Older IDPs get pushed by the wayside fairly quickly. This article is meant to explore how you can take advantage of that and will provide five players who can provide production at modest prices, despite being over the hill in their careers.
IDP managers often get distracted by the potential of young talent and ignore older IDP players, especially in dynasty leagues. This creates a beautiful opportunity to stack your team with production at a discounted price. To help sort out those values, this article will provide older IDPs at each position that you should look to get on your team, via trade or later in drafts.
Crack open a prune juice and let’s dive in.
I like using NPLB scoring in my IDP leagues. A quick rundown of that scoring:
Tackles: LB – 2; DT – 3.5; DE – 3; CB – 2.5; S – 2.25
Assists: LB – 1; DT – 1.75; DE – 1.5; CB – 1.25; S – 1.25
Sack: 6
TFL: LB, DE, CB, S – 2; DT – 3
FF: 6
FR: 4
PD: LB, DT, DE – 2; CB – 3; S – 2.5
INT: 6
Fletcher Cox, Defensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles
Cox has already played during his peak years. However, even past his prime, he’s playing at an effective level. In 2020, Cox was still top 15 in DT snap percentage in the league. As a result, he returned 194.75 points in NPLB scoring, good for sixth in PPG. As of now, he is going undrafted in the IDP Guys ADP (which goes to 34 defensive linemen).
The caveat here is that Cox should go undrafted if you’re playing in a league that combines DE/DT into a simple DL position. There has to be a DT-required or DT-premium scoring aspect in order to make him a suitable, productive draft pick.
Potential replacement on the roster: Milton Williams
Cameron Jordan, Defensive End, New Orleans Saints
Jordan is the most expensive of the players on this list, currently DL16 in the IDP Guys ADP. However, with the emergence of Trey Hendrickson, Jordan didn’t see the same number of sacks we were used to seeing. We are only one season removed from a top-five finish from him in 2019. While aging, I could see him with a final double-digit sack hurrah as he winds down his career.
Don’t like relying on sacks? Jordan also put up solid tackle numbers — the lowest was 49 tackles in 2018 — making him one of the top defensive linemen in tackles for loss over the past five seasons. Jordan also seems to be immune from the injury bug, as he hasn’t missed a game in his career. He is a high-floor, high-ceiling vet. Of all the older IDPs, he’s the one I’m most confident in.
Potential replacement on the roster: Payton Turner
C.J. Mosley, Linebacker, New York Jets
It’s been about two years since Mosely took meaningful snaps, though. He was once a dynasty darling, and Mosely delivered on that for his first five seasons. Losing a season to a torn ACL, and opting out during the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a lot of mystery surrounding his return. As LB32 in the IDP Guys ADP, I’m buying in to see how his story continues.
Going all-in on a formerly injured player has its risks, however. Mosley was relatively healthy prior to his ACL injury. With what we’ve seen of him in the past, the new system in place in New York, and a very good defensive line in front of him, I feel rather confident you are getting at least an LB2 at LB3 prices.
Potential replacement on the roster: Hamsah Nasirildeen
Kyle Fuller, Cornerback, Denver Broncos
In CB-required leagues, Fuller is a guy I like a lot. Joining the Denver Broncos defense is going to get him back to putting up career numbers. Fuller gets a nearly identical situation as he did with Chicago — strong pass rushers and good secondary players to go along with him.
With that improved situation and his familiarity with Vic Fangio, I can see Fuller having a lot of big-play appeal. While 2020 was very forgettable for his IDP impact, I see a bounce back coming for the 29-year-old veteran.
Potential replacement on the roster: Patrick Surtain II (but let’s be completely honest, Surtain has the chance to be the best CB on the Broncos right now)
Harrison Smith, Safety, Minnesota Vikings
Smith was once a premium IDP safety. In 2020, he didn’t play to the level that would have landed him in the DB1 range. In NPLB scoring, he finished as a high-end S3. Defensive back stats are finicky and, luckily, his low finish has pushed his price down.
Currently, Smith is being taken at DB26 according to our ADP. He still plays a high number of snaps, previously playing over 1,000 snaps (96%) for the Vikings’ defense. Due to those snaps, I feel there is still some juice left in #22 for the Purple People Eaters.
Potential replacement on the roster: None likely. At least, not a fantasy-relevant replacement anyway.
Which older IDPs do you find yourself getting and keeping on your rosters? When do you start moving on from older IDPs? Start the conversation with me on Twitter @FantasyOutlaw or in our IDP Guys Forum. Make sure to check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel, Facebook group, Instagram, and TikTok for all of your fantasy football needs. If you have specific questions – my DMs are always open! Thank you for reading!
