Top 24 Dynasty Edge Rushers (#13-24)

There's been an influx of young, talented edge rushers in recent years. Which ones should you target in dynasty? Let's dive into the back half of the top 24.

Jul 07, 2022

As the debate rages on about whether to go DL or LB early in your startup drafts, there’s one fact we know to be universally true: you want a stud edge rusher on your team. Big play scoring or not, those blow-up games—like when Chandler Jones erupted for 5 sacks against the Titans—can singlehandedly win you weeks.

Listen to us talk about these edge rushers on the podcast.

In dynasty leagues, you have to walk a fine line between rostering proven pass rushers along with guys who seem poised to explode. We recently covered the top 24 dynasty edge rushers on our podcast, and in this blog post, we’ll hit #13-24 from that list.

24. Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts)

In dynasty leagues, youth tends to be valued over nearly everything else. With that in mind, most of the guys you see on this list will be from the 2018 class or sooner. And the closer you are to their draft year, the more the word “projection” comes into play.

Exhibit A: Kwity Paye, who played a decent amount last year but didn’t light the world on fire. Coming into Year 2, the projection for the former 1st rounder is solid EDGE2 production, with the possibility of occasional EDGE1 weekly upside.

23. Azeez Ojulari (New York Giants)

If “projection” was the operative word with Paye, then “consistency” is what it’s all about with Ojulari. We saw the potential early on, with 5.5 of his 8 sacks coming in the first 7 weeks, including the 2.5 sack explosion vs. the Panthers. But he struggled to hold that form down the stretch, only totaling 2 double-digit performances in his last 10 games. Potential and youth, however, earn him a spot in the top 24.

22. Demarcus Lawrence (Dallas Cowboys)

Lawrence missed the majority of 2021 after breaking a metatarsal in a midweek practice in Week 2. But after his return in Week 13, he was gold for dynasty managers (except during championship week… oof). Having recently turned 30, who knows if we’ll see Lawrence back in the top 24 again next offseason, but don’t let that stop you from acquiring him this offseason. With elite-level production still in his immediate future, he’s almost a must-add on the cheap for any contending roster.

21. Gregory Rousseau (Buffalo Bills)

All the talent in the world won’t help us for IDP if you can’t get on the field. So Buffalo’s frustrating desire to rotate their entire defensive front consistently in 2021 was much to the chagrin of those with Rousseau on their rosters. It was very feast or famine, but the hope is Rousseau will see more steady playing time in 2022. That’s not a given, but it is likely after Buffalo’s losses along the defensive line in free agency. If that happens, Rousseau goes from being a guy you only want on your best ball teams to a guy you’re happy to slot into your lineup every week for years to come.

20. Montez Sweat (Washington Commanders)

The 2019 1st rounder had a rough 2021, and his positioning here is more to do with what we saw from him in 2020—when he put up 9 sacks and averaged over 13 PPG—than the lackluster performance last season. Sweat is an athletic freak, and when healthy has game-wrecking ability, but he also has only shown us a full season’s worth of decent scoring. So, once in his 3-year career. Because of this variance between his ceiling and floor, we can’t justify putting him any higher.

19. Odafe Oweh (Baltimore Ravens)

The 3rd 2022 sophomore on the list so far, Oweh’s outlook is almost a hybrid of Paye and Ojulari. We’re definitely projecting for him, as even though he played 65% of snaps, he only started in 2 of his 15 games played. And we’re also looking for more consistency, as to start the 2021 season, he scored 14 or more points in 4 out of his first 5 games, a mark he only crested twice more in his remaining 10 games played.

Find more dynasty edge rushers in The IDP Draft Kit: theidpdraftkit.com

18. Travon Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars)

The Walker pick left a fair bit of confusion in its wake, especially when he was taken over Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux… but Baalke gonna Baalke! Walker landed in a decent position having dodged the disaster that was Suburban Meyer’s brief tenure and becoming part of a defensive rotation with next to no competition for playing time opposite Josh Allen. Walker does have the ability to play inside, and this could cap his upside if they choose to do that with him. That said, testing athletically off the charts, being young, and going as the #1 overall pick is enough to get you a spot inside the top 24, even if your college production left a bit to be desired.

17. Shaquil Barrett (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Let’s start with the obvious: Shaq Barrett is a baller. The only reason he’s sitting at #17 on this list is that he’s turning 30 halfway through this coming season. If Barrett was half a decade younger, he’d be a top 5 guy. The Bucs re-upped Barrett with a new 4-year deal after winning the Super Bowl, and there’s no contract out until after the 2023 season. What this tells us is that for the next two seasons, he’ll have the opportunity to put up his regular top 12 numbers. If there’s any discount at all, go get Barrett.

16. Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals)

Hendrickson is a curious case. Back-to-back seasons of 13+ sacks and single-digit scoring in just 3 of his 16 games played in 2021. He’s an elite pass rusher who’s still only 27 and yet the reason you’re seeing him here at #16 is that he’s never put up big tackle numbers, averaging just 29.5 the past 2 seasons. In bestball leagues that utilize big play scoring, he’s a top 10 target at DL—evidenced by the fact his ADP is DL8 in the 3 bestball drafts we’ve done this offseason. Sacks are the least sticky stat in terms of IDP scoring and that snap share is a little worrying (68% in 2022), but Hendrickson has shown he has a nose for the QB, and we expect that to continue in 2022.

15. Harold Landry (Tennessee Titans)

Speaking of nose for the quarterback: ladies and gentlemen, Harold Landry. Unlike Hendrickson, Landry also has the tackle floor, averaging 72 tackles the past 2 seasons. So on weeks where he doesn’t get a sack, you’re not left looking at a 0.

At only 26, his best years could still be ahead of him, as there’s no competition for snaps, and he’s not having to do it all on his own with Bud Dupree and Jeffrey Simmons both being competent pass rushers, too. Last season might have closed any buy-low windows that existed, however, so if you haven’t managed to get him on your roster, you could be on the outside looking in… unless you want to pay up.

14. Marcus Davenport (New Orleans Saints)

Finally! We’d seen hints of greatness from “Carb Face” here and there, but we finally appeared to get the Marcus Davenport breakout in 2021. The only issue in 2021 was the inability to stay healthy and be on the field consistently. Unfortunately, we can’t predict perfect health for Davenport this coming year either, with a late offseason shoulder surgery in June, and the amputation of the tip of his pinky finger. However, with Davenport in a contract year, we can hope that when he does get out there, he hits the ground running and picks up where he left off in 2021.

13. Rashan Gary (Green Bay Packers)

Speaking of 2021 breakouts, Gary gave dynasty managers what they’d been waiting for since drafting him in 2019. It wasn’t the prettiest breakout—his game log lacked any sort of consistency, so you probably celebrated this breakout more if you had Gary in bestball. Don’t be dissuaded, though: he’s only 24 and entering his 4th season, so there’s still room for growth (especially with that 68% snap share).