RADIO
Last week, we gave you a few select pieces of advice in our IDP waiver column and our weekly IDP rankings column. Let’s review a couple of those pieces of advice, and whether they panned out, shall we?
Last week we told you to stop letting Budda Baker sit on waivers. We warned you that he had missed one week, but was still a star in a thin DB pool. Today his roster percentage stands at 61% in both ESPN and Yahoo leagues. The 39% who failed to roster Baker this past weekend missed out on a sack, eight solo tackles, and ten total tackles.
That’s elite production from any DB, and the guy silenced injury concerns by playing 100% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps just a week after thumb surgery. If you are part of the 39% who left him on waivers, I would ask you to look at his performance this past weekend and compare it to whoever you started instead of adding him. I’d hazard that Baker outperformed whatever DB you started over him.
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Week 6 Intro
Baker is not the only player you left out there despite our brilliant IDP advice here at Rotoballer, though. Last week we also warned you to stop dropping Darius Leonard. Since then, Leonard has been dropped in another 18% of IDP leagues. Now the Colts’ superstar is rostered in a mere 75% of ESPN leagues, and a woeful 68% of IDP leagues in Yahoo. This is an unreasonably low roster percentage for a guy who comfortably dominated all other defenders in fantasy the second half of last year. I mean, come on guys! Sometimes it feels like the only person listening to our brilliant advice is our very imaginary super fan, Trevor.... Oh, and that weird guy on Instagram who keeps asking me if I like my cabbage boiled and always comments that I ‘look like a toothpaste model’ in every picture I post.
Side note: what does that even mean, TaterGuy121? What does a toothpaste model even look like? Are you complimenting me, or telling me I’m so ugly that my teeth are my best feature? I mean, I know I have straight teeth, but I also have eyes, a nose, and a pretty darned nice… you know what? Never mind. I’m getting sidetracked.
The point is, let our warnings about Budda Baker serve as a lesson. We told you to stop leaving proven IDP stars on waivers due to minor injuries, and a lot of you missed out on serious fantasy production by ignoring that advice. Please don't do that with Leonard. Find space for him on your bench until he is healthy, perhaps even trade two decent players you aren't using for a good one so you can improve your roster AND make room for Leonard when he returns. It doesn't matter how you do it, get him rostered in 100% of IDP leagues!
IDP Settings
As a reminder, we will use the following IDP designations/league settings for our FAAB recommendations:
- Standard Scoring Leagues: This system usually rewards 1-point per tackle, 3-points per sack, 4-points per turnover, and sometimes offers 2-points for a tackle for loss (TFL) or pass deflection (PD). Standard leagues also usually only start one DL, LB, and DB, respectively. You will always prioritize your FAAB budget towards offensive players in Standard Scoring IDP leagues, though you shouldn't underestimate the value of adding a great defender in them.
- Defense Premium Leagues: Defense Premium leagues tend to try to make defensive players worth as much as offensive players. Commissioners often accomplish this by rewarding 2-points per tackle, 3-points for TFL or PDs, 4-points per sack, and 6-points per turnover. In these leagues, you don't necessarily prioritize offensive players on waivers. While it is a case-by-case analysis, defenders in these leagues can often be worth as much as most offensive waiver additions.
- Deep Defense Leagues: These are leagues that have you start a full defense, or require you to start CBs and DTs, or they are leagues so deep (think 16 team leagues) that at least 32 players at each position (DL, LB, and DB) start every week.
- Dynasty Leagues: This is self-explanatory to most. Dynasty leagues are those in which every player you draft/add is on your team until you trade or release him.
Now that we have that explanation out of the way, let's get to this week's top adds! Remember that we will only address defenders who are rostered in less than 30% of IDP leagues on ESPN, Yahoo, or other prominent sites. We will also do our best to avoid obvious additions. While players like Myles Garrett are somehow rostered in only 31% of ESPN IDP leagues, we assume that anyone reading this material knows to add Garrett if they can.
1. Chase Young, DL, Washington Football Team
It doesn't seem like he should qualify for this list, but he does. Young's elite talent is available in 77% of IDP leagues, which is a bit much even if you factor in the Buckeye's injury in Week 2. Young should be rostered in all leagues, and you should particularly like his matchup against the Giants this week. He is an easy top-ten DL this week, as long as he continues to play.
