Every week throughout the NFL season I will bring you an IDP article talking about anything and everything that consists of IDP. I will talk about IDP Breakout players, keep tabs on possible waiver-wire additions and some IDP Sleeper plays during the year. It should be fun. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite IDP breakouts as we get ready for Week 3 of the NFL Season.
BREAKOUT IDP PERFORMANCES FOR WEEK 3
QUAY WALKER, LB Green Bay Packers
Depending on your scoring format, Quay Walker could possibly be the top-scoring linebacker in your fantasy league. Going into the season everyone was still touting De’Vondre Campbell as the LB to own in Green Bay. Well, two weeks into the season and Walker looks to be the main man moving forward.
Campbell is still a viable option at LB, but Walker has been an outstanding all-around contributor with points in multiple categories. Go get Walker in Redraft and even more in Dynasty. He should be a high-caliber contributor the rest of the season with LB1 potential. Buy now, why you still can.
GERMAINE PRATT, LB Cincinnati Bengals
Germaine Pratt has been a bit of a middling IDP player in his first four seasons in the league, but something has changed in 2023. Pratt is off to a fantastic start. Logan Wilson has usually been the LB to own in Cincinnati, but Pratt is making a name for himself and is available at a much cheaper cost than Wilson.
Pratt has totaled over 90 tackles twice in his career, but he hasn’t added much in the peripheral categories. That has changed this season. Pratt leads the team with 22 tackles and has two tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble in two games.
Pratt has been a top-five LB in most formats this season. If Pratt keeps this up, he is an every-week starter in IDP for the rest of the season and hopefully for years to come.
DIVINE DEABLO, LB Las Vegas Raiders
There were whispers before the season that the former third-round pick out of Virginia Tech was ready to break out in his third year for the Raiders. A converted safety, Divine Deablo, is slightly undersized for an off-the-ball linebacker at 6-3, 226 pounds, but his athleticism and range have been on display the first two weeks of the season.
Deablo is getting a 94% snap share and clearly seems to be the guy in Las Vegas to go along with ex-Steeler Robert Spillane. Deablo started eight games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury. He has bounced back in a big way with 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one QB Hit, and one pass defensed so far in 2023.
Deablo has been a top-10 LB performer in most formats so far this season. There is a chance that he is being overlooked in your league, as he isn’t a big IDP name, yet. Get him on your roster before it is too late.
JAVON HOLLAND, S Miami Dolphins
Safety is typically fickle when it comes to IDP, so strike when the iron is hot. Javon Holland has been absolutely electric during the first two weeks of the NFL season. The Miami defense has vastly improved this year in front of Holland, and it has allowed the third-year safety out of Oregon to come into his own.
Holland is a top-three scoring safety at this point in the season. He has tallied 25 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one pass defensed so far, and it looks like he is just hitting his stride.
JORDAN DAVIS, DT Philadelphia Eagles
The former Georgia Bulldog product was considered an absolute freak at defensive tackle coming out of college. The pure size (6-6, 340 pounds), speed and strength were just so rare. He was banged up most of his rookie season and was subsequently kind of forgotten in the IDP world.
When the Eagles drafted Jalen Carter with the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft, Davis moved further out of fantasy player’s minds. But the former Bulldog’s teammate, Carter has been just what the doctor ordered for Davis. The pure inside pass-rushing ability of Carter has allowed Davis some relief from constant double teams to be an impact player in the middle of the defensive line.
Davis has been a top-10 performer in leagues that start defensive tackles through the first two weeks of the season. Davis has eight tackles, three tackles for loss, three QB hits, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Get this monster of a man on your roster as soon as possible.
HARRISON PHILLIPS, DT Minnesota Vikings
Who is Harrison Phillips? Well, he is a sixth-year defensive tackle, who is finding some good success with the Minnesota Vikings. After spending four years in Buffalo to start his career, Phillips is starting to see some good results in his second season with the Vikings. He had a solid year one in Minnesota with 59 tackles, six QB hits, three tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. But he is off to an even better start in year two with the Purple People Eaters. Harrison already has 21 tackles, one QB hit, one pass defensed, and 0.5 sacks in the first two weeks.
In some of my leagues, he is second only to DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts at defensive tackle scoring. Harrison is a name most fantasy managers won’t recognize, but he is someone who can help you reap some benefits at the slim defensive tackle position for leagues that make you start a DT. He is likely to give you some really nice production at the position the rest of the season.