For 2022, I will be coming to you with weekly IDP Sleepers to help you set your lineups. Who should you look at obtaining for your roster before the price skyrockets?
Here are your Week 8 IDP Sleepers, one from each level of the defense.
1. Sam Williams, DL, Dallas Cowboys
Sam Williams was drafted out of Ole Miss in the second round of the NFL draft. He blew up in his senior year in the SEC with 57 tackles (31 solos), 15 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks, 1 pass defended, and a fumble recovery for a TD in his 13 games.
The Cowboys targeted Williams on day two of the NFL draft and got their man with the 56th overall pick. Standing at 6' 4" and weighing in at 265 lbs, they got a physical specimen. He ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash!
Williams also had a 32.5-inch vertical jump and a 123-inch broad jump. He is elite in all categories and now has Demarcus Lawrence to show him the ways of being elite between the lines.
Sharing is Caring
Williams has not played a large percentage of Dan Quinn's defensive lineup snaps. But, he has taken advantage of the opportunities presented to him. Williams has played anywhere from 10% of the defensive snaps to 38% of the defensive snaps, including 23% or more of the defensive snaps in four of the last five weeks.
His three highest percentage snap games were in Weeks 3, 5, and 7. He played a combined 57 snaps in those three games, which is about what a starting defensive lineman would play in one game. Out of those 57 snaps, Williams delivered a very impressive seven solo tackles, three tackles for a loss, three QB hits, two sacks, one pass defended, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
This would purely be a dynasty league move but acquire him now for a significantly reduced price compared to what Williams will be going for prior to the 2023 season. In the past three weeks, Williams is the DE9 and DL20 in my league of record. Compared to the FantasyPros ECR ROS rankings, of which he is not on their list, it is now the time to obtain him.
2. Deion Jones, LB, Cleveland Browns
The Browns have not been happy with the leadership and production of the linebacker position this year. Deion Jones is the newest member of the Cleveland Browns. He has been a high-level junior in the NFL for his six-year career. Jones has achieved 100+ tackles every year except his injury year in 2018 when he only played six games.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old linebacker has a lot of outstanding football left in him. Jones was always top-10 in every year he played and was often challenged for the top spot. I'm not sure why he fell out of favor with the Falcons, and I don't really care. Jones has an incredible opportunity now with the Browns to light up the scoreboard for your IDP team.
Never Tell Me the Odds
Jones played 52% of the snaps in his first action as a Brown. He produced five tackles (four solos) and a tackle for a loss in his 33 snaps. Jacob Phillips suffered a pectoral muscle tear, so odds are that he will likely miss the rest of the 2022 season. Phillips was a 100% snap player, and Jones should take his spot, including wearing the green dot.
If Jones achieves his career average of 7.69 tackles per game, he will be a starter on your squad. If he matches his numbers from 2021 of 8.56 tackles per game, Jones will be your LB1. Then add in a few interceptions, and nine passes defended, and you have a top-12 linebacker in most leagues.
Jones has proven time and time again just how good he is at playing football. The opportunity has been handed to him on a gold platter in Cleveland. Jones has likely been forgotten by previous owners or even released. So, do what you can to obtain Jones and feel confident that the stud results will return this year.
The FantasyPros ECR ROS LB42 will be LB1 in your heart after you win your IDP League Championship.
3. Ryan Neal, DB, Seattle Seahawks
Ryan Neal is a fifth-year safety that has exploded on the scene over the past three weeks. He was probably the easiest pick of sleepers I have done all year. His first four years were nothing special as he started nine of his 33 games played and produced 94 tackles (66 solos), 6 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, 1 sack, 8 passes defended, and 2 interceptions.
Batting Average of 100%
Neal was named the starter before the Week 5 game over Josh Jones. Neal has not let this opportunity slip away. He has had exactly seven tackles in his three starts and six solo tackles in his last two games. In his three games, Neal has combined for a very impressive 21 tackles (14 solo), 1 tackle for a loss, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, 6 passes defended, and an interception.
Neal is the DB1 in my league of record combined over the last three weeks. Unbelievably, he is DB58 in the FantasyPros ECR ROS rankings. He is someone to grab now, as he will keep the starting job for the year. You can see now why he was the easiest sleeper of the year for me.
Thank you for checking out my Week 8 IDP Sleepers article! You can read all of my articles on my IDP Guys author page. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @OldMan_FF and @IDPGuys (we have offense, too), and please consider becoming a subscriber!
