing usually crumbles. No matter how much scouting, research, and Vegas line-reading someone can do - mocks are tough. So why make one? Because that's just what draftniks do.

This is my final stab at it. You can also see my Mock Draft 1.0 and Mock Draft 2.0. These NFL Draft projections are what I believe will happen tonight, not what I would do if I were making the picks.

Round One - The Top 10

1. Bengals - Joe Burrow - QB, LSU

Joe Burrow is probably on Day 14 of install at this point.

2.Redskins - Chase Young - EDGE, Ohio St.

Chase Young will help give the Redskins one of the best defensive lines in football next year.

Projected Trade – Dolphins get pick No. 3. Lions get picks No. 5 and No. 39.

3. Dolphins (f/DET) - Tua Tagovailoa - QB, Alabama

It doesn't make any sense for the Dolphins to make this move for anyone but Tua Tagovailoa.

4. Giants - Tristan Wirfs - OT, Iowa

The Giants go with Tristan Wirfs because of his right tackle experience and athleticism.

5. Lions (f/MIA) - Derrick Brown - DT, Auburn

The Lions could go Jeff Okudah here, but reports say they are high on Derrick Brown.

Projected Trade – Falcons get pick No. 6. Chargers get picks No. 16, No. 47 and a 2021 1^st-round pick.

6. Falcons (f/LAC) - Jeff Okudah - CB, Ohio State

Rumors are swirling about the Falcons trading up for an impact defender.

7. Panthers - Isaiah Simmons - LB, Clemson

The Panthers need help at safety and linebacker. Isaiah Simmons can play safety and linebacker.

8. Cardinals - Andrew Thomas - OT, Georgia

The Cardinals could go C.J. Henderson here, but decide Andrew Thomas is the best player available.

Projected Trade – Buccaneers get pick No. 9. Jaguars get picks No. 14 and No. 45.

9. Buccaneers (f/ARI) - Jedrick Wills Jr. - OT, Alabama

The Buccaneers need to protect Tom Brady. Jedrick Wills Jr. gave up just one sack at Alabama.

Projected Trade – Eagles get pick No. 10. Browns get picks No. 21, No. 53, and No. 103.

10. Eagles (f/CLE) - CeeDee Lamb - WR, Oklahoma

This draft is deep at wide receiver, but the Eagles jump the Jets for Carson Wentz’s future WR1.

Round One - #11-20

11. Jets - Mekhi Becton - OT, Louisville

The Jets miss out on Lamb so go tackle before focusing on receivers on day two.

12. Raiders - C.J. Henderson

The Raiders have a need at cornerback and C.J. Henderson has shutdown potential.

13. 49ers (f/IND) - Henry Ruggs III - WR, Alabama

The 49ers go with the speedy teammate of Jerry Jeudy due to question marks about Jeudy’s knee.

14. Jaguars (f/TB) - Javon Kinlaw - DT, S. Carolina

The Jaguars wanted Javon Kinlaw all along and add some extra picks in the process.

15. Broncos - Justin Jefferson - WR, LSU

The Broncos need an outside wide receiver and a slot wide receiver. Justin Jefferson can play both. Not at the same time, though. I think.

16. Chargers (f/ATL) - K'Lavon Chaisson - EDGE, LSU

The Chargers move down and pass on a quarterback for a high-upside pass-rusher.

17. Cowboys - Jerry Jeudy - WR, Alabama

The Cowboys are thrilled to land a sliding Leon Lett - I mean Jerry Jeudy.

18. Dolphins (f/PIT) - Xavier McKinney - S, Alabama

The Dolphins add a starting safety with a pick they got for trading a starting safety.

19. Raiders (f/CHI) - Denzel Mims - WR, Baylor

The Raiders can't pass on the dominant traits of Denzel Mims.

20. Jaguars (f/LAR) - Trevon Diggs - CB, Alabama

Trevon Diggs is rising up boards as the Jaguars continue to re-tool their defense.

Round One - #21-32

21. Browns (f/PHI) - Ezra Cleveland - OT, Boise St.

Ezra Cleveland lands in Cleveland as the Browns stockpile picks.

22. Vikings (f/BUF) - A.J. Terrell - CB, Clemson

The Vikings have a desperate need at cornerback.

23. Patriots - Justin Herbert - QB, Oregon

In the 2011 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick used the 74^th overall pick on Ryan Mallett. Justin Herbert is like Ryan Mallett, but if he had a scantron.

24. Saints - Kenneth Murray - LB, Oklahoma

Kenneth Murray can step in and call the defense for Dennis Allen on day one.

25. Vikings - Michael Pittman Jr. - WR, USC

In a surprise pick, Michael Pittman Jr. and strong hands go to Minnesota.

26. Dolphins (f/HOU) - Jonathan Taylor - RB, Wisconsin

Brian Flores comes from New England, where a pounding early-down running back has some value. Jonathan Taylor can be the Dolphins non-terrible version of Sony Michel.

27. Seahawks - Austin Jackson - OT, USC

When this pick turns out to be Cam Akers or Zack Moss, Seahawks fans will still defend John Schneider. Schneider had an all-time great draft in 2012, but hasn’t hit on a first-round pick once since then.

28. Ravens - Patrick Queen - LB, LSU

Patrick Queen won’t call the defense, but he’ll run really fast and hit people, which fits the Ravens style.

29. Titans - A.J. Epenesa - EDGE, Iowa

A.J. Epenesa’s poor three-cone time might be a bad omen, but his toughness and length fit in well with Mike Vrabel’s smashmouth tendencies.

30. Packers - Jalen Reagor - WR, TCU

The Packers need a deep threat for Aaron Rodgers. Jalen Reagor has speed to burn.

Projected Trade – Chargers get pick No. 31. 49ers get picks No. 37 and No. 71.

31. Chargers (f/SF) - Jalen Hurts - QB, Oklahoma

Lamar Jackson may have changed the way teams evaluate running quarterbacks. The Bolts trade up to get the fifth-year option on Jalen Hurts.

32. Chiefs - Cesar Ruiz - C, Michigan

It makes perfect sense for a team that lacks speed like the Chiefs want to move up for Henry Ruggs III. That turns out to be smoke as they stay put and add yet another slow-footed player to their anemic offense.

Round 2

Bengals - Cole Kmet - TE, Notre Dame
Colts (f/WAS) - Jordan Love - QB, Utah St.
Lions - Yetur Gross-Matos -EDGE, Penn St.
Giants - Matt Hennessy - C, Temple
49ers (f/LAC) - Kristian Fulton - CB, LSU
Panthers - Jordyn Brooks - LB, Texas Tech
Lions (f/MIA) - D'Andre Swift - RB, Georgia
Texans (f/ARI) - Curtis Weaver - EDGE, Boise State
Browns - Antoine Winfield Jr. - S, Minnesota
Jaguars - Isaiah Wilson - OT, Georgia
Bears (f/LVR) - Grant Delpit - S, LSU
Colts - Damon Arnette - CB, Ohio St.
Jaguars (f/TB) - Jonathan Greenard - EDGE, Florida
Broncos - Malik Harrison - LB, Ohio St.
Chargers (f/ATL) - Brandon Aiyuk - WR, Arizona St.
Jets - Tee Higgins - WR, Clemson
Steelers - Jaylon Johnson - CB, Utah
Bears - Josh Jones - OT, Houston
Cowboys - Jeff Gladney - CB, TCU
Rams - Zack Baun - EDGE, Wisconsin
Browns (f/PHI) - Neville Gallimore - DL, Oklahoma
Bills - J.K. Dobbins - RB, Ohio St.
Ravens (f/NE t/ATL) - Ross Blacklock - DL, TCU
Dolphins (f/NO) - Lloyd Cushenberry - C, LSU
Rams (f/HOU) - Terrell Burgess - SCB, Utah
Vikings - Josh Jones - OT, Houston
Seahawks - Cam Akers - RB, Florida St.
Ravens - Laviska Shenault Jr. - WR, Colorado
Titans - Raekwon Davis DL Alabama
Packers - Logan Wilson LB Wyoming
Chiefs (f/SF) - Clyde Edwards-Helaire - RB, LSU
Seahawks (f/KC) - Darrell Taylor - EDGE, Tennessee

Round 3

Bengals - Julian Okwara - EDGE, Notre Dame
Redskins - Jeremy Chinn - S, Southern Illinois
Lions - Lucas Niang - OT, TCU
Jets (f/NYG) - Josh Uche - EDGE, Michigan
Panthers - Kyle Dugger - S, Lenoir-Rhyne
Dolphins - Jordan Elliot - DL, Missouri
49ers (f/LAC) - Justin Madubuike - DL, Texas A&M
Cardinals - K.J. Hamler - WR, Penn St.
Jaguars - Bryan Edwards - WR, S. Carolina
Browns - Damien Lewis - OG, LSU
Colts - Tyler Johnson - WR, Minnesota
Buccaneers - Marlon Davidson - EDGE, Auburn
Broncos Noah Igbinoghene CB Auburn
Falcons - Davon Hamilton - DT, Ohio St.
Jets - Lynn Bowden Jr. - WR, Kentucky
Raiders - Jacob Eason - QB, Washington
Raiders (f/CHI) - Chase Claypool - WR, Notre Dame
Cowboys - Ashtyn Davis - S, Cal
Broncos (f/PIT) - Ben Bartch - OG, St. Josephs
Rams - Matt Peart - OT, Connecticut
Lions (f/PHI) - Zack Moss - RB, Utah
Bills - Bryce Hall - CB, Virginia
Patriots - Anfernee Jennings - EDGE, Alabama
Saints - Antonio Gibson - WR, Memphis
Vikings - Reggie Robinson II - CB, Tulsa
Texans - Jason Strowbridge - DT, North Carolina
Raiders (f/SEA) - Jonah Jackson - OG, Ohio St.
Ravens - Jabari Zuniga - EDGE, Florida
Titans - Devin Duvernay - WR, Texas
Packers - James Lynch - DL, Baylor
Broncos (f/SF) - Donovan Peoples-Jones - WR, Michigan
Chiefs - Cameron Dantzler - CB, Mississippi St.
Browns (f/HOU)* - Amik Robertson - CB, La. Tech
Patriots* - Alton Robinson - EDGE, Syracuse
Giants* - Terrell Lewis - EDGE, Alabama
Patriots* - Antonio Gandy-Golden - WR, Liberty
Seahawks* - Nick Harris - C, Washington
Steelers* - Saahdiq Charles - OT, LSU
Browns (f/PHI)* - Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, App. State
Rams* - Van Jefferson - WR, Florida
Vikings* - Isaiah Hodgins - WR, Oregon St.
Ravens* - John Simpson - OG, Clemson

More NFL Draft Analysis

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Week 3 Fantasy Preview - Woos and Boos

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Week 1 Fantasy Preview- Woos and Boos

Fantasy Football Bold Predictions For The 2020 Season

2020 Experts Draft Coverage

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Tags 2020 NFL Draft Preview Series, 2020 nfl mock drafts, DB, DL, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice Editor Note Featured Football #2 NFL Analysis NFL Draft RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

2020 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

Post author By Andrew Lalama - RotoBaller
Post date April 23, 2020

With the NFL Draft just one week away, smokescreen season is upon us. Most mock drafters agree on the top three picks, but the draft gets fascinating at pick No. 4. The Giants could trade the pick to a team looking for a quarterback or sit tight and take the best offensive lineman or defensive player available.

At No. 5, The Miami Dolphins are rumored to covet Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, but many in the media believe Tua Tagovailoa is the better prospect. Rumors about Tua’s medical concerns are swirling, which could result in a surprising draft-day slide.

The purpose of this Mock Draft is to project the selections as I believe they will happen on draft day. These projections have nothing to do with my personal rankings and do not reflect what I would do if I were each team. This article will be updated in the coming days. Remember that shocking picks and trades will inevitably happen. As such, there are a few projected surprises below. You can check out other NFL mock drafts from our RotoBaller staff as well.

Round 1

1. Bengals - Joe Burrow - QB, LSU

The Bengals burrowed for Burrow and the Tiger King goes to Cincinnati. Joe Exotic had one of the best single seasons ever for a college QB and will start his career with a decent supporting cast around him. Burrow is fantastic against pressure, throws a beautiful deep ball, and has the ball placement of a franchise QB. A nitpick against him would be that he holds the ball too long sometimes. Carole killed her husband.

2. Redskins - Chase Young - EDGE, Ohio St.

Last year, the Cardinals made the smart decision to jettison Josh Rosen and use a second consecutive top-10 pick on a quarterback. The position is just too important, and Kyler Murray was too good to pass up. The Redskins situation with Dwayne Haskins is different for one main reason - Chase Young. Young is the best edge-rushing prospect since Jadaveon Clowney. He has incredible traits and was a monster for Ohio State. If there wasn't a generational talent at the top of this draft, Tua Tagovailoa would have likely been the pick. Ron Rivera and the Skins will go to battle next season with Dwayne Haskins behind center and one of the best defensive lines in football.

3. Lions - Jeff Okudah - CB, Ohio St.

After trading away Darius Slay, the Lions have a gaping hole at cornerback. Jeff Okudah is the best corner in the draft and will immediately give Detroit a shutdown presence on the outside. Okudah has advanced man coverage skills and swagger to match.

4. Giants - Tristan Wirfs - OT, Iowa

The Week 16 overtime win against the Redskins was the highlight of Daniel Jones' rookie campaign. Unfortunately, that win will likely cost the Giants Chase Young. General Manager Dave Gettleman rarely trades down. This slot is prime real estate for teams vying for a quarterback, but expect the G-Men to stay put and draft the top offensive lineman on their board. In this projection, it’s Tristan Wirfs. The former Iowa Hawkeye has experience at right tackle, which will allow Nate Solder to stay at left tackle. Wirfs is athletically gifted and has big-time upside if he can clean up some technique.

5. Dolphins – Justin Herbert – QB, Oregon

The Dolphins have a ton of draft capital and a need at quarterback. If any of the teams picking in the top four want to trade down, Miami can easily move up to secure their preferred non-Burrow QB. Herbert has almost everything teams look for in a franchise QB, and may be suffering from some prospect fatigue having been a big name at Oregon for three-plus years. His mobility and arm talent make him a potential star, but questions about his transition from the Oregon spread offense and inconsistent ball placement linger.

6. Chargers - Isaiah Simmons - LB, Clemson

The decisions the Chargers make in this draft will determine the fate of the franchise for years to come. Head Coach Anthony Lynn is reportedly high on current starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but it’s very possible the Chargers go with a QB here. In this projection, they choose to wait on quarterback and take the best player available in Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons. Simmons is a defensive chess piece that can play linebacker, safety, or nickel.

7. Panthers - Derrick Brown - DT, Auburn

The Panthers have a huge need on the defensive line and Derrick Brown is commonly ranked as the top defensive lineman in this draft. He showed flashes of dominance at Auburn and can disrupt both the run and pass. In a rebuilding year, Carolina should look to add a building block regardless of position. This just happens to be a case where value matches up with need.

