Thank you for playing IDP (or at least having interest!). I shout from the rooftops any chance I get to let as many people know that this is the best way to play fantasy football! Of course, there is no wrong way to play but I can’t imagine the Fantasy Baseball community accepting a team pitching staff as we do with the other side of the ball for Football. The nice thing about IDP is that there are many ways to score and build your roster, so I’m going to lay out what I consider standard scoring and how I like to draft for each of them.

Standard Scoring:

• 1.5 pts – Solo Tackle
• .75 pts – Assisted Tackle
• 4 pts – Sack
• 4 pts – Interception
• 2 pts – Force Fumble
• 2 pts – Fumble Recovery
• 1 pt – Pass Defended
• 6 pts – Any Touchdown

Some leagues will add more points to get the defensive players on the same level as the offense but in this standard scoring system, the highest scorer was Foye Oluokun, who averaged 14.09 PPG. Comparing that total against the offensive positions he would have been the 40th-best QB, 21st RB, 27th WR and 5th TE. Oluokun outscored the next closest IDP by over a point and a half (Kendricks and Wagner averaged 12.52 PPG). So the very top of IDPs shouldn’t start going until Round 7ish in 12-team drafts. In general, I want to make sure that I have all my starting RBs, WRs, Flex spots and at least one backup RB before I take any IDPs. The strategy will change depending on how many IDPs your league rosters.

These are the most used IDP roster options:

Rookie – 3/4 total – 1 DL, 1 LB, 1 DB, 1 optional flex

This would be a beginner’s type of roster to introduce anyone new that hasn’t done IDP to it. If this is what your league is doing, you can wait until the end of the draft to take any IDPs because you will most likely churn them out on a weekly basis. It’s nice to get the top-tier players at any position, but this isn’t a lot different from drafting team defenses.

Veteran – 6/7 total – 2 DL, 2 LB, 2 DB, 1 optional flex

This is where I would like to start if my league doesn’t have much IDP experience. This adds at least a little bit of strategy to the draft and in-season. I’ll prioritize LBs and DL in this type of league. If used, the flex spot is almost always going to an LB, so we have to assume that 36 are coming off the board and I want to get one from my top tier. The defensive line can get stretched pretty thin too, so I would consider taking one of the top three first and then working on my LBs and DBs last.

Pro Bowl – 11 total – 3 DL, 2 LB, 4 DB, 2 flex

This is the advanced option and we are going to see many different IDP strategies. Some will wait to draft them and buy bargains late, some will invest heavily and make it the strength of their team while most will mix and match. My first three picks here are going to be two LBs and one DL nine times out of 10. I want to establish high point totals first, so I will grab two of the top LBs and because of the drop-off on the defensive line, I want to get at least one so I won’t have to worry about playing matchups on a weekly basis. LBs are going to go very fast with most managers wanting to fill the two flex spots to give themselves an advantage. Even with DBs having the most spots on the roster, they are still going to be drafted last. The best DB scenario is to grab four safeties with high floors, but most likely you will have to take at least one CB. DBs can sink you in this format if you start three CBs, as they can be wildly inconsistent, so make sure you don’t get caught in that mess.

Hall of Fame – 11 total – 2 DE/EDGE, 1 DT, 2 LB, 2 CB, 2 S, 2 flex

Aaron Donald is going to go No. 1 and Cameron Heyward will probably go No. 2 in this type of league because they have so much more guaranteed at the position than other DTs. Getting stuck with a lame DT will be annoying all year long, so if you are going to wait be sure you take one with upside that you believe in. Draft strategy will be different depending on if your league or service provider uses Defensive Ends or Edge Rushers. I prefer Edge Rushers because that’s how most teams are viewing the position in today’s NFL. T.J. Watt should be in the mix if your provider/league uses Edge Rushers because he would have been the No. 1 scorer by a large margin at the position last year. LBs are still going to score the most and will be filling in the flex spots for most teams, so they will be first off the board for most teams like normal. Safeties can be used for at least one of those flex spots on a lot of teams because they will only be starting two of them. This is actually an advantage to position-specific leagues, as it helps us a little if the LBs start flying off the board. CBs should come off the board last as they are the hardest to predict and unless you are in the DT mess I mentioned before, will be the most churned-through spot on your roster.

Hopefully, this will help you navigate drafting IDPs, especially if you are a first-time player. If your league is more focused on big plays and the scoring is completely different, just remember to see where the top-end IDPs scored the last few years to see how they line up against the top offensive players like I laid out in the beginning. Like any other draft, if you have a gut feeling on when you should draft IDPs whether it be early or late or maybe even on a specific player, listen to it. I will usually take my first IDP when I look at the offensive players and I don’t really want to take any of them, regardless of what round that is. I guarantee that if you play IDP, you will start to appreciate the defensive side of the ball more, you will enjoy the NFL draft more and you will have more wiggle room to work trades in your leagues. Good luck and listen to myself and Joe on the FantasyPros IDP Podcast during the season!

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