IDP: Top Performers at a Glance

July 21, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Ryan Dodson

If you've joined a league that employs individual defensive players, you should be aware that, just like your offense, your defense must have at least a couple of proven producers at the top of their class. That doesn't necessarily mean players with recognizable names. A lot of factors, besides talent, determine the value of an IDP performer. A player's position, role and teammates, along with his team's defensive alignment, philosophy and even offense, can mold the final numbers of any defensive player in your fantasy draft. In fact, not drafting one of the more household names may help you score a value pick - a solid player chosen with in the later rounds.

Regardless, you do need to lay the foundation by grabbing one or two guys who are the best at what they do. Just like on offense, there are a certain players on the defensive side of the ball that you can count on. Even a slow season from one of them should give you enough to win, and these guys always have room for more.

Defensive Linemen

Julius Peppers | Carolina Panthers

Last year defense once again drove the success of the Panthers - all the way to the National Football Conference Championship. That unit was the fifth-best scoring defense in the league and third-best overall. The motor running it? Peppers. Consider that 2005 (50 tackles, 10 1/2 sacks) was a down year for the 6-foot-7, 283-pound menace, and you understand the type of force (both fantasy and reality) that this man has become. That he recorded said numbers while playing through numerous injuries and, for the second consecutive year, without former Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins plugging the middle for essentially the entire season, and the legend grows. Fantasy owners who draft the former University of North Carolina basketball player know that they're getting a tremendous athlete who's able to make insane plays on his own. With any help (say, more solid production from defensive end Mike Rucker, a healthy Jenkins and solid contributions from new defensive tackles Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis) for the perennial Pro-Bowler, look for a bare minimum of 50 tackles, 10 sacks and a handful of turnovers this - and every - year.

Osi Umenyiora | New York Giants

Who knew that London could turn out such bright football (American-style, of course) stars? The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Umenyiora has very quickly become a dominant force on the right end of the Giants' line, and he should only get better. That's scary for opposing offenses, considering that he plays opposite stud defensive Michael Strahan. In fact, with new additions like linebacker LaVar Arrington and outstanding performers like linebacker Antonio Pierce and Gibril Wilson, opposing offenses aren't even able to focus on stopping Umenyiora. A pectoral injury to Strahan allowed Umenyiora to emerge in '04, when the former second rounder started the final eight games and recorded 46 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. The '05 All-Pro squad followed that up with 70 tackles, 14 1/2 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Expect similar totals for seasons to come.

Rod Coleman | Atlanta Falcons

IDP league veterans know that, for defensive line production, you turn to the ends. Coleman, a defensive tackle, is an exception to the rule. Not exactly a household name, Coleman has nevertheless recorded at least 10 1/2 sacks in three of the past four years, including both seasons with his current squad. You can count on the soon-to-be 30-year-old to net you around 40 tackles as well, making him as valuable as many of the top-name defensive ends. Coleman broke out in '02 with the Oakland Raiders, but after dismal '03, he elected to void his contract and become a free agent. Atlanta has been elated with him ever since, and in '05 Coleman received his first Pro-Bowl bid. He had to skip the trip to Hawaii to deal with the death of his grandfather, but it shouldn't be his last chance at the all-star game. With new defensive end John Abraham in the mix with rock defensive end Patrick Kerney and swift linebacker Keith Brooking, defenses will have their hands full, and Coleman will be a nightmare.

Linebackers

Keith Bulluck | Tennessee Titans

When you talk about guys who do it all, you have to mention Bulluck. The guy is a tackle monster (138 per year since '02), but he also brings sacks (13 in the past three years) and turnovers (two interceptions and 2 1/2 forced fumbles per year since '02) to the table from his weakside linebacker spot. The former first-round selection from Syracuse has in recent years had the misfortune of playing for poor Titans teams. That works in the fantasy player's favor, because the more the defense is on the field, the higher you can expect Bulluck's tackle totals to go. Year after year Bulluck remains the only true playmaker on a defense that's much below-average. Bulluck is always around the ball, so don't expect anything to change this year, or in future years for that matter.

Donnie Edwards | San Diego Chargers

If you're looking for the ultimate in consistency, look no further that Edwards. From 1998 to 2005, during which he's started 121 straight games with both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego, the smallish (6-foot-2, 225-pound) inside 'backer's tackle numbers read like this: 122, 122, 132, 129, 128, 161, 160, 152. That's a lot of takedowns, my friend. Add in the fact that he routinely chips in with a sack or two and has averaged 3 1/2 interceptions over the past four years and two forced fumbles per year over the last year, and you have yourself a hot fantasy commodity. It's rumored that some of his teammates have lost some respect for him, and the Chargers have been attempting to trade Edwards this offseason. Don't let that cloud your judgment. When Edwards steps between the chalk, it's all business, and his is quite successful.

