• An unexpected name takes the top prize: Nobody would have considered Andrew Van Ginkel in the IDP MVP conversation heading into this season, but he earned his way to the top and returned significant value for all those who invested in him.
• Zack Baun’s remarkable 2024 season has him in consideration for many awards: Another player who wasn’t on many IDP radars heading into the season, Baun enjoyed an impressive 2024 campaign — one for the ages.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
With the 2024 fantasy football season wrapped up, it’s time to dole out awards to the NFL defensive players who delivered, and those who didn’t, throughout the year to help fantasy gamers secure the most important award of all: a fantasy football championship.
PFF-Preferred IDP Scoring
| Position | Solo Tackles | Assists | Sacks | TFLs | QB Hits | PBUs |
| DI/ED | 2.5 | 1.25 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| LB | 1.5 | 0.75 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| CB/S | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
All IDP scorers under these settings can be viewed here (minimum 100 snaps).
2024 IDP MVP
Starting with the big one. This award goes to the most consistent player throughout the year, delivering high-end fantasy performances and solidifying themselves as the most valuable IDP in 2024.
WINNER: EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings
There are always several strong candidates for this award and, depending on how you define value, likely a lot of reasonable winners. However, Van Ginkel finished the year as the top-scoring defensive lineman, per PFF’s scoring, and did so as a player drafted well outside the top 24 options at his position this offseason, creating the ideal return on investment at a position where consistent high-end scoring is hard to come by.
Van Ginkel was coming off a solid year in 2023 but was set to join a new team in Minnesota that also spent a first-round pick on a player at his very position, so expectations were understandably tempered for the former fifth-round pick. However, Van Ginkel immediately put those concerns aside when he came up with a sack and an interception return for a touchdown in Week 1 of the season, and he didn’t look back.
Van Ginkel finished the season with a career-high 11.5 sacks, 72 total tackles, five pass breakups, 19 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and two pick-sixes. It seemed like every week he was delivering a strong production floor at the very least, and he was constantly sprinkling in big plays, helping his fantasy managers pile up wins all season long. Considering that Van Ginkel didn’t profile as an IDP who would be close to this valuable heading into the year — and then was at a position where consistency is very hard to come by — he is most deserving of this season’s IDP MVP.
Runners up:
- S Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
- DI Zach Allen, Denver Broncos
- LB Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
2024 IDP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the first-year player who performed above and beyond the expectations of a rookie. There are several strong candidates on the defensive side of the ball, but only one can take home this hardware.
WINNER: EDGE Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
Verse may have finished the year with only 4.5 sacks, but his high-end production and ideal playing time consistently allowed for him to be in fantasy starting consideration every week, and he was often able to provide value in the form of a strong tackle floor. Verse averaged 78% of the Rams' defensive snaps this season, which is a lot for a rookie defensive lineman, but he acclimated quickly to the NFL and appears to be one of the most promising players from the 2024 rookie draft class. He even ranked among the top 10 players at his position in PFF pass-rush grade (83.5) and the top five in total pressures (74).
For IDP purposes, Verse finished the year as the ED13. He didn’t notch a sack since Week 10, which highlights how a respectable production floor can be so valuable for IDP at the defensive line position. Verse delivered 65 total tackles, 18 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to go along with his 4.5 sacks. Verse will likely be one of the top positive regression candidates heading into 2025, so the future is very bright for the Rams' first-round pick.
Runners up:
- S Tyler Nubin, New York Giants
- CB Mike Sainristil, Washington Commanders
- DI Braden Fiske, Los Angeles Rams
2024 IDP WAIVER-WIRE ADDITION OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the player who went undrafted before establishing themselves as a top fantasy option to the point where they were a must-add in most IDP leagues. Candidates also had to maintain their fantasy relevance for most of the year to qualify.
WINNER: LB Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets
Zack Baun can technically be considered a waiver addition of the year, as well, but readers and followers of PFF’s IDP content heading into the season will have known about Baun’s starting potential from the early preseason, so we’ll highlight one of the more universal waiver targets in Sherwood, who took over an injured C.J. Mosley near the end of Week 1 and never looked back.
Sherwood finished third in the league (Weeks 1-17) in total tackles (152) — behind only Zaire Franklin (165) and Budda Baker (155). Sherwood delivered more than enough production throughout the year to be a weekly IDP starter, ultimately finishing as the overall LB11 thanks to an elite 15.6% tackle rate. Many IDP managers spent up to acquire Quincy Williams and/or Mosley this offseason, but it was Sherwood who came through by delivering enough production to make both players an afterthought coming out of this season.
The 2021 fifth-rounder seizing the opportunity as an every-down linebacker from Week 2 on allowed him to outperform some of the top-drafted IDP linebackers, including Nick Bolton, Bobby Wagner and T.J. Edwards in overall points among players with at least 16 games. He even outperformed three-time IDP LB1 Foyesade Oluokun in points per game this season.
Runners up:
- S Nick Cross, Indianapolis Colts
- S Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams
- ED Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
2024 MOST IMPROVED IDP OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the player who saw the biggest jump in value from last season to this season, delivering a high-end fantasy performance in 2024.
WINNER: LB Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
Baun is deserving of arguably many IDP awards coming out of 2024, but he is likely no more of an obvious pick than for the most improved IDP this season. First, Baun came into this season basically never having played a true off-ball linebacker role in the NFL and was thrust into Vic Fangio’s scheme as a full-time starter immediately in the 2024 offseason. Not only did Baun thrive as an IDP in this role, finishing the year as the overall LB1, but he was also the highest-graded linebacker both overall (90.1) and in coverage (91.7). That is a remarkable feat for a player with fewer than 200 NFL snaps at the position coming into the season.
