6 IDP Assets to Acquire Cheaply

Photo: Bob Donnan, USA Today Sports

If you are bored with how free agency started, you do not play IDP fantasy football. The IDP side of free agency has been an absolute frenzy...and I love it. Some teams have made huge fantasy moves, most notably the Chicago Bears with signing T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. There was some under-the-radar movement that will open up some starting roles for players who were either young or relegated to part-time roles in previous seasons. Let's check out the top IDP assets to acquire cheaply for 2023.

Edge Assets to Acquire Cheap For 2023

Drake Jackson, San Francisco 49ers

2022 Stats: 14 tackles (8 solos), 3 sacks, 8 passes defended, 1 interception

Jackson is one of my favorite IDP assets to acquire cheaply for 2023. For starters, the 49ers drafted Jackson in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2022, Jackson had to fight for snaps with edge defenders Samson Ebukam and Charles Omeihu, with both playing rather well. This left Jackson only a 32.73% snap share during his rookie season. Jackson showed plenty in his limited snap share, producing three sacks and eight passes defended. One of Jackson's traits that jumped out was his ability to drop in coverage.

Jackson owned a coverage grade of 71.0 per Pro Football Focus and used his gangling long arms to swat down eight passes. Ebukam (Indianapolis Colts) and Omenihu (Kansas City Chiefs) departed in free agency. Jackson seems to be the benefactor and projected starter across from 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. The 49ers have only added former first-round bust Clelin Ferrell for depth, leaving the door wide open for Jackson. There is still little buzz surrounding acquiring Jackson, so strike before his value skyrockets. At most, acquiring Jackson would probably take a mid-third-round rookie pick.

Carl Granderson, New Orleans Saints

2022 Stats: 53 tackles (30 solos), 5.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery

For years, IDP managers were waiting for the breakout of Saints edge defender Marcus Davenport...maybe they were waiting for the wrong player. Davenport was the starter opposite of Cameron Jordan at the start of 2022, though injuries and inefficiency saw his role dwindle yet again. Granderson filled in, starting five of the season's final eight games, while finishing the season with a career-high in tackles (53) and sacks (5.5) with 19 pressures over his final seven outings. Granderson showed terrific three-down versatility with career highs in his run defense grade (84.4 per PFF) and overall defensive grade (80.4 per PFF).

Davenport is finally gone, and hopefully, Granderson's play from 2022 can carry over to a starting role. The only possible bump in the road is yet another underperforming, oft-injured first-round edge defender, Payton Turner. Granderson is still a cheap option, especially with another high draft capital edge defender battling him for a role. It would not take much more than a fourth- or fifth-round rookie pick to land Granderson, making him a solid IDP asset to acquire cheap for 2023.

Linebacker Assets To Acquire Cheap For 2023

Divine Deablo, Las Vegas Raiders

2022 Stats: 74 tackles (38 solos), 2 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery

Deablo was on his way to a stellar IDP campaign until a forearm injury landed him on season-ending IR. He averaged an absurd 9.25 tackles per game and was a bright spot in an otherwise dark, dingy, basement-dwelling run defense. During his short tenure in the NFL, Deablo has graded out strong as a run defender (71.45 per PFF) and a tackler (74.65 per PFF). The Raiders have one of the weakest linebacker rooms in the entire NFL.

To make matters worse for the Raiders, though better for the Deablo, Las Vegas let Denzel Perryman leave via free agency. The Raiders signed Robert Spillane from the Steelers to replace Perryman, a significant downgrade. Either way, Deablo is likely entering the 2023 season as the Raiders LB1 and holds LB1 upside with his tackle rate. He could probably be acquired for a mid-third-round rookie pick.