5 IDP Players Who Will Fail To Meet Expectations

One of the hardest things to do in fantasy football is finding value picks. IDP players who you can draft late that will exceed expectations. Being able to do so is vital to allowing yourself to take bigger swings on IDP players with potential, but yet to break out earlier than you would. There is an adverse side to this equation as well, being able to know who to lay off.

It is almost more important to understand which IDP players are facing their eventual career decline. Whether it's due to age, team or scheme change, position change, or the addition of new talent to the current roster, every player goes through it. Here, I will break down five IDP players who are likely to fail to meet expectations in the 2025 season.

LB, Alex Singleton, Denver Broncos

Singleton has been a tackle machine, averaging 124.25 tackles per season from 2020 to 2023, making him one of the top IDP players at his position. These tackles were not always pretty, though. Singleton has a career 11.6% missed tackle rate, and it has been declining. His career year with Denver was in 2022, where he had 163 total tackles at just a 6.5% missed tackle rate. Since then, matters have gotten worse. Singleton had a 14.1% missed tackle rate in 2023 and a 19.4% missed tackle rate in 2024 before he tore his ACL.

Alex Singelton leads the NFL in MISSED tackles
Alex Singelton also leads the Broncos in tackles with 141
I’m sorry but WHAT ? pic.twitter.com/IMJD8f9dyV

— Zack? (@NixForSix) December 18, 2023

Singleton is over 31 years old and, as just mentioned, tore his ACL in 2024 after just three games. The Broncos also signed Dre Greenlaw this offseason, who should cut into Singleton's production as the best linebacker that Singleton has played next to since joining Denver. In a recent Bestball IDP only draft I participated in, Singleton was drafted in the 4th Round as the LB15. For a 31-year-old, coming off an ACL tear, playing some of his worst football, with intense competition, Singleton is one of the IDP players who will fail to meet expectations.

IDL, Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles

Let me start by saying that I think Carter is a phenomenal player. His skill level is elite, and he is one of the better players at his position. When it comes to IDP players, Carter has been disappointing. This shows that elite skill does not always translate to IDP production. Carter has never eclipsed 42 tackles or six sacks over his first two NFL seasons. He is also consistently part of a deep Eagles pass-rushing rotation. That remains unchanged as we enter 2025.

Now I could eat crow on this one, because he did rack up 75 pressures in 2024. Where he was drafted, though, makes him one of the more inflated value IDP players. He was taken in the 5th Round over the likes of Montez Sweat, Dexter Lawrence II, Jeffery Simmons, and George Karlaftis. All of these IDP players have been far more productive than Carter and are still in the primes of their careers. Because of who he is being drafted ahead of, Carter has lofty expectations. He is one of the IDP players who will not meet those expectations.

LB, Blake Cashman, Minnesota Vikings

Cashman is a great story and was one of the best value IDP players in the 2024 season. He got his first chance to start in 2023 with Houston and played himself into the green dot role in Minnesota for 2024. He finished 2024 with 111 tackles, four-and-a-half sacks, and seven passes defended. He was recently drafted in the 3rd Round as the LB7. No offense to Cashman, but this is way too high. He was drafted over Jordyn Brooks, Ernest Jones IV, Terrel Bernard, and Edgerrin Cooper.

2022 was the only season of Cashman's six NFL seasons in which he played in all 17 games. He only played 149 snaps that season. Cashman has missed three games in each of the past two seasons, which has limited his overall production. He is also paired with Ivan Pace Jr., who seems to be the playmaker of the two and has the propensity for huge games. Add Josh Mettalus to the box, and you have a lot of mouths to feed. With his health and that of the player drafted after him, Cashman is one of the more overvalued IDP players.

LB, Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders

Luvu was a darling in 2024, though he seemed to tail off near the end of the season. He is one of the better pass-rushing off-ball linebackers in the NFL, and production-wise, it is not close. Luvu has at least five-and-a-half sacks in each of the last five seasons. He was drafted as the LB6 in the 2nd Round of our most recent Bestball draft, but I have my worries.

Looking at the end of the Commanders' season, the Division Round and Conference Championship, Luvu played more snaps on the defensive line than he did in the box. Here is a video of him already this year working with coach Ryan Kerrigan on his pass rush.

Frankie Luvu getting work in with Ryan Kerrigan ?

Via @Scott7news #RaiseHail
pic.twitter.com/UfBBfuuzLD

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) June 11, 2025

The Commanders lost Dante Fowler Jr in free agency and replaced him with Deatrich Wise Jr. Bobby Wagner is more than capable of running the middle of the defense. I would not be surprised at all if Luvu spent more time pass-rushing than as an off-ball linebacker, resulting in fewer tackle opportunities. This may increase his ceiling, but also lowers his floor. Because of the uncertainty of the Commanders' defensive line, I feel LB6 may be too high for Luvu. He is one of 2025's IDP players who will not meet expectations.

Edge, Josh Sweat, Arizona Cardinals

Sweat has an incredible opportunity to finally get the lion's share of edge rushing snaps moving to Arizona. The depth chart there is wide open. Sweat looks to be the easy choice for the team's top edge rusher. What makes him one of the more overvalued IDP players is who he was drafted before. Sweat was drafted in the 5th Round, right before Jalen Carter and all the other defensive linemen mentioned above.

Though Sweat has had at least six sacks over the last five seasons, he has only eclipsed double digits once. He has never been a volume tackler, either, with a career high of just 48. This could be since he was always part of a rotation, but I am not sure if Sweat has what it takes to be THE guy. He joins the group of IDP players who will not meet expectations.

Final Thoughts

All of the draft positions in this article were from my most recent Bestball in which I participated. These five players have all been legitimate IDP players and highly productive. Still, we must take precautions when overvaluing players without thoroughly examining potential situational changes or career declines. This does not mean you should not draft these IDP players. It simply means ensuring you are getting them at a value, rather than reaching for them and being left with your head in your hands when they do not meet expectations. Thanks again for reading, and good luck in 2025.