IDP One-Man Mock With Multiple Personalities

For those of you in fantasy football IDP leagues (Individual Defensive Player), it can be hard to find content that helps you decide when you should draft defenders in your drafts, and when you should expect others to select them. To help you through this process, we are going to conduct a one-man mock with IDP players included.

However, a simple one-man mock won't give you the best idea of how your draft will go. One man drafting for every team with one strategy for all will not give you a realistic feel for how a real draft with various personalities and draft strategies will go. That is why this one-man mock will be a little different than others.

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Meet the Squad

In this one-man mock, one analyst (me) will be putting on a different personality for each of the 10 teams drafting. Those different strategies/characters are as follows:

1. The Steady Eddies- This team will embody your old-school analyst views on drafting. That means they won't usually invest in risky players or a lot of rookies. Think of ESPN's Eric Karabell as the captain of this ship;
2. The Mavericks- This is one of two unpredictable risk-takers participating in this mock. They do not shy away from injured players, streaky players, or boom-or-bust types;
3. The Hype Trains- This team will be prone to hype, big names, and hyperbole;
4. Zero RB 4 Life- This team employs the zero running back theory;
5. The Best Players Available- This team will traditionally draft the best player on their board, regardless of position;
6. Half-Back 2 Da Future- This team goes running back heavy early;
7. The Basic B's- This team prints off an analyst's draft rankings and they draft from that almost exclusively;
8. The Wild Cards- This is The Mavericks' twin. They are also risky and unpredictable drafters. There is always one, if not two, of these types in any draft;
9. Jack Reacher- Reacher will always try to get his guy, often a round or two higher than expected;
10. The Trend Setters- This team will start runs at positions like QB and TE. They will value securing the best player(s) at a position, whether those positions are deep or not.

With our various personalities explained, let us note that the offensive scoring and roster setup in this mock league is traditional. That means this league will start one QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE, two FLEX, one DL, one LB, one DB, and one IDP-FLEX. This league also uses the 'standard IDP scoring' system, which awards one point for a solo tackle, a half-point for a half tackle, two points for a PD or FR, three points for a sack, and four points for an INT or FF.

With all of this established, let us get to the picks.

 

Rounds 1 & 2

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
1	1	Steady Eddies	Christian McCaffery	Panthers	RB
1	2	Mavericks	Saquan Barkley	Giants	RB
1	3	Hype Trains	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	RB
1	4	Zero RB 4 Life	Michael Thomas	Saints	WR
1	5	Best Players Available	Alvin Kamara	Saints	RB
1	6	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Derrick Henry	Titans	RB
1	7	Basic B's	Davante Adams	Packers	WR
1	8	Wild Card	Josh Jacobs	Raiders	RB
1	9	Jack Reacher	Joe Mixon	Bengals	RB
1	10	Trend Setters	Tyreek Hill	Chiefs	WR
2	11	Trend Setters	Patrick Mahomes	Chiefs	QB
2	12	Jack Reacher	Lamar Jackson	Ravens	QB
2	13	Wild Card	Dalvin Cook	Vikings	RB
2	14	Basic B's	Nick Chubb	Browns	RB
2	15	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	Chiefs	RB
2	16	Best Players Available	DeAndre Hopkins	Cardinals	WR
2	17	Zero RB 4 Life	George Kittle	49ers	TE
2	18	Hype Trains	Chris Godwin	Bucs	WR
2	19	Mavericks	Odell Beckham Jr.	Browns	WR
2	20	Steady Eddies	Julio Jones	Falcons	WR

One note worth making in these first two rounds is that both Pat Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are likely to go much earlier than most analysts, including myself, would advise. If you play with people who like to get the "best player at his position," know that they are prime candidates to take Mahomes or Jackson in the top-20 picks. Don't buy into that trend, even in super-flex and dynasty leagues, however. Sit back and let others make these moves. Focus your attention on elite RBs and WRs early.

It is also worth noting that Dalvin Cook's holdout has him sliding into the second round of most fantasy drafts right now, and this mock reflects that. Cook's fall is an understandable trend, as his injury history and potential holdout are worrisome in both redraft and dynasty leagues. Do not overestimate how far Cook should fall, however. It is June, and there is still plenty of time for the Vikings to come to an agreement with the player they have repeatedly identified as a franchise cornerstone. If you can get this FSU product in the late first or early second round, you should jump on him. He is risky, but he was also the second-best fantasy back in 2019 when healthy. That kind of potential rarely falls outside of the first round.