London Fletcher | Buffalo Bills

A middle 'backer who makes his mark in relative obscurity outside of the NFL and IDP league realms, Fletcher nevertheless is a top fantasy performer. In the past six seasons he's recorded at least 119 tackles or two sacks, and in the past four he's averaged 146 tackles per year. His '05 output was his best yet, although you can attribute part of those results to the otherwise poor showing of an injury-ravaged unit, which included the absence of playmaking linebacker Takeo Spikes. Fletcher was an accomplished tackler with the St. Louis Rams, but his tackle numbers (mostly his assists, thanks to the generous scorers in the AFC East) increased when he arrived in Buffalo. The Bills are grooming linebacker Courtney Watson to be Fletcher's replacement, but don't think it's because they expect the 30-year-old's production to decline. The team doesn't expect Fletcher to stick around after this year, which means that he'll be plugging the middle for someone else in '07.

Defensive Backs

Troy Polamalu | Pittsburgh Steelers

Polamalu plays with reckless abandon... Or does he? He is a bit overaggressive, but he's incredibly sly (like when he baited Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning into interception in last year's Divisional Round of the playoffs) and awfully intelligent. The former Southern Cal star has recorded 189 tackles in the past two seasons, and he's averaged 3 1/2 interceptions and two sacks per year in that time. And he gets better every year. Polamalu was distraught when the Steelers let safety Chris Hope walk to the Titans, saying that the latter made up for many mistakes that the former made. The fourth-year player will have had plenty of time to mesh with new safeties Ryan Clark and Tyrone Carter, however, and his smarts should lead him to totals similar to those of his past two seasons for the defending Super Bowl champs. The Steelers use Polamalu in a variety of ways, and after losing a couple of players to free agency, they may depend on him to make more plays this year.

Ronde Barber | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

When drafting defensive backs for your fantasy squad, remember: safeties are the key ingredient. Cornerbacks are just too inconsistent, too unpredictable. Except for Barber, who might be the best fantasy defensive back there is. The rare corner who's excellent in run support, Tiki's twin has averaged nearly 100 tackles in his past three seasons, and last year Barber became the first corner in the league's history with at least 20 career interceptions and 20 career sacks. The Bucs aren't afraid to deploy Barber for any task in any situation, because he's a heady player and a talented athlete. He won't approach his 10 picks from '01 again (he's too good for teams to throw at him), but he's still money for three or four, along with a sack or two. The 5-foot-10, 184-pounder's contract is up after this year, and Tampa would be wise to re-sign him. You'd be wise to select him, too.

Roy Williams | Dallas Cowboys

Williams is scary for one main reason: he can flat-out hit. He can level a 260-pound tight end as easily as a 190-pound receiver. That shouldn't be much of a surprise considering the safety's stature (6-foot, 226 pounds), but his hits have such ferocity that sometimes they seem to come from a bigger man. That allows him to force turnovers (a little more than two forced fumbles per year in his four-year career) while obviously producing in the tackle department (87 per year lifetime). The former Oklahoma Sooner isn't the greatest asset in pass coverage, but he has still come up with four interceptions per season as well. A starter since becoming the eighth overall selection in the '02 NFL Draft, Williams has been to the Pro Bowl three times in his four-year career. The Cowboys also use him as an occasional blitzer, which has allowed him to add 6 1/2 career sacks to his resume. IDP owners won't be disappointed with Williams as a cornerstone of their fantasy secondary.

The list goes on - but not forever. In your IDP league, make one of these players (or someone like them) a priority at the draft. Defensive players are more plentiful than their offensive counterparts, which means you can be patient before picking up the first pillar of your defense. But don't wait too long. These fellas are the best in the biz because they're athletic and consistent playmakers. Those few points that a top IDP player can provide you with can mean the difference between victory and defeat in any given week.

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

Fantasy NASCAR: Coming on strong in the second half (05/21)
Defensive Line Analysis (07/22)
Linebacker Player Analysis (07/22)
Defensive Back Player Analysis (07/22)
IDP: Overvalued Players (07/21)
IDP: Positional Production Breakdown (07/21)
IDP: Top Performers at a Glance (07/21)
IDP: Undervalued Players (07/21)