2024 Dynasty Division Outlook: AFC North IDP
Last year, we brought you a new series covering each NFL division’s IDP dynasty fantasy football outlook. We are back at it again this year. We’ll bring you an overview of each team, highlight the best and worst positional groups, and make some cool predictions for the division as a whole. Let’s jump into it!
Baltimore Ravens
Depth Chart courtesy of ourlads.com.
The Baltimore Ravens have gone through some changes in the off-season. Gone is linebacker Patrick Queen, who signed with the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, but that opens the door for 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson to step in next to Roquan Smith, who continues to be one of the best IDP inside linebackers in the league.
The Raves put tons of pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season. Odafe Oweh and Justin Madubuike were really good, and Kyle Van Noy had a resurgent season with nine sacks.
The secondary is led by Kyle Hamilton, who has made a name for himself as one of the top IDP safeties in the league. The Ravens added rookies Nate Wiggins and T.J. Tampa at cornerback to go along with Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens.
The Ravens continue to have one of the top five defenses in the league. Many pundits might suggest they have the top defensive unit returning in 2024. I wouldn’t fight them on that assessment. Baltimore was ranked first in DVOA, points allowed, and team sacks last season. I would expect much of the same in 2024 with a number of quality IDP players on this unit.
Cincinnati Bengals
Depth Chart courtesy of ourlads.com.
The Bengals are trying to rebuild their defense. They have had some quality IDP players over the last couple of seasons, but the unit as a whole has struggled. They gave up 374.6 yards per game, which ranked 31st in the NFL. Cincinnati was 21st in points allowed last season and 23rd in DVOA.
While this isn’t great news for their defense, it does lend the team to the possibility of a lot of shootouts this season. Shootouts don’t hurt IDP performances. It gives the players on that side of the ball plenty of opportunities to make plays and get tackles.
Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson have continued to be solid defensive ends and produce. Hendrickson was particularly good last season with 17.5 sacks. Linebacker Logan Wilson continues to put up good IDP numbers, and Germaine Pratt has put up better numbers than expected in the last two seasons.
The secondary continues to change. The Bengals have spent four first, second, and third-round picks on the secondary the past three drafts. Dax Hill and Jordan Battle are two highly drafted safeties in the last two seasons, but veterans Vonn Bell and Geno Stone were signed in the off-season to compete with the youngsters. Cornerbacks DJ Turner and Cam Taylor-Britt are entering their second and third seasons in the league and need to see an improvement.
Cleveland Browns
Depth Chart courtesy of ourlads.com.
The Browns defense was an impressive unit last season. They ranked first in yards allowed and created the fifth-most turnovers in the league. The Browns were also second in DVOA and finished with the sixth-most sacks.
Defensive end Myles Garrett continues to be a top-five IDP asset. He won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award after piling up 42 tackles, 14 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Za’Darius Smith had a slightly disappointing first season in Cleveland with only 5.5 sacks.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah really broke out in 2023 with 98 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six passes defensed, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. Veteran Jordan Hicks comes over from Minnesota to help shore up the linebacker core.
The secondary is led by cornerback Denzel Ward. Grant Delpit also showed improvement at safety to become an S2 for IDP purposes.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Depth Chart courtesy of ourlads.com.
Pittsburgh dealt with a lot of injuries and personnel changes on defense last year. Despite all that, and a putrid offense all season, the Steelers were able to have a pretty good season on the defensive side of the football. Pittsburgh was top ten in most categories, including sixth in DVOA.
T.J. Watt was an absolute superstar again, leading the league in sacks with 19. Alex Highsmith signed a new deal and was able to be solid opposite of Watt on the edge. Rookie Nick Herbig showed some flashes in limited duty.
The linebacking crew was crushed by injuries. But the signing of Patrick Queen away from Baltimore was one of the bigger defensive signings in the 2024 off-season. Queen should team up with Elandon Roberts who is a rugged run-stopper.
