2019 FREE AGENCY MOVES ON DEFENSE

Jorge Edwards

The 2019 NFL season has officially begun and with it, free agency! Every fantasy football manager who is already mock drafting for the 2019 fantasy football season, kudos to you, is truly keeping tabs on big-name free agent signings, particularly on defense in order to gauge where their favorite players will land when it pertains to when and where you draft them in your IDP drafts. The casual football fan is keeping track of which big name free agents will land with their favorite team hoping that signing or signings will help deliver a Lombardi trophy to their hometown. For us fantasy football diehards there’s only one trophy that matters and that’s this one (which you can purchase over at FantasyChamps.com using the promo code FANTASYINFRAMES to get 10% off your purchase…just click on the picture):

Here at FANTASY IN FRAMES, we’re going to breakdown for you which free agent signings will be of most fantasy football relevance to you going forward into the 2019 season. Keep these names in mind all offseason so by the time fantasy drafts come around you’ll already know which players to target in the early, middle, and late rounds of your fantasy drafts, and by doing so will take you one step closer to claiming that championship trophy for 2019!

So with all that said let’s get this party started!

**Also as a reminder when we discuss IDP fantasy scoring we’ll be using our IDP scoring rubric**

 

1) Landon Collins
Tackles Interceptions
Year Team G Comb Total Ast Sck PDef Int TDs
2018 Giants 12 96 67 29 0 4 — —
2017 Giants 15 104 78 26 0 6 2 0
2016 Giants 16 125 100 25 4 13 5 1
2015 Giants 16 112 84 28 0 9 1 0

As much as it hurt losing Jamison Crowder on offense, as a Redskins fan, that pain was qwelled by the signing of one of the best strong safeties in the game in Landon Collins. Looking at his statistics above it’s hard not how to see how he can help one’s roster from an IDP perspective. Despite the change in team Collins is still a strong safety and as we all know, in IDP, strong safeties are the #tacklemachines of the secondary. Combine that with his pedigree since 2015, look for Collins to be considered one the top defensive back options in IDP ,or FFIDP as it’s more commonly referred to now, fantasy football in 2019.

2) Trey Flowers
Tackles
Year Team G Comb Total Ast Sck
2018 Patriots 15 57 32 25 7.5
2017 Patriots 14 62 45 17 6.5
2016 Patriots 16 45 23 22 7

Averaging 5.2 fantasy points per game last season at the defensive lineman position, the 14th ranked defensive lineman in 2o18 and disruptive presence along the New England Patriots front 4 has taken his talents to the motor city. There he will rejoin with former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to help improve a defensive line that ranked 27th in the league according to footballoutsiders.com

Defensive lineman aren’t going to give you many points from week to week, so more than likely if your roster has one IDP spot you would probably fill it with a middle linebacker or strong safety. However, if you roster has a dedicated defensive lineman position and you’ve missed out on the high profile DLs such as J.J. Watt and Khalil Mack, waiting in the mid to later rounds for Trey Flowers would be my advice going to FFIDP drafts this season.

3) Kareem Jackson
Tackles Interceptions
Year Team G Comb Total Ast Sck PDef Int
2018 Texans 16 87 70 17 1 17 2
2017 Texans 16 73 54 19 1 10 1

Averaging 8.15 fantasy points per game in 2018 Kareem Jackson set the FFIDP fantasy football world ablaze with his fantasy output. The reason? His dual role as a cornerback/strong safety. Where he lacked in tackle numbers he more than made up for in passes defensed in which he led the league with. Assuming Jackson plays a similar role in Denver look for him to be a solid DB2 with DB1 upside in 2019!

4) Antoine Bethea
Tackles Interceptions
Year Team G Comb Total Ast Sck PDef Int
2018 Cardinals 16 121 100 21 3 4 —
2017 Cardinals 15 57 47 10 1 9 5
2016 49ers 16 110 95 15 0 3 1

Speaking of DB1 upside, the newly signed New York Giant was ranked as the top defensive back in 2018 leading the league, in the defensive back position, with 121 total tackles. While normally free safeties don’t accumulate “great” fantasy numbers his 8.15 fantasy points per game in 2018 speaks for itself. While he’s no longer a part of a talented secondary as he was in Arizona he should at least provide DB3 value this upcoming season with potential DB2 upside this season.

5) C.J. Mosley
Tackles Interceptions
Year Team G Comb Total Ast Sck PDef Int TDs
2018 Ravens 15 105 70 35 0.5 5 1 0
2017 Ravens 16 132 96 36 1 7 2 1
2016 Ravens 14 92 56 36 0 8 4 0
2015 Ravens 16 117 77 40 4 7 — —
2014 Ravens 16 133 89 44 3 8 2 0

THIS #TACKLEMACHINE, who ranked 8th among linebackers in 2017, is coming off a slightly disappointing season in Baltimore in 2018 in which he only mustered 7.3 fantasy points per game. While that is a point of concern he should be able to slide into a similar role with the Jets as he did in Baltimore given New York’s 3-4 scheme. Given the run-heavy nature of offenses in the AFC East lately, Mosley should have plenty of opportunity to climb back into a safe LB2 floor with LB1 upside this season.

 

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