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Fantasy Football: IDP takeaways from preseason Week 1

2XN26HD Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) runs through a drill during NFL football training camp Saturday, July 27, 2024 in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

By Jonathon Macri

• Blake Cashman rises while Ivan Pace falls: Pace had stated he would be wearing the green dot this season, but it turns out that Cashman will hold those duties as the lone full-time linebacker in Brian Flores’ defense.

• Concerns for Frankie Luvu’s IDP efficiency: Playing on the edge, in a man-heavy defense, and blitzing at a high rate are a recipe for poor tackle numbers at the linebacker position.

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Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

With one week’s worth of NFL preseason games in the books, there were a few IDP-related takeaways to make note of in order to get ready for this fantasy football season.

Carolina Panthers @ New England Patriots

  • The Patriots only played a handful of their expected starters in this game (Kyle Dugger, Christian Gonzalez, Deatrich Wise), so there weren’t many relevant takeaways from that side.
  • The Panthers did not play their expected defensive starters either, but there was at least one telling takeaway from how they deployed their backups.
  • Rookie third-round linebacker Trevin Wallace started this game next to Claudin Cherelus – a 2023 UDFA out of Alcorn State. However, Wallace came off the field on obvious passing downs (third and long), which would indicate that Cherelus is viewed slightly higher in the pecking order, as of now.

Detroit Lions @ New York Giants

  • The Lions did not play any of their expected defensive starters.
  • The Giants did not play any of their expected defensive starters either.
  • The one key IDP takeaway from this game relates to how the Giants deployed former first-round linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
  • Simmons played just two defensive snaps through the first three drives – one in the slot, the other at wide corner and both on obvious passing downs.
  • After those first three drives, Simmons rotated to linebacker, where he also played almost exclusively on third downs.
  • Barring injuries and multiple steps up the depth chart, Simmons doesn’t look like he’ll be anything close to IDP-relevant in 2024.

Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins

  • With Jessie Bates inactive in this game, the Falcons' second starting safety spot is still up for grabs between Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams. 
  • Unfortunately, Hellams suffered an injury early and had to leave the game after just two defensive snaps.
  • Grant should be considered the favorite to start right now.
  • Rookie third-round edge defender Bralen Trice tore his ACL in this game, taking him out for the season. He played well in his limited opportunities, earning a 78.4 defensive grade on 23 snaps.
  • The Dolphins did not play their defensive starters in this game.

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

  • The Texans did play their starters for a couple of drives, but they were without linebacker Christian Harris – the presumed LB2 next to Azeez Al-Shaair.
  • Al-Shaair played 100% of his team's defensive snaps through his two drives along with Henry To’oTo’o, who we can assume is the LB3 behind Harris when he’s back in the lineup.
  • The Steelers' linebacker usage was also telling in that without Patrick Queen in the lineup, Elandon Roberts and Payton Wilson started.
  • Both Roberts and Wilson played every snap, but Roberts got the starter “rest” treatment, leaving the game first while Wilson stayed in with the backups late in the game.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens

  • As has been reported recently, Zack Baun and Devin White are the Eagles' starting linebackers with Nakobe Dean and rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. serving as backups.
  • Baun and White are the clear IDP targets for this year with Baun likely available for free in a lot of 2024 IDP leagues.
  • For what it’s worth in the preseason, Dean earned a 90.4 defensive grade on 19 snaps.
  • The Ravens, without Roquan Smith in this game, utilized Trenton Simpson as the top linebacker alongside Chris Board and Josh Ross on the first drive.
  • Malik Harrison also started this game but played almost exclusively on the edge, indicating that he’s unlikely to be competition for Simpson’s linebacker snaps.
  • Chris Board left the game on the first drive with a concussion, otherwise, Simpson likely doesn’t play as late into the game as he did.

Washington Commanders @ New York Jets

  • With Bobby Wagner inactive, Frankie Luvu and rookie fifth-round pick Jordan Magee started at linebacker.
  • Luvu spent three of his four snaps rushing the passer with two coming on the edge. This is not going to be ideal for his ability to put up consistent tackle totals worthy of a weekly IDP starter. He’ll have some sack upside as a blitzer but predicting when those plays will come could be frustrating for IDP managers, which is why he’s ranked outside the top-35 at his position right now.
  • Magee is the clear LB3 for the Commanders right now. He came off the field on a third-and-long play for an extra defensive back (Percy Butler).
  • For IDP dynasty managers still holding out hope for a Jamin Davis breakout, it isn’t likely to come at linebacker, as he entered the game on the second drive (once Luvu was out) and played exclusively on the edge. He can be safely dropped in all formats.
  • Rookie second-round pick out of Michigan, Mike Sainristil looks locked into the starting slot corner job for Washington, making him an interesting IDP in CB-required leagues.
  • Safety Darrick Forrest did not play in this game, so last year’s second-round pick Jartavius Martin started at safety. Martin has been rumored to be the favorite to start over Forrest anyway, but this game didn’t necessarily confirm that.
  • Jeremy Chinn is set for a bounce-back in Dan Quinn’s defense this year, looking locked as the clear box-heavy starting safety in 2024. This preseason game all but confirmed that, as Chinn played five of his seven total snaps in the box as a starter. 
  • The Jets did not play any of their expected defensive starters.

