For years, defensive linemen were the trickiest position in IDP leagues. The reason? Scarcity. With 3-4 rush linebackers classified as LB, the defensive line was the shallowest pool of talent--and it wasn't close. In 12-team leagues that start two or more per week, there weren't enough reliable starters to go around. That lack of supply increased demand. IDP managers could either be aggressive or suffer the consequences.
Now, however, as NFL defenses have evolved and True Position has become the norm in IDP, rush linebackers like Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt are now DL-eligible with most providers. That has afforded fantasy managers more options--and changed draft strategy at the position.
Actually, the change in strategy is that there are more options now.
Great. Haven't even made it through the intro, and I confused myself.
This is going well.
Defensive Linemen Draft Strategy
Scoring matters where strategy up front is concerned--a lot. The more the solo tackle-to-big play ratio favors the latter, the higher the value of high-end sack artists. The odds that Watt or Cleveland's Myles Garrett supplant a linebacker as the first IDP selected increase.
In the King's Classic Dick Butkus Division draft last year, Jacksonville linebacker Foyesade Oluokun was the first IDP chosen (in Round 1--the scoring is a sight to behold). But by the end of that round, three edge rushers (Watt, Garrett, and Maxx Crosby of the Raiders) had also been drafted--because a two-sack game there can win a week.
However, there's a rough draft strategy I take into just about every IDP draft that requires at least two starters on the defensive line.
At least one of my first three defensive picks will be a defensive lineman--and I want a beefcake. A top-five guy. A player I know I can just plug into my lineup every week and watch them go Godzilla on Tokyo.
What? I told y'all I was doing music videos in every article. I'm a man of my word.
Yes, that player will be expensive. But it's worth it to have that anchor, just like at linebacker.
From there, the path could diverge, depending on how the draft flows. If I can get a second starter ranked in my top 15 or so at a reasonable price point, that's great. A second player in the top 10 is even better. The more consistency you can get on the defensive line, the less the chances of a week where the position leaves you with four points--and a loss.
What is that price point? It's impossible to say. Too many variables. Lineup requirements. Scoring. The flow of an individual draft. But there's a cutoff point where I want to have both weekly starters rostered.
However (you had to know that was coming), the added depth on the defensive line afforded by True Position allows for some flexibility here. If the value on draft day is on offense or at linebacker, there's another tier of defensive linemen who have a legitimate chance to finish inside the top-24. That's often the group I prefer to hit for my top reserve, but we don't always get what we want.
The more you invest in your starters, the more patient you can theoretically be with those reserves, although having one you can start without wincing is usually a good idea. But don't get too hung up on depth--in a fairly standard IDP setup with two DL starters, carrying more than four really isn't necessary.
The Importance of Tiers
IDP rankings are great, but they can also be misleading. The drop from one player to the next isn't linear. There could be essentially no difference between No. 12 and No. 13, but a much wider difference between No. 20 and No. 21.
That's where tiers come in--grouping similarly ranked players together. Instead of targeting an individual, IDP managers target a group. Have your DL1 by the end of Tier X. Your DL2 by the end of Tier Y, and so on and so forth.
Allow me to demonstrate.
Sorry. Couldn't be helped.
Tier 1: Godzilla and Kong
| Rank | Player | Team | 2024 Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T.J. Watt | PIT | DL4 |
| 2 | Myles Garrett | CLE | DL6 |
Watt and Garrett will be the first two defensive linemen taken in most leagues--and with good reason. They are nightmare fuel for opposing quarterbacks. Garrett has logged at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons--an NFL record. If Watt joined his brother as the only players with multiple 20-sack seasons, exactly no one would be surprised.
Tier 2: Elite DL1
| Rank | Player | Team | 2024 Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Aidan Hutchinson | DET | DL102 |
| 4 | Maxx Crosby | LV | DL38 |
| 5 | Micah Parsons | DAL | DL16 |
The overall DL1 could come from outside these top two tiers, but the smart money is on one of these five, 2024 numbers notwithstanding. Hutchinson was leading the NFL with 7.5 sacks when he broke his leg. Crosby regularly posts otherworldly tackle numbers for an edge rusher, topping 85 stops two of the past three years. Parsons has at least a dozen sacks in all four NFL seasons. As mentioned earlier, all things being equal, I'll have my DL1 by now.