8. Cardinals - Jedrick Wills Jr. - OT, Alabama

After stealing DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans, Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals add a potential franchise left tackle. Protecting Kyler Murray and adding defensive talent should be their two main goals for this draft. Jedrick Wills Jr. is by no means a perfect prospect, but he has the tools to develop into a quality blindside protector for the dynamic, diminutive Murray.

9. Jaguars – C.J. Henderson – CB, Florida

Gardner Minshew showed flashes (and stashes) as a starter for the Jaguars last year, but if Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa is on the board, they may not be able to pass. In this projection, they go with one of the steadiest risers in this class. C.J. Henderson is a smooth cover-corner with lockdown potential.

10. Browns – Mekhi Becton - OT, Louisville

The Browns have a gaping hole at left tackle and Mekhi Becton would fill it and then some. Becton is enormous in stature and upside. He is insanely athletic for his size and shows flashes of brilliance on film. Keeping his weight in check will define his career.

11. Jets - CeeDee Lamb - WR, Oklahoma

The Jets have glaring needs at outside wide receiver and offensive tackle. They will likely select the best receiver or tackle on the board, and in this projection, it’s CeeDee Lamb of Oklahoma. Lamb is a run-after-catch machine with off-the-charts production and competitiveness. He can immediately step in and be Sam Darnold’s No. 1 weapon.

12. Raiders – Henry Ruggs III – WR, Alabama

The Raiders will likely target a wide receiver with this pick, especially if C.J.Henderson is off the board. Henry Ruggs III has incredible speed (4.27 40), and a nice mix of strong hands and tenacity. He played second-fiddle to Jerry Jeudy at Alabama but has the tools to blossom into a WR1 with Derek Carr in Las Vegas.

13. 49ers (f/IND) - Jerry Jeudy - WR, Alabama

After trading away DeForest Buckner, some believe the 49ers will target defensive line with this pick. They could also use a receiver, and Jerry Jeudy is an immediate upgrade in the slot. Jimmy Garoppolo has a strong rushing attack, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel, but little else in terms of weapons. Jeudy is a route-runner extraordinaire with great hands, speed, and quickness.

14. Buccaneers – Andrew Thomas – OT, Georgia

Many expect the Buccaneers to focus on right tackle in the first round. Andrew Thomas of Georgia is a sound, high-character player who can step in and start right away.

15. Broncos – Justin Jefferson – WR, LSU

The Broncos need wide receivers and no pass-catcher has upped his stock more than Justin Jefferson of LSU. Jefferson dominated at Oklahoma and pleasantly surprised scouts with a 4.43 40. He operated mostly out of the slot at LSU, but has the potential to be an outside threat as well for Drew Lock.

16. Falcons – A.J. Epenesa – EDGE, Iowa

It seems that every year the Falcons need help on defense. A.J. Epenesa from Iowa is big, strong, and twitchy, and has the motor and pass-rushing skills to help bolster the Falcons Defense. The Matt Ryan window is slowly closing, and Epenesa can help right away.

Projected Trade – Dolphins get pick No. 17. Cowboys get picks No. 26, 56, and 173.

17. Dolphins - K'Lavon Chaisson - EDGE, LSU

The Dolphins trade up to add a potential star for Brian Flores’ defense. K’Lavon Chaisson is the second-best edge player in the draft. He possesses all the physical traits of a disruptive pro pass-rusher and is oozing with upside at just 20 years old.

18. Dolphins (f/PIT) – Josh Jones - OT, Houston

After adding a franchise quarterback at No. 5, the Dolphins use No. 18 on his blindside protector. Laremy Tunsil was traded to the Texans so there is a huge hole at left tackle in Miami. Josh Jones of Houston was solid against relatively mediocre college competition but possesses all the traits that translate to the pro game.

19. Raiders (f/CHI) – A.J. Terrell – CB, Clemson

The Raiders have a need at cornerback but with C.J. Henderson and Jeff Okudah off the board, they may have to reach a bit. Last year General Manager Mike Mayock drafted Clemson EDGE Clelin Ferrell much higher than expected. He could do the same this year with Clemson corner A.J. Terrell. Terrell was exposed a bit versus the beastly receivers at LSU, but generally shows good press-man skills on film.

20. Jaguars (f/LAR) - Javon Kinlaw - DT, S. Carolina

It’s crazy that just three years ago the Jaguars were a missed call away from beating the Patriots in the AFC Championship. Blake Bortles and Tom Coughlin are gone, but somehow Doug Marrone has survived. Finding a quarterback should be priority No. 1, but re-tooling the defense is a close second. Javon Kinlaw is a penetrating defensive tackle with great burst and the ability to shoot gaps in the run game. He has added value as a potential contributor on special teams, having flashed the ability to block field goals at South Carolina.

Projected Trade – Patriots get pick No. 21. Eagles get pick No. 23 and a 2021 3^rd-round pick.

21. Patriots (f/PHI) – Tua Tagovailoa - QB, Alabama

In this projection, Tua Tagovailoa falls the same way many quarterbacks have before him. If the Dolphins truly prefer Justin Herbert, Tua sliding is not out of the question. The Raiders could choose to roll with Derek Carr, while the Jaguars and Chargers appear to be high on Gardner Minshew and Tyrod Taylor respectively. Obviously, the main factor in a Tua free-fall would be his medical history.

If there was ever a time for Bill Belichick to trade up, this would be it. The Belichick-Nick Saban connection is there and Tom Brady is gone. Tua has the film of a franchise signal-caller, but his draft day destiny is clouded by injury concerns.

22. Vikings (f/BUF) – Denzel Mims - WR, Baylor

The Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills and have a glaring need at receiver. Denzel Mims isn’t the most polished prospect, but his tools are tantalizing. Mims has the potential to develop into a beastly outside complement to Adam Thielen in the slot for Kirk Cousins.

23. Eagles (f/NE) - Kenneth Murray - LB, Oklahoma

Kenneth Murray of Oklahoma is a pure football player. Eagles fans may not love the positional value of an off-ball linebacker in the first round, especially in a great receiver class. However, Philadelphia can take a receiver in the second round after adding one of the best linebackers in this class. Their current linebacking corps is nothing to write home about, and Murray can play on all three downs.

24. Saints – Jordan Love – QB, Utah St.

The Saints will surely add a quarterback-of-the-future at some point in this draft. In this projection, they select Utah State’s Jordan Love with their first pick. Love has all the tools of a franchise quarterback, including ridiculous arm talent that is reminiscent of Patrick Mahomes. However, he is coming off a down year and struggled with bouts of inaccuracy and turnovers. The potential is clearly there, and there’s no better situation for a young quarterback than learning from Drew Brees and Sean Payton in New Orleans.

25. Vikings - Isaiah Wilson - OT, Georgia

Rumors are swirling that NFL teams expect Isaiah Wilson to be drafted in the first round. The former Georgia Bulldog is a raw prospect who looks the part but has inconsistent film. When he gets his hands inside, he's very powerful and he's good on double teams. However, he needs to be coached out of his waist-bending tendencies. For the Vikings, he would slot in at right guard.

26. Cowboys (f/HOU t/MIA) – Antoine Winfield Jr. – S, Minnesota

After trading down, the Cowboys make a somewhat surprising pick with Antoine Winfield Jr. of Minnesota. Dallas needs a safety and Winfield’s game has shades of Earl Thomas in it. He’s a ballhawk (seven interceptions this season) who submarines ball-carriers and has an NFL pedigree.

Projected Trade – Chargers get pick No. 27. Seahawks get picks No. 36 and 71.

27. Chargers (f/SEA) – Jalen Hurts - QB, Oklahoma

In a shocking move, the Chargers move up for quarterback Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma. Lamar Jackson’s success in Baltimore has definitely impacted Hurts’stock, as some believe he won’t fall out of the second round. With the Colts and Steelers looming, the Chargers choose to secure their preferred quarterback-of-the-future. Hurts doesn't always make great decisions, but his film shows a dynamic dual-threat. He had a 69.7 completion percentage for the Sooners in 2019.

28. Ravens – Patrick Queen – LB, LSU

The Ravens need a linebacker and Patrick Queen is one of the best off-ball linebackers in this class. Queen is a fast, play-making defender who flashes on film. He jumped off the screen in the National Championship against Clemson.

29. Titans – Yetur Gross-Matos – EDGE, Penn St.

The Titans have become a smashmouth, physical football team under head coach Mike Vrabel. Yetur Gross-Matos can set the edge as well as anyone in this class in the running game and displays devastating inside moves as a pass-rusher. If he can develop more on the edge, he can become a disruptive force for the Titans as they chase the Chiefs in the AFC.

30. Packers - Tee Higgins - WR, Clemson

Tee Higgins has some injury concerns and isn’t the strongest or fastest receiver prospect in this draft. However, his ability to receive footballs in football games is unquestionable. The Packers need a complement to Davante Adams at receiver and Higgins can be an outside threat while Adams plays more slot. Higgins’ game matches up so well with Aaron Rodgers it’s scary. The Lambeau Leaps after toe-tapping sideline grabs and high-point fades could be glorious in Green Bay.

31. 49ers - Damon Arnette - CB, Ohio St.

After going receiver earlier, the 49ers could choose to improve their secondary with a potential starter opposite Richard Sherman. Damon Arnette was the counterpart to Jeff Okudah at Ohio State, and likely saw more targets thrown at him because of it. Arnette is competitive and alert, who explodes to ball-carriers in the run game and can play press-man on the outside. He is unconventional with his stances and punches, but has enough man coverage skills to be an adequate NFL starter.

32. Chiefs - Cesar Ruiz - C, Michigan

The Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs (sounds good, right Chiefs fans?) have a need at center. Cesar Ruiz is the best center prospect in the draft. Running backs are commonly mocked here for the Chiefs but the top runners in this class lack the passing game skills Andy Reid usually covets. Ruiz can be a starter from day one as the Chiefs look to defend their title.

Round 2

33. Bengals - Ezra Cleveland – OT, Boise St.

After adding their franchise signal-caller in the first round, the Bengals invest another high pick in a quality tackle to help protect him.

34. Colts (f/WAS) - Jeff Gladney – CB, TCU

The Colts need help at corner and Jeff Gladney has the quick feet and aggressiveness of a quality pro.

Projected Trade: Bills get pick No. 35. Lions get pick No. 54 and 86.

35. Bills (f/DET) – Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah

In this projection, the favorites in the AFC East trade up to add the talented Jaylon Johnson to their already formidable secondary.

36. Giants - Matt Hennessy – C, Temple

The Giants need a center and Matt Hennessy has the makings of a plug-and-play pivot on a revamped offensive line.

37. Seahawks (f/LAC) - Zack Baun – EDGE, Wisconsin

After trading out of the first-round altogether, the Seahawks add a play-making presence at EDGE in Zack Baun.

38. Panthers - Kristian Fulton – CB, LSU

Re-tooling the defense continues as the Panthers select the best corner from the National Champion LSU Tigers.

39. Dolphins - Grant Delpit – S, LSU

The Dolphins get a discount on the best safety in the draft after he struggled with injuries during his senior season. Grant Delpit still did enough to lead his team to a title and would be a starting safety for Brian Flores for years to come.

40. Texans (f/ARI) - Ross Blacklock - DL, TCU

The Texans need defensive line help and Ross Blacklock plays with great leverage and gap integrity.

41. Browns - Xavier McKinney – S, Alabama

With a need at safety, the Browns take the opportunistic Xavier McKinney from Alabama. His range is not elite but he is comfortable in the box and has the instincts of a productive pro.

42. Ravens (f/JAC) - Jonathan Taylor – RB, Wisconsin

In this projection, the Ravens trade up to grab a sliding Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin. Mark Ingram is going to be 31 next year and the Ravens surely don’t want to run Lamar Jackson as often as they did last season.

43. Bears -Michael Pittman Jr. – WR, USC

Whether it’s Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles at quarterback, a skilled receiver with size like Michael Pittman Jr. would make for a terrific complement to Allen Robinson.

44. Colts - Jalen Reagor – WR, TCU

Jalen Reagor struggled with drops, but has speed to burn and could learn a lot under T.Y. Hilton in Indianapolis.

45. Buccaneers - Curtis Weaver – EDGE, Boise State

After adding a right tackle in the first round, the Buccaneers look to defense in the second, selecting a productive edge-rusher in Boise State’s Curtis Weaver.

46. Broncos - Malik Harrison – LB, Ohio St.

The Broncos need an inside linebacker and Malik Harrison has been a terrific performer in his two years starting at Ohio State.

47. Falcons – D’Andre Swift – RB, Georgia

With Devonta Freeman gone, the Falcons could choose to keep D’Andre Swift in state. Swift has the pass-catching skills to be a productive 1A running-back in the Atlanta offense.

48. Jets - Austin Jackson – OT, USC

The Jets have clear needs at wide receiver, offensive tackle and edge-rusher. Austin Jackson has the size and mobility of a potential franchise left tackle.

49. Steelers - Jacob Eason - QB, Washington

After a disastrous display at quarterback in 2019, the Steelers take the plunge on Jacob Eason, who has the arm talent of a franchise quarterback. His issues with ball placement are evident in most games, but he looked like a first-round pick against Oregon.

50. Bears - Marlon Davidson – DL, Auburn

Marlon Davidson can play standing up or with his hand in the dirt and shows the ability to play his gap in the run game. He is a bit heavy-legged but makes up for it with hustle and tenacity on the edge.

51. Cowboys - Laviska Shenault Jr. – WR, Colorado

While dependable slot receivers and cornerbacks were considered, the Cowboys decide they can’t pass on the electric play-making of Laviska Shenault.

52. Rams - Jordyn Brooks – LB, Texas Tech

With Corey Littleton gone, the Rams find his replacement in Jordyn Brooks of Texas Tech. Brooks flashes on film but didn’t have his best game spying Jalen Hurts versus Oklahoma. He plays fast and can key and diagnose well enough to be a solid off-ball linebacker in the pros.

53. Eagles - Brandon Aiyuk – WR, Arizona St.

Brandon Aiyuk falls due to medical concerns and the Eagles steal a potential WR1 in the second round.

54. Lions (f/BUF) John Simpson – OG, Clemson

The Lions have a need at guard and John Simpson is an experienced and physical interior force who shows flashes of dominance in the run game.

55. Jaguars (f/NE t/ATL t/BAL) - Kyler Dugger - S, Lenoir-Rhyne

The Jaguars need a safety and former Division II star Kyle Dugger has the athletic traits that translate to the pro game.

56. Cowboys (f/NO t/MIA) - Neville Gallimore – DL, Oklahoma

In a strictly best-player-available move, the Cowboys add to their defensive line with Neville Gallimore, who shows pass-rushing moves inside on film.

57. Rams (f/HOU) - Ashtyn Davis - S, Cal

The Rams could use a young safety and Ashtyn Davis of Cal has the range and instincts of an NFL starter.

58. Vikings - Darrell Taylor - EDGE, Tennessee

Darrell Taylor is one of the best edge-rushers in an underwhelming class. He’s powerful, fast, and can bend. The Vikings need an edge threat opposite Danielle Hunter.

