12 IDPs Who Are Being Undervalued In 2020

Aug 21, 2020

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I don’t like using the term sleeper, as they aren’t really any “sleepers” with Twitter, the Internet and so many sources producing information. I like to run through ADP and take a look at the defenders who are being undervalued and take advantage of their draft position and where I have them projected.

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In a typical draft without IDP, you’re probably looking at 16 rounds. When you add IDP to the mix, you’re adding anywhere between 10 to 14 rounds.

Some of these will be known commodities, while others might be under the radar. Here are some defenders you can target in your draft who are going undervalued in drafts.

I'm referencing MFL ADP data when talking about these IDPs.

Click here for my overvalued IDPs in 2020.

Linebacker

AJ Johnson, ILB, Denver Broncos

The Broncos have two of the most boring linebackers in football - Todd Davis and Alexander Johnson. Their production isn’t boring, however. Johnson’s a late bloomer, who had a rise to prominence last season. Thanks to an underwhelming Josey Jewell - who wasn’t an IDP gem - Johnson went from zero defensive snaps in the first four weeks, to be a three-down LB over the next 12. He finished with a tackle rate of 13% and 93 tackles. He should have a three-down role secured, so a 100-tackle is well within reach. In a 12-team league with 30 roster spots, he’s going in the 26th-ish round. You can safely target him in the 18th-20th and land a solid LB2 for a cheap price.

Nick Kwiatkoski, LB, Las Vegas Raiders

We might as well name him Rodney Dangerfield. Cory Littleton has garnered all of the IDP attention, leaving Kwiatkoski in the shadows. Like identical twins, even though Kiwatkoski and Littleton signed around the same time, Kwiatkoski came out of the womb first. Does that mean the Raiders valued him more? Not sure, but they went with him first. He can play, he's a smart linebacker and should be the one calling the plays for the defense. He more than held his own as a three-down player in Chicago. Over 512 defensive snaps, he recorded a 14.8% tackle rate. His rate should decrease slightly with Littleton and more snaps, but he deserves more respect than being the 51st LB off the board - according to MFL. You can target him in the 15th round or later.

Danny Trevathan, ILB, Chicago Bears

Guess who’s back? Back again. Trevathan’s back, don’t tell your friends and draft him for yourself. He’s had a run of bad luck with injuries over the last several seasons. In the seasons when he’s started 15 or more games, he’s averaged 113 tackles. He’s an efficient tackler, and with over 559 snaps last season, he produced a 12.5% tackle rate - resulting in 70 tackles. Trevathan also produced 2.5 solo tackles for every assist. So, while I don’t like to extrapolate stats, I’m going to do so here - he was on pace for 120 tackles had he played a full-16 game season. He’s being drafted as the 55th LB off the board, so definitely an undervalued IDP in 2020.

Za’Darius Smith, OLB, Green Bay Packers

For your big play scorers, Smith is still being underappreciated. Also, if you factor in TFL, he was one of the tops in the NFL with 17. In his first year with Green Bay, he generated over 100 QB pressures - resulting in a 17.6% pressure rate - converting 13.5 into sacks. He’s always been a consistent source for pressure, dating back to his Baltimore days.

Avery Williamson, ILB, New York Jets

After signing a free-agent deal in 2018, Williamson ended up missing the 2019 season with a torn ACL after a productive 2018 campaign. He was the subject of trade rumors and roster cuts, but as we head into the 2020 season, he’s still a Jet and he says he feels 100%, and just like that, looks to be a key contributor to the defense in part due to CJ Mosley’s decision to opt-out of the season due to COVID concerns. Williamson appeared in over 1,100 snaps in the 2018 season, producing a 10.8% tackle rate - resulting in 120 tackles and a 2:1 solo-to-assist ratio. His injury is still suppressing his value, but he’s in play in IDP leagues this year.

Kwon Alexander, OLB, San Francisco 49ers

Alexander is another victim of the injury bug, as the 2019 free agent class had quite a bit of bad luck. Alexander appeared in just eight games before a biceps injury knocked him out until the playoffs. Even then, he couldn’t get on the field thanks to Dre Greenlaw. Heading into 2020, Kyle Shanahan has stated the WILL job is Alexander’s. So, if that’s the case, he has a three-down role heading into Week 1. In 12-team leagues, he’s being drafted around the 20th round. If you’re in a sharp league, you might want to target him as an LB4 in the 16th-18th if you really like him.