 

Rounds 3-5

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
3	21	Steady Eddies	Kenyan Drake	Cardinals	RB
3	22	Mavericks	Austin Ekelar	Chargers	RB
3	23	Hype Trains	Miles Sanders	Eagles	RB
3	24	Zero RB 4 Life	Mike Evans	Bucs	WR
3	25	Best Players Available	Aaron Jones	Packers	RB
3	26	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	RB
3	27	Basic B's	Adam Thielen	Vikings	WR
3	28	Wild Card	JuJu Smith-Schuster	Steelers	WR
3	29	Jack Reacher	A.J. Brown	Titans	WR
3	30	Trend Setters	Kenny Golladay	Lions	WR
3	31	Trend Setters	Leonard Fournette	Jaguars	RB
4	32	Jack Reacher	Jonathan Taylor	Colts	RB
4	33	Wild Card	D.J. Moore	Panthers	WR
4	34	Basic B's	Le' Veon Bell	Jets	RB
4	35	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Chris Carson	Seahawks	RB
4	36	Best Players Available	Allen Robinson	Bears	WR
4	37	Zero RB 4 Life	Todd Gurley	Falcons	RB
4	38	The Hype Trains	Calvin Ridley	Falcons	WR
4	39	Mavericks	David Johnson	Texans	RB
4	40	Steady Eddies	James Conner	Steelers	RB
5	41	Steady Eddies	Cooper Kupp	Rams	WR
5	42	Mavericks	Kyler Murray	Cardinals	QB
5	43	The Hype Trains	Mark Andrews	Ravens	TE
5	44	Zero RB 4 Life	Amari Cooper	Cowboys	WR
5	45	Best Players Available	Stefon Diggs	Bills	WR
5	46	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Robert Woods	Rams	WR
5	47	Basic B's	Melvin Gordon	Broncos	RB
5	48	Wild Card	Cam Akers	Rams	RB
5	49	Jack Reacher	D.K. Metcalf	Seahawks	WR
5	50	Trend Setters	Raheem Mostert	49ers	RB

Even if his best blocker (Brandon Brooks) is out for the season, Miles Sanders is going to go high. How high should he go, though? Remember that Sanders' touches and efficiency, both at the goal and elsewhere, were all over the place last year. He is a talented player, but the loss of Brooks, the history of Doug Pederson backfield timeshares, and Sanders' inefficiency near the goal are all reasons to fade him out of the top-25 picks. He may go in the top-20 picks of your draft, but you should think twice about being the person that makes that pick. Picks 23-30 are a better range for his risk/reward profile.

The Steady Eddies get excellent value at the end of the fourth in James Conner, even if he isn't going amongst the top-40 picks in most current drafts. Pittsburgh's history of using one primary RB and Mike Tomlin's offseason comments about Conner being that lead tells us this Pitt Panther is a prime bounce-back candidate in 2020. While the Steelers' primary back is going behind rushers who carry just as much risk as he does (see David Johnson and Le' Veon Bell), Conner could end up the better player in redrafts and dynasties. Conner's age, upside, and blocking are all more attractive than Bell or Johnson.

The Hype Trains take a risk by passing on Amari Cooper (who was a top-10 WR last year) for Calvin Ridley. In doing so, the Hype Trains buy into the narrative that Ridley will see elite usage this season, and some of your league members will buy this hype too. This Crimson Tide star is a former first-round draft pick who was on pace to be WR16 in PPR settings and WR14 in standard leagues before injuries hit him last year. WR15 may be the ceiling for Ridley, however. Remember that Julio Jones will still get 160 targets from 'Matty Ice' while Russell Gage, Hayden Hurst, and Todd Gurley are all receiving buzz about their roles in this offense. That competition for targets could keep Ridley as a low-end WR2 in 2020, and his week-to-week inconsistency could continue for a third straight year.

 

Rounds 6-9: Defenders Appear!