59. Seahawks - Lucas Niang – OT, TCU

The Seahawks signed a bunch of fringe veteran offensive linemen in free agency but should use at least one of their first four picks on an OL. Lucas Niang has an ugly-shaped body but functional strength and quickness.

60. Ravens - Ben Brederson – OG, Michigan

The Ravens are set at tackle but could use help at guard. Ben Brederson is an underrated prospect with steady film.

61. Titans - Raekwon Davis – DL, Alabama

Beefing up the defensive line even more, the Titans add a classic Alabama nose tackle prospect in Raekwon Davis.

62. Packers - Logan Wilson – LB, Wyoming

The Packers need an inside linebacker and Logan Wilson has the coverage skills and speed that translate to the pro game.

63. Chiefs (f/SF) - Clyde Edwards-Helaire – RB, LSU

Clyde Edwards-Helaire fits perfectly in an Andy Reid offense. He’s terrific in the passing game and has inspiring tape versus Alabama.

64. Seahawks (f/KC) - Lynn Bowden Jr. – WR, Kentucky

Lynn Bowden Jr. is a versatile playmaker who started at quarterback and wide receiver at Kentucky. He needs to learn how to run better routes but he has run-after-catch ability and enough speed and twitch to develop into a starter.

Round 3

Bengals - Bryce Hall – CB, Virginia
Redskins - Jeremy Chinn – S, Southern Illinois
Lions - Jordan Elliot – DL, Missouri
Jets (f/NYG) - Julian Okwara – EDGE, Notre Dame
Panthers – Jonah Jackson – OG, Ohio St.
Dolphins - Lloyd Cushenberry – C, LSU
Seahawks (f/LAC) - Trevon Diggs – CB, Alabama
Cardinals - Bradlee Anae – EDGE, Utah
Jaguars - Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR, Michigan
Browns - Shane Lemieux – OG, Oregon
Colts - K'Von Wallace – S, Clemson
Buccaneers - J.R. Reed – S, Georgia
Broncos - Terrell Burgess – SCB, Utah
Falcons - Noah Igbinoghene – CB, Auburn
Jets - K.J. Hamler - WR, Penn St.
Raiders - Tony Pride Jr. – CB, Notre Dame
Raiders (f/CHI) - Damien Lewis – OG, LSU
Cowboys - Cole Kmet – TE, Notre Dame
Broncos (f/PIT) - Jonathan Greenard - EDGE, Florida
Rams - Jabari Zuniga – EDGE, Florida
Lions (f/PHI) - Brandon Jones – S, Texas
Lions (f/BUF) - J.K. Dobbins – RB, Ohio St.
Patriots - DaVon Hamilton – DT, Ohio St.
Saints - Troy Dye - LB, Oregon
Vikings - Cameron Dantzler – CB, Mississipi St.
Texans - Isaiah Hodgins – WR, Oregon St.
Raiders (f/SEA) - Bryan Edwards – WR, S. Carolina
Ravens - Antonio Gibson – WR, Memphis
Titans - Logan Sternberg – OG, Kentucky
Packers - Justin Madubuike – DL, Texas A&M
Broncos (f/SF) - Ben Bartch – OG, St. Josephs
Chiefs - Reggie Robinson II – CB, Tulsa
Browns (f/HOU)* - Amik Robertson – CB, La. Tech
Patriots* - Van Jefferson – WR, Florida
Giants* - Alton Robinson – EDGE, Syracuse
Patriots* - Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, App. State
Seahawks* - Cam Akers – RB, Florida St.
Steelers* - Prince Tega Wanogho – OT, Auburn
Eagles* - Tyler Johnson – WR, Minnesota
Rams* - Devin Duvernay – WR, Texas
Vikings* - Chase Claypool – WR, Notre Dame
Jaguars (f/BAL)* - Josh Uche - EDGE, Michigan

More NFL Draft Analysis

Week 6 Fantasy Preview- Woos and Boos

Week 3 Fantasy Preview - Woos and Boos

Week 2 Fantasy Football Sleeper and Value Plays

Week 1 Fantasy Preview- Woos and Boos

Fantasy Football Bold Predictions For The 2020 Season

2020 Experts Draft Coverage

Leonard Fournette Fallout and Latest Player News

Updated 2020 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

2020 Fantasy Football Running Back Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

2020 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

Tags 2020 NFL Draft Preview Series, 2020 nfl mock drafts, DB, DL, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football & NFL Rookies 2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Keepers & Dynasty Ranks Editor Note Featured Football #2 NFL Analysis NFL Draft RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

2020 NFL Draft - Top 100 Big Board and Undervalued Prospects To Watch

Post author By Andrew Lalama - RotoBaller
Post date April 23, 2020

The beauty of the NFL Draft is that people can watch the same prospects and come to different conclusions. NFL teams may have certain players ranked higher than others due to scheme fit, size standards, or character research.

I’ve already put on record how much I like wide receivers Tee Higgins, Bryan Edwards, Lynn Bowden Jr., and James Proche. I would also bang the drum for J.K. Dobbins, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Zack Moss if my team needed a running back.

The purpose of this article is to highlight players other than receivers and running backs that I like more than the consensus. These could be players worth watching or drafting in IDP leagues or that could boost a team's offensive line or defensive unit.

NFL Draft - Top 100 Prospects

With the 2020 NFL Draft just days away, here is my Big Board of the Top 100 rankings:

Five Undervalued Prospects - "My Guys"

Jordyn Brooks - LB, Texas Tech

Big Board Rank: 42^nd

Jordyn Brooks was incredibly productive as a college player and was named All Big-12 honorable mention his first three years at Texas Tech. As a Senior he was named first-team All Big-12 and second-team All-American. Brooks is the prototypical off-ball linebacker with enough size (6-0, 240) and the athletic makeup (4.53 40) to fit in almost any scheme.

Against the run, he displays the ability to key and diagnose as well as anyone in this class, and uses his quickness to shoot gaps. His instincts as a ball-seeker are excellent, despite being used as a spy and the quarterback player against zone reads often. He’s sideline-to-sideline, but his best attribute is his strength on contact. When Brooks fits up a back in the hole, he knocks him back.

He was not asked to be a coverage linebacker in the traditional sense, as he was more manned up against backs and in some cases used as a spy. His film against Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma wasn’t great, as he missed angles and failed to impact the game. However, scouting prospects is more about evaluating traits that translate rather than critiquing college performance. Against Oklahoma, there were still instances on film where his athleticism and instincts popped off the screen.

Besides a lack of experience in zone coverage (a skill that can be taught at the next level), Brooks’ main weakness is his inability to get off blocks. He needs to work on using his hands to not be a block magnet for offensive linemen. Brooks fits in best on a defense that can keep him clean and allow him to be aggressive and run in space as opposed to trying to win in a phone booth.

Overall, he is a high-upside prospect with traits to be a very productive pro. His style compares favorably to Bobby Wagner coming out.

Logan Wilson - LB, Wyoming

Big Board Rank: 52^nd

Logan Wilson amassed 409 tackles during his four-year career at Wyoming. However, his most impressive statistical accomplishment was his ten career interceptions, including four as a senior. Wilson returned two for touchdowns and added a third career defensive touchdown on a scoop-and-score.

Wilson fits the pro game because he can play zone coverage as well as any linebacker in this class. He shows an ability to be the deep middle player in a tampa-two scheme or carry verticals as an outside linebacker. He does an excellent job breaking on the ball and clearly has a knack for big plays. His 6-2, 242-pound frame is suitable for the NFL because of his 4.63 speed and instincts. Wilson is not the most powerful player, but he knows how to tackle with leverage and finish plays.

Wilson missed a few tackles against San Diego State but overall showed well, displaying his strength by knocking back offensive linemen in the run game. He is not the most technically sound player in terms of hopping out of his stance and misreading some keys, but the traits are there. For an off-ball linebacker, his skillset translates to the pro game on all three downs and his college ball production is rare.

Amik Robertson - CB, Louisiana Tech

Big Board Rank: 75^th

Amik Robertson is just 5-8, 187, but plays like he’s 6-2, 210. Robertson was incredibly productive at Louisiana Tech, compiling 14 career interceptions, 2 blocked kicks, 3 defensive touchdowns, and an onside kick return for a touchdown.

Robertson projects as a slot corner at the next level and has an unteachable ability to cover. His feet are incredibly quick, and his kinesthetic sense in terms of staying with guys is top-notch. He is especially adept at covering in-breaking routes, allowing himself to undercut slants and digs for pass breakups. Against LSU in 2018 he matched future first-round picks stride-for-stride and almost mossed a 6-foot Texas receiver in 2019. His swagger and confidence are obvious on film and necessary for the next level. After an interception or pass breakup he loves to let the receiver hear about it.

Robertson’s biggest weakness is his lack of strength. He picks his spots against the run, at times knifing in for shoestring tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Mostly he shows poor technique and a lack of power, which is not surprising for his small stature. He is unwilling to stick his nose in on every down. This is especially a concern for a player projected to play inside.

Overall, a player with his ball production and innate cover skills has a chance to help an NFL team. He likely won’t be drafted until the third day, but he will immediately factor in on special teams and in sub packages.

Logan Stenberg - OG, Kentucky

Big Board Rank: 79^th

Logan Stenberg doesn’t have the best-looking body but his film is terrific. He moves his 6-6, 317-frame well despite not exactly looking like a Greek God. He started every game for the past three years at Kentucky, helping pave the way for Benny Snell and Lynn Bowden Jr.

Stenberg is hardnosed and tough, and his film against Tennessee features multiple pancakes. He’s an efficient mover both as a puller and on combo blocks working up to the second level. His hands are active and shorter arms sometimes allow him to get his hands inside and jolt back defensive linemen. In pass protection, he’s sound and effective whether on the man side or the slide side. He doesn’t give up ground and is stout and aware.

His hands aren’t always placed well, and sometimes he reaches because his feet don’t move quick enough. There are also instances of him whiffing in space on screens. He’s not the best athlete, so quick inside moves from athletic three-techniques will give him some trouble.

Overall, Stenberg lacks the ideal body type and athleticism of an NFL offensive lineman. Fortunately for him, he has every other football trait teams look for, including tremendous toughness and balance. Sternberg will be a great pick in the mid-rounds and a quality starting guard at the NFL level.

LG #71 ^

LG #71^

Davon Hamilton - DT, Ohio State

Big Board Rank: 82^nd

Davon Hamilton played nose tackle for Ohio State and recorded 6 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss this past season. He has the size (6-4, 320) to play nose or three-technique depending on scheme at the next level. Hamilton was not the biggest name on the Ohio State defense, but his presence was a huge factor in the Buckeye run defense.

Hamilton’s film shows a potential impact piece on an NFL defense. He has enough quickness to pick his spots and take chances against slow-footed guards, and enough power to post up and be stout against base blocks. He was overpowering at times against Miami Ohio and Indiana, using his hands to rip through attempted blocks and make plays in the backfield. There are instances on film of tremendous effort and mobility, including during the playoff game versus Clemson tackling a runner six yards down the field. He also had dominating reps against the Clemson center, walking him back into Trevor Lawrence’s lap.

However, there are inconsistencies on film against the Tigers. Hamilton has a few reps where he is high and out of position and gets demolished by double teams. He definitely needs to work on playing lower at the next level. He’s also not exactly Chase Young as a pass rusher, with too many reps of low-energy stalemates.

Overall, Hamilton is not the flashiest prospect and probably won’t amass that many statistics at the next level. However, he projects as a quality interior defensive lineman due to his football traits, strength, and athletic profile. He can be a rotational asset right away in the NFL.

More NFL Draft Analysis

Week 6 Fantasy Preview- Woos and Boos

Week 3 Fantasy Preview - Woos and Boos

Week 2 Fantasy Football Sleeper and Value Plays

Week 1 Fantasy Preview- Woos and Boos

Fantasy Football Bold Predictions For The 2020 Season

2020 Experts Draft Coverage

Leonard Fournette Fallout and Latest Player News

Updated 2020 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

2020 Fantasy Football Running Back Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

2020 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

Tags 2020 NFL Draft Preview Series, IDP Fantasy Football Rankings and Sleepers - Individual Defensive Players, LB, Sleepers

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 17 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date December 28, 2019

If you're still in it to win it, you're going to need some extra help in Week 17. Defensive players are less prone to rest for the playoffs since they're usually on the giving end of punishing tackles but there are some players that have been shut down for the year. Let's look at the final IDP weekly rankings for the 2019 season and highlight some streamers that could help you bring home a title.

Serious fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP rankings. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top-100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.

Players are classified by major position group (DL, LB, DB) to simplify things for you. We've also tiered these rankings to give you an idea of relative importance and will analyze a few key players to watch. Check out our rankings page for the offensive players right here.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 17

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Joe Schobert	LB
1	3	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	4	Cory Littleton	LB
1	5	Luke Kuechly	LB
1	6	Blake Martinez	LB
1	7	Fred Warner	LB
2	8	Jordan Hicks	LB
2	9	Budda Baker	DB
2	10	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	11	Zach Cunningham	LB
2	12	Demario Davis	LB
2	13	Eric Reid	DB
2	14	Cameron Jordan	DL
2	15	Donald Payne	LB
2	16	T.J. Watt	LB
3	17	Devin White	LB
3	18	Aaron Donald	DL
3	19	Logan Ryan	DB
3	20	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
3	21	Danielle Hunter	DL
3	22	Cameron Heyward	DL
3	23	Nick Bosa	DL
3	24	Tracy Walker	DB
4	25	Lavonte David	LB
4	26	Todd Davis	LB
4	27	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
4	28	Jayon Brown	LB
4	29	Justin Houston	DL
4	30	Joey Bosa	DL
4	31	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB
4	32	Jordan Poyer	DB
5	33	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
5	34	Derwin James	DB
5	35	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	36	K.J. Wright	LB
5	37	Devin Bush	LB
5	38	Deion Jones	LB
5	39	Harrison Smith	DB
5	40	Jessie Bates III	DB
5	41	Melvin Ingram	DL
5	42	A.J. Johnson	LB
5	43	Sean Lee	LB
6	44	Carlos Dunlap	DL
6	45	Dre Greenlaw	LB
6	46	James Burgess	LB
6	47	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
6	48	Frank Clark	DL
6	49	Calais Campbell	DL
6	50	Taylor Rapp	DB
6	51	Matt Milano	LB
6	52	Jonathan Allen	DL
6	53	Bud Dupree	LB
7	54	Eric Kendricks	LB
7	55	Antoine Bethea	DB
7	56	Arik Armstead	DL
7	57	Harold Landry	LB
7	58	Shawn Williams	DB
7	59	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
7	60	Rashaan Evans	LB
7	61	Sam Hubbard	DL
7	62	Trey Flowers	DL
7	63	Shaquil Barrett	LB
7	64	Chris Jones	DL
7	65	Robert Quinn	DL
7	66	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
7	67	Maxx Crosby	DL
7	68	Jamie Collins	LB
7	69	Neville Hewitt	LB
7	70	Mark Barron	LB
7	71	Nick Vigil	LB
7	72	Justin Simmons	DB
7	73	Nigel Bradham	LB
7	74	Kevin Byard	DB
7	75	Chandler Jones	LB
8	76	Anthony Walker	LB
8	77	Everson Griffen	DL
8	78	Matt Ioannidis	DL
8	79	Khalil Mack	LB
8	80	Mychal Kendricks	LB
8	81	Jon Bostic	LB
8	82	Eric Weddle	DB
8	83	Ryan Anderson	LB
8	84	Tavon Wilson	DB
8	85	Thomas Davis	LB
8	86	Brandon Graham	DL
8	87	Justin Reid	DB
8	88	Joe Walker	LB
8	89	Jerome Baker	LB
9	90	Landon Johnson	LB
9	91	Jamal Adams	DB
9	92	Ronnie Harrison	DB
9	93	Alec Ogletree	LB
9	94	Tahir Whitehead	LB
9	95	Bradley McDougald	DB
9	96	Cole Holcomb	LB
9	97	Chauncey Gardner-Johnson	DB
9	98	Grady Jarrett	DL
9	99	Stephon Gilmore	DB
9	100	Damontae Kazee	DB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

James Burgess (LB, NYJ) vs Buffalo - It didn't take until Week 17 for the Jets to resort to backup defenders, especially at linebacker. Burgess has filled in admirably, logging 100% of the snaps on defense for the past eight games. In that span, he's collected 66 tackles (42 solo). The Bills haven't declared their starters out for this game but it wouldn't be surprising to see Josh Allen or other players rest in the second half. Buffalo is locked into the #5 seed and has nothing to play for realistically, other than the satisfaction of beating their division and in-state rival. Burgess should have a high floor in terms of tackles.

