DLF’s 2018 IDP Predictions: Fantasy Rookie of the Year

Eric Olinger Posted On September 4, 2018

Every July and August people are looking for sleepers, players on the come up or comeback. They want to know who is going to be the next Alvin Kamara or, on the flip side, who runs the risk of being the next Willie Snead? Whether you’re reading because you’re into dynasty leagues, keeper leagues or just the annual redraft, you’re looking for the value of the hidden gem, the next big thing, and trying to avoid the next big pitfall.

Offensive leagues are infinitely more popular than IDP leagues, I’m not living under a rock, but whether it’s a website, a podcast or a show on SiriusXM, the offensive talents have been discussed over and over to the point every player has been on the breakout and the breakdown lists. You’re here because you like a meatier cut of heavily marbled fantasy beef. You’re here for the 32-ounce tomahawk ribeye with a bone sticking out of it so far it looks like a weapon of war, and you know what? It is.

After having to step away for the off-season, I return for another season of IDP writing for Dynasty League Football and what better way than to reach out to my IDP brethren, from DLF and beyond, and ask them for their picks for the following categories:

IDP Comeback Player of the Year

IDP Sell

IDP Buy

IDP Rookie of the Year

IDP Sleeper of the Year

IDP MVP

Please note I have included the Twitter handles of each person who contributed. If you’re reading this you should be following them. Today’s topic is IDP Rookie of the Year.

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Tremaine Edmunds, LB BUF

This is an easy one for me. He might not be the best player in this class but he has the best situation and role for putting up monster numbers. Being a top 12 linebacker as a rookie is always hard but Edmunds could definitely do it. Early Kwon Alexander-type production is within his range of possibilities. – Tom Kislingbury @TomDegenerate

Tremaine Edmunds, LB BUF

I think the chalk play is Roquan Smith of the Bears but my money is on Edmunds outproducing him. At 6’5” and 250 pounds and just 20 years old, Edmunds walks into an IDP gold mine. He’s inheriting a role from Demario Davis which manufactured 135 total tackles in 2017. Barring injury, Edmunds should walk away with this award. – Eric Olinger @OlingerIDP

Roquan Smith, LB CHI

Yeah, I know he got to camp late. Since he’s gotten there though, he hasn’t left defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s side. Fangio will get the kid in the right spots and Smith is smart enough and athletic enough to make the plays when he gets there. He’s my LB1 all day. – Doug Green @BigBoardIDP

Roquan Smith, LB CHI

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has an incredible talent on his hands. Smith missed a large chunk of training camp negotiating his rookie deal but Fangio should be able to quickly maximize a talent that produced 137 total tackles and 6.5 sacks for Georgia in 2017. – Pete Lawrence @_PeteLaw

Tremaine Edmunds, LB BUF

The Bills safeties won’t clean everything up this year. – Andy Miley @AndrewMiley of Dynasty Trade Calculator

Tremaine Edmunds, LB BUF

Edmunds gets my rookie of the year vote all day long and twice on Tuesdays. He steps in as the immediate stating MIKE linebacker, replacing Preston Brown. Brown put up triple digit tackles in each of his four seasons with the Bills and the athletic Edmonds will easily do so. The rookie also brings the big play upside that Brown lacked. – Walton Spurlin @WaltonSpurlin of PFF

Derwin James, S LAC

James has been named the starter and should step right into instant production. I never overpay for defensive backs, but he will feast this year and be the most successful IDP rookie. – Bill Latin @BillLatin

Darius Leonard, LB IND

While Edmunds is the obvious choice here, just to give a different perspective, Leonard is my pick. The rookie out of South Carolina State might not be the best athlete but he has impressive size and great arm length to shed of blocks. He’s looked really good in preseason and will be the lone standout on a pretty crummy defense. Likely far from the voting ballots of Defensive Rookie of the Year, Leonard could still end the year as the most productive of the rookie linebackers for owners. – Adam Tzikas @Adamtz, aka StickyZ

Roquan Smith, ILB CHI

A month ago I would have said Leighton Vander Esch, but he’s fighting a tough camp battle. Smith is going to fit into what Chicago needs and will get plenty of work and opportunities to pile up big IDP stats. – Kelly Smelser @PDWonderland

Darius Leonard, OLB IND

Don’t take this to mean that I think Darius Leonard will be the highest-scoring rookie linebacker in fantasy football. That’s all but certainly going to be either Smith or Edmunds. But Leonard is available much later than this year’s elite first-year linebackers, and it’s not out of the realm of reason that he could out-point at least one of the bigger names being drafted so far ahead of him. The Colts linebacker corps looks awful – in fact, the whole Indy defense does. But someone’s going to have to make stops for a Colts team that was ninth in the NFL in total tackle opportunities in 2017. If Leonard leads Indy in stops, he’ll be one of the biggest steals of the year at IDP’s most important position. – Gary Davenport @IDPSharks of Fantasy Sharks, RotoWorld & Football Diehards

Come find me on Twitter @OlingerIDP

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Eric Olinger

Honorary Contributor at Dynasty League Football

A 12 year old trapped in a man's body, Eric has been playing IDP dynasty leagues for almost 20 years. He enjoys Star Wars, Batman, red meat and an ice cold Diet Coke, sometimes all at once. He hopes to one day own his own Batmobile but his wife is a relentless dream crusher so the odds are slim.