2010 Hybrid IDPs

ByRyan Sitzmann Posted on Updated on

Knowing what position IDPs qualify at in each specific league management system is a great way for you to gain an advantage over your fellow fantasy owners. Often times, mediocre defensive players can be top fantasy studs because they are misclassified or have dual position eligibility.

Last season, I picked up both Trevor Scott and Bryan Scott and rode them to my league championship. Trevor Scott was classified as a DE on MFL to begin the season, but got moved to WLB halfway through the season. Bryan Scott was classified as a SS on MFL to begin to the season, but was eventually moved to WLB after the Bills suffered massive injuries at the position. So I was essentially playing five linebackers in a league that only allowed three linebackers :).

Listed below are players that are misclassified in certain league management systems. I have notated their position eligibility for each of the four big league management systems: MFL, ESPN, Yahoo!, and CBS.

This list will be updated throughout the regular season as players switch positions.

Enjoy!

Tamba Hali 1. RDE/ROLB Tamba Hali (KC) – Hali is my favorite “hybrid misclassification play” this season. MFL, Yahoo!, and CBSSports classify him as a linebacker where his value is fairly marginal (I have him ranked at #43 for linebackers). ESPN, on the other hand, has him classified as a defensive end. In balanced scoring systems, Hali finished as the fifth highest scoring defensive end right behind Julius Peppers. As I’ve mentioned in my comments and articles, I expect Hali to have a great season and post double digit sacks this season. When you combine these sack numbers with his above average tackle numbers (for a DL), Hali has a very good chance at finishing the season as the #1 fantasy defensive lineman in ESPN leagues. Most fantasy owners are unaware of this misclassification and assume that he is classified as a linebacker in ESPN leagues. In a recent fantasy draft that used ESPN as the league management service, I grabbed Hali in the 21st round (the last round!) and was laughing all the way to the bank!
MFL= LB
ESPN= DE
Yahoo!= LB
CBS= LB

Trevor Scott 2. RDE/WLB Trevor Scott (OAK) – Scott is in the same boat as Tamba Hali (see above) except that he is classified as a DE in both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues. Now that Scott is the starting linebacker on the weak side, he should be able to put up well above-average tackle numbers for someone classified as a defensive end. The Raiders have actually been moving him to end on 3rd downs making him a three-down player which will do wonders for his overall production. He could very well end up being a top 10 DL in ESPN leagues.
MFL= LB
ESPN= DE
Yahoo!= DE or LB
CBS= LB

September 7 Update: The Raiders have suddenly decided to move Trevor Scott to right defensive end where he will rotate with Matt Shaughnessy. Quintin Groves is now the starting weak side linebacker. I’m not overly confident that this situation remains this way throughout the course of the season, however. Scott may still be worth a flier in deeper leagues on the chance he moves back to WLB.

Michael Johnson 3. LDE/SLB Michael Johnson (CIN) – Johnson has looked really impressive so far this preseason. The Bengals have been lining him up at both the left defensive end and strong side linebacker positions. He had a couple of sacks in his first preseason game against the Cowboys and if he can find enough playing time, he could turn out to be a solid DL2/DL3. He’s not worth a look if he’s classified as a linebacker, however.
MFL= LB
ESPN= DE
Yahoo!= DE or LB
CBS= DE

Andre Carter 4. LDE/LOLB Andre Carter (WAS) – The switch to a 3-4 defense is going to hurt Andre Carter’s value. He had a career season last year in Washington’s 4-3 defense and has historically struggled in the 3-4 dating back to his days in San Fran. He’s not worth much as a linebacker, but still retains some good value as a DE which is where he is still classified at in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues.
MFL= LB
ESPN= DE
Yahoo!= DE
CBS= LB

Jason Taylor 5. RDE/ROLB Jason Taylor (NYJ) – The injury to ROLB Calvin Pace opens the door for Jason Taylor to get some good playing time early in the season. If you need a sneaky, late-round draft choice to get you some points for the first few weeks of the regular season, Taylor is worth a good look in ESPN leagues since he’s classified as a DE.
MFL= LB
ESPN= DE
Yahoo!= LB
CBS= LB

September 7 Update: The Jets have stated that Taylor will be a three-down linebacker until Calvin Pace returns. This is great news for Taylor’s overall value.

Honorable Mentions:
1) Chris Kelsay – DE in Yahoo! leagues
2) Aaron Maybin – DE in Yahoo! leagues
3) Quentin Groves – DE in Yahoo! leagues
4) David Bowens – DE in ESPN leagues

Last Updated: September 7 , 2010

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