It is so close, you can hardly wait for the opening kickoff, I am sure. When New England takes on Pittsburgh on Thursday night, things finally get underway for us fantasy football players. I know that most of us have already drafted, but there are potential free agents that you might want to pick up for the long haul. This week, I will identify some defensive backs that might have gone undrafted in your IDP leagues, and that could provide depth or starting strength. Not to point fingers, but I have noticed that the Yahoo defensive player rankings are as bad as ever, and if you relied on their suggestions at your draft, I would advise you to rethink your picks now before the games begin.
This is my final “pre-season” article about IDP. From here on out, I will be profiling on a weekly basis those IDP that are rising, as well as advising about those whose star is waning. Plus, injuries that you need to be on top of in planning your weekly lineups. I am obviously writing for those of us who have embraced what our Draft Guide is calling “The Next Thing.” By the way, if you have not yet taken the plunge to grab the Guide, I implore you to do so. You do not want your opponents to get an advantage over you this season, do you?
Tyrann Mathieu S ARI
2014 stats: 36 solo tackles /2 assists/0 sacks/0 fumbles forced/4 passes deflected/1 interception
2015 projections: 69/17/1/1/10/3
He is back and the “Honey Badger” is ready to perform up to the standards he showed he was capable of in his rookie season. He is being drafted outside of the top 20 DBs due to his injury-shortened 2014 season, but you should rush to the waiver wire to grab him before his stat line shows up in the early part of 2015. If he is sitting on your league’s undrafted list, you need to act now. Right now. Stop reading this article and put in a claim on him. I will be here when you get back.
Da'Norris Searcy S TEN
2014 stats: 39/19/0.5/1/4/3
2015 projections: 72/21/1/1/8/1
Searcy was a tackler for Buffalo, and the system helped him succeed, but he now looks to improve on that trend now that he has moved to Tennessee. The Titan linebackers are weak, at best, and it will be up to the safeties to bring down the offensive ball carriers this season.
Landon Collins S NYG
2014 stats: None (Rookie season)
2015 projections: 65/22/0/2/9/2
Just like Searcy, he has no real depth at linebacker in front of him, and that should translate to tackle opportunities. He is a rookie, and you have to calculate that into his season long projections, as the longer NLF season will test his endurance. You can grab him as essentially no one knows about him aside from you, dear reader.
Dashon Goldson S WAS
2014 stats: 62/18/0/0/1/0
2015 projections: 70/22/0/1/8/3
I am not high on many Washington players, but the addition of Goldson to an underachieving safety group in our nation’s capital should provide a boost to his production this season. Because he is seen as a second-rate safety based on his prior performance, he is flying under the radar this season and going undrafted in a ton of leagues. Either put him on your watch list or pick him up now if you made an error in your draft.
Should you have questions regarding fantasy football, especially IDP, you can reach me at ia@fantasyalarm.com to continue the discussion.