An early look ahead to 2022, here are three IDP grabs that you should be looking to add to your IDP rosters.
With the fantasy season over there is still plenty going on this season that you should be paying attention to. With all the injuries, Covid-19 issues, and teams out of contention that is seeing what they have in their young guys, there are plenty of uncommon names getting very meaningful reps.
Let’s take a look at three IDP grabs for 2022 that you should be looking to get on your rosters now.
Jonas Griffith, LB, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are one of the teams who were hit the hardest at the linebacker position this season. After losing both A.J. Johnson and Josey Jewell, they immediately had to turn to their young guys and even traded for Kenny Young from the Rams.
Injuries and ineffectiveness led them to give 2020 UDFA rookie Jonas Griffith from Indiana State a shot. All he has done is take that shot and run with it. Griffith has played so well he’s probably been a league winner for some this year.
After being nothing more than a special teams player, Griffith got a chance to be that “next man up” that we hear all the time. Griffith has started the last three games and has been a tackling machine for the Broncos. Over that span, he has recorded a total of 34 total tackles and ranks him easily in the top five. With those 34 tackles, Griffith has added 19 solos, 4 TFLs, and 2 QB hits.
Not bad for a UDFA no one had heard about and who was barely playing until three weeks ago.
Griffith has played over 80% of the defensive snaps in the last three games and with his performance during that stretch, he’s opening some eyes for sure. Now I know his 11.33 average tackles per game aren’t likely sustainable, but he’s shown the game isn’t too big for him and that he can produce when given the opportunity.
Griffith has a one-year deal with the Broncos, so whether that opportunity comes with them or another team remains to be seen.
Fantasy Outlook
What does all this mean for fantasy managers? A couple of things actually! First off, it forces the Broncos to make a decision on whether they want to re-sign him or let him go. If they let him go, some team will definitely sign him to a deal. For fantasy managers, I believe you have to hold him if you have him on your roster and if not there is not a better time than now to try to acquire this IDP grab for cheap.
DJ Wonnum, DE, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings, like the Broncos, had losses in a specific position, but for them, it was at defensive end. They lost star pass rushers Danielle Hunter (injury) and Everson Griffen (mental health) for most of the season, which forced them to look at the young options on their team.
They drafted Wonnum in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft to groom as a future pass rusher, but unfortunately, the process was sped up with all of the losses they have incurred.
As with any young player, they are ups and downs that they have to work through and that’s no different with Wonnum. He only started two games as a rookie but has 13 this season and has seen his snap count go from 51% to 78%, and as you can see that’s quite the increase. With the increase in reps has come an increase in his production.
Wonnum has set career-high numbers across the board and still has one game left. On the season he has 40 tackles, 24 being solos, five TFLs, six sacks, 13 QB hits, one forced fumble, and four PBUs.
Fantasy Outlook
For fantasy IDP fantasy managers, Wonnum is a great IDP grab. Even when Hunter comes back, they will need Wonnum to be his bookend mate. The Vikings let Griffen go once before, so I don’t really see him coming back and being a factor.
Wonnum will be entering his third year in 2022 and be a starter. You can acquire him cheaply right now and even grab him up off waivers in some places. Now is the best time to pick him up or trade for him and have him in place for 2022
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Detroit Lions
the Detroit Lions drafted Reeves-Maybin from the University of Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He’s currently on the last year of his rookie deal, but having the best season of his career by far. Reeves-Maybin was buried on the depth chart for the majority of his career. He has finally gotten his turn to be a starter.
Reeves-Maybin has started the last ten games for the Lions and produced 66 total tackles over that span. That’s an average of 6.6 tackles per game.
That type of production shows that he can be a 100 tackle guy when given the starting reps. Reeves-Maybin has played 56% of the defensive snaps this season and closer to 65% during his streak of starts, He’s been playing alongside rookie Derrick Barnes for first-year head coach Dan Campbell as the Lions want to see what they have at the linebacker position.
In fact, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has stated that Reeves-Maybin “has a great opportunity to win the starting inside linebacker job in 2022 if he returns.”
Reeves-Maybin’s contract is up after this year, but I believe it would be best for him and Detroit if he returned. Detroit’s roster is in bad shape overall, so they have to keep what few pieces they have. Including him. With very little depth at the position and other needs likely taking precedent in the draft, the Lions need to keep Reeves-Maybin.
Fantasy Outlook
He can be picked up off waivers almost everywhere, or ask for him as a throw-in in any trades you make. This all makes him a great dynasty stash in leagues with deep benches.
Thanks for reading my IDP Grabs for 2022! I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America), and you can read more of my articles on my author page at IDP Guys. Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
