7 IDPs to Avoid in Redraft Leagues

ByRyan Sitzmann Posted on Updated on

Listed below are seven IDPs I recommend avoiding in drafts as of August 19th (one at DL, four at LB, and two at DB). As you will see, I’ve ranked the majority of these players a decent chunk lower than the “expert consensus rankings” that are logged into the FantasyPros platform or often significantly lower than their current Average Draft Position (ADP).

These are just a few of the many player excerpts and rankings taken out of my 2022 IDP Fantasy Football Draft Guide which is available for purchase here.

2022 IDP Draft Guide Features:

  • Continually Updated in Real-Time Until Start of the Regular Season (9/8)
  • 290 Defensive Players Ranked in Tiered Fashion – 100 DL, 100 LB, 90 DB
  • Customizable Projections for All Ranked IDPs
  • Detailed Player Descriptions
  • Overall Top 100 IDP Rankings List
  • Sleeper/Target/Avoid Notation
  • Top 50 IDP Rookie Rankings
  • Rankings Comparison to FantasyPros’ Expert Consensus (ECR) Rankings
  • Excel Export Functionality

These target recommendations are based on the balanced IDP scoring system listed below:

Scoring System:
Solo Tackle = 1.5 points
Assist = 0.75 points
Sack = 4 points
Interception = 5 points
Forced Fumble = 4 points
Fumble Recovery = 4 points
Pass Deflection = 1.5 points
Defensive TD = 6 points


DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

DL14 Trey Hendrickson CIN (10), -8 vs. ECR 
There’s no denying Hendrickson’s prowess as a top pass-rushing threat – he finished #1 among all true defensive ends in sack frequency taking down the quarterback on 2% of all of his snaps and has compiled 27.5 sacks across his last two seasons. The problem resides in his low tackle production. He’s only averaged just under 30 total tackles during that same span. Until he can find a way to up his production in this category, he will be relegated to the DL2/DL2- tier for me (outside of big-play heavy scoring formats) which is much lower than his FantasyPros’ Expert Consensus Ranking as the sixth overall fantasy DL right now.

LINEBACKERS

LB16 Micah Parsons DAL (9), -9 vs. ECR 
Parsons took the NFL by storm in his rookie season playing in a somewhat unexpected hybrid edge/off-the-ball linebacker role for Dallas. Given the Cowboys’ pass-rushing needs, he’s expected to still spend a fair share of his time on the edge in 2022. This makes him a risky option this year given he will likely be a sack-reliant LB and is due for some regression in that category. Although I love the player, he’s likely to go higher in fantasy drafts that his true value indicates coming off his DROY campaign hype.

LB29 Isaiah Simmons  ARI (13), -7 vs. ECR
Even though he finished as a top 20-25 fantasy linebacker in 2021, Simmons still left a lot of “meat on the bone” and didn’t fully live up to the preseason hype. He’s now being slotted into the “star” role in Arizona which will see him move around the defense similar to Derwin James and Jalen Ramsey. This will likely help his big play production but hurt his ability to be a consistent tackle producer. Consider him a high variance LB3 and someone I’m not overly comfortable selecting as a top 20ish linebacker.

LB46. Anthony Walker Jr.  CLE (9), -7 vs. ECR
Walker saw his playing time decrease over the last several games of the 2021 season and now he looks like he’s in some jeopardy of losing his starting MLB role to third-year player Jacob Phillips. Combine this with the expected rise of JOK, and Walker stands out as someone to ignore in drafts this year. Let someone else chase his 2021 stats.

LB68 Devin Bush Jr. PIT (9), +0 vs. ECR 
Despite being the 10th overall pick in the 2019 draft and being the most heavily touted linebacker in that class, Bush has failed to live up to expectations in Pittsburgh. He’s fallen out of favor over the last couple seasons and, if his training camp performance is any indication, he may lose his starting job to Robert Spillane sooner rather than later.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

 

DB9 Minkah Fitzpatrick PIT (9), -2 vs. ECR
Fitzpatrick had been known as a big play-reliant fantasy DB since entering the league in 2018, never eclipsing 80 total tackles in a season. However, that changed dramatically in 2021 when he notched 124 total tackles and led all defensive backs in the category. There is good reason to believe that production was somewhat of a fluke given he was still playing in a deep safety role most of the time. But if Devin Bush continues to struggle, we could see a lot of tackle opportunities bleed into the secondary much like they did last year. Managers should temper expectations for Fitzpatrick in 2021, but he’s still worth a selection as a low-end DB1 given his knack for always being around the ball.

DB20. Jessie Bates III CIN (10), -2 vs. ECR
In spite of playing in a deep safety role, Bates had quickly established himself as one of fantasy’s top tackle-producing safeties and could be depended on for a handful of big plays annually as well. That changed last year as he saw a significant decrease in both solo tackles and assists. Not only is he now holding out for a new contract but the team also took safety Dax Hill 22nd overall in this year’s draft, signaling that Bates’ time with the Bengals may soon be coming to an end. These red flags have me avoiding Bates in drafts this year.

Like what you’ve read so far? Looking to dominate your 2022 Fantasy Football draft(s)? For $9.99 you can get complete access to The IDP Guru’s comprehensive and exhaustive 2022 IDP Fantasy Football Draft Guide. OR you can get both my Draft Guide and access to all my In-Season Premium Content by purchasing my 2022 Gold Package for just $17.99. 

Questions, comments, or concerns with any of these recommendations? If so, please let me know by hitting me up on Twitter or emailing me at theidpguru@idpguru.com.