3 Bounce Back IDPs for the Back Half of the 2022 Season
Looking for a spark for your IDP rosters? Here are 3 underwhelming IDPs who are primed to rebound the rest of the way in 2022.
Perhaps you find yourself in this dilemma: your team is sitting at 3-4 through 7 weeks and the players you were counting on the most are the ones driving the struggle bus. The defensive line has been a low-scoring unit, the linebackers are missing more tackles than they make, and the defensive backs couldn’t catch an interception if Ryan Leaf was throwing left-handed. But even in this nightmare scenario…
There’s still hope.
We’re 1 game into Week 8, so about halfway through the fantasy football season. Our fortunes can turn on a dime. The same can be said for some notable IDPs. With that in mind, let’s look at 3 players who could see their production do a 180 in the second half of the season, starting with the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Robert Quinn, DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Before you click out of this article, hear me out! I’m wondering if this recent move from one of the worst teams in the NFL to arguably the best won’t add a little more motivation for Quinn going forward. I mean, who really wants to play for the Chicago Bears in 2022? This move is eerily similar to the Rams acquiring Von Miller in 2021, and as a Rams fan (this is Bobby… hi!), I can attest to how well that worked out.
Quinn is coming off of an 18.5 sack season in 2021 yet only has 1 sack through the first 7 weeks of 2022. His pressure rate is down, as well, from 11.7% in 2021 to 8.2%. The good news is that after some rough defensive grades to begin the season, Quinn is averaging a 67.6 defensive grade the last 2 weeks. He also won’t be doing it alone like he was in Chicago; in Philadelphia, Quinn joins a fearsome pass rush group that’s ranked 6th overall by PFF’s pass rush grade. The Bears? Yep, you guessed it: 32nd.
Quinn can probably be acquired for a late 5th (maybe even in 2024) and I think he’ll be worth that. He won’t be someone you depend on in your DE/DL starting spots, but as a high-upside flex start in a big-play league? Quinn fits that bill nicely.
Willie Gay Jr., LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Since his suspension was announced, Gay has either been on the waiver wire or has been stored on the bench of someone who’s forgotten they roster him. Take advantage of their negligence—and the Chiefs being on a bye this week—and scoop him up.
Gay’s 4-week suspension has made us forget his strong start to the season: he had 16 total tackles between Weeks 1 and 2. Guess what he did in Week 7? He had 8 tackles and half a sack on 45 snaps (57%). His overall PFF grade of 59.1 was OK, but he did have a tackling grade of 80.2. Best of all, “IDP Dream Killer” Steve Spagnuolo seems to like Gay, going back to the 2021 season. He and Nick Bolton appear to have finally broken the curse of Chiefs LBs being worthless for IDP. Hooray!
So, instead of paying top dollar for an LB1 like Devin White or Roquan Smith, spend a 4th and grab Gay instead. He could be a solid LB3, and in the (knock on wood) event that Bolton gets injured, Gay could inherit his teammate’s full-time role.
Kam Curl, DB, Washington Commanders
That arm sling in Week 3 of the preseason feels far away now, doesn’t it? And yet, Curl hasn’t quite captured the form we were hoping for, averaging just 9.35 PPG in the 5 games he’s played (Big 3 scoring). However, his alignment has been ideal for a DB. Of his 311 snaps, 79.7% have come in the sweet spot (D-line, box, slot).
What this tells me is that even though Curl has started a bit slow, brighter days could be ahead. There’s nobody coming for his job, he’s played 97.1% of snaps since his return in Week 3 (100% the last 3 games), and that alignment lends itself to higher production over the course of a season. This is especially true when someone is playing as well as Curl: 84.5 overall PFF grade, 81.2 tackle, and 80.1 coverage.
Curl is the exact type of player I’m looking to trade for at this point in the season. He won’t cost you a lot and the Commanders play run-heavy teams in Indianapolis, Minnesota, and Philadelphia over the next 3 weeks. So, if you’re interested in scooping him up, my advice is to do it now before he re-emerges as a top DB.
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