Standard Scoring FAAB: 3%
Defense Premium FAAB: 4%
Deep Defense FAAB: 5%
Dynasty FAAB: 5%
2. Bobby Okereke, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Last week we told you to add Anthony Walker as a solid fill-in for Darius Leonard, and that call turned out well. Okereke performed even better than Walker, however. Playing 100% of his team’s snaps for the first time all year, Okereke totaled ten tackles, a pick, and a PD against Cleveland last week. While that type of production may decline just a bit against a pass-heavy Bengals offense this coming week, Okereke is a young and talented defender worth adding as a Leonard fill-in in Standard IDP leagues. He is also worth rostering in Deep Defense and deep dynasties.
Standard League FAAB: 1% (if you need a Leonard sub)
Deep Defense FAAB: 2%
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
3. Yannick Ngakoue, DL, Minnesota Vikings
We first told you to add Ngakoue in fantasy after he nabbed a strip-sack against the Colts in Week 2. Since then, Ngakoue has totaled at least one sack and one TFL in three straight games (four games straight, overall). On top of that, he has forced a fumble and averaged nearly three tackles over the past three weeks. Ngakoue is doing all of this despite being the focal point of opposing blockers, with little help from teammates. If Danielle Hunter ever returns, these numbers could increase as Hunter forces QBs towards Ngakoue with regularity. With how thin the DL position is right now, Ngakoue should not be available in 82% of IDP leagues.
Standard League FAAB: 1%
Defense Premium FAAB: 3%
Deep Defense FAAB: 1%
Dynasty FAAB: 2%
4. Harold Landry III, DL, Tennessee Titans
Another player we have already told you to roster but is still available in over 80% of IDP leagues. Landry has averaged over four tackles per game so far this season, and he just notched his first sack against the Bills. Expect his sack numbers to continue to rise, and his tackle rate to stay steady. A bonus of having Landry as your starting DL is that he already had his BYE week, meaning you shouldn't need a backup unless COVID strikes again or injuries crop up. Landry is young enough and well-rounded enough to be rostered anywhere he qualifies as a DL.
Standard League FAAB: 1%
Deep Defense FAAB: 2%
Defense Premium FAAB: Wait
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
5. Jeremy Chinn, DB/LB, Carolina Panthers
You've heard it before, so start adding him, huh? He is almost rostered in enough leagues that he won't qualify for this list. Let's get him there! The guy hasn't logged less than seven tackles in any game, and he will keep getting better.
Standard Scoring FAAB: 2%
Defense Premium FAAB: 2%
Deep Defense FAAB: 7%
Dynasty FAAB: 5%
6. Justin Simmons, DB, Denver Broncos
Simmons was a top-ten DB in fantasy in most formats last year, and he is so again this year. He is valuable in both Deep Defense leagues, thanks to his ability to get you INTs and PDs, and in Standard leagues where his tackling ability will be valued. With his BYE in the rearview mirror, Simmons has even more appeal since you can leave him in your DB slot for the rest of the year.
Standard Scoring FAAB: Wait
Defense Premium FAAB: 2%
Deep Defense FAAB: 2%
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
7. Dre Greenlaw, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Thanks to injuries and Kwon Alexander taking passing down work with Fred Warner, Greenlaw has seen his 2020 fantasy value take a hit. Greenlaw is back healthy, and Alexander may be headed for the IR with a high ankle sprain, however.
Fantasy managers should strongly consider adding and starting Greenlaw for however long Alexander is out. Dynasty managers should also consider keeping Greenlaw for the long term since Alexander could be a cap casualty in 2021. Remember that when Alexander missed the 49ers' final eight regular-season games last year, Greenlaw played over 90% of the team’s defensive snaps in each of those contests. The former Razorback averaged over nine tackles over that span, and he totaled 13 tackles in both Weeks 16 and 17. Don’t spend FAAB on him, because most won’t see much fantasy value in Greenlaw’s 2020 stats, but consider adding him for free if you can.
Standard Scoring FAAB: Wait
Deep Defense FAAB: Wait
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
8. Willie Gay Jr., LB, Kansas City Chiefs
A talented but troubled second-round selection in this year's draft, Gay Jr. has seen his snaps increase every game this season. He spent the Chiefs' entire opener on the bench, only to play nearly half of their snaps this past week against the Raiders. You saw the talent when Gay Jr. got to play in Week 5, when he totaled six tackles and a sack. It is far too early to add Gay Jr. in any but the deepest of redraft leagues, but he is a good add in deep dynasty setups.
Deep Defense FAAB: Wait
Dynasty FAAB: Wait
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