MFL IDP Changes: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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Growing up, I loved the iconic movie “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” starring the immortal Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach. Each had their own style with what worked and what didn’t work to get the job done. Very much like the movie, IDP owners face the challenge of creating their own happy ending during a time of turmoil.

Over the last few weeks, there were thousands of IDP owners happy with the position changes made by their league website and then thousands that were crying after these changes occurred. Myfantasyleague.com used the rotoworld.com depth charts when they converted over 30 individual defensive players on April 9th. For those who did not sign in to your leagues earlier this year, the Browns and Saints defenders got altered in February.

The Good

DAL Demarcus Ware from LB to DE
DAL Anthony Spencer from LB to DE
NE Rob Ninkovich from LB to DE
BUF Arthur Moats from LB to DE
NYG Mathias Kiwanuka from LB to DE

The two Dallas former outside linebackers (Ware and Spencer) got converted to 4-3 defensive ends in their new defensive scheme – this will allow them to rush the passer from a three or four point stance and will help them accumulate more tackles on running players. Defensive ends are not the human shields to linebackers that they are in 3-4 formations. Only in sack-heavy leagues would this possibly affect their scoring in a negative way. In most leagues, there is a premium on sacks for defensive linemen as they have fewer opportunities to score elsewhere.

The move for Ninkovich is an important one as he played in more of a traditional DE role last year that went unrecognized. He goes from a LB3-4 to a DE1-2 with this change. Moats change is a result of his playing in multiple fronts (3-4, 4-3) and that may cause a flip-flop of other Buffalo Bills IDPs as early as 2014. His change is a subtle one. With the departure of Osi Umenyiora, Kiwanuka will play more as a down lineman substituting in for Justin Tuck and JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul). This help the Giants defensive line stay fresh and will hopefully recharge all of their batteries. With that, Kiwanuka could become fantasy relevant again.

The Bad

BAL Chris Canty from DT to DE
BAL Corey Graham from S to CB
NE Devin McCourty from CB to S

The Canty move hurts in IDP leagues that separate defensive tackles and defensive ends. The DT position is not very deep so any alteration can dry up a player pool even more quickly. When change a safety to a cornerback or vice versa, it will affect leagues that give more points to safeties for passes defensed or corner backs more points for tackles. These moves listed here should not dramatically change too many teams outcomes, but I’m afraid the moves listed in the Ugly section will.

The Ugly

BAL Terrell Suggs from DE to LB
BAL Elvis Dumervil from DE to LB
CLE Paul Kruger from DE to LB
CLE Jabaal Sheard from DE to LB (previous change)
PHI Trent Cole from DE to LB
PHI Brandon Graham from DE to LB
PHI Fletcher Cox from DT to DE
NO Will Smith from DE to LB (previous change)

The move from defensive end to linebacker in each of these moves can be devastating to your dynasty squad. Suggs had always straddled the line between linebacker and defensive end, but had finally spent a bit more time playing linebacker caused the change in rotoworld’s eyes. He will still be crashing down trying to get to the passer, but will do it more often from a two point stance. The man lining up opposite to him on the defense, Dumervil, also loses the prime DE designation for the same reasons. These are big men and they might have difficulty with their additional linebacker duties. The tackle opportunities may increase slightly, but their sack numbers may decrease with the change.

When Kruger left Baltimore, he went to the Cleveland Browns who were over-hauling their defense by bringing in Dick LeBeau disciple defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Just like LeBeau’s Steelers, the Browns will play an attack 3-4 defense where Kruger will be a pass rusher and occasionally cover running backs and tight ends. Since the Browns do not have any outside linebackers that have played at this position, it may be a lost year for them in the IDP world. Obviously, I have these same concerns for Sheard who had not seemed to embrace this change as of this writing. It unfortunately stunts the growth of a young player who was just getting comfortable with his role.

Both Cole and Graham are greatly affected by the Eagles move to go to a 3-4 system. Cole was slowing down as a pass rusher last year and Graham was just finding his stride. I am not convinced either player will be able to adapt to their new position easily. With the overhaul, I was very surprised that the Eagles did not attempt to trade Cole. The other fallout from the 3-4 change was Cox’s move from defensive tackle to defensive end. In a 3-4 defense, the defensive end’s primary responsibility is to occupy the offensive tackle and try to cause a double team to keep the linebackers clean so they can flow freely to the ball carrier or passer. Cox will no longer be trying to make his own plays by causing havoc, instead he will be a complementary piece stunting any fantasy value.

The New Orleans Saints with the hiring of Rob Ryan as their defensive coordinator also signaled their change to a 3-4 front. While this move benefited their inside line backers, Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne, it forced the pass rusher, Smith, to move from defensive end to outside linebacker. He has no experience rushing the quarterback from a two point stance and is not quick enough to survive the transition in my estimation. However, I’m not Buddy Ryan’s kid, so I may be wrong.

All in all, the changes worked out if you had a linebacker moved to a defensive end role. If any of your players moved anywhere else, chances are your team will suffer for it. I had to scramble in a few leagues where I had Cole, Sheard, Kruger and Will Smith.

Brace yourself as more changes may be on their way.

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