2019 IDP Rankings – Defensive Tackles (Redraft)
.size { font-size: large; } .black { color: #000; } .Georgia { font-family: Georgia, “Times New Roman”, Times, serif; } .style1 { font-family: Georgia, “Times New Roman”, Times, serif; } .style1 b .style6 { color: orange; } Listed below are my 2019 Defensive Tackle Rankings for IDP Redraft Leagues. I will periodically update these throughout the off-season to reflect changes in free agency, defensive schemes, playing time, draft selections, etc. However, keep in mind that the information listed here is just a small sample of a much larger set of rankings and descriptions that are accessible through purchasing my 2019 IDP Fantasy Football Draft Guide.
| Scoring System: Solo Tackle = 1.5 points Assist = 0.75 points Tackles for Loss = 2 points Sack = 4 points Interception = 5 points Forced Fumble = 4 points Fumble Recovery = 4 points Pass Deflection = 1.5 point Defensive TD = 6 points Safeties = 2 points |
1. Aaron Donald DT – LAR (9), +1 vs. ECR
Donald had an absolute beast of a season and one of the better from an interior lineman in recent memory. Normally this is where I would say he’s due for a fair amount of regression as team’s will double and triple team him moving forward. However, he was already getting that type of attention prior to this monster season, so that’s not a huge concern in my eyes. Losing Ndamukong Suh may have some negative repercussions on Donald’s statline though. Despite all this, we should still assume he’s going to be the #1 DL taken off the board in the vast majority of drafts.
2. DeForest Buckner DT – SF (4), +0 vs. ECR
Buckner wasted no time establishing himself as one of the league’s better tackle producers along the interior line. However, he struggled to generate the sacks required to be considered a higher tier fantasy lineman. That all changed last year as he went from six sacks in 2017 to 12 in 2018 while maintaining strong tackle counts. The 49ers now have one of the most dangerous front fours with the arrival of Nick Bosa and Dee Ford to go along with Buckner and Solomon Thomas. This should ensure Buckner avoids double teams but the increased competition may curtail his overall production. All in all, I still consider him a low-end DL1.
3. Chris Jones DT – KC (12), +23 vs. ECR
Avoid
Jones, a former second round selection out of Mississippi State, was one of the bigger surprises in IDP last year nearly doubling his career sack total with 15. This feat is even more impressive considering his role in Bob Sutton’s 3-4 scheme. The Chiefs will be moving to a 4-3 this year which means Jones will likely slide to DT which could negatively affect his numbers. Jones was contemplating a holdout but decided against that and wound up reporting to training camp, which is good news considering he will be learning a new role. I don’t think he replicates his monster season from last year but double-digit sacks are a very strong possibility along with solid tackle production, particularly playing on a defense which will see plenty of sack opportunity.
4. Damon Harrison DT – DET (5), -4 vs. ECR
Harrison continues to fly under the radar as one of the league’s most formidable run-stopping interior lineman. He’s amazingly eclipsed 50 solo tackles in three straight seasons and should come close to the same numbers even though he’s now in Detroit. As good as he is in the tackle department, “Snacks” provides little in terms of sack production which ultimately keeps him in the low-end DL3/high-end DL3 tier.
5. Jurrell Casey DT – TEN (11), -1 vs. ECR
Casey continues the trend of ultra-reliable lineman in this tier, registering at least 31 solo tackles and 13 assists in each of his nine seasons in the league. He’s usually bankable for 6-8 sacks a season as well. He’s classified as an end in most league management systems, but if he has DT classification, then he should be bumped up several spots in your rankings. He is recovering from an MCL injury he suffered last year, so that’s something we should continue to monitor leading up to the start of the season.
6. Fletcher Cox DT – PHI (10), -3 vs. ECR
Cox hasn’t been able to exactly re-capture his breakout 2015 season, but has still served as a nice DL3+/DL2- option over the last couple years and did set a career high in 2018 with 10 sacks. The tackle numbers continue to be fairly pedestrian however as the Eagles use a fairly heavy rotation among their defensive line.
7. Kenny Clark DT – GB (11), -3 vs. ECR
Clark has developed into a fine player for the Packers over the last couple seasons. He provides them (and fantasy owners) with a steady presence along in the inside of the defensive line and is a dependable source of 5-7 sacks and above average tackle production for the position. He should be viewed as a high floor DL3.
8. Denico Autry DT – IND (6), +17 vs. ECR
Autry, an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, was a welcome surprise for fantasy owners in 2018 as he managed 9 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Even more impressively, this production came in just 12 games. Although I like Autry as a player, I’m a bit skeptical he can sustain his top 5 fantasy points per game pace from last year. I’m willing to draft him as a DL3 but I’d be careful not to overproject here and take him inside the top 20 DLs.
9. Ndamukong Suh DT – TB (7), -5 vs. ECR
Suh’s getting a bit “long in the tooth” but is still a formidable force among the defensive line and has a strong enough supporting case to continue his pace of production from the last couple of seasons. He never developed into a double-digit pass-rushing threat and hasn’t eclipsed 5 sacks since 2015; however, he remains one of the league’s elite tackle-producing big men and should provide a steady source of DL3 points in tackle-heavy scoring formats.
10. Kawann Short DT – CAR (7), +1 vs. ECR
Avoid
Short exploded onto the IDP scene with a 11-sack season back in 2015. He followed that up with two solid, albeit lesser, fantasy seasons in 2016 and 2017 before his sack totals plummeted last year. The simple truth is the Panthers rotate their defense lineman too much for Short to be a high impact player and the switch to a 3-4 may further drive down Short’s value as he moves into a traditionally less productive 5-technique role.
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– Corresponding Projections for all defensive positions (DL, LB, and DB)
– Top 100 Rankings List for IDP
– Top 50 IDP Rookie Rankings
– Sleeper/Target/Avoid Notation
– Rankings broken out into tiers
– Compare my rankings to the Expert Consensus Rankings*
– Mobile and tablet access
– Ability to export to Excel
– Full email support and email advice
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Last Updated: August 11, 2019