Ryan Anderson (LB, WAS) @ Dallas - Veteran pass-rusher Ryan Kerrigan is on IR, which has led third-year player Anderson to log over 80% of the team's defensive snaps the last two weeks. Since Week 12, he's earned his first three career starts and has recorded four sacks, six QB hits, and four forced fumbles. With nearly every member of Washington's secondary injured, the Skins could make a point of applying constant pressure through the pass rush. The matchup isn't ideal but Anderson does have sack upside and is available off waivers nearly everywhere.

Robert Quinn (DE, DAL) vs Washington - The move from Dwayne Haskins to Case Keenum isn't necessarily a boon to Dallas pass rushers. Haskins was sacked 29 times in seven starts whereas Keenum was sacked 12 times in his seven starts. Still, Washington allows the sixth-most sacks in the league, Morgan Moses has been limited in practice, and this team is ready to throw in the towel on another disappointing season. Quinn has been quiet lately but finally jumped back into fantasy relevance against Philly with five solo tackles, a forced fumble, and his first sack since Week 12. Dallas needs to win and will be in full attack mode, so employ Quinn as a DL2 in deeper leagues.

Damontae Kazee (S, ATL) @ Tampa Bay - No team gives up more fantasy points to safeties than Tampa Bay and no quarterback gives a defender a better chance for a pick than Jameis Winston. Kazee has his only three INT of the year in the past six games, which is disappointing after tying for the league lead with seven last year. He didn't get one of those turnovers in the previous meeting between these teams but he did collect nine combined tackles. Kazee is a high-upside safety in a week where Landon Collins is out, Jamal Adams is questionable, and Earl Thomas is resting.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, NO) vs Carolina - IDP staple Vonn Bell looks like he'll miss another game and Marcus Williams could as well. For what it's worth, Gardner-Johnson is also battling a knee injury but he's at least gotten a full practice in and should be starting against Will Grier and the Panthers. The floor here lies in the number of times he'll be tackling Christian McCaffrey; he's tallied eight combined tackles in each of the past two games as a starter. The ceiling comes with big-play potential against a rookie QB who will be without his top wideout, D.J. Moore.

More Week 17 Lineup Prep

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 7

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 16 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date December 20, 2019

It's championship week, at least for the vast majority of fantasy football players. Your lineup decisions are tougher than ever, as you must weigh which is more important: upside or safety. If you are looking for a few tackles to avoid a goose egg in the points column, there are plenty of options out there that are familiar to you already. For those who need a big game to boost an otherwise sketchy offensive lineup, I will highlight those players below in the streamers/players to watch section. Last week, I recommended K.J. Wright (two INT), Justin Simmons (one INT, eight tackles), and Jonathan Allen (one fumble recovery, nine tackles). Who could pay off big in the most important week of the fantasy season? Let's find out.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 16

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Joe Schobert	LB
1	3	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	4	Cory Littleton	LB
1	5	Jordan Hicks	LB
1	6	Blake Martinez	LB
2	7	Luke Kuechly	LB
2	8	Fred Warner	LB
2	9	Budda Baker	DB
2	10	Zach Cunningham	LB
2	11	T.J. Watt	LB
2	12	Danielle Hunter	DL
3	13	Cameron Jordan	DL
3	14	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
3	15	Aaron Donald	DL
3	16	Eric Reid	DB
3	17	Donald Payne	LB
3	18	Demario Davis	LB
3	19	Nick Bosa	DL
4	20	Shaquil Barrett	LB
4	21	Devin White	LB
4	22	Jayon Brown	LB
4	23	Todd Davis	LB
4	24	Jaylon Smith	LB
4	25	Cameron Heyward	DL
4	26	Tracy Walker	DB
4	27	Joey Bosa	DL
4	28	K.J. Wright	LB
4	29	Justin Houston	DL
4	30	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
5	31	Lavonte David	LB
5	32	Logan Ryan	DB
5	33	Jordan Poyer	DB
5	34	Melvin Ingram	DL
5	35	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	36	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB
5	37	Derwin James	DB
5	38	Harrison Smith	DB
5	39	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
5	40	Deion Jones	LB
5	41	Calais Campbell	DL
5	42	Devin Bush	LB
5	43	Jonathan Allen	DL
5	44	Taylor Rapp	DB
6	45	Jessie Bates III	DB
6	46	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
6	47	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
6	48	Rashaan Evans	LB
6	49	Bud Dupree	LB
6	50	Dre Greenlaw	LB
6	51	A.J. Johnson	LB
6	52	Landon Collins	DB
7	53	Matt Milano	LB
7	54	Frank Clark	DL
7	55	Chandler Jones	LB
7	56	Eric Weddle	DB
7	57	Jahlani Tavai	LB
7	58	Eric Kendricks	LB
7	59	Matt Ioannidis	DL
7	60	Antoine Bethea	DB
7	61	Carlos Dunlap	DL
7	62	Chris Jones	DL
7	63	Justin Simmons	DB
7	64	Harold Landry	LB
7	65	Arik Armstead	DL
7	66	Robert Quinn	DL
7	67	Trey Flowers	DL
7	68	Khalil Mack	LB
7	69	James Burgess	LB
7	70	Tyrann Mathieu	DB
7	71	Nick Vigil	LB
7	72	Maxx Crosby	DL
8	73	Sam Hubbard	DL
8	74	Jerome Baker	LB
8	75	Jamie Collins	LB
8	76	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
8	77	Neville Hewitt	LB
8	78	Sean Lee	LB
8	79	Nigel Bradham	LB
8	80	Kevin Byard	DB
8	81	Shawn Williams	DB
8	82	Joe Walker"}">Joe Walker	LB
8	83	Anthony Walker	LB
8	84	Thomas Davis	LB
8	85	Marlon Humphrey	DB
8	86	Alec Ogletree	LB
8	87	Matt Judon	LB
8	88	Germaine Pratt	LB
8	89	Patrick Peterson	DB
8	90	Mario Addison	DL
8	91	Tahir Whitehead	LB
8	92	Jon Bostic	LB
8	93	Mark Barron	LB
8	94	Jarran Reed	DL
8	95	Tavon Wilson	DB
9	96	Erik Harris	DB
9	97	Micah Hyde	DB
9	98	Brandon Graham	DL
9	99	Everson Griffen	DL
9	100	Jamal Adams	DB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Donald Payne (LB, JAX) @ Atlanta - It's been a rough year for the Jags as a franchise and their once-vaunted defense has fallen to a bottom-10 unit in points allowed, yards allowed, interceptions, and passes defended. If there's been a bright spot, it's the play of rookie Josh Allen and the emergence of third-year linebacker Donald Payne. He has taken over for Myles Jack (IR - knee) and been even better from a fantasy standpoint. Whereas Jack averaged six tackles per game (four solo), Payne has averaged a staggering 14 combined tackles and eight solo tackles per game in his three starts, playing in every single snap except one. He isn't just a high-floor LB option, he's a high-ceiling tackle machine.

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, TB) vs Houston - JPP has become a forgotten man since moving to Tampa and missing the first half of the year. He picked up 3.5 sacks in his first six games of the year but has gone without one the last two weeks. Although Houston's O-line has been better this season, they are still 11th in sacks allowed and always a good chance for pass rushers to accumulate stats. In a game with a 49.5 O/U that is one of the highest of the week, there should be plenty of pass attempts for JPP to do his thing.

Jahlani Tavai (LB, DET) @ Denver - With Jarrad Davis on IR, it's Tavai's turn to step up. Much like Payne, he has taken advantage of his opportunity except that he is a rookie trying to make a favorable impression for a struggling franchise. A second-round pick out of Hawaii, Tavai has the athleticism to do more than just tackle ball-carriers. He showed as much with an interception last week, and a forced fumble and two sacks earlier in the year. Denver doesn't give up a ton of points to linebackers but they may keep the ball on the ground more after last week's rough start by Drew Lock. Any starting MLB is worth a look in IDP leagues but Tavai is a sleeper that can be freely added.

Marlon Humphrey (CB, BAL) - In his third season, Humphrey has emerged as a Pro Bowl player, mainly thanks to the fact he's in Baltimore. Not that he isn't deserving but his stats don't jump off the page and he doesn't even grade out as a top-20 CB according to PFF. That aside, he's largely gone unnoticed outside of the deepest IDP leagues where a CB is required because he has just two interceptions. Well, this is a great week for another as he faces Baker Mayfield and will likely get Damion Ratley opposite him while Marcus Peters squares off with Odell Beckham Jr. Let's face it, this Browns team is ready to throw in the towel and the Ravens Defense deserves a lot of attention in fantasy.

Tyrann Mathieu (S, KC) @ Chicago - This is a good time to try the Honey Badger in your lineup. Big plays and turnovers are hard to predict but we know the Bears allow the sixth-most points to safeties on the season and Mathieu has come away with a pick in two of the last four games. The Bears are out of the playoff hunt whereas the Chiefs are fighting for a top seed. At the very least, a defended pass or two with a few tackles seem to be in the works. The ceiling here is much higher though, making him a potential boom pick. Plus, how can you not trust a player who posts this before gameday?

I’m up and going get what’s mines. Watch me catch the sun.

— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) December 20, 2019

More Week 16 Lineup Prep

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Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 15 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date December 13, 2019

One of the great things about implementing IDP in fantasy football is that it balances out some of the insanity that the offensive players produce in some weeks. If you started a lineup with Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, Boston Scott, A.J. Brown, Darius Slayton, and Noah Fant then you undoubtedly crushed your opponent while a team consisting of Aaron Rodgers, Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, Davante Adams, Julio Jones, and Mark Andrews would be out of the playoffs. If you made it this far, good luck in Week 15 and here's hoping that defense helps guide your way!

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 15

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	3	Joe Schobert	LB
1	4	Blake Martinez	LB
1	5	Luke Kuechly	LB
1	6	Jordan Hicks	LB
1	7	Fred Warner	LB
1	8	Cory Littleton	LB
1	9	Deion Jones	LB
2	10	Eric Reid	DB
2	11	Demario Davis	LB
2	12	T.J. Watt	LB
2	13	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	14	Budda Baker	DB
2	15	Zach Cunningham	LB
3	16	Aaron Donald	DL
3	17	Danielle Hunter	DL
3	18	Jayon Brown	LB
3	19	Nick Bosa	DL
3	20	Devin White	LB
3	21	Vonn Bell	DB
3	22	Cameron Heyward	DL
3	23	Logan Ryan	DB
4	24	Cameron Jordan	DL
4	25	Landon Collins	DB
4	26	Joey Bosa	DL
4	27	Shaq Thompson	LB
4	28	Eric Kendricks	LB
4	29	Calais Campbell	DL
4	30	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
4	31	Rashaan Evans	LB
5	32	Brandon Graham	DL
5	33	Khalil Mack	LB
5	34	Devin Bush	LB
5	35	Todd Davis	LB
5	36	Tracy Walker	DB
5	37	Jamie Collins	LB
5	38	Jordan Poyer	DB
5	39	Melvin Ingram	DL
5	40	A.J. Johnson	LB
5	41	Harrison Smith	DB
5	42	K.J. Wright	LB
6	43	Lavonte David	LB
6	44	DeForest Buckner	DL
6	45	Arik Armstead	DL
6	46	Taylor Rapp	DB
6	47	Justin Houston	DL
6	48	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
6	49	Derwin James	DB
6	50	Bud Dupree	LB
6	51	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
7	52	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
7	53	Nick Vigil	LB
7	54	Justin Simmons	DB
7	55	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
7	56	Neville Hewitt	LB
7	57	Shaquil Barrett	LB
7	58	Matt Milano	LB
7	59	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
7	60	Maxx Crosby	DL
7	61	James Burgess	LB
7	62	Harold Landry	LB
7	63	Sean Lee	LB
7	64	Jessie Bates III	DB
7	65	Robert Quinn	DL
7	66	Jonathan Allen	DL
7	67	Antoine Bethea	DB
8	68	Jerome Baker	LB
8	69	Thomas Davis	LB
8	70	Benardrick McKinney	LB
8	71	Shawn Williams	DB
8	72	Donald Payne	LB
8	73	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
8	74	Kyle Fuller	DB
8	75	Dre Greenlaw	LB
8	76	Drue Tranquill	LB
8	77	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB
8	78	Chandler Jones	LB
8	79	Carlos Dunlap	DL
8	80	Mario Addison	DL
8	81	Anthony Walker	LB
8	82	Za'Darius Smith	LB
8	83	Everson Griffen	DL
8	84	Kevin Byard	DB
8	85	Tahir Whitehead	LB
8	86	Chris Jones	DL
8	87	Jarrad Davis	LB
8	88	Grady Jarrett	DL
8	89	Matt Ioannidis	DL
8	90	Josh Allen	DL
8	91	Trey Flowers	DL
9	92	Frank Clark	DL
9	93	Tavon Wilson	DB
9	94	Von Miller	LB
9	95	Alec Ogletree	LB
9	96	Ryan Kerrigan	LB
9	97	Jurrell Casey	DL
9	98	Bruce Irvin	DL
9	99	Preston Smith	LB
9	100	Malcolm Jenkins	DB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

K.J. Wright (LB, SEA) @ Carolina - A dislocated finger isn't expected to keep Wright out of Week 15, which is good for the Seahawks, who look to rebound from a disappointing loss to the Rams. It's especially good for IDP owners, as opposing linebackers rack up more fantasy points against the Panthers than any other team. Wright has played more than 90% of defensive snaps in five straight games and in 11 of 13 games on the year. A double-digit combined tackle total is a reasonable expectation.

