The Biggest IDP Preseason Risers and Fallers

Fantasy football found a way to make the NFL preseason fun.

Let's face it. Most preseason games are terrible--unwatchable slogs played mostly by guys who will be lucky to make a practice squad. Sure, you might get a series or two of first-teamers here and there. But for the most part, it's a who's who of "Who?"

If only preseason games had more Bobby Boucher.

But the preseason also coincides with the heart of fantasy draft season. The games on TV may not matter, but the thousands of drafts taking place in August most assuredly do. This is the most important time of year for fantasy managers. Drafting a solid squad isn't the only factor in winning a championship. But blow the draft, and your odds of recovering from that gaffe aren't good.

And in that regard, the preseason matters. Not because of the games themselves, but because of what happens between them.

Depth charts can change on a dime this time of year--just ask the folks who were sure Brian Robinson Jr. was going to be the lead back for the Washington Commanders a few weeks ago. There have also been similar shakeups on defense. Edge rushers have stepped into larger-than-expected roles. Multiple linebacker situations have taken an unforeseen turn. Defensive backs have been, well, defensive backs.

Those changing situations have done two things. They have created some late-round options with legitimate fantasy potential who, not that long ago, were completely off the IDP radar. And they have also turned some of this year's trendiest Cinderella picks right back into a pumpkin.

Yes, I know that's not how the story goes. The actual story (the original) is abjectly horrifying.

Knowing which players are surging upward in fantasy value and which are free-falling into Endsville (where all IDP value terminates--gold star if you get that reference) can be the difference between a depressing draft and Mud-Dogging Iowa.

Want your draft to be a touchdown? Read on.

IDP Preseason Risers

EDGE Jalyx Hunt, Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX largely because their defensive line completely dominated the Kansas City Chiefs. After an offseason that saw multiple players depart in free agency, second-year pro Jalyx Hunt has been one of the stars of camp and the preseason, eliciting comparisons from teammates to Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys. For his part, Hunt said he's simply working hard and trying to get better as a player.

"Last year was just getting into shape so I could practice as hard as I could so I could learn as much as I could," Hunt said. "I learned so much last year that I put it into effect this summer, so I'm going to be a different pass rusher this summer so I'm talking to a bunch of pass rushers in the league, just picking their brain. I went to see them, I went to work out with them just to know some of the secrets of the trade, so I could use them. I try to pick from different rushing styles but also try to find my own."

While Nolan Smith Jr. has garnered more than a little hype as a potential breakout candidate in 2025, Hunt is an afterthought in most drafts despite his standout summer. The Eagles love to rotate their linemen as much as any team in the league, but with free agent signee Azeez Ojulari being mentioned as a cut candidate, Hunt appears to be locked in as a starter--and a potentially free IDP DL2.

LB Devin White, Las Vegas

What year is this?

Once upon a time, White was an IDP superstar--the former first-round pick has three seasons with over 120 total tackles on his NFL resume, and back in 2020, he parlayed 140 stops and nine sacks into the No. 1 overall spot at the position in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring. Fast forward to 2025, and White is trying to resurrect his floundering career in Vegas--and making an impression on Raiders linebackers coach John Glenn.

No, not the astronaut.

"Obviously, we've lost some key pieces, and we're certainly sad to see people go," Glenn told reporters, "but it was also an opportunity for new faces and new players to get a chance at a new beginning. He can handle multiple things. We're just delighted to have him around here." 

White was a complete non-factor last year with the Houston Texans after an ugly falling out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the season before. But while Elandon Roberts began the summer wearing the "green dot" helmet communicator for the Raiders, it's the 27-year-old White who has it now. If he hangs on to that role and can be a fraction of the player he was in Tampa, White could be a league-winning bargain at IDP's most important position.

S Jaden Hicks, Kansas City

To be fair, there were rumblings surrounding Hicks almost from the moment that Justin Reid left Kansas City for New Orleans, including inclusion on PFF's "All-Breakout" Team all the way back in June. But as the summer has progressed and camp gave way to preseason, the rumbles just keep getting louder. And for his part, the man Hicks is replacing was driving the bandwagon all the way back in July.

