IDP Green Dot Update: Week 12

In IDP leagues, no position is more important than linebacker—the reality is that in most leagues, if you don't have a strong group of linebackers, you're done. Roasted. All over but the crying. Linebackers are usually the highest-scoring and most consistent defensive players in fantasy. By a wide margin.

The reason for that is tackles. Linebackers who rack up big-time tackle numbers have both a high fantasy ceiling and a high floor. And while talent is, of course, a factor in which linebackers pile up gaudy numbers of stops, there's another major consideration—opportunity.

The key to opportunity for most linebackers is simply being on the field. Snaps. It's hard to tackle a guy from the sideline—unless you are Mike Tomlin.

That joke stays in this column for eternity. Forever.

The problem is that in this day of nickel sets as the base defense, the age of three off-ball linebackers on the field most of the time is long since over. As a matter of fact, with many NFL teams playing either more dime or three-safety looks, there are quite a few situations in which just one off-ball linebacker is on the field for a team.

Often, that lone linebacker is wearing a sticker on his helmet—the green dot that signifies that the player is wearing the helmet communicator on defense and making the defensive play calls. That player very rarely leaves the field, and while teams sometimes use a safety in that capacity, the overwhelming majority of NFL teams give that assignment to a linebacker.

As the number of every-down linebackers decreases each year, identifying the green dot linebackers is valuable information for IDP managers. To provide those managers with that information, once again in 2025 at Footballguys, we'll be maintaining an updated list of both who is wearing the green dot for all 32 NFL teams and who the other three-down linebackers are.

There will also be notes to keep fantasy managers apprised as to why any changes to the list happened--whether due to injury or performance, the dot can (and will) change hands.

Week 12 is here, which means we are down to just a few weeks remaining in the fantasy regular season. For many IDP managers, how they fare over these last three contests will determine if they play on into the postseason or pack it in after Week 14. With the pressure ratcheted up, every injury to a three-down linebacker has the potential to be a season-killer that leaves managers wondering how things went off the rails so quickly.

Something like that.

At this critical juncture in the season, it's more important than ever to know which linebackers could see the sort of snap share that can lead to a fat stat line. It's absolutely essential. The fate of humanity rests on it.

OK, might have gotten a little carried away.

Table Time.

Note: Here at Footballguys, we set the benchmark for three-down linebackers at a 75 percent snap share. Linebackers listed with an asterisk (*) may not hit that benchmark on a weekly basis this season. 

Notes

Arizona Cardinals

IDP managers who scooped rookie Cody Simon off the waiver wire will be able to ride the former Ohio State standout right into the fantasy playoffs--Mack Wilson Sr. has been placed on injured reserve and will now miss at least another month. Last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Simon piled up a season-high 12 total tackles, and he has been excellent in coverage--especially for a first-year player.

Atlanta Falcons