8 Intriguing IDP Dynasty Targets for 2023
Bobby goes through Adam's dynasty rankings to find some IDPs who aren't getting enough attention so far this offseason.
If you find yourself waking up to check and see if your waiver wire claim of that 5th-round rookie defensive end went through, this is your time of year. We are nearing the end of OTAs and every little nugget that gets reported has us on the edge of our seats, even though we are still months away from real football being played.
And why are we paying attention? Because rookie drafts are happening, best ball drafts are cranking, and dynasty startups started rolling months ago. If you still need help knowing who to add off waivers or which dart-throw DBs to go for in your draft, we’ve got you covered. Adam’s dynasty rankings have an insanely deep list of IDPs and I’m going to point you toward some of the more interesting assets.
Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Raiders
Wilson should walk into a role quickly beside one of the best EDGEs in the league in Maxx Crosby, as I don’t think Chandler Jones will give him much competition for that spot in 2023. Jones was lackluster in 2022, finishing with a 63.8 defense grade, the 2nd-worst mark from PFF in his career. Most notably, his pass rush grade dropped 29.4 points from 89.8 to 60.4. In other words: there’s a reason the Raiders selected Wilson at 7th overall when they had needs at every level of the defense. Even if Jones does steal playing time from Wilson in 2023, the out in his contract in 2024 ($8.4 million savings) means he’s almost certainly gone, clearing the lane entirely for the rookie, who is currently going near the end of the 2nd round in superflex drafts.
Cameron Thomas, EDGE, Cardinals
Opportunity in IDP can be as desirable as talent, which is where Cameron Thomas comes in. A 3rd round selection in 2022, Thomas lost playing time lost the likes of Markus Golden and Zach Allen last year. But now Golden and Allen are gone, and so is JJ Watt through retirement. Thomas notched 3 sacks on just 236 snaps, and while I’m not saying he’ll be a double-digit sack guy in 2023, he’s definitely a guy worth stashing in deeper leagues. Someone has to produce along that Arizona defensive line, and at DL130 in redraft, Thomas is a cheap flier worth checking out.
Arden Key, EDGE, Titans
If you check your waivers, I bet Key is available. The newest addition to the Tennessee pass-rushing group had 4.5 sacks in 2022 on just 475 snaps. This lack of playing time is understandable given he was playing alongside Josh Allen and #1 overall pick Travon Walker (who both played 77% of snaps) in Jacksonville. Playing alongside Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, and a (hopefully) healthy Harold Landry, Key might not get a lot more playing time than he did in 2022 but a small bump would help. The good news? you won’t have to pay much for this lottery ticket: if he’s not on waivers, Adam has him around Khalil Mack, an IDP with way more name cache.
EJ Speed, LB, Colts
Zaire Franklin is going as LB6 in our best ball drafts, while Shaq Leonard is (somehow) going as LB7. Meanwhile, the guy who will be backing up both of them, EJ Speed, is going as LB79. Given the injury track record with Leonard, it makes sense to me to throw a dart late in the draft on a guy who could see playing time in 2023. And if he does, he’s in an extremely profitable role for IDP. In the two games when he played more than 30 snaps in 2022, he scored 18.45 and 16 points. So it’s not a pure projection to say Speed could excel if forced into a full-time role.
Rashaan Evans, LB, Free Agent
We know Evans will sign with a team. It’s just a matter of when. Coming off of a career-high 160 tackle season in which he had 10 double-digit tackle games, Evans will be useful for us in IDP in 2023. That’s why he’s going as LB51 in best ball (which is admittedly too high) and is 190 overall in Adam’s rankings. It’s possible Evans has been dropped by a manager looking to grab rostered players. If that’s the case, grab Evans now before he signs with a team. You won’t regret it.
Camryn Bynum, S, Vikings
Are we sure Bynum isn’t the safety to roster from Minnesota alongside Harrison Smith? His PPG jumped to 7.9 in 2022 (it was 4.1 in 2021) and his price tag is much lower for redraft compared to Lewis Cine: DB117 vs. DB51. Cine is an unknown quantity at this point having suffered a season-ending compound fracture in October. Although he’s healthy and has been a full participant at OTAs, I’m not willing to pay sticker price for Cine when I can take the discount on a proven commodity in Bynum, who had 4 double-digit scoring outputs in 2022. Then there’s Harrison Smith, who’s 34 and has been a cut candidate this offseason. So even if Cine does beat out Bynum for the role opposite Smith in 2023, they could co-exist post-Smith.
Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Jaguars
In 2022, Rayshawn single-handedly walked me into many playoff semifinals and finals as he was an animal down the stretch. I love the nice floor (6.8 tackles per game in 2022) and huge upside (49.4 points in Week 15) that Jenkins provides my squads. Not much should change schematically for the Jaguars in 2023 (who retained their defensive coordinator, Mike Caldwell) or on the personnel front (the team didn’t drastically improve its secondary). The dynasty value is definitely in the next 1-2 years for Jenkins, but that’s pretty solid for an older DB.
Kevin Byard, S, Titans
Byard is forgotten in many IDP circles… but why? In what some are calling a “down year” for Byard, he still had 106 tackles and 4 INTs. What more do you want from a DB? Playing behind two young LBs in Monty Rice and Azeez Al-Shaair should provide plenty of tackle opportunities for Byard, who played 53.5% of his 2022 snaps in the sweet spot. As with Jenkins, the nearly 30-year-old Byard’s value in dynasty is probably in the next couple years. But at DB26 in redraft and falling down dynasty startup rankings, Byard is a top target for me this offseason.
There you have it: some names from Adam’s dynasty rankings who intrigue me during the 2023 offseason. Who are you targeting in dynasty, redraft, and best ball that isn’t getting enough love? And why? Hit me up on Twitter, I’d love to hear from you!
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