"This is the same thing I've told him and the same thing I tell every DB," Reid said, "because when I first signed with Kansas City, everyone said, ‘Well, you're going to be the next Tyrann Mathieu.' And I said, ‘I don't have a chance at being the next Tyrann Mathieu. I can be the best Justin Reid I can be.' And that's the same thing for Jaden. Jaden can't be me, but he can damn sure be the best Jaden Hicks he can possibly be and that player is damn good. You know what I mean? So he can step into those shoes. He can fill, he can tackle, he's athletic, he's willing to learn, he listens, and he plays hard so he has all the tools to be successful."

Hicks isn't a complete non-factor in drafts anymore--few things are more meaninglessly frustrating than being sniped at the very end of a draft when you're the type who waits until then to flesh out their fantasy secondary. That's because he has consistently stood out in training camp and the preseason after flashing last year in limited duty. The kid looks the part--and back in 2023, Reid turned the box safety role in Steve Spagnuolo's defense into a top-15 fantasy finish among safeties.

IDP Preseason Fallers

EDGE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati

Hedrickson has tallied a whopping 35 sacks over the past two seasons, including leading the league in 2024. He had more fantasy points than Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt and Cleveland's Myles Garrett a year ago. And now he wants to be paid commensurately. But as ESPN's Laura Rutledge reported ahead of last week's preseason game with the Washington Commanders, the player and team remain at an impasse--as are the trade talks so many IDP managers are hoping will lead to Hendrickson getting that bag somewhere else.

"(Hendrickson) reiterated that guaranteed money is the holdup in these contract negotiations," Rutledge said. "They agreed, he said, on the average salary. They agree on the years. However, Hendrickson believes his play warrants more guaranteed money than the Bengals are willing to pay, even though he turns 31 in December. Now Hendrickson also confirmed that there has been no progress here, and he's prepared to sit out if needed. It's also worth noting that there's been no progress on any trades either. That hasn't even gotten close." 

Has Hendrickson's asking price in IDP drafts dropped? Sure. Has it dropped enough? Heck no. We literally just saw this movie last year with Haason Reddick and the New York Jets--an aging but productive edge rusher who wanted a new deal. He didn't get one. His holdout extended into the regular season. And he finished 2024 with one sack. Even if Hendrickson and the Bengals agree to a deal tomorrow, after a lost offseason, the odds of another top-five (or top-10, or top-12) IDP season are essentially zero.

LB James Williams, Tennessee

Not that long ago, Williams was being talked up as an IDP value--by me. Everything was falling into place. After a late-season start in 2024, Williams appeared to have the inside track to start next to Cody Barton in Nashville. As recently as two weeks ago, Titans beat writer Easton Freeze proclaimed that any competition to start was over--and Williams was the guy.

"His coaches have treated him like their undisputed preference," he wrote. "It makes sense, considering his impressive length, coverage ability as a former safety, and decisive downhill trigger. Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson remarked this week on how much Williams has grown up between Year 1 and Year 2 in the NFL. Unless something drastic happens in the next month, I don't see how he isn't your starter alongside Barton in Week 1."

Williams even has defensive back eligibility with some providers. The icing on the proverbial IDP cake.

However, in Tennessee's second preseason game, it was fellow second-year pro Cedric Gray, not Williams, who played on the first team alongside Barton. In contrast, Williams played into the second half. It's possible that this was tinkering by the Titans' staff. Or sending a message. But it's a sobering development entering the last two big fantasy draft weekends.

And nothing good ever came from sobering.

S Kyle Dugger, New England

Dugger was the kind of defensive back who is a personal favorite of this analyst--a player who combined a reasonable asking price in drafts with the potential for high-end fantasy production, including a top-10 finish among safeties two years ago. Heading into the summer, Dugger was just about universally regarded as a top-20 IDP option on the back end.

Apparently, Dugger is not that well-regarded by head coach Mike Vrabel and the new coaching staff in New England. Just one year after signing a four-year, $58 million contract extension, Dugger is running with the scout team on the practice field. In New England's second preseason contest, he played in the fourth quarter with the scrubs--until the end of the game. The 29-year-old has been made available for trade--likely at a deeply discounted price.

Dugger's 2024 admittedly wasn't great. He missed four games and was terrible in coverage, posting a woeful passer rating against of 137.4. It's a rapid fall from grace for a player who just one year ago was regarded as a defensive leader in Beantown--at this point, the only real question left is if the Pats will eat over $14 million in dead cap hit and just release him outright.

Gary Davenport ("The Godfather of IDP") is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can't make him call it X) at @IDPGodfather. 

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