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
6	51	Trend Setters	Zach Ertz	Eagles	TE
6	52	Jack Reacher	Kareem Hunt	Browns	RB
6	53	Wild Card	Terry McLaurin	Redskins	WR
6	54	Basic B's	David Montgomery	Bears	RB
6	55	Half-Back 2 Da Future	D'Andre Swift	Lions	RB
6	56	Best Players Available	Courtland Sutton	Broncos	WR
6	57	Zero RB 4 Life	Dak Prescott	Cowboys	QB
6	58	Hype Trains	Deshaun Watson	Texans	QB
6	59	Mavericks	Deebo Samuel	49ers	WR
6	60	Steady Eddies	Mark Ingram II	Ravens	RB
7	61	Steady Eddies	Keenan Allen	Chargers	WR
7	62	Mavericks	Darren Waller	Raiders	TE
7	63	Hype Trains	Devin Singletary	Bills	RB
7	64	Zero RB 4 Life	J.K. Dobbins	Ravens	RB
7	65	Best Players Available	D.J. Chark	Jaguars	WR
7	66	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Tyler Locket	Seahawks	WR
7	67	Basic B's	DeVante Parker	Dolphins	WR
7	68	Wild Card	Alexander Mattison	Vikings	RB
7	69	Jack Reacher	Rob Gronkowski	Bucs	TE
7	70	Trend Setters	Darius Leonard	Colts	LB
8	71	Trend Setters	Ke’Shawn Vaughn	Bucs	RB
8	72	Jack Reacher	Joey Bosa	Chargers	DE
8	73	Wild Card	Russell Wilson	Seahawks	QB
8	74	Basic B's	A.J. Green	Bengals	WR
8	75	Half-Back 2 Da Future	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	WR
8	76	Best Players Available	Evan Engram	Giants	TE
8	77	Zero RB 4 Life	Jarvis Landry	Browns	WR
8	78	Hype Trains	Michael Gallup	Cowboys	WR
8	79	Mavericks	Julian Edelman	Patriots	WR
8	80	Steady Eddies	Hunter Henry	Chargers	TE
9	81	Steady Eddies	Tyler Boyd	Bengals	WR
9	82	Mavericks	Will Fuller V	Texans	WR
9	83	Hype Trains	Marquise Brown	Ravens	WR
9	84	Zero RB 4 Life	Darius Slayton	Giants	WR
9	85	Best Players Available	Derrius Guice	Redskins	RB
9	86	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Tom Brady	Bucs	QB
9	87	Basic B's	Tarik Cohen	Bears	RB
9	88	Wild Card	Bobby Wagner	Seahawks	LB
9	89	Jack Reacher	Cory Littleton	Raiders	LB
9	90	Trend Setters	CeeDee Lamb	Cowboys	WR

FINALLY, we see some defenders come off the board!

Darius Leonard is the only defender worthy of a top-75 fantasy selection. The Colts' star defender may even be worth taking even higher than that. One could easily argue that Leonard's lead at the top of the LB position is more established and substantial than the edge CMC has on his fellow top-tier RBs, or that Michael Thomas has on the WR group.

Joey Bosa and Cory Littleton are defenders who join Leonard and Bobby Wagner as reasonable top-90 selections in this mock. Jack Reacher secures them both thanks to his willingness to spend prime picks on players he doesn't want to miss out on by waiting. While it is not a reach to select Bosa and Littleton in this range, many will prefer to grab offensive players like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Noah Fant before they take their first defenders.

One general lesson to learn from this early run on defenders is that defenders in IDP are not the same as your standard D/ST units. Smart owners usually wait until the later rounds to draft even the best D/ST units, but IDP defenders are different. Elite defenders are worth taking higher than you would expect. Project the Trend Setters, Jack Reachers, and Wild Cards in your leagues to start runs on defenders in these rounds.

It is also worth noting the recent news that Deebo Samuel broke his foot, as that the injury could sideline him through all of camp. This injury has him falling out of the top-55 picks in this mock, but a variety of factors could influence his draft position come August. If the reports are accurate that Samuel could be back by Week 1 and in great shape, he may deserve to go in the top-50 picks. However, if the former Gamecock re-aggravates his foot or shows up out of shape, he could fall out of the top-70 selections in redrafts. Keep an eye on Samuel's recovery and his conditioning. Remember that South Carolina Head Coach Will Muschamp warned the 49ers about the receiver's lax conditioning habits during the 2019 draft process.

