The Complete Guide to Dominating IDP, Part 6 - Advanced IDP Concepts

Photo: Marc Lebryk, USA Today Sports

Five parts into the Complete Guide to IDP Dominance, we have covered a lot of ground. We have gone over the importance of Knowing your Scoring. We have discussed the basic IDP Draft Strategy. We have delved in-depth into what to look for in Defensive Linemen, Linebackers, and Defensive Backs.

IDP Guide, Part 1: Scoring
IDP Guide, Part 2: Basic Draft Strategy
IDP Guide, Part 3: Drafting Defensive Linemen
IDP Guide, Part 4: Drafting Linebackers
IDP Guide, Part 5: Drafting Defensive Backs

Now, with this information, you are aware of the qualities that IDP managers should look for in each of the IDP positions. You not only know which players to target but when to target them. And when we put a bow on the Complete Guide to Dominating IDP, we're going to do so with a Draft Blueprint that will offer a step-by-step plan for having a successful draft day.

We're helpful like that here at Footballguys.

But before we continue this Guide into the homestretch and go over in-season management and that Draft Day Blueprint, first, we're going to get into a couple of categories that many IDP managers either aren't aware of or simply don't avail themselves of. Now, these advanced concepts aren't game-changers that will completely dump your knowledge of IDP on its head. But when examining two comparable options, having this knowledge in the back of your mind can help you make the right call. And making the correct close calls can mean the difference between a championship and a disappointing season.

The first is the dirty secret of IDP.

Tackles are Not an Official Statistic

That's right. Tackles may be the lifeblood of IDP, but so far as the NFL is concerned, they are not an official stat. There is no “career tackles leader”—at least not officially.

Individual teams track tackles themselves, but to say they are generous in awarding them is the mother of all understatements. There is zero doubt that there are multiple linebackers in 2022 who were credited with 200 tackles last year by their teams. None.

Most fantasy providers use the stats provided by the Elias Sports Bureau—and Elias gets their stats from every stadium's stat crew. That's right (again)—there are 32 different stat crews who record tackle stats, with half working every week (the host team records stats for both the home team and the visitors). Now, one would think that these crews would all follow the same playbook. That a solo would be a solo and an assist whether you were in Buffalo or Los Angeles.

Think again, my friend.

Variance Galore

There was actually an effort by the National Football League several years ago to make the awarding of tackle stats more uniform. And to be fair, things are a little better than they used to be. When the Rams were still in St. Louis, they were notorious for never awarding assists—of the 142 tackles James Laurinaitis logged in 2012, 25 were assists. But there's still a lot of variance from stat crew to stat crew where awarding tackles is concerned.

Per Aaron Rudnicki's IDP Matchup Worksheet here at Footballguys (one of the most valuable IDP resources on the entire site—Rudnicki is one of the best in the business), on average, NFL stat crews awarded 78.5 solo tackles and 44 assists per game last year. But there were teams who came in significantly over (or under) those averages.

Twelve NFL teams awarded 80 or more solos last year, headlined by the Minnesota Vikings at 88.4 solos—almost 10 more per game than the league average. One team (the Carolina Panthers) awarded less than 70 solos per matchup—just 69.8.

It was a similar story with assists, although teams didn't stray as far from the mean. Three teams topped 50 assists awarded per game, led by the Pittsburgh Steelers at 52.8. Five clubs checked in at under 40 assists per contest, with the Buffalo Bills coming in dead last at just 35 assists awarded per game.

In news that should surprise no one, teams that went heavy on solos tended to go light on assists. Those Steelers who led the league in assists? They were 28th in solos, at 73 per game. The Los Angeles Chargers were third in solos (84.4) and 31st in assists (34.5). The Denver Broncos were second in assists (51.5) but 31st in solos (72.6).

And so it goes.

If you were looking for another reason to like Bobby Okereke in 2023, the New York Giants were the only NFL team that ranked in the top 15 in both solos and assists awarded last season. Meanwhile, David Long may have to work extra hard to make a big IDP dent in 2023 with his new team—the Miami Dolphins ranked outside the top 20 in both solos and assists awarded last season.

There's also the matter of “home cooking”—or, in some cases, the lack thereof. Last year, the stat crew in Houston awarded almost 10 more solo tackles per game to Texans players than their opponents. But for whatever reason, the Chargers awarded over eight fewer solos per game to Chargers players. Want some extra assists? The New England Patriots gave over 10 more per game to their own players than their opponents. The San Francisco 49ers awarded over eight fewer per game to their guys than the other team.

That's something we'll hit on again in the next chapter on in-season management and playing matchups—but it matters on draft day, too.