Rookie IDP Sleepers
The week leading up to the NFL Draft is as exciting for adults as the week leading up to Christmas is for children. Our Santa Claus isn’t a fat, jolly, white bearded guy in a red suit. It’s a guy in his 50’s with slicked back, oily black hair named Mel, or younger versions, like Todd McShay and Mike Mayock, among others. We have our wish lists in the form of “I hope Player A gets drafted by Team B” and as fans, you hope your team has behaved this year and will be rewarded with a solid draft.
For us dynasty leaguers, this is Christmas in April, maybe even better. Some dynasty leagues will start their drafts as early as the Sunday after the draft ends and information is scarce. That’s where we come in.
For IDP players it’s even harder.
Identifying who has the chance to contribute early is critical. Figuring out if a college defensive end is moving to outside linebacker in the pros is the most critical info for drafts. As more and more teams move to a 3-4 defense, elite defensive ends are going to be more important than ever. After digging into this year’s crop it’s very evident that the class was top heavy and hit hard by the 3-4 teams robbing us 4-3 defensive ends.
The term “sleeper” is a little harder to define for IDP leagues. With league sizes, roster sizes, and starting requirements varying so greatly in IDP leagues, some people are looking for deep gems and others are able to plug and play off of the waiver wire each week. Obviously, Kenny Vaccaro, Manti Te’o, and Ziggy Ansah are pretty well known, so let’s take a look at some rookie IDP sleepers that were drafted a little later, from smaller schools, or are coming off of injury.
Defensive Line
Margus Hunt, DE CIN
Hunt’s story is really cool, if you don’t know it, Google it. Hunt is one of those guys who makes impact plays no matter where he is. As naturally all-around athletically gifted as any defensive end in the league, Hunt uses his big 6’8” frame to wreak havoc. He owns the NCAA record for blocked kicks with 17 over his career at SMU. Playing on the Bengals’ super talented defensive line will allow Hunt to grow into a professional NFL defensive end. Barring injury, expect a situational role for Hunt his rookie year with upside.
Sylvester Williams, DT DEN
Williams toes the line when it comes to sleepers, and if he wasn’t a defensive tackle, he wouldn’t be on this list. But when John Elway goes out of his way to not only compare someone to Bronco great Trevor Pryce, but say he’s actually better, you definitely take notice. Pryce was an IDP mainstay in leagues throughout his career and Williams will be asked to get after the quarterback as a disrupting defensive tackle. He gains a lot of value in leagues that require defensive tackles.
Datone Jones, DE GBP
It’s not often a 3-4 defensive end is worth consideration in fantasy leagues, but Jones will. He was drafted to fill the void the Packers have had on their defensive line ever since Cullen Jenkins left in free agency two years ago. At 6’4” and 283 pounds with a quick step and a mean streak, Jones will be worth an add as a wait-and-see prospect.
Devin Taylor, DE DET
Extremely tall but freakishly athletic, Taylor has great short area burst for a man who goes 6’7”, 266 pounds. Taylor will be a situational pass rusher for the Lions, who heavily rotate their linemen, but anyone that plays on the same line as Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, and fellow rookie Ziggy Ansah will be worth consideration simply because of the single coverage he’ll receive.
Linebackers
Kiko Alonso, ILB BUF
Alonso is a very talented linebacker with three down ability. If he finally has his head on straight and is sober, Alonso’s drafting is another sign the Bills will be moving to a 3-4 scheme. With the Bills’ defensive line and secondary, this linebacker group should be good to chase down ball carriers and attack.
Zaviar Gooden, WLB TEN
At 6’1” and 234 pounds with legit 4.47 wheels, Gooden gives the Titans another linebacker that chase down ball carriers, cover tight ends, and rush the passer. The curious thing about the Titans drafting Gooden is the impressive play of Akeem Ayers last year. With Gooden and Zach Brown on the outside, I wonder if Ayers will be playing on the defensive line some on obvious passing downs. That scenario would be beneficial for all involved.
Sio Moore, WLB OAK
Moore landed in on a team desperate for talent at nearly every position and his versatility will be a key asset for both the Raiders and fantasy leaguers. Moore can play all three linebacker spots, but would probably be best on the outside where he can use his pass rushing skills. In most circumstances you don’t want someone on the strong side, but that is where Phillip Wheeler did all his damage from last year and Moore could very easily duplicate that success. Pay attention to where he lines up this summer.
Michael Mauti, MLB MIN
According to GM Rick Spielman, Mauti will be ready for the start of training camp. Coming out of “Linebacker U,” aka Penn State, Mauti is recovering from his third torn ACL. Call him a young Thomas Davis. The good news is he landed in the best possible scenario for playing time with the Vikings. Outside of Chad Greenway, the Vikings have one of the worst linebacker corps in the NFC. Keep an eye on Mauti’s health and playing time. He’s a name that could/should move up draft boards throughout the summer.
Khaseem Greene, LB CHI
The Bears are wisely rebuilding their suddenly weak linebacking corps through the draft with more highly touted Jon Bostic from Florida and Greene from Rutgers. While Bostic will probably see extensive playing time as a rookie over free agent signee D.J. Williams, Greene will most likely sit a year behind Lance Briggs and play special teams barring injury. Make no mistake, worst case scenario is in 2014 Greene and Bostic will be in the Bears starting lineup.
Defensive Backs
Shamarko Thomas, SS PIT
Thomas will fit in just fine with the Steelers. He is an in-the-box safety who looks for someone to blow up. For what he lacks in coverage skills he more than makes up for in hitting ability. Learning behind one of the all-time greats, Troy Polamalu will only benefit him. If Polamalu suffers injuries again, Thomas will be worth an add in tackle heavy leagues, but will get exposed in coverage.
D.J. Swearinger, FS HOU
Scheme versatility was a term heavily thrown around on draft weekend. That term was created because of guys like D.J. Swearinger. He was a do-it-all type of defensive back at South Carolina, he played deep center field, on the line of scrimmage, slot corner, and on top of tight ends. Learning from future Hall of Famer and new Houston Texan, Ed Reed, will border on being unfair. If Swearinger can beat out Danieal Manning for the starting strong safety job, he has the ability to put up strong DB2 numbers.
Bacarri Rambo, FS WAS
When the only thing standing between you and a starting safety spot is Brandon Meriweather and Reed Doughty, I say you have it pretty good. Rambo is a classic center fielder type of safety. In a division full of quarterbacks not afraid to turn the ball over, Rambo has the opportunity to lead all rookies in interceptions if he can crack the starting lineup quickly. His fantasy value will be big play dependant though as he’s not really an in-the-box kind of guy.
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Seven - October 24, 2018
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Six - October 16, 2018
- Dynasty IDP Waiver Wire: Week Five - October 10, 2018
