This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
This is the last of a three-article series running before August that will help IDP owners find outstanding values on draft day. Obviously, IDP drafts come in all shapes and sizes, so players ranked in the Rotowire season-long positional preseason rankings with standard scoring are featured. Then, the players whom we have ranked well above their preseason ADP are listed as the best players to target in drafts. Obviously, if there are specific players who you must have, like an Aaron Donald or Khalil Mack, you'll be using a premium pick to acquire them, but the purpose of this article will be to help you determine when you can focus on other positions, such as offense, before adding productive IDPs to your roster.
Top-12 Defensive Backs
The great news is that if you don't want to pay up for the most-expensive defensive backs on the board, you can wait to see when the top-end players are selected and still get an elite talent. Coming in at third in our rankings is Keanu Neal, who is usually drafted after eight defensive backs have been selected. If you really want to have a dominant pair of DBs, our seventh-ranked player is Antoine Bethea, who has an ADP after the top-14 DBs have been drafted. Based on the value of these two players, you should be able to come away with one of them, but if you still need a top starter, Jordan Poyer is the ninth defensive back on
This is the last of a three-article series running before August that will help IDP owners find outstanding values on draft day. Obviously, IDP drafts come in all shapes and sizes, so players ranked in the Rotowire season-long positional preseason rankings with standard scoring are featured. Then, the players whom we have ranked well above their preseason ADP are listed as the best players to target in drafts. Obviously, if there are specific players who you must have, like an Aaron Donald or Khalil Mack, you'll be using a premium pick to acquire them, but the purpose of this article will be to help you determine when you can focus on other positions, such as offense, before adding productive IDPs to your roster.
Top-12 Defensive Backs
The great news is that if you don't want to pay up for the most-expensive defensive backs on the board, you can wait to see when the top-end players are selected and still get an elite talent. Coming in at third in our rankings is Keanu Neal, who is usually drafted after eight defensive backs have been selected. If you really want to have a dominant pair of DBs, our seventh-ranked player is Antoine Bethea, who has an ADP after the top-14 DBs have been drafted. Based on the value of these two players, you should be able to come away with one of them, but if you still need a top starter, Jordan Poyer is the ninth defensive back on our board, and he's typically selected as DB13, and if you can't get any of these, no worries, Clayton Geathers is not only our 11th-ranked DB, but he's largely going unnoticed in drafts, as he's usually on the board after 30 defensive backs have been chosen.
Second-Tier DBs
If you either need depth or if you choose to wait later to address this position, Damarious Randall, Vonn Bell, Reshad Jones and Malcolm Jenkins fall in between the 13th and 17th range in our positional rakings, and each is usually available after 27 DBs have been drafted. There's no reason you can't come away with as much help as you may need in this range.
In addition, and still in our top-24 defensive backs, Adrian Phillips (19), Justin Simmons (22) and Lamarcus Joyner (24) are great values, each with an ADP at or after DB50.
Deep-League Options
In many leagues where not much depth is drafted, owners should be in good shape with the players listed above, but if you still need more roster spots filled, we have identified eight DBs who are in our top-36, but each is typically drafted after the top-58 at their position. The players to target in this range are T.J. McDonald, Morgan Burnett, Sean Davis, Justin Evans Jordan Whitehead, Jeff Heath, Quandre Diggs and Devin McCourty.
For those who need to go even deeper at this position, Josh Jones, Quinton Dunbar, Logan Ryan, Eric Weddle, Patrick Chung and TJ Carrie typically go undrafted in most leagues, but each is ranked in our top-50 DBs.
With plenty of values at defensive back, there are a number of strategies that can be effective in your IDP draft that will allow you to roster undervalued players who could end up competing with the majority of top players at their position. Good luck on draft day!
