Winning Strategies: How to dominate your IDP league
Setting up your cheat sheet ahead of your Individual Defensive Player (IDP) league draft can be a daunting task. Not only will you need to dive deep into research about the offensive players you will be targeting, but now you need to know just as much about the defensive players.
Here are some tips to get you started:
How Do IDP Leagues Differ From Standard Leagues?
In almost all standard fantasy leagues, there is a slot for a D/ST. Some owners stream their team defense and special teams week-by-week off the waiver wire and play the matchups.
In IDP leagues, you are given one (or more) individual defensive positions where you can draft from an assortment of defensive players. Typically, linebackers are the most valuable due to the sheer volume of tackles they make, with the rare exception being standout defensive end J.J. Watt, who does everything on the defensive side of the ball to provide value.
Owners can wait until the middle rounds and draft an elite linebacker, or wait until the later rounds and nab the best defensive player available with hopes he exceeds value. Something you must be sure of before going about your research is the understanding of the scoring categories and the number of spots you need to fill.
Understand Your Scoring System
IDP leagues can be set up many different ways. You can have defensive lineman, linebackers and/or defensive backs. This is the most standard scoring format for IDP leagues, according to NFL.com:
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Tackle | 1 |
| Assisted Tackle | 1 |
| Sack | 2 |
| Safety | 2 |
| Interception | 2 |
| Forced Fumble | 2 |
| Fumble Recovery | 2 |
| Blocked Kick/Punt | 2 |
| Touchdowns | 6 |
Note: As per NFL.com, a half sack is recorded as half of your league's sacks point value.
All said, not every IDP league is formatted like this. Some leagues put a premium on tackles while others may place a higher value on sacks. These specific leagues are referred to across the fantasy sports industry as 'tackle-heavy' or 'sack-heavy' leagues.
Tackle-heavy leagues are just what you think: they award more fantasy points for tackles. The players to target in these leagues are 4-3 or 3-4 middle linebackers and aggressive, box safeties. Generally, defensive players get two points per tackle, one point per sack and six points for a touchdown scored.
Middle linebackers such as the Panthers' Luke Kuechly and the 49ers' NaVorro Bowman were among the fantasy linebackers who returned the most fantasy points. The aggressive, downhill safeties among the elite last season in tackle-heavy formats were Reshad Jones of the Dolphins and Corey Graham of the Bills.
In sack-heavy leagues, owners are looking for pure edge rushers with a knack for getting to the quarterback. The scoring system is similar to tackle-heavy leagues, with the exception of collecting two points for a sack and one point per tackle. Dynamic DEs like Watt, the Lions' Ezekiel Ansah and the Raiders' Khalil Mack supply truckloads of value in both columns.
In some instances, rushing outside LBs in 3-4 defenses are known to be more valuable than 4-3 DEs. Chiefs LB Justin Houston and Broncos Super Bowl MVP Von Miller are the most notable players and both are outside the top-20 in IDP ADP, according to FantasyPros. They are likely to go in the later rounds of redrafts and provide value in both tackles and sacks.
When Would You Draft Your IDP?
If your IDP league only offers one defensive spot, chances are scoring will be standard. Owners should approach the lone spot similar to the FLEX position, where you can deploy either a DL, LB or DB. The most common strategy IDP draftees utilize is to select a high-volume, tackling-machine linebacker.
Even if you have multiple IDP spots to fill, the emphasis should remain on drafting coveted offensive talent. With so many IDPs capable of racking up tackles, owners can afford to wait until the mid-to-late rounds.