Justin Simmons (S, DEN) @ Kansas City - If your league counts passes defended (PD) for anything more than a single point, Simmons should have been on your radar or in your lineup at some point. He ranks ninth with 13 PD on the year, including three last week at Houston. Kansas City will always air it out and will especially need to do so with so many injuries at running back, assuming the Broncos can challenge them enough in this contest. The Chiefs allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to safeties, reinforcing the fact that Simmons is a high-floor play in a critical week.

Jonathan Allen (DE, WAS) vs Philadelphia - Allen hasn't been taking the quarterback down at a high rate but he did register five solo stops for the third time this season in Week 14. While Carson Wentz has only been sacked eight times over the last three weeks, that was a result of him facing defenses like the Giants, Dolphins, and Seahawks, all bottom-10 in sack totals. Lane Johnson is still hurt, as is every single WR on the roster. Add that to the fact the Eagles run the third-most plays and give up the fourth-most fantasy points to defensive linemen and Allen seems like a great DL option.

Antoine Bethea (S, NYG) vs Miami - His huge game against the Eagles on Monday night with 10 solo tackles pushed him up to 14th in the league in that category. This game could be ugly on both sides of the ball but there's always individual fantasy value when bad teams clash. In this case, Bethea is likely to tally several stops again and has a strong chance to come away with a big play as well since the Dolphins are thin at the skill positions (more so than usual).

Dre Greenlaw (LB, SF) vs Atlanta - Since Week 10, when Kwon Alexander was put on IR, Greenlaw has stepped up to compile at least seven combined tackles in every game. There isn't much else to his game just yet - he's posted just one sack, one INT, and two PD on the year - so target him if you're looking for a high-floor LB in deeper leagues. The Falcons have been running the ball more lately with Devonta Freeman back and will out of necessity with Calvin Ridley out. Greenlaw is an easy linebacker pickup that is widely available at 3% ownership if Fred Warner (51% owned) is already taken.

Trey Flowers (DE, DET) vs Tampa Bay - Flowers has been on a mission to take down QBs lately. Maybe that BS Roughing the Passer call a few weeks ago fired him up. He's collected at least one sack in five of the last seven games. Jameis Winston is the third-most sacked passer in the NFL but it would be even better if he doesn't play due to his fractured thumb. Flowers could get a chance to chase down Ryan Griffin, who at age 30 just saw the first on-field action of his career in Week 14. Standing 6'5" with a 40-yard dash time in the 4th percentile, a start by Griffin should mean an automatic plug-and-play for the top Lions defensive lineman.

More Week 15 Lineup Prep

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 7

Week 6 Chat - Live Fantasy Football Game Day Q&A

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 14 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date December 6, 2019

The fantasy playoffs are here for most of us, so every position matters that much more. IDP spots often become an afterthought or a set-it-and-forget-it situation but it could be that linebacker who has a monster game or that key interception that makes the difference between winning or going home. Look to our streamer suggestions for some players that could benefit you in deeper IDP leagues.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 14

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Cory Littleton	LB
1	2	Darius Leonard	LB
1	3	Joe Schobert	LB
1	4	Blake Martinez	LB
1	5	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	6	Deion Jones	LB
2	7	Fred Warner	LB
2	8	Devin White	LB
2	9	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	10	Roquan Smith	LB
2	11	Eric Reid	DB
2	12	Luke Kuechly	LB
3	13	Joey Bosa	DL
3	14	Danielle Hunter	DL
3	15	Devin Bush	LB
3	16	Budda Baker	DB
3	17	Landon Collins	DB
3	18	Zach Cunningham	LB
3	19	Aaron Donald	DL
3	20	Jordan Hicks	LB
3	21	Demario Davis	LB
3	22	Jayon Brown	LB
4	23	Shaq Thompson	LB
4	24	Cameron Heyward	DL
4	25	Logan Ryan	DB
4	26	Vonn Bell	DB
4	27	Brandon Graham	DL
4	28	T.J. Watt	LB
4	29	Nick Bosa	DL
4	30	Calais Campbell	DL
4	31	Cameron Jordan	DL
4	32	Matt Milano	LB
5	33	Lavonte David	LB
5	34	A.J. Johnson	LB
5	35	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
5	36	Todd Davis	LB
5	37	Jessie Bates III	DB
5	38	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
5	39	Justin Houston	DL
5	40	Maxx Crosby	DL
5	41	Nick Vigil	LB
5	42	Melvin Ingram	DL
5	43	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	44	Eric Kendricks	LB
5	45	Shawn Williams	DB
5	46	Harrison Smith	DB
5	47	Derwin James	DB
6	48	Jamal Adams	DB
6	49	Rashaan Evans	LB
6	50	Taylor Rapp	DB
6	51	Tracy Walker	DB
6	52	Jamie Collins	LB
6	53	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
6	54	Jerome Baker	LB
7	55	Sean Lee	LB
7	56	Khalil Mack	LB
7	57	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
7	58	K.J. Wright	LB
7	59	Thomas Davis	LB
7	60	Jarrad Davis	LB
7	61	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
7	62	Robert Quinn	DL
7	63	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
7	64	Arik Armstead	DL
7	65	Justin Simmons	DB
7	66	Dre Greenlaw	LB
7	67	Jordan Poyer	DB
8	68	Drue Tranquill	LB
8	69	Sam Hubbard	DL
8	70	Kyle Fuller	DB
8	71	Jonathan Allen	DL
8	72	Carlos Dunlap	DL
8	73	Preston Smith	LB
8	74	James Burgess	LB
8	75	Bud Dupree	LB
8	76	Antoine Bethea	DB
8	77	Neville Hewitt	LB
8	78	Harold Landry	LB
8	79	Anthony Walker	LB
8	80	Taco Charlton	DL
8	81	Za'Darius Smith	LB
8	82	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB
9	83	Benardrick McKinney	LB
9	84	Donald Payne	LB
9	85	Kevin Byard	DB
9	86	Mario Addison	DL
9	87	Shaquil Barrett	LB
9	88	Tahir Whitehead	LB
9	89	Josh Allen	DL
9	90	Chandler Jones	LB
9	91	Derek Barnett	DL
9	92	Matt Ioannidis	DL
9	93	Everson Griffen	DL
9	94	Kenny Moore	DB
9	95	Chris Jones	DL
9	96	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
9	97	Tavon Wilson	DB
9	98	Frank Clark	DL
9	99	Grady Jarrett	DL
9	100	Ryan Kerrigan	LB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Danielle Hunter (DE, MIN) vs Detroit - This season hasn't been quite as dominant for Hunter, coming off 14.5 sacks a year ago. He did pick one up last Monday after a three-week dry spell. With Everson Griffen questionable for this contest, it would seem that Hunter is a strong bet to be the one that takes quarterback David Blough down.

Maxx Crosby (DE, OAK) vs Tennessee - I don't need to tell you that the Titans are still allowing the most sacks in the NFL. I do need to tell you that last week was the first time in three weeks that Crosby didn't register at least a partial sack and he accumulated 5.5 sacks between Weeks 10-12. Also, he's been on the field for over 90% of the team's defensive snaps in three of the last five weeks. The Raiders offense may have disappeared but this rookie should make an appearance on the stat sheet in Week 14.

Derwin James (S, LAC) @ Jacksonville - In case you didn't notice, the second-year safety out of FSU returned last week. He only picked up two solo tackles but it was encouraging to see that he was not restricted, playing 98% of the snaps. Aside from the fact he resumes his position as a top-10 safety in all IDP leagues, this is a great matchup against rookie QB Gardner Minshew. James is only owned in 19% of Yahoo leagues, so grab him before the competition remembers that he's available.

De'Vondre Campbell (LB, ATL) vs Carolina - After back-to-back weeks with an interception and six combined tackles, Campbell was quiet in Week 13 with just one solo tackle. This is an ideal chance to resume his dominance though, as the Carolina Panthers allow the most fantasy points to linebackers of any team. Campbell averages almost five solo tackles and eight combined tackles per game as the Falcons' leading total tackler. Deion Jones gets more attention and is higher-owned but Campbell is just as good of a play.

Matt Milano (LB, BUF) vs Baltimore - First of all, let's admire the fact that Milano has played 100% of the snaps in all but one game in which he's appeared this year. Milano will get plenty of action against the Ravens, who run the second-most rushing plays and fourth-most total plays per game. He's collected at least four solo stops and one QB hit in each of the past four games along with a total of seven passes defended. There's a high floor that can't be ignored in leagues that require two LBs.

Taco Charlton (DE, MIA) @ NY Jets - It's Taco Sunday. The former Cowboy castoff has made himself into a respectable pass-rusher with the rebuilding Dolphins, including a sack and a forced fumble last week. If anyone knows how to give up sacks, it's the Jets, who are allowing the third-most sacks in the league. For streaming purposes in deeper leagues, Charlton is a solid pick.

More Week 14 Lineup Prep

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 13 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date November 30, 2019

Happy belated Turkey Day! Many of you are probably suffering some sort of Thanksgiving hangover, whether it be food, beer, or Cowboys-related. If it cheers you up, just know that this Sunday features a near-full slate of games still, as bye weeks are over! Which defensive players can help push you through this weekend and into a better playoff spot?

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 13

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Jamal Adams	DB
1	3	Joe Schobert	LB
1	4	Cory Littleton	LB
1	5	Blake Martinez	LB
1	6	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	7	Bobby Wagner	LB
2	8	Aaron Donald	DL
2	9	Joey Bosa	DL
2	10	Landon Collins	DB
2	11	Fred Warner	LB
2	12	Luke Kuechly	LB
3	13	Cameron Jordan	DL
3	14	Zach Cunningham	LB
3	15	Roquan Smith	LB
3	16	Rashaan Evans	LB
3	17	Demario Davis	LB
3	18	Justin Houston	DL
3	19	T.J. Watt	LB
4	20	Devin White	LB
4	21	Logan Ryan	DB
4	22	Vonn Bell	DB
4	23	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
4	24	DeForest Buckner	DL
4	25	Jayon Brown	LB
4	26	Shaq Thompson	LB
4	27	Calais Campbell	DL
4	28	Harold Landry	LB
4	29	Eric Reid	DB
4	30	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
5	31	Nick Bosa	DL
5	32	Jordan Poyer	DB
5	33	Lavonte David	LB
5	34	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
5	35	Khalil Mack	LB
5	36	Jerome Baker	LB
5	37	Deion Jones	LB
5	38	Shawn Williams	DB
5	39	Preston Smith	LB
5	40	Eric Kendricks	LB
5	41	Jabrill Peppers	DB
5	42	Brandon Graham	DL
5	43	Cameron Heyward	DL
5	44	Taylor Rapp	DB
6	45	Markus Golden	LB
6	46	Todd Davis	LB
6	47	Arik Armstead	DL
6	48	Matt Milano	LB
6	49	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB
6	50	Kyle Fuller	DB
6	51	Benardrick McKinney	LB
6	52	Devin Bush	LB
7	53	Sean Lee	LB
7	54	Ronnie Harrison	DB
7	55	A.J. Johnson	LB
7	56	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
7	57	Jessie Bates III	DB
7	58	Shaquil Barrett	LB
7	59	Nick Vigil	LB
7	60	Jordan Hicks	LB
7	61	Antoine Bethea	DB
7	62	Sam Hubbard	DL
7	63	Jon Bostic	LB
7	64	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
7	65	Josh Allen	DL
7	66	Justin Simmons	DB
7	67	Carlos Dunlap	DL
7	68	K.J. Wright	LB
7	69	Tahir Whitehead	LB
7	70	Robert Quinn	DL
7	71	Budda Baker	DB
7	72	Jonathan Allen	DL
8	73	Za'Darius Smith	LB
8	74	Jamie Collins	LB
8	75	Danielle Hunter	DL
8	76	Melvin Ingram	DL
8	77	Mario Edwards	DL
8	78	Myles Jack	LB
8	79	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
8	80	Alec Ogletree	LB
8	81	Thomas Davis	LB
8	82	Malcolm Jenkins	DB
8	83	Bud Dupree	LB
8	84	Chris Jones	DL
8	85	Jarrad Davis	LB
8	86	Neville Hewitt	LB
8	87	Von Miller	LB
8	88	Ryan Kerrigan	LB
8	89	Jabaal Sheard	DL
8	90	Maxx Crosby	DL
8	91	Jurrell Casey	DL
8	92	Jarran Reed	DL
8	93	Nathan Gerry	LB
8	94	Raekwon McMillan	LB
8	95	Haason Reddick	LB
9	96	Erik Harris	DB
9	97	Kevin Byard	DB
9	98	Leonard Floyd	LB
9	99	Vita Vea	DL
9	100	Jarrod Wilson	DB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Joey Bosa (DE, LAC) @ Denver - When doing my rankings, I was surprised to see that the elder Bosa is down at 44 overall in FantasyPros' ECR this week whereas Nick Bosa is eighth. If matchups mean anything, then it should be reversed. Joey Bosa will get a chance to face rookie Drew Lock in his first-ever NFL start. The Broncos have allowed 36 sacks on the year, tied for sixth-most. Meanwhile, Nick Bosa has to chase down a guy named Lamar Jackson all day, who is only sacked an average of two times per game. Due to last week's bye, Joey's ownership is down to 43% on Yahoo which makes him a great scoop and start in shallower, non-dynasty leagues. Nick isn't an absolute must-sit but despite a strong season, his sack last week was his first in four games and he has been slowing down as of late.

Markus Golden (LB, NYG) vs Green Bay - After a strong start, Golden quieted down near midseason. Probably fatigue from carrying the rest of his teammates on the front seven... On a defensive unit that is 29th in points allowed and 27th in total yards, he is the only player with even as many as four sacks (7.5) and he also ranks fifth on the Giants with 47 combined tackles. The Packers are one of the stingiest in fantasy points allowed to linebackers but against Edge rushers, which Golden effectively serves as, they are in the bottom 10. Throw in the fact that tackle Bryan Bulaga is unlikely to play and Golden appears to be a strong play where sacks count multiple points.

Jayon Brown (LB, TEN) @ Indianapolis - Brown is coming off a career-best 11 solo tackles in Week 12 and should be just as busy in Week 13. The Colts already allow the fourth-most fantasy points to linebackers as it is and will be without their top two vertical threats, T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron; they will be pounding the ground and throwing it short most of the afternoon. Brown gets overlooked in comparison to other more consistent IDP assets in Tennesse such as Harold Landry and Logan Ryan but he could make for a solid streamer this week too.

Malcolm Jenkins (S, PHI) vs Miami - Someone's got to pick off Ryan Fitzpatrick this weekend, don't they? The veteran hasn't come away with an INT yet this season but he's been active otherwise, registering a team-high 38 solo tackles, three passes defended and eight QB hits. He even sacked Russell Wilson twice last week. If the Eagles can use him to blitz more often, that increases his point-scoring potential in a great matchup such as this.

