IDP Depth Chart Evaluations: AFC North

Alexander Onushco Posted On July 27, 2016

This is it, folks. We’ve entered that dreaded period between the end of OTAs and the start of training camp. It’s a time saturated with unfounded speculation and starved of any real, fantasy-impactful news.

And while most offensive depth charts have already been heavily scrutinized to unearth training camp battles to watch and even the deepest of sleepers, many IDP depth charts have yet to enjoy the same attention. This prolonged downtime provides us the perfect opportunity to give the defensive side of the football a little love and examine each division’s IDP depth chart in detail.

For the sake of this series, I will be using the depth charts provided by Rotoworld, aka the end-all-be-all site of all things fantasy related.

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Robert Golden – No. 2 FS for Pittsburgh Steelers

With a four-year resume as nondescript as Golden’s, it is hardly a surprise that he is being listed as a second-stringer. Since entering the league in 2012, he has amassed 72 tackles, a feat matched by 93 other players in 2015 alone.

And yet Golden is squarely on the IDP radar in 2016.

Despite the Steelers drafting safety Sean Davis in the second round of this year’s draft, early reports have been of Golden lineup up as the starting strong safety opposite Mike Mitchell. Perhaps this is just veteran deference, but many beat reporters have come out and said that Golden is the front-runner for the job, at least for this year. As such, he finds himself severely undervalued in IDP leagues.

The Steelers leave a lot to be desired in their front seven, and lack of talent up front typically leads to more tackle opportunities for those in the secondary. So if Golden keeps the starting SS gig, he could be seeing a lot of tackles funnel his way, not mention the occasional big play. At the very least, he is worth a speculative add in deeper leagues as a DB4, with upside to post numbers closer to that of a low-end starter.

John Hughes – No. 1 DE for Cleveland Browns

For someone with only 5.5 sacks to his name in four seasons in the pros, it seems just like the Cleveland Browns to have John Hughes listed as their starting defensive end. I mean, the guy is a four-year veteran and still doesn’t have a head-shot on Rotoworld’s website, that is how low-profile he is.

But, heck, even a broken clock finds a nut once awhile. Or is it a blind squirrel is right twice a day? Something like that. The point is that even a terrible team is going to get the occasional sack, and with Hughes’ competition being either rookies (Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib) or ineffective veterans (Paul Kruger, Barkevious Mingo), he stands as good a chance as any to be the guy to make those sacks.

Also working for Hughes is that he has a reputation for being a solid run-stopper, which could help him in tackle-heavy leagues. The team’s website is already saying he could be in line for a key role on defense this year, which means he is likely to see a significant uptick over the 440 snaps he saw last year. If you are looking for DE depth on your team, Hughes is a no-name player who can be had on the cheap and may ultimately put up enough numbers to warrant bye-week filler consideration.

Za’Darius Smith – No. 3 OLB for Baltimore Ravens

Za’Darius Smith – aside from having a name straight out of a Key and Peele skit – is best known as the third-best outside linebacker on the Ravens’ defense. Keep in mind, however, that the two linebackers in front of him – Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil – are well over the 30-year mark and are coming off injury. In the event that one or both of them aren’t ready for the start of the season, it will be up to Smith to generate the team’s pass rush as an every-down player.

Smith impressed as a fourth-round rookie last year, posting 30 tackles and 5.5 sacks in just 395 snaps. Entering his second season, the Ravens are hoping he can improve upon those numbers. If given the opportunity and snaps, he stands a good chance of doing just that, making him a worthwhile consideration in most IDP leagues.

Paul Dawson – No. 2 WLB for Cincinnati Bengals

One of last year’s most popular rookie linebackers, Dawson’s value plummeted after an abysmal combine. He ended being selected by the Bengals in the third round and then rewarded their investment in him by lighting up the preseason to the tune of 18 tackles, three tackles for a loss and two sacks.

That ended up being the highlight of his rookie season, as he only saw 34 defensive snaps the rest of the way.

Fortunately for Dawson, he warms the bench for Vontaze Burfict, an injury- and suspension-prone player who has missed over half of the games the last two seasons and is going to miss the first three games of 2016. If Dawson can prove he is committed to football and put on another display this preseason, he has a strong chance of at the very least entering into a rotation to fill Burfict’s void.

Long-term, Dawson has a real chance at securing a starting job all to himself, as the Bengals have three current starters who either have expiring contracts (Karlos Dansby) or have a contract which the team can easily get out from under after this season (Burfict, Rey Maualuga). So while Dawson may not come into any immediate IDP value, he is certainly worth stashing in leagues on the good chance he becomes a starter in 2017.

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