Looking for some general knowledge/strategy for IDP leagues. My league will be installing two starting positions for defensive players instead of team defenses going forward.
That's a bit unusual to be honest. But I've seen leagues like that, where there are token defenders in a mostly offensive league.
First thing you need to determine are these two slots. Are they raw blank "D" slots ( meaning any IDP can fit into them) or is there any positional restriction? ( i.e. "DB" which would encompass both safeties and corners or "DL" which would cover both DTs and DEs) Or are they extremely specific like 1 LB and 1 CB.
Then you need to look at your scoring system. A league where a tackle is worth 5 points instead of the standard 1 or a sack is worth 6 points instead of the standard 2, changes everything.
However this tends to be standard scoring, at least through Yahoo.
Tackle solo - 1 point, Tackle assist - 0.5, Sack - 2, Interception - 3, Fumble Force - 2, Fumble Recovery - 2, Defensive Touchdown - 6, Safety - 2, Return touchdown - 6 ( Most league will also add "passes defensed" as well)
If you are given raw blank "D" slots and assuming standard scoring, then most teams in your league will pursue linebackers to fill them. There is the occasional high scoring DL, Safety or Corner, but not in the numbers where they could be anything more than an exception to the rule.
Any defensive player scoring a safety is mostly luck. Right place, right time in a rare situation. Any defensive player scoring a touchdown is also a function of a lot of rare situations coming together. Corners and safeties are more likely to get interceptions and touchdown on returns, but that's a function of hit or miss week to week.
When you are dealing with one or two token IDPs in a mostly offensive standard scoring format, you have to treat them like kickers. All tackles and assisted tackles you have to treat like regular 30 yard field goals. All sacks, fumbles and pass defenses are like 40 yard field goals and the rare touchdown or interception is like a 50 yard field goal.
Just like you want a kicker with accuracy, leg range and a good domed home stadium, you want a linebacker who has
1) A high snap count ( will play also on passing downs, not just first and 2nd down)
2) In a scheme that offers him max opportunities
3) Is talented enough to give you more than tackles, but also forced fumbles, defend passes and grab the occasional interception or sack.
4) At least one full previous season showing he's a producer
Eliminate any linebacker who only has a moderate to low snap count. Not on the field, not making plays, not seeing opportunities. You want a guy that his team wants him on the field 95-98 percent of the time.
Eliminate any defender who has an offense that disproportionately owns the time of possession battle. Hypothetically if Ray Lewis played next year and the Ravens next year owned ball control to the tune of 45 minutes a game of possession, how much time and snaps does that leave his defense to make plays?
Eliminate a players "real life value" What helps a team really win in real games has sometimes little to no bearing on his fantasy prospects for you. Often the players with the most real life value to a team offer far less fantasy value than other less talented players.
Eliminate any linebacker who only gives you tackles and little to nothing else. A guy who gives you 10 tackles a game is great. But he will have less value than the guy who gives you 8 tackles a game, but is averaging a sack a game, 2 assists a game, a forced or recovered fumble per game, at least one pass defensed a game and an interception every three to four games.
If you want to look at non linebackers, look at defenders who consistently give you something else than their typical position metrics( JJ Watt gives you defensed passes, Charles Tillman gives you a lot of forced fumbles, Verner/Winfield/McCourty give you good tackle numbers for a corner)
But if you are a first year IDP of any kind, I'd stick to linebackers in standard scoring until it starts to make more sense to you. You gotta do your research.
Good luck.
