Each year there are players, whether due to age or situation, that are either on the verge of losing their NFL gig to young up and comers, or their overall IDP dynasty value. It is tough to get value for your IDP players in fantasy football, so here is some help and quick takes on players to “get into” and “get out of” for 2017.
* NOTE: This advice is not meant to be a slash and burn strategy, but rather, a value based proposal. Only you know your team and scoring, so value must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Always happy to help though, so drop me a line at dynastyidp@gmail.com or tweet me @AskDynastyIDP if you have questions.
Get into Akiem Hicks, CHI DE (27): New England is a great place to win in the real NFL, but as a front seven defender in New England Hicks never really found a home on their line and it hurt his IDP production (fluctuating as a DE/DT in their scheme). Enter the Bears where Hicks found a suitor in John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Even in a down year for the Bears Hicks managed to end the year as the #12 DE in fantasy (with a career high in tackles (36), assists (17) and sacks (7)). He is in the prime of his career and should continue to grow. Get him as an undervalued DE now, and feel confident he will be your high-end DE2 for 2017 and beyond.
Get into Benson Mayoa, DAL DE (25): A physical specimen, with plus physical traits, Mayoa is a high SPARQ athlete coveted by the Seattle’s of the world. That is likely why Seattle was the first team to sign him as a UDFA in 2013. From there he went to Oakland, and was sniped away as a Restricted Free Agent by Dallas in the 2016 off-season. Dallas has been good at mining less heralded defensive ends in the recent past (i.e., George Selvie and Jack Crawford) that produce in fantasy. Looking at the last quarter of the fantasy season, weeks 13-16, and you’ll find that Mayoa was the #5 overall scoring DE during that time. While he is not going to be a DE1 or high-ceiling DL2 in 2017, he could be a DL2 with a solid weekly floor. He has earned reps moving forward, and will gain significant value if the other Dallas DE’s continue to get injured or suspended in 2017.
Get into Malcolm Brown, NEP DT (22): This is more of an acquire/stash for DT-required leagues. Most believe that Brown had a down year; this is likely because many were looking for him to make a big jump in his sophomore campaign. When comparing his rookie campaign to this year’s however, year-over-year Brown is pretty much where he finished as a rookie (2015 – 31 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 17 assists and 3 sacks; 2016 – 24 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 26 assists and 3 sacks). Look for Brown to continue to grow. If you can acquire him in DT required leagues, now is the time because he will be a solid (and potentially dominant) piece for many years to come.
Get into Eddie Goldman, CHI DT (22): The often-injured DT is a must have in DT required formats. In 2016 he played in only 4 games but still managed to produce 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks. When he plays, he is a must start in DT-required leagues. There are rumors that Vic Fangio may leave Chicago as their defensive coordinator due to some personality issues with John Fox. If Fangio stays, you must get Goldman on your squad. Guys who can pressure and sack the quarterback from the DT position are HARD TO FIND. Not everyone can have Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox on their squad, and the people who have them are not trading them to you. Step in Eddie Goldman. Sold as a middle on the line plugger in the pre-draft process, Goldman has become one of those few DT’s that produce sacks. Fangio has figured out how to unleash the best in Goldman, now if he can stay healthy he is a must add and solid sleeper for DT-required leagues. Monitor the Fangio situation and scheme change if the Bears make a switch at the defensive coordinator position in the off-season.
Get out of Robert Quinn, LAR DE (26): He is only 26, but back injuries for linemen are significant. Quinn is, unfortunately, just not someone you can depend on anymore, and he may never be the same with the rash of injuries he has endured these past couple seasons. His impressive 19-sack year was in 2013. It is time to move on if you can get some value for his reputation and past production.
Get out of Calais Campbell, ARI DE (31): Solid and steady at a thin position possesses value in IDP play, but Arizona traded for Chandler Jones and drafted Robert Nkemdiche with the intent of using them (assuming Nkemdiche gets his head on straight). Campbell has been great for your team as a top 12 producer the past six years. Now is the time to use that level of production to your advantage. Campbell will produce for 2017 and (maybe) 2018, but he could be relegated to a part-time role soon and he will lose all value at that point. It is never easy to say goodbye, but do it if you can recoup value from a contender looking for some D-Line help this off-season.
Get out of Cameron Wake, MIA DE (34): This one may be a harder sell, but use his late season resurgence and do your best. The Dolphins specifically kept Wake out during the beginning of the year so that he would be fresher for the entire 2016 season. It worked, and he produced at the end of this year (from weeks 9-16 he only trailed Mack and Vernon in overall scoring at the DE position). Use this to your benefit and try to flip him to a contender that just missed advancing in the playoffs due to a weakness on his Defensive Line. I believe Wake has one more season left, but all bets are off after 2017.
