When do I take my first IDP Player in a Draft?

So, you are coming up on a draft, and want to know when you should start thinking about drafting that first IDP player. Questions need to be answered first. Is this a new IDP fantasy football league? Is it a Dynasty Startup, Redraft, Dispersal, or Rookie draft? What size is your league? Are your league mates IDP intelligent?

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[QB][RB][WR][TE][DT][EDGE][LB][DB]

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Let's get some answers for your IDP drafts!

For Redraft, Dynasty Startup, and Dispersal drafts:

In redraft leagues, let's look at the size of the league first. Is this league a 10-team, 12-team, 14-team, 16-team, or 32-team with two copies of each player. Typically, the smaller the league, the later the IDP players start going. This would be because of the rounds having fewer players selected in your IDP Format.

Look at and know the scoring in your league. Is it PPR, 1/2 PPR, or zero PPR? This will push WRs down the rankings with zero PPR. Is it Superflex? If so, QBs will fill the first couple of rounds. Is it TE Premium? This will push TEs up the rankings if it is. How many players do you start? Are there multiple flex options? If you have to start three WRs, they will be pushed up the rankings. If you only start one QB or RB, they will not be as important and will be down the rankings.

Offensive scoring and defensive scoring matter in rankings.

Now that you know the scoring and lineup requirements for the offense, let's look at the IDP scoring and lineup requirements. Are you starting four IDPs or are you starting eleven IDPs? The higher the starters, the higher in drafts they will be selected. Is your scoring system Balanced Offense/Defense, Tackle Premium, or Big Play Premium? Any of these scoring systems will push IDP players up the IDP rankings. Does your league start DT, DE, LB, CB, and Safety or do they start DL, LB, and DB? Is the scoring based on position or is it the same scoring regardless of position?

The answers provide your drafting strategy.

With a 10-Team League with .5 PPR, Superflex, and TE Premium with a full 9-11 IDP lineup required, the first IDP player should be selected in the 8th or 9th round. In a 16-team league with the same settings, the first IDP player would go in the 5th or 6th round. The rounds they are picked will be even higher in any of the above BOD, Tackle Premium, or Big Play Premium scoring systems. You can get a good idea of when to look at drafting your IDP options by looking at the previous year's scoring overall. In the Top 100, how many IDP players are listed? How many IDP players are in the Top 25?

When drafting, and there is not much difference in the WRs left, go to your DE or LB rankings and see if one is better than the rest. This is when you will want to draft your first IDP player. For example, the league is a big play scoring system with sacks, tackles for a loss, and turnovers counting in the 6-8 point range. Target the DEs/Edge players around pick numbers 40-50. Try to be the start of a run, not the end. If you start the run, your WR options will still be there in the next round as the other teams will then start selecting their IDP players.

How to prepare for the IDP Players in a Rookie Draft

Rookie drafts will be different as there is usually a big falloff somewhere in the first round of can't-miss prospects. This year in Superflex rookie drafts, the falloff happens around pick 1.07 or 1.08 depending on what you read. With this info, IDP players will start to be selected in the 2nd round. Look at the landing spot, depth chart, and draft capital of players for clarity of playing time in their rookie season.

In conclusion, When to pick the first IDP Player depends on a lot of different factors.

In smaller 10-12 team leagues, wait until the 8th or 9th round for basic scoring systems and lower starter requirements. Accordingly, for the larger leagues, wait until the 5th or 6th round. If you have a BOD, Tackle Premium, or Big Play Premium scoring system, the first IDP player should be drafted about 3 rounds earlier in smaller leagues and 2 rounds earlier in larger leagues. Also, for the league with a Big Play Premium system and 11 IDP starters, DE/Flex will probably start going at around pick 40-50. But, the Tackle Premium leagues will have the LBs going with picks 40-50.

All in all, find a league that rewards IDP with relevant scoring first, then have your players ready to get drafted at the beginning of a run in rounds 4-5 in smaller leagues and round 3 in larger leagues.

Don't Forget The Rookies! Top Rookie Prospects by Position

[QB] [WR] [RB] [TE] [DT] [DE] [EDGE] [LB] [S] [CB]

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