IDP Draft Blueprint: Step-By-Step Plan for Draft-Day Success

There is one question I hear more often than any other from fantasy managers. Believe it or not, it's not, "How did you get to so devilishly handsome and clever?"

For the record, I was just born this awesome.

No, the $64 question from IDP managers is usually, "When should I start drafting defensive players?" No one wants to wait too long to draft IDPs and wind up weak defensively. Or just the gun and wind up loaded on defense but hurting on offense. It's the reason why so many fantasy managers are reluctant to try IDP at all. No one wants to look like a fool on draft day.

Unfortunately, there's no set answer to that question. Over the past few weeks, I have participated in a pair of IDP industry drafts comprised of IDP-league veterans. The scoring and roister requirements weren't identical, but they were pretty danged close. In the first, the first IDP came off the board at pick 4.07. In the second, the first IDP wasn't selected until pick 8.02.

With that said, more often than not, the first IDP will come off the board around the 5/6 turn. A few of the elite options will trickle off the board over the next round or two, and then in Round 7 or 8, the first major run on IDPs will take place. Once that run subsides and teams have a defensive foundation, it's usually offensive and defensive players in relatively equal measure.

Given the variance in when those first IDPs will be drafted, there's no set-in-stone framework for how to approach drafting defensive players. But assuming that things don't go completely off the rails, there is a blueprint of sorts that IDP managers can follow that will result in a competitive mix of offense and defense. The key is simple enough—rather than being a trendsetter, let other managers set the pace on defense while you continue to add offense. Then, hit players in a position of value that offer solid production at a discounted price.

This blueprint assumes a relatively straightforward PPR setup on offense and a defensive roster that includes two starters along the defensive line, two or three linebackers, two defensive backs, and a flex spot with scoring that favors tackles. As IDP setups go, it's a fairly common one.

Let's start framing out a successful IDP draft—by ignoring defense altogether.

Step 1: Getting Offensive (Rounds 1-6)

It isn't necessarily a unanimous belief, but more IDP analysts than not recommend filling as many starting spots on offense as possible before addressing the defense. By and large, all those analysts are correct. Between the depth available at linebacker and defensive back (and the defensive line, depending on positional eligibility for some players) and scoring that generally leans toward offense, for the first half-dozen rounds or so, the smart play is to focus on offense.

Grab some reasonably reliable running backs you know will get touches in 2022. Assemble a duo (or trio) of wide receivers with both floor and upside. Invest in one of the higher-end options at tight end. You can build a strong offensive core without sacrificing a significant amount of production defensively.

There are two things you don't want to do in this portion of the draft.

1. Do not draft a quarterback. Picking a high-end weekly starter may be tempting, but the value at the position in 2022 lies in being patient.
2. Don't get frozen out of the first big run on linebackers. That run probably won't happen this early, but if you're halfway through the fifth round and half-a-dozen linebackers have been taken, you may have to step up the timetable on drafting IDPs.

IDP Targets

DE T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers (Rounds 4-5)
If you absolutely must have an elite IDP, and if Watt has eligibility as a defensive lineman or edge-rusher, he's the one guy worth paying up for. Last year, he outscored the No. 2 fantasy DL by over three fantasy points per game.

Step 2: You Down with IDP? Yeah, You Know Me. (Rounds 7-12)

Okay, so you're six rounds into the draft. You've acquired at least a couple of decent running backs. Two or three solid wide receivers. Maybe even a tight end. Now the time has come to get after the IDP part of an IDP draft.

There are three goals you are looking to accomplish between the beginning of Round 7 and the end of Round 12.

1. Grab two linebackers who will form the backbone of your defense. You want a pair of reliable, every-down linebackers who will pile up tackles with regularity. Provide production and consistency in equal measure.
2. Secure the services of one dependable weekly starter along the defensive line. It's usually the shallowest of the three main IDP positions—wait too long to get one, and your team could be in a hole.
3. Continue building on the offensive side of the ball. Keep adding talent at wide receiver and running back. Secure a starting quarterback if you haven't already. Add a second or third-tier tight end. Whatever's clever.

There's no set order in which this needs to be done—go where the value takes you. But from a broad strokes standpoint, it's a good idea to have three IDPs rostered by the end of Round 12.

IDP Targets

ILB C.J. Mosley, New York Jets (Round 7-8)
Mosley's a good example of the type of mid-range LB1 that fantasy managers should target. The 30-year-old set career highs last year in total tackles (168) and solos (103) in 2021.

ILB Nick Bolton Kansas City Chiefs (Round 11-12)
Bolton appears to be on track for an every-down role for the Chiefs in his second season, and when he was out there full-time as a rookie, Bolton piled up stats.

DE Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings (Round 9-10)
Hunter isn't without risk—he missed 10 games last year and didn't play at all in 2020. But Hunter tallied six sacks in the seven games he played last year and racked up 14.5 in both 2018 and 2019.