IDP PLAYOFF RANKINGS: Wild Card Round

The NFL’s second season is almost here. For the 12 teams about to embark on the journey to Atlanta and Super Bowl LIII, the arrival of the playoffs are just swell.

For the 20 teams that didn’t make the postseason though, it kinda sucks. Just ask Pittsburgh.

What the h-e-double French Fries is going on in Pittsburgh?

It can be a depressing time in fantasy football, too. Season-long leagues are done for the year. Soon football will go away for months and we’ll all be subjected to that miserable nonsense they call baseball.

Come on! Somebody! HIT SOMEONE!

Sorry.

The thing is, you can still stave off the offseason blues for a while — by participating in a fantasy playoff Individual Defensive Player (IDP) league.

Like, oh, say maybe the Fantasy Sharks IDP Playoff Extravaganza of Goodness.

In order to help you in the final quest for a fantasy championship, I’ll be publishing IDP rankings each week during the NFL playoffs here at Fantasy Sharks. These rankings assume a league format where teams start two defensive linemen, two linebackers, two defensive backs and a “flex” spot or two.

They also assume a “one/two and done” format where players are concerned. In other words, while the entire pool of individual defensive players is available, each player can only be used once (or twice, in some formats). So, while matchup and talent are still the primary considerations, it’s also important to identify which teams are going to be eliminated in a given week and try to use those players where possible.

Otherwise, by the time we get to Super Bowl LIII, IDP owners won’t have anyone left to slot in starting lineups.

With those caveats in mind, here’s a look at the Top 10 defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs for the Wild Card Round.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

1. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston (vs. Indianapolis)
2. Joey Bosa, DE, Los Angeles Chargers (at Baltimore)
3. Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Dallas (vs. Seattle)
4. Frank Clark, DE, Seattle (at Dallas)
5. Brandon Graham, DE, Philadelphia (at Chicago)
6. Melvin Ingram, DE, Los Angeles Chargers (at Baltimore)
7. Akiem Hicks, DE, Chicago (vs. Philadelphia)
8. Denico Autry, DT, Indianapolis (at Houston)
9. Michael Bennett, DE, Philadelphia (at Chicago)
10. Fletcher Cox, DT, Philadelphia (at Chicago)

LINEBACKERS

1. Darius Leonard, OLB, Indianapolis (at Houston)
2. Bobby Wagner, ILB, Seattle (at Dallas)
3. Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Dallas (vs. Seattle)
4. Roquan Smith, ILB, Chicago (vs. Philadelphia)
5. C.J. Mosley, ILB, Baltimore (vs. L.A. Chargers)
6. Jaylon Smith, OLB, Dallas (vs. Seattle)
7. Khalil Mack, OLB, Chicago (vs. Philadelphia)
8. Zach Cunningham, ILB, Houston (vs, Indianapolis)
9. Jatavis Brown, ILB, Los Angeles Chargers (at Baltimore)
10. Danny Trevathan, ILB, Chicago (vs. Philadelphia)

DEFENSIVE BACKS

1. Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers (at Baltimore)
2. Bradley McDougald, S, Seattle (at Dallas)
3. Adrian Phillips, S, Los Angeles Chargers (at Baltimore)
4. Tyrann Mathieu, S, Houston (vs. Indianapolis)
5. Clayton Geathers, S, Indianapolis (at Houston)
6. Tony Jefferson, S, Baltimore (vs. L.A. Chargers)
7. Kareem Jackson, CB, Houston (vs. Indianapolis)
8. Adrian Amos, S, Chicago (vs. Philadelphia)
9. Malcolm Jenkins, S, Philadelphia (at Chicago)
10. Eric Weddle, S, Baltimore (vs. L.A. Chargers)