 

Rounds 10-13

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
10	91	Trend Setters	Jerry Jeudy	Broncos	WR
10	92	Jack Reacher	Justin Jefferson	Vikings	WR
10	93	Wild Card	Noah Fant	Broncos	TE
10	94	Basic B's	Tyler Higbee	Rams	TE
10	95	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Damien Williams	Chiefs	RB
10	96	Best Players Available	Marvin Jones, Jr.	Lions	WR
10	97	Zero RB 4 Life	Matt Breida	Dolphins	RB
10	98	Hype Trains	Myles Garrett	Browns	DE
10	99	Mavericks	Danielle Hunter	Vikings	DE
10	100	Steady Eddies	Josh Allen	Bills	QB
11	101	Steady Eddies	Brandin Cooks	Texans	WR
11	102	Mavericks	Marlon Mack	Colts	RB
11	103	Hype Trains	Ronald Jones II	Bucs	RB
11	104	Zero RB 4 Life	Jordan Howard	Dolphins	RB
11	105	Best Players Available	Henry Ruggs III	Raiders	WR
11	106	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Sony Michel	Patriots	RB
11	107	Basic B's	Carson Wentz	Eagles	QB
11	108	Wild Card	Aaron Donald	Rams	DT
11	109	Jack Reacher	Mecole Hardman	Chiefs	WR
11	110	Trend Setters	Jamal Adams	Jets	S
12	111	Trend Setters	Jaylon Smith	Cowboys	LB
12	112	Jack Reacher	James White	Patriots	RB
12	113	Wild Card	Christian Kirk	Cardinals	WR
12	114	Basic B's	Jamison Crowder	Jets	WR
12	115	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Michael Pittman, Jr.	Colts	WR
12	116	Best Players Available	Matt Ryan	Falcons	QB
12	117	Zero RB 4 Life	Budda Baker	Cardinals	S
12	118	Hype Trains	Emmanuel Sanders	Saints	WR
12	119	Mavericks	Derwin James	Chargers	S
12	120	Steady Eddies	Phillip Lindsay	Broncos	RB
13	121	Steady Eddies	Diontae Johnson	Steelers	WR
13	122	Mavericks	Blake Martinez	Giants	ILB
13	123	Hype Trains	Zack Moss	Bills	RB
13	124	Zero RB 4 Life	Nick Bosa	49ers	DE
13	125	Best Players Available	Landon Collins	Redskins	S
13	126	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Roquan Smith	Bears	ILB
13	127	Basic B's	Joe Schobert	Jaguars	ILB
13	128	Wild Card	Darrell Henderson	Rams	RB
13	129	Jack Reacher	Kerryon Johnson	Lions	RB
13	130	Trend Setters	J.J. Watt	Texans	DE

Rounds eight through eleven are where you can expect to see smart drafters considering rookie receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Justin Jefferson in IDP redrafts. Mind you, these rookies carry significantly more value than this in dynasty leagues. Concerns about target shares, depth charts, and various other issues are enough to drive these rookies' stock out of the first 80 picks in redrafts, however.

Myles Garrett falls to the late tenth here, but he merits discussion in the same breath as Joey Bosa and Cory Littleton in your IDP drafts. He was on pace to be one of the most productive fantasy defensive linemen in 2019 before his suspension, and he could pick up that pace again in 2020. Expect him to finish as a top-four DL in 2020, or higher.

Public perception has Derwin James' fantasy stock falling, even in the risk-taking eyes of the Jack Reachers and Wild Cards in this mock. The consensus amongst experts and fans is that Budda Baker, Jamal Adams, and Landon Collins are better fantasy assets than James, due to his injury concerns and lack of production last season. This perception will probably force James down boards during your draft, where you could get a bargain as the Mavericks did at pick #119.

Finally, notice here that the Trend Setters drafted a second LB at pick #111. The IDP-FLEX position should almost always be filled with an LB, at least when playing in standard IDP scoring leagues. That is why the Trend Setters made this move for Jaylon Smith. They can now start two of fantasy's best LBs, giving them a weekly edge at both the LB and IDP-FLEX spots.

