6 IDP Fantasy Football Sleepers for 2019

Jul 31, 2019

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If you're going to win your fantasy league, you'll be taking a major step in the right direction if you 'win' your league's draft. Easier said than done of course, but it's a near certainty your league champ come December will have been one of the best at finding value during your league draft. This is especially true in IDP leagues, where less experienced gamers will look for more popular players who garner column inches, as they don't have the depth of knowledge to find those statistical monsters plugging away in less TV-friendly markets. But don't worry, that's why I'm here to give you the insider scoop on who I think some of the best IDP sleepers are heading into the 2019 season.

Defensive Backs

Eric Weddle, LA Rams

A free agency move to the Rams has piqued my interest in Eric Weddle, a former DB1 who is currently being valued as a DB4. The Rams let free safety LeMarcus Joyner leave in free agency and although they spent a second-round draft pick in selecting a replacement in Taylor Rapp, the move to add a leader like Weddle to the roster on a two-year, $10.5 million deal suggests to me he will play an active role this season at least.

Joyner had posted DB2/3 numbers in the role Weddle will be asked to assume and while his own fantasy output dropped last season, this is still a player who had 10 interceptions in the prior two years and has three 100+ tackle seasons on his resume, so I expect he can surpass Joyner’s production given the same opportunity. On that basis, Weddle has a clear path to solid DB2 production in Los Angeles which makes him a sleeper at his current valuation.

Ronnie Harrison, Jacksonville Jaguars

Ronnie Harrison’s stock has plummeted in the last 12 months. After heading into the 2018 season as one of the top-ranked rookie safeties and seen as a potential DB1, he begins his second season as a pro mired in the DB3 ranks.

Touted as an in-the-box thumper during the draft process, landing with the Jaguars was a match made in heaven for fantasy gamers, but the expected points production didn’t follow despite having won the starting strong safety job by Week 1. Harrison looked to be struggling at times in his first season and was in and out of the starting line up as the Jags turned to maligned free agency bust, Barry Church instead. Problems were then compounded when Harrison suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the year, cutting short a difficult rookie year.

Fast-forward to this season and Harrison is penciled in as the team’s starting strong safety and sits atop a weak-looking depth chart positionally. Certainly a riskier sleeper selection than others on this list, Harrison requires us to give him the benefit of doubt for his rookie woes, but he also offers arguably the biggest upside thanks to his skill set and projected role in the Jacksonville defense. Fantasy owners will likely know their fate quite quickly with Harrison, which means if he doesn’t pan out by Week 4 he’ll be an easy cut for a waiver wire pickup.