Chicago Bears @ Buffalo Bills

  • The Bears played a handful of their expected defensive starters for the first two drives (20 snaps), without any IDP-relevant takeaways to highlight.
  • The Bills played their dressed defensive starters for one drive.
  • With both rookie Cole Bishop and Mike Edwards out, there weren’t any real key takeaways from this game as safety is the one position that we still have more to learn about.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings

  • The Raiders played their starting defense with linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo playing two full drives before their day was done.
  • Second-year defensive lineman and former eighth overall pick Tyree Wilson did not start the game but came on in the second drive, playing the entirety of the first half, well after the starters had exited.
  • The Vikings played some defensive starters minus Harrison Smith, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard.
  • Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. started the game at linebacker with Cashman wearing the green dot as the lone full-time linebacker of the two.
  • Pace came off the field on a red zone third down while Cashman stayed on the field.
  • The reason this is important is that defensive coordinator Brian Flores only utilized one full-time linebacker weekly. The team's LB2 averaged just 43.5% of the team's defensive snaps in 2023 – the lowest mark in the league.
  • The Vikings utilized a third safety (Josh Metellus) in that second linebacker role more often than not last season, but with Harrison Smith out of this game, they didn’t necessarily have their normal personnel to do so.
  • For the rest of the Vikings linebacker snaps beyond when Cashman and Pace were out of the game, there was still a common theme of one linebacker coming off the field in certain situations. 
  • This is good news for Cashman, but likely to be a big hit to Pace’s IDP value this season.
  • Also, rookie first-round edge Dallas Turner got a sack in his debut, starting with Van Ginkel and Greenard out.

Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals

  • The Buccaneers played a small handful of their defensive starters for one drive with rookie second-round defensive back Tykee Smith also starting and staying on for most of the first half.
  • Smith manned the slot, totaling 20 of the team’s 23 possible snaps. He rushed the passer three times within those snaps – all coming on the first drive (11 snaps) with the starters.
  • The Bengals played their starters for just one drive, which included a confirmation that Geno Stone and Vonn Bell are going to be the starting safeties.
  • Dax Hill has been moved to cornerback while Jordan Battle didn’t come into the game until the starters were out, significantly hurting both player’s IDP value.
  • Second-year edge Myles Murphy started this game with both Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard out and played well, earning a team-leading 72.4 pass-rush grade that included three pressures (two QB hits) on 13 attempts.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars

  • The Chiefs played a small handful of their expected defensive starters for two drives.
  • Rookie safety Jaden Hicks came in a couple of snaps into the first drive but wasn’t a full-time safety even with Justin Reid out of the lineup. 
  • Bryan Cook and Chamarri Conner seem to both be ahead of Hicks on the depth chart right now.
  • The Jaguars played some of their defensive starters without any key IDP takeaways worth highlighting.

San Francisco 49ers @ Tennessee Titans

  • The 49ers didn’t play any of their expected defensive starters in this game.
  • The Titans played several of their defensive starters, including linebackers Kenneth Murray and Jack Gibbens.
  • Both Murray and Gibbens played full-time snaps while in the game, which was the case for the rest of the game with whoever was at linebacker.
  • Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson does not have any NFL defensive play-calling data to point to, but this could be a hint that he may deploy two full-time linebackers every week.
  • Keep in mind that it’s the preseason and it wouldn’t be uncommon for teams to not deploy the same strategies they would in the regular season, but it’s at least something to make note of heading into preseason Week 2.
  • Rookie second-round defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat also started the game, playing 12 defensive snaps, mostly with the starters.

Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Chargers

  • Jerome Baker was inactive for this game, which left Tyrel Dodson and rookie fourth-rounder Tyrice Knight as the starters at linebacker for Seattle.
  • Dodson was the lone 100%-snap linebacker for the Seahawks due to Knight coming off the field on a third-and-long.
  • This will be Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Durde’s first year as a defensive play caller so seeing a tendency to take a linebacker off the field on obvious passing downs could be a hint for what to expect in the regular season and tempering expectations for Seattle’s LB2.
  • The Chargers did not play any of their expected defensive starters.

New Orleans Saints @ Arizona Cardinals

  • The Saints played some of their defensive starters in this game, including Cameron Jordan, who had been rumored to be playing more interior defensive line in camp, but that wasn’t obvious in this game where he played just one of his seven defensive snaps inside.
  • Linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner did not play in this game, which left free agent acquisition Willie Gay and last year’s fifth-rounder D’Marco Jackson as the starters. They played 100% of the team's defensive snaps through the first four drives.
  • Another free agent acquisition linebacker for New Orleans, Khaleke Hudson, was a productive waiver wire IDP last season, didn’t get on the field until later in the first half and is buried down the depth chart right now.
  • The Cardinals did not play any of their expected defensive starters.

Denver Broncos @ Indianapolis Colts

  • The Broncos played a number of their expected defensive starters until early in the second quarter.
  • Alex Singleton and Cody Barton were the starting linebackers playing 100% of the available team snaps over that span. Jonas Griffith appears to be the current LB3.
  • The Colts played their starters for two drives, which included a potential hint at what to expect from their safeties this year.
  • Julian Blackmon played the same role he did last season as the more box-heavy safety in Gus Bradley’s scheme.
  • The second safety spot is apparently up for grabs with Nick Cross currently holding the edge over Rodney Thomas. 
  • Cross played all 12 snaps with the starters and lined up deep on 100% of those snaps.
  • Blackmon is looking in line to be the safety worth targeting for IDP again this year for the Colts, playing 47% of his snaps lined up in the box.

Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams

  • The Cowboys didn’t play many of their expected defensive starters. 
  • Damone Clark and DeMarvion Overshown started at linebacker with Eric Kendricks out.
  • Clark is expected to play the second starting linebacker spot next to Kendricks with Overshown not far behind.
  • The Rams did not play any of their expected defensive starters.
  • The Rams not playing their starters bodes well for rookie defensive linemen Jared Verse and Braden Fiske having starting roles come Week 1, as they both got the “starter” treatment, sitting out for this game.
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