Assuming (always a dangerous activity, it should be admitted) that you are participating in a league that employs roster spots for individual defensive players, you have probably arrived here looking for an advantage or three in drafting and maintaining your roster. The differences in various league formats have been discussed here previously in the IDP Reports already published this spring (tackle-oriented, big-play and hybrid, to refresh your memory) as well as how the various positions-LB/DL/DB-fit into those schemes. But what if there were some way to get the benefits from one position while slotting a particular player in at different role on your gameday roster? Enter multi-position eligibility.
If you play fantasy baseball, you will be familiar with the concept of the player that is able to be inserted at various different offensive positions to replace an injured starter, or fill in for a player getting a day of rest. In football, lineup decisions are not made day-to-day, of course, but rather on a week-by-week basis, so dual eligibility for an IDP does not translate into quick replacement strategies when setting lineups. Instead, finding a linebacker that has defensive line eligibility transforms a lesser-producing IDP into a player that potentially can provide greater point production, since linebackers generally provide a stronger base for fantasy value than a linesman. Or if a defensive end has dual defensive tackle entitlement, the opportunity to rack up extra points arises.
In 2020, the dual eligibility option only exists on the Yahoo! fantasy football platform, unfortunately. ESPN has specifically decided to utilize the primary position determination route, relying on the position designated by the NFL when setting up their defensive player rolls. Of course, there is always the possibility of in-season adjustments to positional designations occurring, so it behooves the savvy fantasy football owner to keep perusing the free agent market when restocking the roster, replacing underperforming or injured players on your team.
For the first installment, let’s take a look at some players that qualify at both linebacker and defensive end. Projections for the 2020 season are set forth as follows: Total Tackles/Solo Tackles/Sacks/Forced Fumbles/Fumble Recoveries/Pass Deflections
Dante Fowler , Jr. ATL LB/DE
Fowler is coming off a superb 2019 with the Rams, racking up 59 total tackles (TT) with 40 of those of the solo variety. He also collected 11.5 sacks and deflected six passes (PD) as a member of the Los Angeles defense, after being traded there part way through 2018. His move to Atlanta guarantees him a top role as a full-time edge rusher for the Falcons, and slotting the linebacker in as a DL will reap huge benefits for his owners.
2020 Projections: 48/38/10/2/1/2
Montez Sweat WAS LB/DE
Sweat is the first of two Washington defensive studs that possess that magical dual eligibility this article promotes for IDP fantasy owners to seek out. Of course, the team did draft a superb defensive presence in the first round of this year’s draft in Ohio State standout defensive end Chase Young. Sweat will be splitting time at LDE with the next player profiled just a few lines below, Ryan Kerrigan , which will depress his stat line to a degree. The defense is shifting to a 4-3 scheme under new coordinator Jack Del Rio, which will play to Sweat’s strengths and return him to the scheme he excelled in during his collegiate career at Mississippi State.
2020 Projections: 35/20/5/1/.5/1
Ryan Kerrigan WAS LB/DE
The left-side partner to Sweat, Kerrigan will likely put up numbers similar, if not a bit better, than the player he will split time at LDE with this season. Chase Young will be given every opportunity to slot in at the RDE position from the start of the season, so Kerrigan and Sweat will see their fantasy value depressed to an extent due to circumstances. Kerrigan is in his final year of a five-year deal, and the team will want to extract as much value from him as possible, which could mean additional snaps to be his as a strongside LB.
2020 Projections: 45/30/10/2/.1/1
Robert Quinn CHI LB/DE
Quinn departs from Dallas, signing a five-year contract with the Bears. He will be paired with Khalil Mack at outside LB to form a prolific edge rush duo for Chicago. The Bears let Leonard Floyd go who, signed with the Rams as a replacement at outside LB for the first profiled player in this article, Mr. Fowler, who as noted above is now in Atlanta. The 30-year old is coming off a season in Dallas where he gathered in 11.5 sacks and 22 QB hits (QBH), so it is understandable why the Bears brought him aboard.
2020 Projections: 42/32/8/2/1/2
Cassius Marsh JAX LB/DE
The 27-year old strongside LB joins Jacksonville, where he is expected to see every down snaps for the Jags in the coming campaign. He is a tier below the players profiled above, as indicated by his projected stat line below, but to harp on a theme, if he can be employed as a DL while playing and accumulating LB-type stats, he becomes a sneaky late round selection in drafts. He only signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, so he will be looking to show his mettle this season.
2020 Projections: 36/26/4/.5/0/0
Next week, the focus will shift to those IDPs that qualify at both the DT and DE position on the Yahoo! fantasy football platform. Come back for some more multifaceted defensive player profiling, while the NFL figures out just how the 2020 season will arise in these confusing times.
As ever, godspeed and best of luck in your fantasy endeavors. If you have any questions regarding IDP, or fantasy football in general, you can send an inquiry to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a personalized suggestion (or two, if the spirit moves).
Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.