Blake Martinez

Martinez visibly struggled for the Packers toward the end of the 2019 season, but his strong showing with the Giants in 2020 demonstrates that the issue was Green Bay's scheme rather than Martinez's abilities. The Giants defense was strong last season, and Martinez was a primary contributor, exceeding 150 tackles for the second consecutive year and 140 tackles for the fourth year in a row. While he probably can't match the upside of Devin White or Darius Leonard, Martinez is a blue-chip IDP and a distinguished LB1 in almost any format.

Signed to a three-year deal in March, Martinez is a prolific tackler and was even able to rack up eight sacks over the last two seasons in Green Bay. He'll slot in as one of the Giants' starting inside linebackers and is a good bet to be among the NFL leaders in tackles, making him one of the better bets for linebacker IDPs.

Martinez might not offer the explosive playmaking abilities of other linebackers, but his tackle production the last two years is compelling. Last year's 144-tackle season was his second in a row, only this time he upped his sack total from one to five. It's greedy to ask for another five sacks in 2019, but another 140-plus tackles seems an entirely modest request. His tackle rate was actually a little higher in 2017, when he hit 144 on 67 fewer snaps, so if he plays another 1,049 snaps like last year the tackle total should reach 150.

Martinez's rookie-year numbers (69 tackles in 13 games) didn't scream of an imminent breakout, but a closer look reveals a few hints at least. He posted those 69 tackles with just 438 defensive snaps, so that he eclipsed 144 tackles last year on 982 snaps was fairly warned. It's a reminder of how opportunity is the greatest currency in fantasy – you probably didn't put money on Martinez hitting 140 tackles last year, but you might have if you were given a guarantee that his snaps would more than double. Now an established three-down player, Martinez should be locked in.

A fourth-round pick out of Stanford last year, Martinez proved a quick study as a rookie, arguably establishing himself as the team's top inside linebacker almost out of the gate. Despite missing three games with an MCL sprain, Martinez accumulated 69 stops while playing just 438 defensive snaps. Some of his tackles were made on his 133 special teams snaps, but he should still reach triple-digit tackles if he plays 900 defensive snaps in 2017. It's difficult to identify any competition at linebacker in Green Bay to block him from that outcome.

A fourth-round pick in this year's draft, Martinez has drawn rave reviews over the course of the offseason and has seen extensive work with Green Bay's starting unit in each of the team's base, nickel and dime defenses. Most significant is the rookie's deployment in dime packages, as he is the lone inside linebacker on the field in such a scenario. The latter may suggest that Martinez has a leg up on his competition, that being Jake Ryan and the injury-prone Sam Barrington, but, at press time, neither inside linebacker role has been claimed. However, should Martinez win out, he could very well pose as a sneaky IDP option in 2016 if can remain the team's preferred option at ILB in both pass and run scenarios.