IDP Improvements: Moves to Make Before Week Six

Injuries are unfortunate. However, they present opportunities for other players. Three of the seven players mentioned in this article suddenly have a chance to stake a claim for an increased role.

Damone Clark, LB DAL – ADD/START

Unfortunately, Leighton Vander Esch suffered a neck injury against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football and will be placed on the injured reserved list.

Enter Damone Clark. The 23-year-old has been productive when called upon and will be thrust into a more significant role. The 2022 fifth-round draft pick played understudy in 2022, briefly threatening to take over the starter. However, Vander Esch refused to concede and opened the 2023 season as the team’s only every-down linebacker.

Unfortunately, Vander Esch’s history of neck injuries has forced him to miss ten games over the last three years. It’s reasonable to wonder if the 27-year-old is the long-term answer at the position for the Cowboys. Clark can be started immediately in deep leagues and may have dynasty appeal.

Tyrel Dodson, LB BUF – ADD

Matt Milano is expected to miss the rest of the season after fracturing his leg in the Buffalo Bills’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Dodson lost the battle to Terrel Bernard to earn the full-time role next to Milano in the preseason, but he now has another chance to prove he can be a capable starter in the league.

Tyrel Dodson is the fastest to react and it’s a 4th-quarter turnover by the Bills defense.#NFL #London #billsmafia #Dodson pic.twitter.com/KGA6KhhFhX

— SmashMouthin' Football (@SMingFootball) October 8, 2023

However, Dodson may not be an every-down player; the 25-year-old had a season-high 63% snap share last week, but 2023 third-round pick Dorian Williams logged 36% of the available defensive snaps. The Bills used both players situationally, and it will be interesting to see whether that continues.

Isaiah Simmons, LB NYG – ADD

Simmons’ trade to the Giants prompted unwarranted hype among fantasy managers. The eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft has disappointed since entering the league and failed to earn more than a 33% snap share in the first four games for his new team. Micah McFadden was the primary backup to Bobby Okereke to start 2023.

Data courtesy of the DLF Dynasty Rankings History tool.

McFadden missed week five against the Miami Dolphins with an ankle injury. Simmons played every down in this place – a feat McFadden had not managed through the first four weeks. Simmons took full advantage of his opportunity, leading the team with ten combined tackles.

McFadden may reclaim his role upon his return from injury. However, Simmons’ performance has muddied the waters sufficiently that it’s worth adding him in case the Giants decide to pivot.

Randy Gregory, EDGE SF – BENCH

Clelin Ferrell, EDGE SF – BENCH

Drake Jackson, EDGE SF – BENCH

The San Francisco 49ers have done a great job of salvaging the careers of edge rushers most teams had written off. Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu, and Arden Key have played some of their best football with the team in recent years.

The addition of Randy Gregory is intriguing. The 30-year-old has flashed in recent years but has never had sustained production. He may be the latest reclamation project to benefit from playing in San Francisco.

Unfortunately, he is unlikely to be a consistent performer due to the deep rotation that the 49ers employ behind Nick Bosa. Gregory, Ferrell, and Jackson will be streaky. Predicting which of the three players will produce each week will be maddening.

Wait and see how this situation plays out in Gregory’s debut before being tempted to start any of these guys. Ultimately, these three players may be best suited to best ball formats.

Bryce Huff, EDGE NYJ – TRADE FOR

Huff is embroiled in a deep rotation at the Jets’ edge position, vying for snaps with Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, Michael Clemons, Will McDonald IV, and Carl Lawson. It’s not a recipe for fantasy success.

However, despite playing fewer snaps than three of those players, Huff has generated a team-leading 26 pressures. Despite playing sparingly, he also produced an impressive 20.8% pressure rate in 2022.

Look how fast the tackle panics and bails on his footwork because of Bryce Huffs get off. He’s too quick.

Extend Bryce Huff! pic.twitter.com/kkUu3VdGxz

— JetNation (@JetNation) October 10, 2023

Huff will struggle to be fantasy-relevant in this scheme, but he’s due to become a free agent in 2024. The 25-year-old may be worth a stash in deep dynasty leagues in anticipation that he lands in a more favorable spot next season. We may see him in the DLF Top-150 dynasty IDP ranks early next season.

Conclusion

Reacting quickly to injuries is essential in fantasy. It can be challenging to decide whether to replace players lost to long-term injuries with their backups or gamble on other players with more upside. Evaluate your dynasty roster carefully and consider whether you need players to help immediately or if playing the long game is more prudent.