Jarran Reed (DT, SEA) vs Minnesota - 300-pound run stuffers aren't the most exciting fantasy players but they get the job done in certain formats. Reed didn't make his 2019 debut until Week 7 because of suspension and then injured his ankle last week, forcing him to leave early. It's never great to have a game-time decision in your lineup but if Reed does go, look for him as a strong source of points against a Vikings offense that is tops in the league in points allowed to DT.

Jarrod Wilson (S, JAX) vs Tampa Bay - Ronnie Harrison is the safety you want to play this week, going against a Tampa Bay team that allows the sixth-most fantasy points to safeties and has thrown the most interceptions in the league by far with 20. Unfortunately, he is questionable with a concussion and may not even play. That makes Wilson a smart pivot, as he'll have to pick up the slack. He's yet to have a breakout game in his fourth season so this is a sleeper pick for sure. He did register his first INT two weeks ago and should be good for at least four solo tackles, which he's done four weeks in a row. There's a decent floor here with potential for much more in case Harrison doesn't suit up.

More Week 13 Lineup Prep

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Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 12 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date November 22, 2019

You know how some weeks are full of high scores across the board, with most teams putting up 30+ points and piling up highlights on the offensive end? I don't get that feeling this week. My gut says that several games, even those already on the low end of the O/U spectrum, will fall short of expectations. Games like Bears-Giants, Bills-Broncos, Titans-Jaguars, Redskins-Lions, and Bengals-Steelers might be lucky to produce two touchdowns between them. In those matchups, it's smart to identify defenders who could be busy stuffing the run or picking off inexperienced passers. So, if you see several players listed below that belong to losing clubs, it's due to the fact that their opponent may be even worse in Week 12.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 12

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Cory Littleton	LB
1	3	Joe Schobert	LB
1	4	Luke Kuechly	LB
1	5	Jamal Adams	DB
1	6	Roquan Smith	LB
2	7	Shaq Thompson	LB
2	8	Devin White	LB
2	9	Devin Bush	LB
2	10	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	11	Jordan Poyer	DB
2	12	Landon Collins	DB
3	13	Cameron Jordan	DL
3	14	Lavonte David	LB
3	15	Aaron Donald	DL
3	16	Nick Bosa	DL
3	17	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
3	18	Khalil Mack	LB
3	19	Calais Campbell	DL
4	20	Justin Houston	DL
4	21	T.J. Watt	LB
4	22	Bobby Wagner	LB
4	23	Deion Jones	LB
4	24	Zach Cunningham	LB
4	25	Jessie Bates III	DB
4	26	Demario Davis	LB
4	27	Cameron Heyward	DL
4	28	Blake Martinez	LB
4	29	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
4	30	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	31	Rashaan Evans	LB
5	32	Shawn Williams	DB
5	33	Jerome Baker	LB
5	34	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
5	35	Fred Warner	LB
5	36	Olivier Vernon	DL
5	37	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
5	38	Jabrill Peppers	DB
5	39	Logan Ryan	DB
5	40	Vonn Bell	DB
5	41	Taylor Rapp	DB
5	42	A.J. Johnson	LB
5	43	Tracy Walker	DB
5	44	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
6	45	Nick Vigil	LB
6	46	Harold Landry	LB
6	47	Erik Harris	DB
6	48	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
6	49	Jamie Collins	LB
6	50	Jon Bostic	LB
6	51	Matt Milano	LB
6	52	Ronnie Harrison	DB
7	53	Todd Davis	LB
7	54	Maxx Crosby	DL
7	55	Jonathan Allen	DL
7	56	Tavon Wilson	DB
7	57	Robert Quinn	DL
7	58	K.J. Wright	LB
7	59	Ryan Kerrigan	LB
7	60	Kyle Fuller	DB
7	61	Marcus Peters	DB
7	62	Grady Jarrett	DL
7	63	Arik Armstead	DL
7	64	Josh Allen	DL
7	65	Trey Flowers	DL
7	66	Brandon Graham	DL
7	67	Shaquil Barrett	LB
7	68	Eric Reid	DB
7	69	Dont'a Hightower	LB
7	70	Jarrad Davis	LB
7	71	Myles Jack	LB
7	72	Eric Weddle	DB
8	73	Mario Addison	DL
8	74	Wesley Woodyard	LB
8	75	Matt Ioannidis	DL
8	76	Carlos Dunlap	DL
8	77	Von Miller	LB
8	78	Adrian Clayborn	DL
8	79	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
8	80	Nathan Gerry	DB
8	81	Jerry Hughes	DL
8	82	Markus Golden	LB
8	83	Kevin Byard	DB
8	84	Micah Hyde	DB
8	85	Josh Bynes	LB
8	86	Eddie Goldman	DL
8	87	Za'Darius Smith	LB
8	88	Clay Matthews	LB
8	89	Devin McCourty	DB
8	90	Vic Beasley	DL
8	91	Preston Smith	LB
8	92	Damarious Randall	DB
8	93	Mario Edwards	DL
8	94	Jabaal Sheard	DL
8	95	Bud Dupree	LB
9	96	Neville Hewitt	LB
9	97	Leonard Floyd	LB
9	98	Raekwon McMillan	LB
9	99	Dion Jordan	DL
9	100	Sam Hubbard	DL

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Jessie Bates III (S, CIN) vs Pittsburgh - For all their woes this season, at least Cincinnati has gotten some strong safety play from the tandem of Bates and Shawn Williams. Bates has been the dominant presence lately, intercepting a pass in each of the last two games. He's also tallied at least six solo tackles in four of the last five games. The Steelers are going to be an absolute mess on offense this week without James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, or Diontae Johnson; Bates has the opportunity to play aggressively and make big plays yet again.

Jerome Baker (LB, MIA) @ Cleveland - We've recommended Baker before and he's produced. Baker has at least five combined tackles in all but two games this season. The Browns allow the sixth-most fantasy points to linebackers and could be a good source of points going forward now that they've moved on from their "Three and Out" offense.

Mario Addison (DE, CAR) @ New Orleans - After missing Week 9 due to the sad news of his brother's death, Addison has gotten back to work. He picked up half a sack in Week 10 followed by a sack and three solo tackles in Week 11. Drew Brees doesn't make it a habit of getting taken down too often but he's not invincible and Addison is a talented sack artist who has played his highest defensive snap rates over the last two weeks at 84% and 80%.

Marcus Peters (CB, BAL) @L.A. Rams - If the revenge game narrative works for offensive players, it goes double for defense. Peters, a former first-round pick, was unceremoniously dealt away from the defending NFC champs midseason and yet appears to have landed in a better spot with Baltimore. He didn't waste time making his presence felt, as he's already delivered a pick-six twice in his four games as a Raven. It's impossible to predict defensive touchdowns, much less turnovers, but Peters will surely be jumping routes all afternoon in hopes of delivering another housecall.

Taylor Rapp (S, LAR) vs Baltimore - If you've been playing veteran Eric Weddle at safety the past few weeks, it may be time to shift your attention to rookie teammate Taylor Rapp. The second-rounder has been a tackle machine over the past month, with 27 solo takedowns in the last four games, including three tackles for loss. Baltimore runs the fourth-most plays per game and should give Rapp plenty of opportunities to try to stop Lamar Jackson and company.

Dion Jordan (DE, CHI) @ N.Y. Jets - This isn't the first or last time a pass-rusher will be recommended against the Jets, who still give up the most points to the DE position and are one short of allowing the most sacks this season. The fact that it's Dion Jordan, who has all of one game under his belt in 2019, is probably a surprise. This failed Dolphin prospect has struggled to stay in the league but now finds himself on one of the best defenses facing one of the worst offenses. Jordan picked up a sack last week in his first game of the year and could do it again, especially if his snap count rises.

More Week 12 Lineup Prep

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Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 11 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date November 16, 2019

Don't underestimate the power of the IDP. We've already seen Joe Schobert put up a monster game on Thursday night with a sack, seven solo tackles, and two interceptions. Jamal Adams may have won some games single-handedly last week with his strip-sack for a TD along with eight tackles and another sack. Likewise, Jadveon Clowney and Darius Leonard proved that players at each position can be just as valuable as offensive players. Who will be this week's breakout performer? My money is on Chandler Jones or Tracy Walker. We won't spend time below analyzing them, as we want to provide some more insight on lesser-owned fantasy commodities.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 11

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Jordan Hicks	LB
1	3	Jamal Adams	DB
1	4	Danielle Hunter	DL
1	5	Cory Littleton	LB
1	6	Luke Kuechly	LB
1	7	Joe Schobert	LB
2	8	Jordan Poyer	DB
2	9	Roquan Smith	LB
2	10	Deion Jones	LB
2	11	Aaron Donald	DL
2	12	Chandler Jones	LB
2	13	Nick Bosa	DL
2	14	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	15	Shaq Thompson	LB
3	16	Joey Bosa	DL
3	17	Eric Kendricks	LB
3	18	Eric Reid	DB
3	19	Cameron Jordan	DL
3	20	Myles Garrett	DL
3	21	Budda Baker	DB
3	22	Leighton Vander Esch	LB
3	23	Devin White	LB
3	24	Vonn Bell	DB
4	25	DeForest Buckner	DL
4	26	Harrison Smith	DB
4	27	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
4	28	Lavonte David	LB
4	29	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
4	30	T.J. Watt	LB
4	31	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
4	32	Devin Bush	LB
5	33	Nick Vigil	LB
5	34	Cameron Heyward	DL
5	35	Justin Houston	DL
5	36	Demario Davis	LB
5	37	Khalil Mack	LB
5	38	Zach Cunningham	LB
5	39	Tracy Walker	DB
5	40	Calais Campbell	DL
5	41	Shawn Williams	DB
5	42	Jessie Bates III	DB
5	43	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
5	44	Everson Griffen	DL
6	45	Fred Warner	LB
6	46	Jason Pierre-Paul	DL
6	47	Matt Milano	LB
6	48	Melvin Ingram	DL
6	49	Xavier Woods	DB
6	50	Frank Clark	DL
6	51	Jamie Collins	LB
6	52	Landon Collins	DB
6	53	Jerome Baker	LB
7	54	Kyle Fuller	DB
7	55	Tahir Whitehead	LB
7	56	Chris Jones	DL
7	57	Robert Quinn	DL
7	58	Erik Harris	DB
7	59	Jonathan Allen	DL
7	60	Taylor Rapp	DB
7	61	Eric Weddle	DB
7	62	A.J. Johnson	LB
7	63	Ronnie Harrison	DB
7	64	Todd Davis	LB
7	65	Matt Ioannidis	DL
7	66	Dante Fowler Jr.	DL
7	67	Shaquil Barrett	LB
7	68	Tre'Davious White	DB
7	69	Patrick Onwuasor	LB
8	70	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB
8	71	Grady Jarrett	DL
8	72	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB
8	73	Tavon Wilson	DB
8	74	Myles Jack	LB
8	75	Jon Bostic	LB
8	76	Jabaal Sheard	DL
8	77	Haason Reddick	LB
8	78	Mack Wilson	LB
8	79	Sam Hubbard	DL
8	80	Reshad Jones	DB
8	81	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
8	82	Arik Armstead	DL
8	83	Trey Flowers	DL
8	84	Benardrick McKinney	LB
8	85	Earl Thomas	DB
9	86	Justin Simmons	DB
9	87	Terrell Edmunds	DB
9	88	Jarrad Davis	LB
9	89	Bud Dupree	LB
9	90	Brandon Graham	DL
9	91	Dee Ford	DL
9	92	Von Miller	LB
9	93	Damarious Randall	DB
9	94	Ryan Kerrigan	LB
9	95	Devin McCourty	DB
9	96	Jerry Hughes	DL
9	97	Whitney Mercilus	LB
9	98	Fletcher Cox	DL
9	99	Micah Hyde	DB
9	100	Brandon Copeland	LB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Vonn Bell (S, NO) @ Tampa Bay

What is IDP if you don't stream against Jameis Winston at DB? He only threw two picks last week after not turning it over at all in Week 9 but he still leads the way with 14 INT on the year. He is also third in pass attempts with 355, which means plenty of action will come Bell's way. Consensus rankers have dropped Bell from earlier in the year, likely because he is yet to claim his first interception of 2019. He does have four fumble recoveries, tied for the league lead, so don't let that stat discourage you from making Bell a top-10 DB choice.

Nick Vigil (LB, CIN) @ Oakland

Preston Brown has been released and that's just the start of some house-cleaning that will take place in Cincinnati this offseason. That means Vigil will have a bigger load on his shoulders in stopping the run, which has been Cincy's main problem (among many) this year. His star has been falling lately with just one tackle in last week's thrashing by the Ravens and seven combined solo stops the previous two games before the bye. The Raiders have the fourth-fewest pass attempts this year and will have no need to press the issue downfield in this game. That means a lot of work for Vigil underneath in what should be a return to top-25 LB form.

Xavier Woods (S, DAL) @ Detroit

Woods is taking over as the rising star in the Dallas secondary, after it seemed Byron Jones was doing a year ago. Woods has accumulated 49 solo tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles this season, with two of those picks coming in the last three games. He's also defended one pass in each of the last three contests. If your league counts PD as a category, Woods is a strong consideration this week against Jeff Driskel and the hobbled Lions offense. Just think of the numbers Nick Kwiatkowski (see below) posted last week.

Erik Harris (S, OAK) vs Cincinnati

Talk about a second-half surger... Harris drew some attention, at least enough to crack our rankings last week, following his Week 9 output where he combined for 10 tackles, eight of which were solo, along with a PD. Then he proceeded to put up zero solo stops in Week 10 but the two INT, including a pick-six sort of made up for that. Both Karl Joseph and LaMarcus Joyner are in danger of missing the rest of the season, which makes Harris a possible keeper at safety (in redraft leagues, not dynasty) based on remaining schedule. Oakland plays the Bengals, Jets, Chiefs, Titans, Jaguars, Chargers, and Broncos the rest of the way. He is a late bloomer for sure but one who will get plenty of action in an otherwise beleaguered secondary.

Nick Kwiatkowski (LB, CHI) @ L.A. Rams

Spelling his name proved to be a far more challenging task than proving why he belongs on your roster. In his first game filling in for Danny Trevathan (elbow), he tallied eight solo tackles, one sack, one interception, and one pass defended. That's a tremendous showing for an IDP player at any position, regardless of matchup. It appears he will draw another start, this time against a Rams offense that seems to have lost its identity. They still run the sixth-most plays per game and won't be kept off the field too long by Mitch Trubisky and company.

Jonathan Allen (DE, WAS) vs N.Y. Jets

He may not be quite the dominant force that Washington was hoping for when they selected Allen in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft but he's at least showing some consistency. Allen posted seven combined tackles for three straight games before the bye in Week 10. You'd like to see more than four sacks by this point in the year, though. He's got a great shot against Sam Darnold and the Jets, who allow the second-most fantasy points to DL and the most sacks on a per-game basis. He's no Jadveon Clowney but he might have to do this week.

