Preston Brown

Brown has a linear skill set – he picks up tackles and does basically nothing else – but at least he will get his tackles. As a pure run-stuffer there is the risk of redundancy and thus playing-time fluctuation given the presence of fellow middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict, but it would be odd if Brown had signed with Cincinnati in free agency absent an assurance of starter snaps. With a yearly average of 128 tackles in his four NFL seasons, Brown will be a safe option so long as he gets snaps.

Double check on Brown's status closer to the season, as there may be some overlap between he and Reggie Ragland, both of whom are regarded as pure MLBs. One could start at middle and the other outside, and both likely would still be useful IDPs, but the matter is unsettled. If Brown sticks as the starter in the middle , though, he'd be locked in as a reliable option. Even with Zach Brown hogging 149 tackles last year, Brown posted a career-high 139 in his age-23 season. The main downside with Brown is that he contributes very little as far as sacks or turnovers.

With Buffalo switching to a proper 3-4 this year after previously deploying an incoherent 3-4 hybrid, Brown should be in position to log his best IDP season yet. He's been quite decent despite the burden of his team's surrounding dysfunction, logging 229 tackles and three interceptions in his first two NFL seasons. Turning just 24 in October, the combination of third-year progression and a more natural scheme give reason to hope fora 130-tackle push from Brown. There generally isn't much reason to expect the thumper to become a sack or interception source, though.

With former teammate Kiko Alonso going down to injury entering last season, Brown was promoted to the Bills' starting lineup as a rookie and ultimately finished as Buffalo's leading tackler with 109 stops (66 solo) on the campaign. The rookie third-rounder also nabbed an interception and recovered a fumble, adding to an outstanding debut season. In fact, Brown's emergence surely factored into Alonso being traded this offseason, leaving him to start as new coach Rex Ryan's main inside linebacker and one that should see the field for all three downs. In that all-important role, Brown’s fantasy stock should continue to climb this season, especially when you consider the strength of the Bills' strong defensive front and its ability to shield blockers from Brown. Although he's yet to claim an NFL sack, Brown still projects as an intriguing high-volume - yet under-the-radar - IDP consideration this fall.

The Bills selected Brown with the 73rd pick in the 2014 draft and are looking at him to contribute right away. You aren't likely to see many sacks from him and it is hard to predict rookie performance, but Brown has upside as another tackling machine in a defense that will need to replace Kiko Alonso's production.