 

Rounds 14-18

Round	Pick	Fantasy Team	Player	NFL Team	Pos.
14	131	Trend Setters	Tevin Coleman	49ers	RB
14	132	Jack Reacher	Tremaine Edmunds	Bills	ILB
14	133	Wild Card	Hayden Hurst	Falcons	TE
14	134	Basic B's	Leighton Vander Esch	Cowboys	LB
14	135	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Devin Bush	Steelers	LB
14	136	Best Players Available	Latavius Murray	Saints	RB
14	137	Zero RB 4 Life	Antonio Gibson	Redskins	RB
14	138	Hype Trains	Tony Pollard	Cowboys	RB
14	139	Mavericks	Drew Brees	Saints	QB
14	140	Steady Eddies	Zach Cunningham	Texans	LB
15	141	Steady Eddies	Cameron Jordan	Saints	DE
15	142	Mavericks	Dallas Goedert	Eagles	TE
15	143	Hype Trains	Jordan Hicks	Cardinals	LB
15	144	Zero RB 4 Life	Fred Warner	49ers	LB
15	145	Best Players Available	Lavonte David	Bucs	LB
15	146	Half-Back 2 Da Future	John Johnson III	Rams	S
15	147	Basic B's	Harrison Smith	Vikings	S
15	148	Wild Card	Deion Jones	Falcons	LB
15	149	Jack Reacher	Justin Simmons	Broncos	S
15	150	Trend Setters	Boston Scott	Eagles	RB
16	151	Trend Setters	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	QB
16	152	Jack Reacher	Gio Bernard	Bengals	RB
16	153	Wild Card	Lynn Bowden, Jr.	Raiders	RB/WR
16	154	Basic B's	Cameron Heyward	Steelers	DL
16	155	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Chase Young	Redskins	DE
16	156	Best Players Available	T.J. Watt	Steelers	OLB
16	157	Zero RB 4 Life	Demario Davis	Saints	ILB
16	158	Hype Trains	Tracy Walker	Lions	S
16	159	Mavericks	Anthony Miller	Bears	WR
16	160	Steady Eddies	Chase Edmonds	Cardinals	RB
17	161	Steady Eddies	C.J. Mosley	Jets	LB
17	162	Mavericks	Jalen Reagor	Eagles	WR
17	163	Hype Trains	Patrick Queen	Ravens	LB
17	164	Zero RB 4 Life	Baker Mayfield	Browns	QB
17	165	Best Players Available	Jared Cook	Saints	TE
17	166	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Daniel Jones	Giants	QB
17	167	Basic B's	Austin Hooper	Browns	TE
17	168	Wild Card	Jabrill Peppers	Giants	S
17	169	Jack Reacher	Joe Burrow	Bengals	QB
17	170	Trend Setters	Preston Williams	Dolphins	WR
18	171	Trend Setters	T.J. Hockenson	Lions	TE
18	172	Jack Reacher	Chris Herndon	Jets	TE
18	173	Wild Card	Denzel Mims	Jets	WR
18	174	Basic B's	Tua Tagovailoa	Dolphins	QB
18	175	Half-Back 2 Da Future	Joshua Kelley	Chargers	RB
18	176	Best Players Available	Calais Campbell	Ravens	DL
18	177	Zero RB 4 Life	DeSean Jackson	Eagles	WR
18	178	Hype Trains	Mike Williams	Chargers	WR
18	179	Mavericks	Devin White	Bucs	LB
18	180	Steady Eddies	Minkah Fitzpatrick	Steelers	DB

You will notice that teams like the Steady Eddies and the Hype Trains waited to fill a lot of their defensive needs until late in this mock. Expect some of your more practical drafters, or those who draft based on headlines, to wait on defenders until later. It is a common belief amongst fantasy players, and not an entirely false one, that individual defenders are nearly as replaceable as kickers and D/ST units. You can often get some solid defenders late in your draft. However, these later round defenders will usually carry limited ceilings or a boom-or-bust nature with them, making them significantly inferior options to the Bosa brothers, Budda Baker, or Darius Leonard.

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