NFL Draft Guide: Top NFC IDPs for Dynasty

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    Arizona Cardinals

    Budda Baker (POS: Safety, Age 27):

    While he may not remain in Arizona for much longer after requesting a trade in April, he remains the best IDP option on the team and perhaps in the entire NFC West. Baker missed out on producing sacks last season, but the 27 year old is all but a lock for 100 tackles and a few picks to go with six passes defensed, three marks he has hit reliably throughout his six year career. Baker should remain a top five option at safety.

    Zaven Collins (POS: Linebacker, Age 24):

    Collins has high potential to be a mainstay on a dynasty team for a long career. In his age 23 season he shifted from DB to LB and posted 100 tackles with six PDs, a pick and a forced fumble. The position shift allowed him to pursue opposing QBs as well, producing a pair of sacks. The future looks bright for Zaven, the opportunity to be the Cardinals defensive captain as they retool is fully on the table.

    Los Angeles Rams

    Ernest Jones (POS: Linebacker, Age 24):

    Jones emerged last year on a struggling Rams team plagued by injuries.  At only 23 years of age, the LB will attempt to follow up a strong sophomore campaign in which he recorded 114 tackles and 4 TFLs.  With the Rams struggling and out of the national spotlight after a disappointing season, many fantasy managers are not keen to the potential keystone value of Jones for a dynasty roster as the Rams attempt to return to form this year. Keep an eye out on for the young LB who could continue to grow into a star defender.

    Aaron Donald (POS: Defensive Tackle, Age 32):

    Unlike his teammate above, Donald has been a household name for quite some time.  The best defensive player of this generation enters his age 32 season having never missed a pro bowl in his illustrious nine year career. After being relatively healthy among those years, he fell victim to a knee injury and only played in 11 games in 2022. Assuming he will not suffer the same fate this year, he is due for double digit sacks and multiple forced fumbles. His TFL numbers have always been near the top of the league as he is able to dominate the line of scrimmage on run plays. While his age and reports of considering retiring in the past suggest he will not be at it for much longer, Donald is a top player until he decides to hang up the cleats, perfect for a team that wants to win now.

    San Francisco 49ers

    Fred Warner (POS: Linebacker, Age 27):

    The anchor in the middle of a staunch 49ers defense is a must have fantasy player. After five straight seasons of 118 or more tackles, Warner is one of the truly elite LBs in today’s game. Being capable of providing a couple turnovers per season helps boost his ceiling even more and he can occasionally disturb opposing QBs. At 26 years old, Warner is entering his prime and will be a perennial Pro Bowler and keystone player for a dynasty roster.  He should be considered a top 10, if not top 5, dynasty IDP asset.

    Nick Bosa (POS: Edge, Age 26):

    The even more known superstar of the Niner defense, Bosa is a premier edge talent that will wreak havoc in backfields for many years to come.  By nature of being an edge player rather than a LB, his tackle numbers do not rival his teammate, Warner, but 15.5 and 18.5 sacks in the last two seasons respectively are absurd numbers that he has proven he can replicate.  After missing nearly all of the 2020 season with a week two injury, Bosa came storming back in 2021 and forced four fumbles to go with the aforementioned sack total.  Totalling 40 TFLs over the last two seasons is nothing to scoff at either. Bosa, like his teammate, should be viewed as a top 10 dynasty IDP asset.  His upcoming age 26 season will likely be another strong DPOY campaign.

    Seattle Seahawks

    Jordyn Brooks (POS: Linebacker, Age 26):

    The skill set of Brooks is straight-forward. He is extremely fast and athletic and gets downhill against the run quickly. After totalling 184 tackles in 2021 and 161 in 2022, there is concern going into this season regarding health. A torn ACL could greatly inhibit what made Brooks so good in the past and he may miss the start of the season since the injury occurred in the final week of the regular season. Pete Carrol has been optimistic when asked, claiming the 25 year old could be ready for training camp, but the Seahawks coach has been known to get these things wrong. A reasonable expectation would be a midseason return. An investment in Brooks is risky, but he is young and athletic and could return to being a consistent 150 tackle player after this season.  It is also possible the Seahawks elect not to pay the LB and he moves on to a different team and situation, further compounding the risk but leaving the potential for a huge ceiling.

    Bobby Wagner (POS: Linebacker, Age 33):

    The return of a fan favorite, Wagner and the Seahawks reunite after the LB spent a year in LA.  Bobby is a veteran and will be entering his age 33 season this year, his 12th in the league. Having recorded over 100 tackles in each of those seasons, and more than 130 in all but three, boasting highs of 170, 167 and 159 along the way, Wagner has been in the conversation of best MLB in the league his entire career. Wagner is certainly a win-now asset, but should continue to produce as he returns home to the PNW and a system in which he is very comfortable.

    Dallas Cowboys

    Micah Parsons (POS: Linebacker, Age 24): It would be appropriate to view Parsons as the top overall Dynasty IDP asset given his age and explosive talent. Freshly 24, the 2021 DROY has forced three fumbles and nabbed 13+ sacks in each of his two seasons in the NFL. After finishing as the DPOY runner-up every year he has been in the league, everyone knows who Parsons is and wants him on their dynasty team.  Due to shifting his alignment, the total tackle numbers fell from 84 to 65 and will most likely stay closer to the latter with buzz around camp that he will switch to edge full time and take far fewer snaps at LB. The Cowboy’s best defender will destroy backfields and haunt QBs for many years to come. Adding him to your dynasty squad will shore up the IDP for a long time.

    Donovan Wilson (POS: Safety, Age 28): Another stud for the Dallas defense, Wilson is a little older than his counterpart as he enters his age 28 season.  A 6th round pick in 2019, Wilson entered the league at age 24 and had to battle to make his way to the starting lineup. The 2022 season brought his first chance to start in every game and he took full advantage by eclipsing 100 tackles and adding five sacks from the safety position.  Wilson seems to have cemented his role with the Cowboys and could sneak under the radar for those unfamiliar with his relatively slower climb to stardom.  

    Philadelphia Eagles

    Haason Reddick (POS: Linebacker, Age 29): After four years in Arizona and a single year in Carolina, Reddick fully broke out on a top of the league Eagles defense where he delivered 16 sacks to make it three consecutive years in double digits. An expert at forcing fumbles, he provides upside with turnover plays and even contributed some PDs.  With the Eagles letting Javon Hargrave go in free agency, Reddick could receive more attention from blockers when he is pass rushing while rookie Jalen Carter takes over the inside. Depending on how the rotation along the line works out this year, Reddick likely will not tally the same absurd sack numbers, but he has shown he can be trusted to deliver solid seasons after having done it for three straight years on different teams. Resilience to change is a valuable trait dynasty owners should look for when deciding whether or not to draft him as he turns 29.

    Nakobe Dean (POS: Linebacker, Age 23): A far younger option from the birds, Dean is only 22 years old and coming off a season that was unimportant for fantasy managers. Dean showed flashes on the field and is now set to take over for T.J. Edwards in the middle of the field as he departs for Chicago.  The risk of bust is ever present for a player as young as Dean that has not provided a huge sample size of success, but the 3rd round draft capital, fairly substantial for the position, suggests he has what it takes to produce. The MLB role will always be the best for racking up tackles and Dean has a strong cast around him to funnel run plays into the middle of the field where he can hit the hole hard and vanquish RBs.  

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    July 23, 2023, 12:00 pm