The IDP+ Weekly Newsletter:
May 1, 2024

Welcome to the IDP+ newsletter, bringing you all the headlines and information your fantasy football-driven minds can handle! Detailed articles can be found at IDPPlus.com along with rankings and updated ADP for subscribers.

Newsletter created by Michael Sicoli (@Michael__Sicoli). So if you have thoughts, complaints or anything in between, throw it my way!

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Sicoli’s Weekly Wrap: IDP quick hits

Commanders LB Jamin Davis: DECLINED

Sicoli’s Wrap: Davis’ fifth-year option was always going to be somewhat of a long shot, but it was still possible. The writing was on the wall by signing Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner.  With the addition of Jordan Magee in the fifth round, Davis will be depth at best.

Dolphins Edge Jaelan Phillips: PICKED UP

Sicoli’s Wrap: An Achilles injury might’ve muddied the waters slightly, but the Dolphins are showing faith in an ascending talent. Phillips gets a nice chunk of change in 2025 which helps his dynasty value, though the addition of first-round edge rusher Chop Robinson provides insurance for Phillips and Bradley Chubb (ACL).

Ravens Edge Odafe Oweh: PICKED UP

Sicoli’s Wrap: Oweh has had at least five sacks in each of the last three seasons and may have been on his way to his best season yet in 2023 prior to injury. Oweh’s best is likely still ahead of him.

Bills DE Gregory Rousseau: PICKED UP

Sicoli’s Wrap: This was an easy choice, if only due to the sheer lack of depth on the edges of the defensive line. That’s not to disparage Rousseau, who has steadily improved over the years. His breakout has yet to come on the pass-rushing side, but he’s still only 24 years old.

Panthers CB Jaycee Horn: PICKED UP

Sicoli’s Wrap: This one wasn’t a guarantee, but the Panthers just aren’t in a position to pass on the potential of Horn. The former South Carolina Gamecock has played just 21 games across three seasons, but has flashed the potential of his first-round talent over the years. He’s still only 24 but remains off the IDP radar.

Patriots dole out $92-million extension to DT Christian Barmore

Sicoli’s Wrap: It’s the largest deal the Patriots have handed out to anyone other than Tom Brady in franchise history. It proves the Patriots are doing things differently after letting prized free agents walk for years, and it shows how much new head coach Jerod Mayo values Barmore. Expect more snaps finally!

LOSERS

Braden Fiske, LAR 

Fiske got good draft capital in the second round, but it’s hard to see him making much noise in Los Angeles. Kobie Turner, Byron Young and first-round pick Jared Verse all project to be much bigger contributors on the stat sheet, and sadly that’s all we care about for fantasy.

Fiske boasted some pass-rushing upside on the next level after starring at FSU, but it’s difficult to project him as anything more than a rotational piece in this unit. It’ll be good for the Rams and possibly helpful for the talented supporting cast, but Fiske won’t be rosterable in dynasty.

Jer’Zhan Newton, WAS 

This comes with a caveat — I like this spot for dynasty and in the long term. But for fantasy success in 2024 and even 2025, this is as murky as it gets for one of the best defensive tackle prospects in the class.

Newton will easily be behind Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, one of the best interior duos in the league. Maybe they kick Newton out wide a bit — he’s a bit undersized for the interior, even with his experience — but it’s hard to see a major role for Newton early on.

Washington has a long-term vision in mind, and Newton is part of it. But that likely won’t translate to fantasy football quite yet.

Gabriel Murphy, MIN 

Most expected Murphy to get at least Day 3 capital, but the UCLA product had to watch teammate Laiatu Latu go in the first round while Murphy never heard his name called.

Murphy signed in Minnesota as a UDFA, and IDP managers remember all too well about the last highly touted Vikings UDFA. But things here likely won’t go as well as they did for Ivan Pace, especially with Dallas Turner, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkle, all new additions to this team.

LOSERS

Troy Andersen, ATL

Call me a skeptic, but I’m not sure how Andersen fits into Atlanta’s vision. Kaden Elliss is likely locked into a starting role again, which leaves a three-man competition between old regime favorites in Andersen and Nate Landman, with a new face in fifth-round LB JD Bertrand. New linebacker coach Barrett Ruud praised Landman for his filling in for the Falcons in 2023 and said he remembered Landman’s college impact for Colorado against Ruud’s Nebraska.

Notre Dame product JD Bertrand is a terrific tackler who led the Fighting Irish in tackles for three straight seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an ugly rotation opposite Elliss between Bertrand, Landman and Andersen, something Andersen can’t afford given his lack of proven production.

Cole Holcomb, PIT 

The veteran suffered a brutal knee injury in Week 9 last season and will be up against the wall to be ready for Week 1. Meanwhile, the Steelers spent top dollar to acquire Patrick Queen from the Ravens, return a solid LB in Elandon Roberts and spent a third-round pick for one of the draft’s best linebackers in Payton Wilson.

It’s tough to see where Holcomb fits. The former Commanders LB will likely be on the roster this season, but Pittsburgh has taken every step to not rely on Holcomb’s recovery. The Steelers could release him this summer and save over $4 million in cap space. That shouldn’t be expected, but the floor has fallen out from under Holcomb with the addition of Wilson in the draft and Queen in free agency.

Andrew Van Ginkle, MIN 

Van Ginkle seemed set to take a step forward in Minnesota after a strong final season in Miami. Instead, the Vikings traded up in the first round to take Dallas Turner, a natural fit in Brian Flores’ 3-4 defense.

Van Ginkle could and likely should enter Week 1 as the starter, but with Minnesota paying an arm and a leg for Jonathan Greenard on the opposite side, Turner’s ascent would take from Van Ginkle’s opportunities.

Instead of a potential breakout season Van Ginkle gets yet another young talent lurking over his shoulder. 

LOSERS

Brandon Stephens, BAL 

It’s not quite fair to call Stephens a loser in this situation, but any change to a situation has to impact his fantasy upside. Stephens had it as good as it got in 2023, but the exit of Arthur Maulet and the addition of first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins puts Stephens’ role in question.

That’s not that Stephens won’t start — he certainly will after a strong season — but so many changes in the secondary as well as the exit of the entire defensive coaching staff is cause for concern. It doesn’t help that cornerback is such a difficult position to repeat in fantasy.

With how late defensive backs went amid a down class, I will leave it here instead of reaching for a conclusion 😛