More Week 11 Lineup Prep

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 7

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 10 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date November 9, 2019

Hopefully you weren't burned by the last-minute scratch of Leighton Vander Esch last week. We'll omit him from this week's rankings until we know for sure his neck issues won't keep him out again. His absence allowed Sean Lee to look like his old self, racking up 12 tackles (nine solo), with one for loss and a pass defended. With six teams on bye, Lee becomes an intriguing option that is barely owned because of his own injury history but he is also questionable with a pec injury heading into Week 10. Luckily, despite the number of teams sitting out, most of the big-name IDP assets are still active so there should be a bigger focus on matchup quality than availability.

Serious fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. As we do with each position and every league type allyear, RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP rankings. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top-100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 10

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Blake Martinez	LB
1	3	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	4	Jordan Hicks	LB
1	5	Myles Garrett	DL
1	6	Luke Kuechly	LB
1	7	Joe Schobert	LB
1	8	Joey Bosa	DL
2	9	Danielle Hunter	DL
2	10	Jabrill Peppers	DB
2	11	Jordan Poyer	DB
2	12	Nick Bosa	DL
2	13	Budda Baker	DB
2	14	Kevin Byard	DB
2	15	Devin Bush	LB
2	16	Eric Kendricks	LB
2	17	Harrison Smith	DB
3	18	Roquan Smith	LB
3	19	Danny Trevathan	LB
3	20	Shaq Thompson	LB
3	21	Jamal Adams	DB
3	22	Khalil Mack	LB
3	23	Rashaan Evans	LB
3	24	Logan Ryan	DB
3	25	Devin White	LB
4	26	Vonn Bell	DB
4	27	Jaylon Smith	LB
4	28	DeForest Buckner	DL
4	29	Cameron Jordan	DL
4	30	K.J. Wright	LB
4	31	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
4	32	Tracy Walker	DB
5	33	Justin Houston	DL
5	34	Lavonte David	LB
5	35	Antoine Bethea	DB
5	36	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
5	37	Shaquil Barrett	LB
5	38	Chris Jones	DL
5	39	Eric Reid	DB
5	40	Kyle Fuller	DB
5	41	Fred Warner	LB
5	42	T.J. Watt	LB
5	43	Cameron Heyward	DL
5	44	Everson Griffen	DL
5	45	Chandler Jones	LB
5	46	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
5	47	Trey Flowers	DL
5	48	Eric Weddle	DB
6	49	Jarrad Davis	LB
6	50	Olivier Vernon	DL
6	51	Tyrann Mathieu	DB
6	52	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB
6	53	Xavier Woods	DB
6	54	Jayon Brown	LB
6	55	Patrick Peterson	DB
6	56	Robert Quinn	DL
6	57	Darnell Savage Jr.	DB
7	58	Jabaal Sheard	DL
7	59	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
7	60	Melvin Ingram	DL
7	61	Sean Lee	DB
7	62	Matt Milano	LB
7	63	Demario Davis	LB
7	64	Tahir Whitehead	LB
7	65	Mychal Kendricks	LB
7	66	Earl Thomas	DB
7	67	Jerry Hughes	DL
7	68	Wesley Woodyard	LB
7	69	Harold Landry	LB
8	70	Shawn Williams	DB
8	71	Haason Reddick	LB
8	72	Vince Williams	LB
8	73	Anthony Hitchens	LB
8	74	Dee Ford	DL
8	75	Arik Armstead	DL
8	76	Morgan Burnett	DB
8	77	Aaron Donald	DL
8	78	Jerome Baker	LB
8	79	Preston Brown	LB
8	80	Tre Boston	DB
8	81	Erik Harris	DB
8	82	Preston Smith	LB
8	83	Vic Beasley	DL
9	84	Janoris Jenkins	DB
9	85	Lamarcus Joyner	DB
9	86	Micah Hyde	DB
9	87	Markus Golden	LB
9	88	Clayton Geathers	DB
9	89	Thomas Davis	LB
9	90	Mario Edwards	DL
9	91	Linval Joseph	DL
9	92	Za'Darius Smith	LB
9	93	Marquise Blair	DB
9	94	Brian Burns	DL
9	95	Bud Dupree	LB
9	96	Raekwon McMillan	LB
9	97	Patrick Onwuasor	LB
9	98	Leonard Floyd	LB
9	99	Denzel Perryman	LB
9	100	Nick Vigil	LB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Eric Kendricks (LB, MIN) vs Dallas

Kendricks isn't an exciting name that leaps off the page but he is tied for sixth with 51 solo tackles and has been a top-10 fantasy player this year. The Cowboys are wildly unpredictable on offense, typically racking up big points through the passing game against lesser opponents and leaning more on the run in tougher games like this. I'm betting on a Zeke v. Cook showdown and a less-vertical attack from Dallas, especially with Amari Cooper is listed as questionable.

DeMarcus Lawrence (DE, DAL) vs Minnesota

Nice to see you back here, DeMarcus... Once a dominant pass-rusher, Lawrence took a slight step back in 2018 and was off to an inconspicuous start in 2019. He's starting to get his sack on though, with one in each of the past two games. The Vikings don't give up too many sacks (16 in nine games) but with Adam Thielen out, even if Kirk Cousins doesn't throw as frequently, he could be more vulnerable while reading through his progressions. Lawrence is mostly sack-or-bust so take a chance on him as a boom play only if needed.

Chris Jones (DT, KC) vs Tennessee

Picking a pass-rusher against the Titans is a no-brainer. Offensive line used to be the strength of this team but Tennessee has allowed a league-high 38 sacks already, including four last week. Ryan Tannehill has been far better than Marcus Mariota but he's not known for his mobility and has been sacked 13 times in four starts. Jones, now that he's healthy again, will look to get back on track. He is just 13% owned and should be a nice DT choice in Week 10.

Morgan Burnett (S, CLE) vs Buffalo

The porous Browns Defense (why can't they have nice things?) may lean on Burnett more than ever this week. Damarious Randall is questionable with a hamstring injury that has kept him out the past two games and second-leading tackler Jermaine Whitehead tweeted his way out of Cleveland. That leaves the 30-year-old vet to pick up the slack. Buffalo is the fourth-most run-heavy team in the NFL, so Burnett will mainly have to be active at the upper level to accumulate tackles. There's an adequate floor based on the fact he's played 100% of the team's defensive snaps the past two weeks and will likely do so again.

Preston Smith (LB, GB) vs Carolina

Smith is having a fine season, as his eight sacks already tie his career-high. He isn't a tackle machine at LB but Carolina allows the most fantasy points to opposing linebackers and presents a great opportunity for Smith to bolster his stats in all categories. His ownership sits at 15%, which means he can be easily added as a bye-week replacement.

*Jomal Wiltz (S, MIA) vs Indianapolis

There's no way I'm ranking Wiltz in my top 100 this week but I'm making him my deep sleeper/bonus pick to watch. He came away with his first career interception last week and is going to be a fixture on the field with Minkah Fitzpatrick helping another team (why would you trade your only young star on defense???) and Reshad Jones apparently becoming a spectator. Wiltz played a season-high 88% of defensive snaps in Week 9 and it also resulted in a new high of eight combined tackles. If you're in a deep IDP league or want a dynasty sleeper, watch this UDFA to see what he does with this opportunity.

More Week 10 Lineup Prep

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Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Matchups Analysis for Week 6

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 9 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date November 1, 2019

Three of the top offenses in the league are taking a break this week, which could result in some lower-scoring games. New quarterbacks in Denver and Washington could lead to promising defensive performances from their opponents. As always, those who play in IDP leagues should balance safety at the linebacker position with some risk at DB or DL in order to seek out sacks or always unpredictable turnovers.

Dedicated fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. As we do with each position and every league type, RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top-100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 9

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	3	Danielle Hunter	DL
1	4	Landon Collins	DB
1	5	Joe Schobert	LB
1	6	Luke Kuechly	LB
2	7	Blake Martinez	LB
2	8	Jordan Hicks	LB
2	9	Jamal Adams	DB
2	10	Myles Garrett	DL
2	11	Calais Campbell	DL
2	12	Jordan Poyer	DB
3	13	Kevin Byard	DB
3	14	Leighton Vander Esch	LB
3	15	Tracy Walker	DB
3	16	Eric Kendricks	LB
3	17	Jamie Collins	LB
3	18	Joey Bosa	DL
3	19	Nick Bosa	DL
4	20	Devin Bush	LB
4	21	Danny Trevathan	LB
4	22	Zach Cunningham	LB
4	23	Logan Ryan	DB
4	24	Jabrill Peppers	DB
4	25	Roquan Smith	LB
4	26	Rashaan Evans	LB
4	27	Khalil Mack	LB
4	28	Shaq Thompson	LB
4	29	Harrison Smith	DB
4	30	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
5	31	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	32	Alec Ogletree	LB
5	33	Ronnie Harrison	DB
5	34	Shaquil Barrett	LB
5	35	K.J. Wright	LB
5	36	Lavonte David	LB
5	37	Benardrick McKinney	LB
5	38	Budda Baker	DB
5	39	Kwon Alexander	LB
5	40	Devin White	LB
5	41	Eric Reid	DB
5	42	Todd Davis	LB
5	43	Jaylon Smith	LB
5	44	Justin Houston	DL
6	45	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
6	46	Antoine Bethea	DB
6	47	Everson Griffen	DL
6	48	Fred Warner	LB
6	49	Tyrann Mathieu	DB
6	50	Olivier Vernon	DL
6	51	Haason Reddick	LB
6	52	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
7	53	Cameron Heyward	DL
7	54	Mychal Kendricks	LB
7	55	Robert Quinn	DL
7	56	Von Miller	LB
7	57	Jurrell Casey	DL
7	58	Jayon Brown	LB
7	59	Richard Sherman	DB
7	60	Jarrad Davis	LB
7	61	Devin McCourty	DB
7	62	Matt Milano	LB
7	63	Jerry Hughes	DL
7	64	Jabaal Sheard	DL
7	65	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
7	66	Tahir Whitehead	LB
7	67	Morgan Burnett	DB
7	68	Jon Bostic	LB
7	69	Myles Jack	LB
7	70	Dont'a Hightower	LB
7	71	Malcolm Jenkins	DB
7	72	Melvin Ingram	DL
8	73	Minkah Fitzpatrick	DB
8	74	Justin Simmons	DB
8	75	T.J. Watt	LB
8	76	Wesley Woodyard	LB
8	77	A.J. Johnson	LB
8	78	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB
8	79	Justin Reid	DB
8	80	Kyle Fuller	DB
8	81	Vince Williams	LB
8	82	Jalen Mills	DB
8	83	Kyle Van Noy	LB
8	84	Nathan Gerry	LB
8	85	Za'Darius Smith	LB
8	86	Janoris Jenkins	DB
8	87	Chandler Jones	LB
8	88	Whitney Mercilus	LB
8	89	Markus Golden	LB
8	90	Jerome Baker	LB
8	91	Adrian Amos	DB
8	92	Jermaine Whitehead	DB
8	93	Eddie Jackson	DB
8	94	Thomas Davis	LB
8	95	Earl Thomas	DB
9	96	Micah Hyde	DB
9	97	Raekwon McMillan	LB
9	98	Mario Addison	DL
9	99	Jonathan Allen	DL
9	100	Anthony Hitchens	LB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Von Miller (LB, DEN) vs Cleveland

The seven-time Pro Bowler has been relatively quiet this year with no sacks in half of his games played. He also has a knee injury to deal with, although he is listed as probable for Week 9. Miller was blanked in the stat sheet in Week 7 but came back strong with 1.5 sacks and five solo tackles last week. He now gets to face one of the few teams struggling as badly in the passing game as his own - the Browns. Picks aside, Baker Mayfield has been sacked an average of three times per game, with a sack rate of 8.3% that is ninth-worst in the league. The fact that the Broncos are rolling out Brandon Allen at QB and no longer have Emmanuel Sanders could lead to a lot more time on the field for the defense. That's not good for the team but it could benefit some individual defenders on the stat sheet.

Rashaan Evans (LB, TEN) @ Carolina

Quietly, Evans has solidified himself as a top-20 IDP asset in his second season. His solo tackle totals have risen the last couple of weeks and he's recorded at least eight combined tackles for five straight games. Carolina is in the bottom-third in terms of total plays run this season but we know as long as Kyle Allen remains at QB, this offense will live and die with Christian McCaffrey. The run game and short passes will continue to keep the ball within Evans' range, so expect a high tackle total once more.

Devin White (LB, TB) @ Seattle

Tampa's rookie is far behind in the battle of the Devins. While Steelers LB Devin Bush is already an IDP stud in the vein of Darius Leonard last year, White has missed time with injury and is stuck on a team that leaves its defense in bad positions way too often. Still, there's plenty of value here as White promises to be one of the leading tacklers against a Seattle team that will run, run, run. In his last two games, White has played 98% and 85% of the team's defensive snaps. He'll continue to move up the linebacker ranks as the season wears on and could be someone to add now while his ownership remains at a meager 14%.

Olivier Vernon (DE, CLE) @ Denver

After a slow start to his career in Cleveland, Vernon is picking things up. He posted a season-high six solo tackles last week along with his second sack. Getting to face a first-time starter in QB Brandon Allen could lead to an even better day, as Denver's offense struggles to remain competent by NFL standards. They have the fifth-highest sack rate at 9.3% and are still trending downward, if you can believe it.

Darryl Roberts (CB, NYJ) @ Miami

If you thought the offense looked bad, things are getting so ugly on the Jets' defensive side, particularly the LB corps, that Ryan Fitzpatrick is looking mighty streamable in Week 9. Avery Williamson tore his ACL in the preseason, CJ Mosley is out for several weeks, and Blake Cashman was just put on IR too. That leaves cornerback Darryl Roberts as the leading tackler outside of Jamal Adams. He's averaging 5.5 solo stops per game and also has one INT and three PD on the year. Facing Fitzpatrick doesn't hurt his chances of coming up with a big play, if we're being honest here.

More Week 9 Lineup Prep

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 8 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date October 25, 2019

Back to another short bye, where only the Ravens and Cowboys will rest. A couple of high-end LBs will need to be replaced but otherwise there aren't many significant gaps in player availability. With offenses exploding recently, it's a fair question to ask whether players on top-flight units like the Bears Defense and 49ers Defense could be prone to a letdown. You may be more likely to stream at DST than IDP but those who in deeper leagues requiring a player at each position group are always looking for an edge.

