IDP For Beginners

As fantasy football is growing in popularity and more and more leagues are surfacing, new conceptions are being put into place. One of those new-style leagues is Individual Defensive Players (IDP) leagues. IDP leagues differentiate from standard leagues in that teams must draft individual players on defense in addition to the traditional QB, RB, WR, TE, and K. The transition to IDP leagues can leave even the most experienced fantasy gurus in the dark. However, if you follow to basic (yet often overlooked) rules and follow my position-by-position rule-of-thumbs, you should be able to put together formidable.

1. Know your defense. The league is nearing a 50/50 split of 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes and the decision has a direct correlation to a player’s value. Defensive ends, for example, are much more effective fantasy scorers in 4-3 defenses than in 3-4s.

2. Know your scoring. Since IDP leagues are so new, there isn’t a standard scoring set in place as there is in traditional leagues. Therefore, it is imperative to check your league’s scoring before blindly following “expert” rankings. Some leagues favor tackles, while others reward turnovers and sacks more heavily.

Position Analysis

Defensive Tackle: No matter the scoring system, defensive tackles are generally not big scorers. This shouldn’t be a surprise since, with the best defensive tackles, there are generally two offensive linemen stopping them from doing anything. If defensive tackles are mandatory, 3-4 defensive tackles are a tad more valuable simply because 3-4 defenses are designed to funnel running plays to the middle. However, the difference is minimal.

Defensive End: Here is where you want defensive ends in 4-3 schemes. The top defensive ends are all 4-3 guys: Justin Tuck, Jared Allen, Julius Peppers, Mario Williams… the list goes on and on. 3-4 defensive ends are notoriously bad for fantasy owners. As stated earlier, 3-4 defenses are designed to funnel plays to the middle of the field. Also, defensive ends line up on the inside of the offensive tackle, so edge rushers are obsolete. If your league is turnover/sack-heavy, defensive ends are the premier position because nobody gets more sacks than 4-3 defensive ends. If your league has a “DL” position rather than separate DE and DT positions, heavily favor defensive ends.

Inside/Middle Linebacker: In tackle-heavy leagues, this is where defenses are won and lost. Whether a team runs a 3-4 or a 4-3, the inside linebacker will contribute a bounty of points. Be warned though: some leagues ignore tackles. If that’s the case, middle linebackers are not nearly as valuable as their outside counterparts and should be avoided.

Outside Linebacker: Sack specialists in 3-4 defenses, outside linebackers can be just as invaluable in 4-3 defenses. Another factor that comes into play is the scoring system. Leagues that ignore tackles and reward sacks are going to heavily favor outside linebackers in 3-4 defenses such as Shawn Merriman and DeMarcus Ware. Another aspect of the outside linebacker position is which side they play. In the Cover Two defense, weak side linebackers such as Chad Greenway amass solid statistics (unlike his counterpart, Ben Leber).

Cornerback:The cornerback is the position in which most fantasy owners make mistakes. Champ Bailey and Nnamdi Asomugha are about fantasy duds. The reason for this is the quarterback’s ability to ignore that player’s wide receiver. These players are so good that offenses gameplan around them. Sure, if the Raiders are playing the Patriots, New England is going to throw it to Moss, but not as much as they will Welker or Galloway. For this reason, the team’s second cornerback is a better option. Rookie cornerbacks are especially tempting for quarterbacks. Another downside is the erratic nature of the position. Since cornerbacks can be avoided, teams with poor wide receivers may avoid a mismatch and diminish a cornerback’s value. If you have a good team, you don’t want to throw away a victory because of a cornerback’s goose egg.

Safety:More reliable than cornerbacks, safeties are able to roam all over the field. On any given play, a safety could be playing centerfield or right next to the line of scrimmage. The general rule of thumb, however, is that strong safeties play closer to the line and free safeties roam. In tackle-friendly leagues, strong safeties are more valuable commodities since they are in the play whether it’s a run and they play close to the line or a pass and they roam. Free safeties, however, are given more interception opportunities so they should be valued more in turnover leagues.