Players Who Defy Categorization
Dynasty owners know all about the search for the best players at their positions, those who will rack up points and make fantasy football seem like a video game. You know them: Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Christian McCaffrey, Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, Derrick Henry, etc.
With that in mind, what about the players who can excel or make a difference at more than one position? Here I’m not specifically talking about running backs who can make a difference on the receiving end (there are countless examples of those), but specifically, players who can make a difference at multiple positions and at certain areas of the field most if not all of their peers cannot. They may not rack up All-Pro awards, but dynasty owners just may find them valuable for contributing points in multiple areas.
For this list, I’m going to eliminate most running backs who can also receive, rookie receivers who are also return specialists (that hybrid tends not to last) as well as Taysom Hill, as he is an obvious choice. With that in mind, let’s take a look at several players who provide dynasty value at more than one position.
Deebo Samuel, WR SF
First up is Samuel, who was one of 2019’s most electrifying rookies thanks to the unlocked potential of his speed in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He certainly proved himself as a late addition in the air, but added another component to a dangerous ground game, with 14 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
When statisticians in analytics recommend teams not give running backs large contract extensions, they either point to unheralded players who can step up and make big production, or players who transcend their position like Samuel. While improvements need to be made against press coverage, in Shanahan’s offense it doesn’t quite matter as much; He can combine misdirection with switch concepts and other friendly route designs to help scheme you open, and Samuel’s speed and pad level lends itself well to breaking tackles as a running back and as a receiver.
Sadly, Samuel is not likely to play for a vast majority of the season (due to a broken foot injury), but as soon as he’s ready to go, I’d recommend picking him up to get a receiving threat who can also scare opponents on the ground.
Tyrann Mathieu, S KC and Jamal Adams, S SEA
When it comes to safety debates going into the 2020 season, two players who find themselves at or near the very top are Tyrann Mathieu and Jamal Adams. Both of these superstars were selected to First-Team All-Pro in 2019, and both do a number of different things. This is so much so that it would be an insult to simply consider them as safeties or even defensive backs.
First, let’s take a look at the Honey Badger.
Mathieu’s versatility was a huge talking point during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run, and it’s difficult to imagine them being in position for said run without his help. He’s excellent against the pass in the back four, but doesn’t just lend his gifts to the back four, as he can rack up tackles in the front seven as a linebacker.
Though obviously he’s not a traditional linebacker by any means, he plays it naturally, and with his speed and vision he looks like the quarterback of that Kansas City defense. One could say he was the glue (or in this case, honey) that stuck the defense together.
What really sets Mathieu apart is how well he’s able to play both the safety and corner positions (specifically slot corner). He plays both so often that Pro Football Reference actually lists him as a corner! Whether it’s tight ends like Mark Andrews or receivers like Courtland Sutton, Mathieu has no trouble adjusting to the position.
New Seahawks safety Jamal Adams is similar in his versatility but succeeds a bit differently to Mathieu.
Both Adams and Mathieu have taken snaps aplenty at safety and linebacker, but Adams has taken more snaps as a pass rusher, most notably making a huge impact against the Giants offensive line. On the season as a whole, Adams notched down the second most sacks on the team (which says a lot of negative things about the pass rush, sure, but 6.5 of them is impressive for a safety).
You really can’t go wrong scooping up either player, as they offer their own distinct advantages that just might be the difference for you in an IDP league.
Calais Campbell, DE BAL
Pass rushers who can dominate inside or on the edge are nothing new, as we’ve seen countless examples of such. But one major example who’s managed to do that exceptionally well for years has been Calais Campbell. And unlike many of his peers in the front four, Campbell has played both edge rusher and defensive tackle so often that it’s been increasingly difficult to pigeonhole him into either position.
The one concern for Campbell’s dynasty value goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway; He’s going to be 34 in September. However, he was sent to the perfect team, as the Ravens defense knows how to generate/scheme pressure on opposing offenses thanks to the impressive play calling of defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale. So if you’re looking for a year rental in your IDP leagues, Campbell in his elderly years is not a bad option at all.
Shaq Green-Thompson, LB CAR and Isaiah Simmons, LB ARI
There’s a specific reason why I’m mentioning both of these players at the same time. As someone who spends a good portion of his time covering the Panthers, I would have loved to see Isaiah Simmons play alongside Shaq Thompson, as both players have been noted for their hybrid capabilities as safety and linebacker. That would have been one hell of a way to replace Luke Kuechly, but alas, the almighty hand of Marty Hurney decided that was not to be.
Thompson in particular is heavily relied upon as a blitzer, having rushed the passer on a blitz 47 times in 2018 and 46 in 2019. He’s seen as a core piece of a rebuilding Panthers defense, as they extended him to the tune of four years and $52 million just inside the dawn of December last year.
Thompson doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but as a hybrid option he’s worth a look in IDP leagues for how he’s able to transition between linebacker, safety, and on blitzes.
Perhaps Simmons in this sense is seen as Shaq Thompson with a higher ceiling. He’s been a favorite of many, myself included, for his stunning versatility, as he can not only play linebacker and safety, but also line up as an outside linebacker.
It’s unclear how much Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will rely on Simmons’ versatility in year one, though to get the most out of him I think this has to be done. Much like Thompson, Simmons is greater than the sum of his parts, but perhaps to a greater extent due to his unscratched potential.
Miles Sanders, RB PHI
Now hang on a second, didn’t I say at the beginning of this piece that I was excluding running backs who could receive? I did, but I’m cheating in this instance to talk about Miles Sanders. I already wrote about his blend of rushing and receiving here, but in short, what made Sanders’ skill set in his rookie season exciting and just a little more appealing than the average build-a-bear receiving back is just how he was used in the passing game.
The 2019 Eagles offense was notable for a lack of receiving quality (wide receivers, anyway), and as such could not find a consistent vertical threat. Cue Sanders, who immediately became said vertical threat when all hope appeared to be lost. Yes, a rookie running back of all things was the Eagles’ best deep receiver. It’s odd, but the creativity Philadelphia uses with Sanders just seems to result in him burning defenders on deep passes.
With the return of DeSean Jackson and the arrival of rookie Jalen Reagor, we may see less of a vertical role in Sanders’ future, but considering the age of the former and the lack of experience (re: rookie) of the latter, Sanders has more than enough of the skill set down the field that the Eagles can trust if he’s ever relied upon.
Lamar Jackson, QB BAL
Yeah I’m cheating here again by ending this piece with an obvious pick, but I can explain why. On either side of the Jackson debate, he’s either a passing QB or merely a rushing QB who still has to prove it as a passer.
I’m here to offer something different; He’s both a quarterback and a running back. Okay, maybe that’s not as different of a take as I thought, but it’s perfectly fine to think of Jackson as a running back while also accepting that he’s a damn good passing QB. That’s how good his skill set is since he’s able to rack up historic numbers in the air and on the ground.
It seems like Jackson is the best quarterback at avoiding hits on the run, which is extremely encouraging for his long-term future in the NFL. The reigning MVP just knows how to run at zen-like angles whenever danger comes swooping in for a potential concussion. This isn’t to say I expect Jackson to avoid getting hurt 100% of the time, but he’s been phenomenal at being cautious on the ground while also being as aggressive of a runner as you’d want. More times than not he’s running out of bounds or in the end zone than he is getting jacked to the turf.
Do I even need to say it? Go invest in Lamar Jackson if you’re starting a league, he’s just too talented of a player to pass up on.
That’s it for dynasty players who defy categorization (or at least in this piece). If you have any other players of this regard that did not make the list, please let us know below!
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