Baun delivered 151 total tackles, which ranked fourth in the league thanks to an elite 16.5% tackle rate, but he was so much more than a strong tackler. He also delivered 3.5 sacks, and interception, a fumble recovery and five forced fumbles (second to only T.J. Watt). Baun’s 2024 season will go down as one of the most impressive linebacker performances in a long time and made him an easy choice for the most improved defensive player this season.
Runners up:
- ED Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills
- DI Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
- ED Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
2024 IDP PLAYOFFS MVP
Weeks 15-17 can make or break a fantasy manager's season. This award goes to the player who consistently delivered high-end fantasy performances for all three weeks of the fantasy playoffs and ended up being the primary reason a championship was secured once all the smoke had settled.
WINNER: DI Zach Allen, Denver Broncos
Allen was a workhorse at a position where workhorses are few and far between, averaging a career-high 90% of the team’s defensive snaps across 15 games this season. That high-end playing time allowed him to finish as the overall DT1 in 2024, which was helped by his elite performances throughout the fantasy playoffs.
In leagues that count quarterback hits, Allen never disappointed relative to his position, totaling 14 through Weeks 15-17. He also notched 13 total tackles, three of which were for a loss, and then topped it all off in Week 17 with seven tackles, six quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks as the top IDP scorer for the week. That solidified his spot as the fantasy playoffs IDP MVP.
Runners up:
- DI Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks
- S Brandon Jones, Denver Broncos
- S Brian Branch, Detroit Lions
2024 IDP COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the player who was on a downward trend in fantasy value heading into this year but found a way to bounce back and improve their fantasy stock, returning to previous levels of production.
WINNER: DI Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
After finishing as 2023's DT64 overall due to missed time with injury — and even just being the DT31 in points per game — Heyward was an easy fade heading into his 14th NFL season. He went overlooked in plenty of leagues this offseason, whether in drafts or as someone who could be acquired cheaply off waivers early on. However, not only did Heyward prove that he still has some gas left in the tank, but he delivered one of the best seasons of his entire career in 2024 at 35 years old.
Heyward finished the season as the overall DT2 and the DT4 in points per game (15.6), thanks to eight sacks, 20 quarterback hits, 70 total tackles and eight pass breakups. Heyward was a consistent force and a locked-in IDP starter all season long because of his high production floor and elite pass-rush ability, which are the ideal traits of any defensive tackle we’re targeting in IDP.
The veteran not only delivered a special IDP season, but his 90.2 PFF overall grade was the third-best mark of his career and led all interior defensive linemen this season. Meanwhile, Heyward’s 86.6 PFF pass-rush grade was the best mark of his career and ranked third at the position, which again, is all the more impressive considering this is Year 14 of his NFL career. Heyward could have easily rode off into the sunset after a disappointing 2023, but he came back stronger than ever.
Runners up:
- S Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
- S Brandon Jones, Denver Broncos
- ED Brian Burns, New York Giants
2024 IDP CORNERBACK STREAMER OF THE YEAR
Every year, a new crop of cornerbacks emerges whom IDP managers can comfortably pick up off the waiver wire and plug into lineups without spending much, if any, draft capital. This award goes to the cornerback who was the most effective streamer of the bunch.
WINNER: CB Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints
It seemed like no matter which Saints cornerback IDP managers wanted to rely on this season, they all delivered elite performances for their allotted time in starting lineups. That began with Paulson Adebo through the first seven games of the year. Adebo deserves recognition as the CB1 in points per game (19.1), even if his year was cut short due to injury, as he was in the midst of separating himself from the rest of the pack.
Taylor ultimately gets the nod for “Cornerback Streamer of the Year” as a player who was largely undrafted and took over Adebo’s mantle for most of the rest of the season. He did enough in that role to provide strong IDP value on a weekly basis for his position. While Taylor did cool down eventually, as Ugo Amadi emerged as the team's primary nickel cornerback, he still finished the year strong with 87 total tackles, including four sacks and ranking as the CB4 in points per game (13.1). Ultimately, Taylor’s CB1 finish on the year pushed him far enough ahead of other undrafted cornerbacks.
Runners up:
- CB Jaylon Jones, Indianapolis Colts
- CB Riley Moss, Denver Broncos
- Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints
2024 DISAPPOINTING IDP OF THE YEAR
The final award goes to the player who let IDP managers down in a big way in 2024, failing to live up to their ADP and consistently disappointing. The player must have played at least 12 games to qualify since injuries can’t be helped.
WINNER: EDGE Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears
Sweat came out of the 2023 season having played for two different teams and still finished as the overall ED15 and a top-20 player at his position in points per game. The hope coming into the season, and why he was likely drafted as a top-15 player at his position in the majority of leagues, was that the consistency of being on one team for a full year, the promising pass-rush profile and the Bears' need to rely heavily on him would be enough for a good return on investment.
Unfortunately, Sweat came nowhere near that mark in 2024, despite playing 15 games on the year. He provided next to no fantasy value and managed a very poor 3.9% tackle rate, just 5.5 sacks and 8.6 points per game (ED62). Sweat underperformed by a significant margin, even relative to his play on the field. He earned his lowest PFF overall grade (65.6) since his 2019 rookie season.
It is hard to come up with any excuses for Sweat, as he still averaged a strong 62% of snaps on the year but just rarely did anything with that workload. IDP managers who invested in Sweat likely felt this burn quite a bit; it’s difficult to find a replacement for a defensive lineman when they’re underperforming. Fantasy managers may have had to start him on more occasions than anyone should be comfortable with, which is why he is this year’s most disappointing IDP.
Runners up:
- DI Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens
- LB Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars
- LB Quincy Williams, New York Jets
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