Dedicated fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. As we do with each position and every league type, RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top 100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 8

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Darius Leonard	LB
1	2	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	3	Cory Littleton	LB
1	4	Deion Jones	LB
1	5	Danielle Hunter	DL
1	6	Joey Bosa	DL
2	7	Aaron Donald	DL
2	8	Blake Martinez	LB
2	9	Landon Collins	DB
2	10	J.J. Watt	DL
2	11	Jordan Hicks	LB
2	12	Luke Kuechly	LB
3	13	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
3	14	Jamal Adams	DB
3	15	Tracy Walker	DB
3	16	Calais Campbell	DL
3	17	Eric Kendricks	LB
3	18	Demario Davis	LB
3	19	Jamie Collins	LB
4	20	Myles Garrett	DL
4	21	Roquan Smith	LB
4	22	Nick Vigil	LB
4	23	Harrison Smith	DB
4	24	Zach Cunningham	LB
4	25	Vonn Bell	DB
4	26	Cameron Jordan	DL
4	27	Sam Hubbard	DL
4	28	Budda Baker	DB
4	29	Jabrill Peppers	DB
4	30	Khalil Mack	LB
5	31	Rashaan Evans	LB
5	32	Jordan Poyer	DB
5	33	Tremaine Edmunds	LB
5	34	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	35	K.J. Wright	LB
5	36	Devin Bush	LB
5	37	Eric Weddle	DB
5	38	Shawn Williams	DB
5	39	Joe Schobert	LB
5	40	Nick Bosa	DL
5	41	Kwon Alexander	LB
5	42	Myles Jack	LB
5	43	Todd Davis	LB
5	44	Shaquil Barrett	LB
6	45	Logan Ryan	DB
6	46	Ronnie Harrison	DB
6	47	Cameron Heyward	DL
6	48	Justin Reid	DB
6	49	Antoine Bethea	DB
6	50	Kevin Byard	DB
6	51	Anthony Hitchens	LB
6	52	Benardrick McKinney	LB
7	53	C.J. Mosley	LB
7	54	Danny Trevathan	LB
7	55	Everson Griffen	DL
7	56	Alec Ogletree	LB
7	57	Lavonte David	LB
7	58	Justin Simmons	DB
7	59	Frank Clark	DL
7	60	Fred Warner	LB
7	61	Chris Jones	DL
7	62	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB
7	63	Grady Jarrett	DL
7	64	Tyrann Mathieu	DB
7	65	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
7	66	Melvin Ingram	DL
7	67	Jessie Bates III	DB
7	68	Shaq Thompson	LB
7	69	Trey Flowers	DL
7	70	Clayton Geathers	DB
7	71	Jerome Baker	LB
7	72	Wesley Woodyard	LB
8	73	Markus Golden	LB
8	74	Justin Houston	DL
8	75	Kyle Fuller	DB
8	76	Carlos Dunlap	DL
8	77	Chandler Jones	LB
8	78	Jarrad Davis	LB
8	79	Thomas Davis	LB
8	80	Malcolm Jenkins	DB
8	81	Haason Reddick	LB
8	82	Brandon Graham	DL
8	83	Marcus Davenport	DL
8	84	Bradley McDougald	DB
8	85	Von Miller	LB
8	86	Jabaal Sheard	DL
8	87	T.J. Watt	LB
8	88	Arik Armstead	DL
8	89	Dee Ford	DL
8	90	Mychal Kendricks	LB
8	91	Jon Bostic	LB
8	92	Adrian Amos	DB
8	93	Micah Hyde	DB
8	94	Eric Reid	DB
8	95	Tahir Whitehead	LB
9	96	Harold Landry	LB
9	97	Preston Smith	LB
9	98	Yannick Ngakoue	DL
9	99	Whitney Mercilus	LB
9	100	Jermaine Whitehead	DB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Shaquil Barrett (LB, TB) @ Tennessee

He's still tied for the league lead with nine sacks even after a two-week disappearing act and then a bye. Maybe Barrett was just tired from taking down so many quarterbacks but we'll see if he can regain his early form against Ryan Tannehill, who has been sacked six times in his two games as Titans QB. The Bucs' pass defense as a whole has been terrible but Barrett could be the lone bright spot once more.

Danny Trevathan (LB, CHI) vs L.A. Chargers

With all the young talent in Chicago's linebacker corps, it's easy to overlook 29-year-old veteran Danny Trevathan. He is pacing the team with 55 combines and 43 solo tackles, the latter of which ranks fifth in the league. Although the Bears looked like a shell of themselves last week and have allowed the last two opponents to score a combined 60 points, I'd bet on a bounceback against a Chargers team that seems to have lost its identity ever since Melvin Gordon returned. If Keenan Allen doesn't play due to his in-week injury, they may rely on the ground game and dump-offs even more, giving Trevathan and crew the chance to rack up tackles.

Nick Bosa (DE, SF) vs Carolina

Dee Ford leads the Niners' defense that is second-best in the league right now (behind the Patriots Defense of course) with 4.5 sacks. Bosa is nipping at his heels with four sacks but he leads the team by far in QB Hits with 10, followed by Bucker with 6, Armstead with five and Ford with four. He's picking things up in the tackle category too, with five solo stops in Week 7. Ford has been limited in practice (quadriceps) and may be limited in this game so leave it to Bosa to do his thing against Kyle Allen.

Devin McCourty (S, NE) vs Cleveland

Here's a no-brainer. McCourty has five INT this season to lead the NFL. Baker Mayfield has thrown a league-high 11 INT, 10 of which went to defensive backs. Unless you think Jarvis Landry is clairvoyant, expect the Browns to pass a lot and have trouble doing so.

Ronnie Harrison (S, JAX) vs N.Y. Jets

We can't expect Sam Darnold to cough it up four times like he did last week but one will do. Harrison, a former Alabama standout, has two picks in the last four games. He's been a steady, if unspectacular, contributor in tackles and defended three passes last week too. He figures to be a relatively safe play for those needing safety help.

More Week 8 Lineup Prep

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 7

Week 6 Chat - Live Fantasy Football Game Day Q&A

Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Matchups Analysis for Week 6

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Week 5 Chat - Live Fantasy Football Game Day Q&A

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 7 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date October 18, 2019

Luckily for fantasy owners in IDP leagues, Week 7 sees the return of Darius Leonard to the field (and our top 10 ranks), as well as the Bears Defense. While perennial stud Luke Kuechly, exciting rookie Devin Bush, and surprising DPOY candidate Shaquil Barrett are on bye, we aren't losing too much from the player pool with Cleveland defense and Tampa Bay defense resting.

Dedicated fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. As we do with each position and every league type, RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top 100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 7

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Cory Littleton	LB
1	2	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	3	Blake Martinez	LB
1	4	Jordan Hicks	LB
1	5	Darius Leonard	LB
1	6	Leighton Vander Esch	LB
1	7	Danielle Hunter	DL
2	8	Jamie Collins	LB
2	9	Deion Jones	LB
2	10	Jabrill Peppers	DB
2	11	Jaylon Smith	LB
2	12	Landon Collins	DB
3	13	J.J. Watt	DL
3	14	Joey Bosa	DL
3	15	De'Vondre Campbell	LB
3	16	Nick Vigil	LB
3	17	Eric Kendricks	LB
3	18	Aaron Donald	DL
3	19	Calais Campbell	DL
3	20	Haason Reddick	LB
4	21	Demario Davis	LB
4	22	Jamal Adams	DB
4	23	Jordan Poyer	DB
4	24	Cameron Jordan	DL
4	25	Zach Cunningham	LB
4	26	Harrison Smith	DB
4	27	Tracy Walker	DB
4	28	Vonn Bell	DB
4	29	Eric Weddle	DB
5	30	DeForest Buckner	DL
5	31	Rashaan Evans	LB
5	32	Nick Bosa	DL
5	33	Todd Davis	LB
5	34	Shawn Williams	DB
5	35	Budda Baker	DB
5	36	Khalil Mack	LB
5	37	Montae Nicholson	DB
5	38	Antoine Bethea	DB
5	39	Justin Reid	DB
5	40	Roquan Smith	LB
5	41	K.J. Wright	LB
6	42	Jadeveon Clowney	DL
6	43	Everson Griffen	DL
6	44	Justin Simmons	DB
6	45	Reshad Jones	DB
6	46	Myles Jack	LB
6	47	Benardrick McKinney	LB
6	48	Demarcus Lawrence	DL
6	49	Kevin Byard	DB
6	50	Robert Quinn	DL
6	51	Brandon Graham	DL
6	52	Mychal Kendricks	LB
7	53	Arik Armstead	DL
7	54	Justin Houston	DL
7	55	Marcus Davenport	DL
7	56	Jabaal Sheard	DL
7	57	Fred Warner	LB
7	58	Tyrann Mathieu	DB
7	59	Sam Hubbard	DL
7	60	Wesley Woodyard	LB
7	61	Terrell Suggs	LB
7	62	Devin McCourty	DB
7	63	Neville Hewitt	LB
7	64	Kyle Fuller	DB
7	65	Jerome Baker	LB
7	66	Malcolm Jenkins	DB
7	67	Chandler Jones	LB
8	68	Janoris Jenkins	DB
8	69	Dont'a Hightower	LB
8	70	Josh Allen	DL
8	71	Logan Ryan	DB
8	72	Ronnie Harrison	DB
8	73	Earl Thomas	DB
8	74	Fletcher Cox	DL
8	75	Whitney Mercilus	LB
8	76	Harold Landry	LB
8	77	Kwon Alexander	LB
8	78	Patrick Peterson	DB
8	79	Markus Golden	LB
8	80	Danny Trevathan	LB
8	81	Preston Smith	LB
8	82	Casey Hayward	DB
8	83	Nigel Bradham	LB
8	84	Alec Ogletree	LB
8	85	Tahir Whitehead	LB
8	86	Richard Sherman	DB
8	87	Dee Ford	DL
8	88	Jessie Bates	DB
8	89	Kenny Vaccaro	DB
8	90	Micah Hyde	DB
8	91	Lorenzo Alexander	LB
8	92	C.J. Mosley	LB
9	93	Kyle Van Noy	LB
9	94	Jahleel Addae	DB
9	95	Geno Atkins	DL
9	96	Hasean Clinton-Dix	DB
9	97	Leonard Williams	DL
9	98	Frank Clark	DL
9	99	Jaquiski Tartt	DB
9	100	T.J. Watt	LB

Streamers/Key Players to Watch

Darius Leonard (LB, IND) vs Houston

He's definitely not a streamer but the fact Leonard is available in almost 20% of Yahoo leagues means that he was dropped here and there in shallow IDP leagues or by impatient owners. If he's available, scoop him up immediately. If you've been stashing him, get him back into your lineup. Houston doesn't give up a lot of points to linebackers since they primarily pass deep, evidenced by the fact Deshaun Watson is sixth in total air yards for QBs. They are running the ball seventh-most frequently and are leaning on Carlos Hyde more lately. It may necessarily not be a big game for Leonard but his ceiling is as high as it gets so it would be hard to recommend keeping him on the bench if he is healthy. Anthony Walker, who was the only Colt filling any sort of fantasy void on the Indy defense, can be overlooked completely now.

Haason Reddick (LB, ARI) @ New York Giants

Jordan Hicks is the obvious play in Arizona, with a league-leading 63 combined tackles, third-year pro Reddick is finally starting to live up to his first-round price tag. He has 28 solo tackles on the year, not far behind Hicks' 35, and has more tackles for loss at four. Reddick isn't a highly-graded player but he's shown a high floor in IDP leagues thus far. He can be a deep-league streamer against the Giants, who have nearly their full complement of skill players back and should run enough plays across the middle to keep all the Cardinal linebackers occupied.

Jordan Poyer (S, BUF) vs Miami

While teammate Micah Hyde is better in coverage, Poyer is superior at run defense and it shows in the stats. Poyer (32) has twice as many combined tackles as Hyde (16) so far. The fact that Miami is going back to Ryan Fitzpatrick just increases his chances of getting a pick, since we know Fitz will go deep as often as possible. Poyer is an ideal safety play in balanced scoring formats where he can contribute in multiple ways.

Eric Weddle (S, LAR) @ Atlanta

Right behind Poyer in terms of run defense grade comes the veteran Weddle. He is the 11th-highest-graded safety this season, according to PFF. His value is about to get even higher with the team moving safety John Johnson to IR. The acquisition of Jalen Ramsey, assuming he plays this week, will also help funnel more ball-carriers his way. After 10 solo tackles last week, Weddle is a must-start against Atlanta, who has thrown more pass attempts than anyone.

Josh Allen (DE, JAX) vs Cincinnati

The rookie pass-rusher (not the QB) is making an impact already. He's picked up four sacks in his first six games, including one each of the past two weeks. He has a good chance to take down Andy Dalton multiple times, as the Bengals allow the sixth-most sacks. With no more than three solo tackles in any game, his fantasy floor is low so consider him a risk/reward play in leagues where sacks count more.

Markus Golden (LB, NYG) @ Arizona

The Giants have nary a pass-rushing threat on their defensive line, so Golden has stepped up as an edge defender at the linebacker spot. He is tied for eighth with five sacks on the year and faces a team that allows one of the highest sack rates in the league. The Cardinals also have one of the quickest paces of play and will run as many snaps as possible, which could increase Golden's tackle output. He is barely owned in fantasy leagues and could be a safer play than relying on C.J. Mosley in his first week back from injury.

More Week 7 Lineup Prep

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 7

Week 6 Chat - Live Fantasy Football Game Day Q&A

Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Matchups Analysis for Week 6

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 6

Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Matchups Analysis for Week 5

Week 5 Chat - Live Fantasy Football Game Day Q&A

NFL Matchup Ratings Tool - Weekly Player Projections

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 5

Week 4 Chat - Live Fantasy Football Game Day Q&A

Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Matchups Analysis for Week 4

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.

Tags 2019 NFL weekly lineup prep, QB, RB, TE, WR

2020 Fantasy Football Advice 2020 Fantasy Football Projections & ADP Analysis Editor Note NFL Analysis RotoBaller - All Fantasy Sports Articles

Fantasy Football IDP Rankings for Week 6 (Top 100)

Post author By Pierre Camus - RotoBaller
Post date October 11, 2019

Week 6 is here and we roll on with our weekly lineup recommendations. Some of the best defenses in football are on bye (Chicago, Buffalo) so it's likely that fantasy owners in IDP leagues will need to scour the waiver wire for help at one position or another. That's why we're here, not just to give you our rankings but also some recommended players to consider in deeper leagues.

Dedicated fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. As we do with each position and every league type, RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top 100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.

Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 6

Tier	Rank	Player Name	Position
1	1	Bobby Wagner	LB
1	2	Luke Kuechly	LB
1	3	Deion Jones	LB
1	4	Joe Schobert	LB
1	5	Blake Martinez	LB
2	6	Cory Littleton	LB
2	7	Leighton Vander Esch	LB
2	8	Jordan Hicks	LB
2	9	Joey Bosa	DL
2	10	Lavonte David	LB
2	11	Shaq Thompson	LB
2	12	Jaylon Smith	LB
3	13	John Johnson	DB
3	14	Danielle Hunter	DL
3	15	Jamie Collins	LB
3	16	Devin Bush	LB
3	17	Myles Garrett	DL
3	18	Shaquil Barrett	LB
3	19	Aaron Donald	DL
3	20	Landon Collins	DB
4	21	Kwon Alexander	LB
4	22	Jamal Adams	DB
4	23	Eric Kendricks	LB
4	24	Zach Cunningham	LB
4	25	J.J. Watt	DL
4	26	Demario Davis	LB
4	27	Jayon Brown	LB
4	28