The Steelers drafted 2023 Dick Butkus Award winner Payton Wilson in the third round of the NFL Draft. He slipped due to some injury concerns, but Wilson is the most athletic off-the-ball linebacker in the draft. He will likely see action along with Roberts, especially on passing downs. Cole Holcomb suffered a brutal injury last season and how much he will be recovered for the upcoming season is definitely questionable.
The secondary has gone through some changes. The Steelers are hoping Minkah Fitzpatrick can have a healthy season. DeShon Elliott was signed as the other safety from Miami.
Rookie Joey Porter Jr improved throughout the season. He will have some new faces surrounding him this season, and the Steelers hope that leads to some improvement against the pass.
Positional Group Rankings
Defensive Line
1. Ravens: A
2. Steelers: A-
3. Bengals: B-
4. Browns: B-
Justin Madubuike had an absolute breakout season last year. He had more sacks (13) and more QB hits (33) than his three previous seasons combined. He leads a group made up of Broderick Washington and Michael Pierce.
Cam Heyward has been the best defensive lineman in this division for most of his career. He missed six games with an injury last year and took some time to come around. Heyward just turned 35 and had his lowest sack output of his career with only two sacks. He is the heart and soul of the Steelers defense, but how much longer can he be a top-notch IDP producer? Larry Ogunjobi and 2023 second-round pick Keeanu Benton played well last season. Benton is a beast and looks ready to turn it up a notch this season. He is currently playing nose tackle which hurts his IDP value, but if he gets moved to defensive end, I would be excited to see what he could do.
The Bengals B.J. Hill is a decent DT play in IDP leagues if you miss out on the top-end guys.
The Browns Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, and rookie Mike Hall Jr are good football players, but don’t give you much for fantasy purposes.
 Justin Madubuike career starts courtesy of Sports Reference.
Edge – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
1. Steelers: A+
2. Browns: A+
3. Bengals: A-
4. Ravens: B+
If you want to be an elite defense you have to have great edge rushers. The AFC North is loaded with elite edge rushers. The AFC North had four of the top nine sack leaders in the league last season.
The Steelers’ combination of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith brings the heat on opposing QBs. Highsmith had a dip in sack production last season, but had similar numbers across the board in 2022 and 2023. Nick Herbig also looked good in limited reps as a rookie.
The Browns have the second-best pass-rush duo in the division, but they also might be the second-best in the entire league. Myles Garrett continues to be a top-five IDP asset. Za’Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo combined for 58 tackles and 10 sacks last season.
The Bengals’ combination of Hendricks, Hubbard, and Murphy should continue to be solid. Hendricks was great again last season as he was second in the league with 17.5 sacks.
The Ravens’ edge group showed up last season. Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy helped Baltimore improve their pass rush last season. This group has no reason to slow down in 2024.
NFL Sack Leaders courtesy of Sports Reference.
Linebacker
1. Ravens: A
2. Steelers: A-
3. Browns: A-
4. Bengals: B+
Roquan Smith continues to be the best off-ball LB in football, and second-year player Trenton Simpson now gets to show what he can do alongside Smith. Any group that has Smith has to be at the top of the list.
Patrick Queen now becomes the man in the middle for Pittsburgh and is flanked by Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, and rookie Payton Wilson. Queen and Wilson have the potential to be the most athletic and dynamic LB duo in the league at some point.
The Browns got the breakout season they have been waiting for from Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Talented veteran Jordan Hicks has been added to the mix along with former Steelers and Seahawks LB Devin Bush. If he can take the next step this could be a pretty good group.
Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt continue to be steady IDP LBs for the Bengals in this loaded division.
Patrick Queen career stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
Cornerback
1. Browns: B+
2. Ravens: B
3. Steelers: B-
4. Bengals: B-
The Browns boast Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson at cornerback to lead the division.
The Ravens continue to boost their cornerback group. Marlon Humphrey leads this group along with Brandon Stephens. Baltimore added Nate Wiggins in the first round and T.J. Tampa in the fourth round to help bolster this group.
