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 Zero IDP Sleepers, one from each level of the defense.
1. A'Shawn Robinson, DE, Los Angeles Rams
A'Shawn Robinson is my sleeper candidate for a DE for Week Zero — the empty weekend between preseason and the regular season. How big of an IDP sleeper is Robinson? He is ranked #344 overall on the IDPGuys.org rankings.
Robinson has been forgotten in the defensive line ranks. Depending on the platform you use for your leagues, he could be listed as a defensive tackle or a defensive end. Either way, Robinson is a tackling machine.
On MFL (myfantasyleague.com) and Robinson is listed as a defensive end. He ranked eighth out of DEs last year. Robinson missed training camp and the first half of the year in 2020 due to a cardiovascular condition. After playing his first four years in the league with the Detroit Lions, 2020 was his first year with the Rams.
Robinson averaged 47 tackles (33 solos) during his final three years with the Lions. He's not much of a tackle for a loss or a sack guy, as Robinson averaged just three tackles for a loss, four QB hits, and one sack during those same three years. After his cardiovascular scare in 2020, he had the best year of his career last year in 2021.
Robinson has a Top 10 IDP DE year in 2021.
During the 2021 season, Robinson produced tackles at a great rate. While he doesn't get the splash plays of the tackles for a loss or the sacks, his tackle production was elite for a defensive lineman. Robinson had 67 tackles (33 solos), 2 tackles for a loss, 2 QB hits, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. If he does start reaching the QB, he could reach top-five status.
Robinson is just 27 years old and in his career's prime. I can see him increasing his tackle numbers by 10% and doubling his sack count. He will be a starter for you every week of the 2022 season. Don't delay in trying to obtain him in your league.
2. David Long, LB, Tennessee Titans
David Long is the sleeper from the LB category because he has increased his playing time and his tackles dramatically in each of his three years with the Tennessee Titans. He was a sixth-round choice in the 2019 NFL draft.
As a rookie, Long played a total of 67 defensive snaps and played special teams in 14 games. In 2020, he started the last five games of the season and posted 40 tackles (22 solos), 1 tackle for a loss, and 1 pass defended.
Long worked hard and earned the starting LB spot for the 2021 season. After missing Week One with a hamstring injury, he started in Weeks two through nine before reinjuring his hamstring. This time, the hamstring injury was more severe and Long missed the next six games. When he returned to health, Long returned to the starting lineup for Weeks 16-17 and the playoffs.
On a per-game average last year, Long ranked #18, which was just behind Logan Wilson and Fred Warner. Being #18 was also good enough to beat T.J. Watt. In the 10 games Long played, he was a true three-down LB, playing 99% of the defensive snaps. In those 10 games, he produced 75 tackles (46 solos), 4 tackles for a loss, 2 QB hits, 6 passes defended, and 2 interceptions.
David Long is ready to blow up in 2022 as a Top 10 LB
Long increased his production each of his three years by 50%. He averaged eight tackles per game in 2021, which would have put him at 127 tackles had he played all 17 games. A 50% increase for year four of Long's career would put him at 190 tackles with 117 of them being solo. He should also deliver 8 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 10 passes defended, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
If Long plays all 17 games at that projected rate of delivery, it would put him solidly in the top 12 scoring LBs. IDPGuys has him ranked as the 28th LB and I have him projected as LB one instead LB three. I highly recommend that you price check this IDP sleeper's value and obtain him if at all possible.
3. Grant Delpit, S, Cleveland Browns
Grant Delpit will be the starting free safety for the Cleveland Browns to open the 2022 season. Last year's starter, Ronnie Harrison, will back him up. Delpit, my candidate for the safety sleeper was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
After missing his entire rookie campaign with a ruptured Achilles, Delpit bounced back to participate in last year's training camp to earn some very meaningful snaps during the 2021 season. After Ronnie Harrison hurt his ankle in week 12, Delpit got the start for the Brown's final six games that he played.
In those six games, Delpit delivered a very nice 39 tackles (27 solos), 2 tackles for a loss, 1 pass defended, and an interception. Those numbers were good enough to have Delpit at the top of the depth chart during the 2022 training camp.
If he just keeps pace with his 2021 per game stats, Delpit should produce a very nice 110 tackles (76 solos), 9 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, 3 sacks, 9 passes defended, 3 interceptions, and a couple of forced fumbles.
Grant Delpit will deliver a top 10 safety season in 2022.
Saying that Delpit will post numbers that would put him solidly in the top five scoring safeties for 2022 might be a little too rich for some's liking. You really can't base a whole year off of just a six-game sample. Or can you? Let's reduce this sleeper's projected numbers by 10% and you still have a top 10 safety.
IDP Guys has him ranked as the #61 safety on the board. This is screaming value through all IDP leagues nationwide. Price check him in all of your IDP leagues and see if you can get him on your rosters for an incredible value.
Check out IDP Sleepers for a list of 32 IDP Sleepers - one for each NFL team.
Thank you for checking out my Week 0 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!
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