It’s usually a hot take to pick a player who may end up being a bust for fantasy football. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of “predicting” a player to have a bad season. It would be really amazing if every player we draft, and have on our squads, had stellar seasons. That’s not a realistic option though. This short series will include a few players who’s ADP puts them in a position to become 2020 IDP Busts!
Jerome Baker, LB, Miami Dolphins – 76 Solo, 50 Ast, 3 TFL, 1.5 Sacks, 4 PD, 1 Int, and 2 FF.
Jerome practically doubled his tackle total last season compared to his rookie season, so why would he be on a list of IDP busts?. Naturally we would think he’d be up for another decent season. But, Miami has signed and drafted an influx of talent on both sides of the ball. Former New England Patriot, Kyle Van Noy, decided to join his old defensive coordinator down in Florida. Miami spent big money to bring in cornerback Byron Jones. The Dolphins also revamped their defensive line, and added Shaq Lawson, a guy I believe who’s in store for a breakout season. With the added talent on the defensive side of the ball, I believe this puts Jerome Baker in a situation where he won’t see as many tackle opportunities as he did in 2019.
Unfortunately, this makes him a possible IDP bust candidate in 2020. He’s currently about the 138th player being taken in drafts. That means he is going off the board around the 11th and 12th rounds. To be truthful though, I have not drafted Baker anywhere, ever. In deeper leagues, he’s definitely a guy you could consider grabbing for depth at the linebacker position. He’s a LB3 in my mind. He’s roughly the 21st linebacker being picked. That means he’s currently at top-25 player at his position. Sadly, I don’t see him finishing the season there. With some notable rookie linebackers making their way onto NFL rosters in 2020, this could mean that Baker doesn’t perform up to his ADP.
Shawn Williams, S/DB, Cincinnati Bengals – 79 Solo, 33 Ast, 5 TFL, 1 Sack, and 3 PD.
So, obviously by now you’ve figured out that my IDP busts predictions are based off a players current ADP. Shawn Williams of the Bengals is my next possible IDP bust candidate. Williams has been a “darling” to many of us IDP enthusiasts for a couple seasons now. He’s not exactly an outstanding NFL player, but he’s certainly not the worst. He’s been a member of the Cincinnati squad since he was drafted in 2013. A guy you could plug into your safety or defensive back position and get the value that you drafted him for. He’s had two straight seasons of 70 plus solo tackles, with a nice side of assists to go along with those as well. The Bengals added to their defense this off-season with some pretty intriguing signings and rookies.
Despite what his statistics say, Williams has never been a consistent tackler. If you look at the IDP Guys ADP, He’s currently the 16th defensive back being drafted. The Bengals added another IDP stud safety named Vonn Bell during free agency. In my opinion, he immediately replaces Williams at the strong safety position. Jessie Bates III will continue to hold the free safety position. Cincinnati also drafted two rookie linebackers. Logan Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither both have the ability to help lead this defense for the foreseeable future. They let Nick Vigil walk this off-season, he decided to sign with the Chargers. I don’t see much of a chance for Williams to perform up to his ADP in 2020. He’s not a guy I would rely on. Now, he’s more of a bye week plug-in. He holds DB3 or 4 value these days.
Summary:
Each season, we basically put our blind faith into multiple players in hopes of winning a fantasy football championship. Only a few of us are ever lucky enough to put together a squad that works like we expect it too. That’s why us here at IDP Guys do our best to keep you all up to date with everything we can. It’s important to know which guys may not perform as you’d normally expect them too. I’d love to tell you that every player you draft will be worth it. Jerome Baker and Shawn Williams are two IDP players I will be avoiding at this moment in time. I’m sure I will get some heat for this series, but that’s part of the business. Next up, I have a defensive lineman and another linebacker that may become 2020 IDP busts.
Check out my past articles! Keep your eyes peeled as I can continue my Possible 2020 IDP Bust series! Please follow me on twitter, @ZmagsIDP is the tag! Always enjoy chatting about all types of fantasy football with the twitterverse! With COVID still wearing us all down, we should all consider wearing a mask to keep ourselves and our families safe! Please subscribe to idpguys.org and dynastyfootballdigest.com for all your fantasy needs! Live Long and Prosper!
