Defensive Players Fantasy Stats 2021

IDP Fantasy Stats

The IDP fantasy stats page here isn’t broken up into position, instead, it lists all qualifying IDP players. You can sort by position and see where players are listed under the player area. This goes along with their unique player rating that we have created based on their prior and current production numbers. It is important to know when they are going on bye for fantasy purposes, so all of this information will be here. Fantasy points are broken out into total fantasy points and per game. It is also broken out by snap, to give you a look at how players are doing on a per snap basis.

Snaps are important for IDP players because snaps are going to be the key way to see how often a player is on the field. Now to what they do with it, as we break out the key stats that translate into fantasy points for defensive players. Not all tackles are the same as they are broken into solo and assisted tackles, which will give you the total. sacks are important for fantasy scoring, and the higher sack leaders will generally be at the top of the lists for fantasy scorers. Pass deflections are one of the ways defensive backs generate fantasy points. We get to turnovers and touchdowns, which help you see where the big points come from.

Why Snaps Are Important For IDP

Other positions have touches and targets to base their volume off of, and defensive players have overall snaps. Defensive players sub in quite often. It helps keep defenses fresh overall, but the coaching staff will use players' strengths on run and passing downs and sub them out at times. This is where it can get tricky for fantasy football. Overall we want defensive players who are going to be on the field. Snaps correlate with overall production and fantasy points. Those three-down linebackers and players, in general, are going to be the ones to target come draft season. If you are playing in deeper leagues, you are going to have to sort through more of these stat numbers to find where players are getting involved. There are a few scenarios for where snaps are going to be important to look at. This is also why we use fantasy points per snap to break down fantasy point production.

There are a few players around the league that can be fantasy relevant without playing a large number of snaps. The third-down pass rushers that generate a lot of sacks and turnovers may have a lower floor each week, but the upside can be there. Their snaps are going to be lower because they don't play as much on rushing downs. This also makes game script important, which we will get to in a minute. Linebackers that rotate around are also going to be key because a fourth linebacker coming in and out is going to take away snaps from someone else. Think of how it is for a running back committee. The third main scenario is a third cornerback. Teams will line up with two cornerbacks mostly, and the third cornerback is going to be dependent on passing situations and what opposing offenses are lining up as.

When breaking down snaps weekly, these snaps can change based on what the matchup is and the overall game script. Now we can’t always get the game script right, but it is something we can have an idea on how it should go. When a defense is going to be on the team that is leading, you might see more pass-oriented defenders and pass rushers out there because the opposing offense will be playing from behind. If a team is playing from behind, then that defense is going to be mostly looking to stop the run, at least in the second half. Matchups will be based on opposing offenses being run-heavy or more pass dominant when it comes to play calling. You can get an idea of this during your mid-week research.

Key fantasy stats For Defensive Lineman

For most of the top-scoring defensive lineman, sacks are going to be a driving force depending on where they land on the defensive line. Defensive ends are going to have more sack opportunities, and generally are going to be the higher scoring lineman because they generate more sacks and also tend to see more chances for turnovers. Interior defensive lineman can still be valuable, as they will rely on getting those tackle numbers and forcing turnovers. They won’t have a higher ceiling because they are unlikely to hit that high sack total type of number. Of course, a name like Aaron Donald is the exception, who has posted some monster fantasy seasons being an interior lineman. Overall this is where they are going to drive a lot of their fantasy production.

Key fantasy stats For Linebackers

Linebackers are your most consistent scoring IDP players because they do a bit of everything. Often they will lead the league in tackles and have higher tackle numbers overall, which is an easier way to rack up fantasy potential. Tackles are a huge production stat and the driving force behind their scoring. Outside edge rushers that qualify as linebackers will have more of a need for getting sack numbers because that is going to be their goal on each play. They will often have higher turnover numbers. Linebackers, in general, have produced more turnovers, which is another factor for why they are the higher scoring IDP players. You are going to want to take into consideration each stat here, but the more consistent ones we can count on are still sacks and tackles. You want to try to find players that have a knack for creating turnovers.

Key fantasy stats For Defensive Backs

Defensive backs are last on the list in scoring, although there are a few elite names that find themselves at the top of the scoring charts each season. Secondary players that play closer to the scrimmage or are in the slot are going to produce larger tackle numbers and also get some sacks as well. These are always the more attractive fantasy players. This is a very volatile position, but once again, tackles are the key stat if you can find that consistency. Now that will dry up quickly, so the next best options are going to be turnovers and pass deflections. These are not very consistent stats, which is why they are not key IDP players when you are using them in a general sense. Often you are looking at defensive backs when you truly need to play one as your league format breaks it out. Still, look for tackles, but then the pass defense numbers are going to also factor in here.

How Scoring Formats Change IDP Value

IDP leagues have a lot of flexibility and can be set up in various ways. For one, you can simply have just a few IDP spots, which means you can have any defensive player in there. Or you can have it broken out by position, which makes things more specific. However, scoring is the big one. On a flat scoring system, all players, no matter the positions will get the same amount of points for each specific stat generated. This is an easier way to go about an IDP league because you look at each position as a whole and what they produce. When leagues switch things up and make turnovers and sacks more fantasy point heavy, then it is going to change things a bit. You are going to want to focus on those heavier weighted stats. This helps make the scoring, so it is not as tackling dominant.

If you have a commissioner or are the commissioner of a league that creates scoring unique for defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs, then you are trying to usually level the playing field for each position. This means tackles will be more for defensive backs, and less for linebackers and defensive lineman. Everything is balanced out in a way that weights the less frequent stats more for that individual position in comparison to the rest. You might look at things and find it confusing, but it makes a lot of sense to do because scoring within all three levels of the defense is not created equally.

IDP FAQ

• What Does IDP Stand For?

• What Stats Score The Most Fantasy Points For IDP?

• What Are The Most Important fantasy stats For IDP?

• How Are IDP Fantasy Points Calculated?

• Do Each IDP Positions Score Differently?