Welcome to IDP Weekly (Week 1 Edition). Today, we will kick off the season by looking at several IDP players that I am significantly higher or lower on than the Expert Consensus Rankings. These are players that I am expecting to see either take their play to the next level or see their production decline heavily.
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Week 1 IDP
Note: The number before each player’s name is my rank for them. The number after each player is their ECR rank and differential based on my rankings.
Defensive Linemen Target
60- Zaven Collins, Cardinals (ECR 106) +46
Collins enters his 5th NFL season, all of which have been spent with the Cardinals, and all of which have shown promise. Over the past four seasons, he has been a consistent producer of tackles and sacks and has even chimed in with the occasional turnover.
He is currently listed on the Cardinals’ depth chart as LOLB2, behind Baron Browning, but the two were a 50/50 split at the position in 2024. Collins has far more upside than Browning, even in a 50% snap share, and will continue to produce consistent but not spectacular fantasy production for the 2025 season. He is a solid flex-worthy LB with LB2 upside on your IDP roster.
Trade Away For Collins: Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Matt Judon
64- Mike Danna, Chiefs (ECR 110) +46
Danna is the starting right defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs and has been a consistent contributor since being drafted in 2020. He struggled with a pectoral injury in 2024 but should be ready to go for Week 1 and is a great bounce-back candidate.
When he has been healthy, he typically plays north of a 75% snap share and is a versatile force to be reckoned with. He put up a career year in 2023 and was on pace to top that production in 2024 before his injury limited him. Expect a full bounce-back for Danna in 2025 and write him in your lineup as a reliable DE2 option.
Trade Away For Danna: Azeez Ojulari, Christian Wilkins, Derick Hall
Defensive Linemen Avoid
69-Laitu Latu, Colts (ECR 31) -38
Latu was a highly touted rookie after being drafted by the Colts last year, but his rookie season production failed to match his potential level. His rookie stat line of 32 tackles, 4 sacks, one pass defended, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery was a less-than-inspiring output for a player drafted so highly.
Fantasy managers are banking on Latu’s pedigree and draft capital when they continue to draft him as high as they do in IDP leagues, but I am far cooler on him than the consensus until I see signs of improvement. Latu has loads of potential, but I’m not willing to pay his current price tag for a player who may never leave my bench.
Trade Latu Away For: Chris Jones, Will McDonald, Jaelan Phillips
83- Chop Robinson, Dolphins (ECR 45) -38
Robinson is the second disappointing rookie lineman on my avoid list, and it’s for the same reasons as Latu. Is fantasy value continues to hold as IDP managers continue to value the player they drafted in rookie drafts instead of the player who has been borderline unplayable thus far.
Add in a lingering rib injury sustained this offseason, and Robinson does not have the making of a player about to make a Year 2 leap. Again, there is potential here, but the cost to acquire him is too high for an asset that hasn’t proven anything to fantasy managers.
Trade Latu Away For: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Nnamdi Madubuike, Kwity Paye
Defensive Back Target
33- Tyrique Stevenson, Bears (ECR 104) +71
Stevenson has been a solid IDP producer through his first two seasons in the NFL. In 2024, he posted 78 tackles, 12 passes defended, two interceptions, and a forced fumble while showing incredible consistency. He has demonstrated the ability to produce high-level fantasy production every week, and I expect that to continue.
His production in his second season declined slightly from his rookie year, but I anticipate him making adjustments and taking his game to the next level. Stevenson can be had for a cost outside of the top 100 IDP assets, and I have him challenging for a top-12 defensive back ranking by season’s end.
Trade Away For Stevenson: Carlton Davis, Denzel Ward, Jordan Poyer
43- Zyon McCollum, Buccaneers (ECR 99) +56
McCollum enters his fourth NFL season, and his play has him challenging to be the most outstanding player on the Buccaneers’ defense. He has increased his fantasy production in each year of his career and is getting dangerously close to elite status. McCollum recorded a career-high 82 tackles in 2024 and made the first two interceptions of his young career.
He has a knack for finding his way to the ball and has the makings of growing into a ball-hawking defensive back. Currently, McCollum is being extremely undervalued with an ADP of 99. Trade for McCollum now before he makes himself a consistent top-25 IDP asset.
