Defending Our IDP Rankings

Our rankings page is one of the most visited and debated pages at DLF, and the IDP side is no different. Each ranker has his own unique perspective and occasionally one of us really loves, or hates, a player and it really jumps off the screen. I took a deep dive into our rankings, found an example for each ranker and gave them the opportunity to defend their stance.

Me: Alex, there is one linebacker you have ranked much, much lower than everyone else – Ryan Shazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers. What red flags do you see the rest of us do not?

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Alex Onushco: Even before he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 15^th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Ryan Shazier was drawing heavy comparisons Lavonte David. The same Lavonte David who was coming off of a 145-tackle, six-sack, and five-interception season. To this point in his career, Shazier hasn’t come close to those numbers in his first two seasons combined.

Injury certainly plays into those numbers (or lack thereof), but missing eleven games in two years certainly doesn’t speak highly of his ability to play a full season.  This, on top of his highly inconsistent on-field play (his -11.9 overall PFF grade was good for 166^th best among LBs) makes him a volatile IDP asset to own.

Me: Adam, Eric Kendricks is ranked between ninth and thirteenth among the other four rankers. You have him as your LB24. What do you see in him that says he’s more of a low end LB2?

Adam Tzikas: My main reason is defensive talent that surrounds Kendricks. Harrison Smith, Anthony Barr, Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, and Audie Cole all vie for tackles in a defense that saw the 17th most snaps in 2015. My second reason is talent. He may have been the IDP LB1 coming out of college, but it was a weak class. He played WLB in college (with Myles Jack I might add) and is now slotted in as the MLB, a role he needed to transition to. I’m not against moving him up, just want to see more.

Me: Jabaal Sheard jumped all the way to DL8 in your latest rankings update after Chandler Jones was traded to Arizona. Are you that confident in him? Why should I be buying the veteran?

Steve Wyremski: Yes, I’m absolutely that confident. There are a plethora of reasons. First, he’s done it before. As a rookie, he posted 40 tackles and 8.5 sacks on his way to a top ten finish. He then lost much of his young career miscast as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Rightfully so considering he doesn’t belong off the ball. Secondly, in 2015, he experienced a rebirth under Bill Belichick in his first season with the Patriots. He wasn’t the primary man in the defensive end rotation, but finished with 28 tackles and eight sacks. On a point per game basis, that was good enough for top 15 among defensive ends in most formats in limited action. Ultimately, Sheard’s presence and play in 2015 made the trade of Chandler Jones that much more palatable. Despite the signing of Chris Long who is highly likely be a situational player, Sheard should see more snaps in 2016. At only 26 years old, Sheard is disgustingly underrated with a high likelihood of a DE1 finish in 2016.

Me: Dan, you seem to really dislike Kiko Alonso. Does his trade to Miami change that at all?

Dan Sainio: He relies almost entirely on his athleticism. If, and when, he guesses wrong, he leaves his teammates high and dry. He depends on those same teammates to finish tackles on players as he’s holding onto their ankles. I see it far too often where players bounce off of him, or run through him with relative ease. I don’t want to take anything away from his athletic ability, because he’s an incredible athlete with big play ability due to his explosiveness and closing speed. He just doesn’t have that “pop” to stop runners in their tracks. That being said, he will have a nice opportunity in Miami with LB2 upside.  That is, if he can stay on the field. Health is yet another concern.

Me: Eric, your ranking of Stephone Anthony is eleven spots lower than the next closest ranker. What says fringe LB2 to you as opposed to low end LB1?

Me: Great question, Eric. I don’t dislike Anthony but the Saints seem hesitant to give him the keys to their defense. For some ungodly reason they went out and signed James Laurinaitis to be their starting middle linebacker and for some reason still believe Dannell Ellerbe should play the IDP-friendlier weak side over Stephone. The saving grace is Anthony is clearly their every down linebacker as he played 93% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2015, and Laurinaitis won’t change that. In my opinion, there are a large number of LB2 types whose rankings are interchangeable. He’s not a guy I am confident in putting up LB1 numbers or consistent LB2 numbers, but I’m comfortable pairing him with an aging veteran like Thomas Davis or Derrick Johnson as my LB3 while he improves.

Follow us on Twitter @OlingerIDP, @SteveWyremski, @AdamTz, @FFDynastyDan & @Dynasty_Al

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