Joey Porter Jr had a very good rookie season. Donte Jackson comes over in a trade with the Carolina Panthers to go with Cory Trice, rookie Ryan Watts Peterson, and Josiah Scott. This group could be really good, but it will depend on if Jackson can go back to his old form, Porter continues to improve and the other younger guys progress as well.
The Bengals continue to put draft capital in the secondary, but they are still waiting for it to pay off. DJ Turner and Cam Taylor-Britt are both former second-round picks to go with nickel back Mike Hilton.
Safety
1. Ravens: A-
2. Steelers: B+
3. Bengals: B
4. Browns: B-
Kyle Hamilton was my pick for the breakout IDP player in the division last season, and oh boy, did he have a season. The second-year pro had 144 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, three sacks, four interceptions and 13 passes defensed. Marcus Williams comes over from the New Orleans Saints to play next to Hamilton.
Minkah Fitzpatrick struggled with injuries last season and only played in ten games last season. When he is healthy, Fitzpatrick has the ability to be a top-five fantasy DB. Damontae Kazee and DeShon Elliott will battle it out for the other starting spot.
Delpit has started to perform up to his potential and as an IDP starter. Juan Thornhill comes over from Kansas City, as well as veteran Rodney McCloud from Indianapolis.
Bengals have drafted young talent in Dax Hill and Jordan Battle the last two years, but Cincinnati decided to add some veterans to the group. Vonn Bell returns after a couple of seasons in Carolina. Geno Stone has moved over from Baltimore to round out the talent, but I need to see it on the field and in the box score before I can suggest pushing Hill, Stone, or Battle in IDP.
Kyle Hamilton career stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
Divisional Predictions
MVP: TJ Watt, EDGE PIT
So many players could be the MVP in this loaded division for IDP which features a handful of the top-ten defensive players in the league. Last season, my pick was Watt, and he didn’t disappoint with 68 tackles, a league-leading 19 sacks, 36 QB hits, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight passes defensed and one interception. Watt finished second in the voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year behind Myles Garrett, but Watt outscored him in every fantasy league. The Steelers defense has made some good additions that should help Watt continue to dominate.
LVP: Odafe Oweh, EDGE BAL
In such a good defensive division it’s tough to find guys you don’t like. Oweh was my pick for the biggest bust in the division last season, and now he is my Least Valuable Player. While there are worse players in the division, Oweh is just too overrated for me.
The former first-round pick continues to get drafted as a breakout candidate, but I don’t think it’s ever coming. With a team that led the league in sacks, Oweh was only able to get five sacks and 23 tackles with 12 QB hits.
I’m not sure why he keeps getting drafted as high as he does, but I don’t want him anywhere near his ADP.
Most improved: Trenton Simpson, LB BAL
I said last season that Simpson was a player you were going to have to wait on in IDP leagues. Now the wait is over. With Queen moving on to Pittsburgh, Simpson now gets to fill his starting role next to Roquan Smith. Simpson should be a player you get at a nice value in IDP leagues.
Biggest steal: Dax Hill, S CIN
If anyone in your league is nervous about the Bengals adding veterans Vonn Bell and Geno Stone to the secondary, now is the time to get Dax Hill. There is no way Hill, who is a former first-round pick, is going to get benched. He was a top-ten IDP safety last year. If there is a discount to be had, now is the time.
Dax Hill career stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
Biggest bust: David Ojigba, EDGE BAL
Last season Ojigba was my biggest steal in this division, but after a second straight year with a season-ending injury, I think I’m ready to get off this hype train. After a torn Achilles and ACL in back-to-back seasons, Ojigba has only played three career games in two seasons and is still working his way back from his latest injury. It’s time to move on.
Wait for it: Payton Wilson, LB PIT
Payton Wilson won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and also won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player at N.C. State where he had 138 tackles, six sacks, and three interceptions. It might take him a little while to break into the starting lineup for the Steelers, but I think talent will eventually win out and he will grab the Steelers starting linebacker spot next to Patrick Queen.
Payton Wilson college stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
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