Trade Away For McCollum: Roger McCreary, Coby Bryant, Jahdae Barron
Defensive Back Avoid
90- Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dolphins (ECR 25) -65
Don’t get me wrong, Minkah Fitzpatrick is still a great defender, but his IDP value is currently living on being a household name. He is entering the eighth year of his NFL career, and at this point, he contributes little outside of tackle numbers. A once consistent contributor of interceptions, he has had only one since 2023.
Fitzpatrick still had solid value in tackle-heavy formats, but in all other formats, he is massively overvalued. Consider Fitzpatrick a fading asset on a new team for the first time since his rookie year. He is being drafted on the 2/3 turn in IDP-Only leagues, and that’s at least two rounds too high given his likely production.
Trade Fitzpatrick Away For: Jalen Pitre, Cam Bynum, Quentin Lake
101- Kyle Dugger, Patriots (ECR 36) -65
Dugger racked up a career-high in tackles in 2023, but struggled with injuries in 2024 and failed to reach the 100-tackle plateau. He has missed multiple games in every year of his career except one and is not the most reliable of fantasy assets.
Dugger is a consistent producer when he is in the New England lineup, but his availability has been lacking at times. He continues to be a solid flex-play in IDP leagues, but his ECR of 36th overall is far too high. If I knew he would play all 17 games in 2025, I would consider him close to that range, but with my doubts, I see him closer to 100th overall than his previous top-20 form.
Trade Dugger Away For: Kerby Joseph, Paulson Adebo, Justin Reid
Linebacker Target
75- Oren Burks, Bengals (ECR 131) +56
Burks enters his 8th NFL season and has seen his fantasy production increase over the past three seasons, but he still isn’t getting the respect he deserves. He may not be challenging for the ranks of LB1 anytime soon, but his fantasy output indicates that he could continue to grow in 2025 and see himself crack the top 50 IDP rankings.
Fresh off signing a two-year deal with the Bengals, he figures to have a far larger role in Cincinnati than he did on a stacked Eagles defense. His three-year track record of increasing production has his arrow trending up. Add in his increased role, and the sky is the limit for Burks in 2025.
Trade Away For Burks: Tommy Eichenberg, DeMarvion Overshown, Joey Bosa
35- Troy Reeder, Rams (ECR 90) +55
Reeder’s career got off to a hot start but quickly cooled off with bad years and injuries in 2022 and 2023. He bounced back in 2024 and looked poised to return to his budding star form when he found his way back into the Rams lineup.
He suffered a hamstring injury that ultimately capped his production and subsequently helped to suppress his fantasy value. Reeder is back in Los Angeles on a one-year “prove-it” deal, and I expect him to put up career numbers and finally reach his full potential if he can stay healthy.
Trade Away For Reeder: Nolan Smith Jr., Marist Liufau, Troy Andersen
Linebacker Avoid
71- Carson Schwesinger, Browns (ECR 26) -45
Schwesinger was a surprise pick at 33rd overall by the Brown’s in this year’s NFL Draft, and that draft capital alone has inflated his fantasy value. He projects to be the Week 1 starting middle linebacker for Cleveland, which gives him a solid floor. Add in a neck injury to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah that will cause him to miss the entire 2025 season, and the potential is there for this rookie.
The problem for me, though, is the same problem when we chase overdrafted wide receivers in their rookie year. He could very well hit and could very well be a stud, but he is being drafted at his ceiling and not his floor. If I have Schwesinger, I’m looking to trade him away for a safer, more proven linebacker.
Trade Schwesinger Away For: Nick Bolton, Quay Walker, Frankie Luvu
79- Jack Sanborn, Cowboys (ECR 43) -36
Sanborn has been a solid fantasy producer through his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears. This offseason, he followed Matt Eberflus to Dallas on a one-year deal. In 2024, he accumulated 100 tackles, but little else stat-wise, and was more of a depth option for fantasy managers.
The rise in his ECR is undoubtedly due to him following his Bears coach to Dallas, but even if favoritism gets him some extra playing time, he is likely still nothing more than a depth piece who is being largely overdrafted in IDP leagues.
Trade Sanborn Away For: Danielle Hunter, Jared Verse, Brian Burns
Thank you for checking out IDP Weekly (Week 1 Edition). Each week, IDP Weekly will aim to take a different approach each week to explore IDP fantasy leagues from every angle.
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