Dynasty Risers at Defensive Lineman (2022)
Today, we continue our Risers and Fallers series by looking at the other side of the ball on defense. Let us look at who are the Dynasty Risers at Defensive Lineman heading into the 2022 fantasy football season!
As announced on Twitter earlier this morning, we’ve created an IDP scoring rubric here at Fantasy In Frames! This rubric is designed to be used in half-PPR scoring leagues with a minimum of 2 DB, 2 DL, and 2LB on your starting roster alongside your normal complement of offensive skill players. More details about why we chose these settings will be discussed this week on 4th And Frames at 8pm EST on Wednesday!
This week I’m going to give you THREE players that COULD RISE going forward heading into 2022 and save the “HAVE RISEN” players for 4th And Frames on Wednesday.
Enjoy!
Defensive Linemen who could rise…
Christian Wilkins
Hear me out, I know defensive tackles aren’t usually talked around the IDP water cooler as great options in fantasy football, but then again I don’t think you realize how dominant he was in 2021.
Ranked 1st amongst all interior defensive linemen in run defense in defensive stops, from Week 12 on he averaged 16 fantasy points per game. Talk about hitting one’s stride! On the season, he tallied 89 total tackles (DL2), had a total tackles rate of 12.1% which ranks higher than Aaron Donald for a frame of reference, 10 TFLs (DL18), and posted a career-highs in QB hits, passes defended, sacks, and forced fumbles.
He, in my opinion, is one of the next big dominant forces at interior defensive linemen and if he could just take his sack total higher he could be a wrecking ball among ALL defensive linemen. His stock should have risen in your dynasty leagues already. If not, go get him now!
Rashan Gary
Highest pressure % since Week 10:
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 23, 2021
1. Rashan Gary – 18.7%
2. Aaron Donald – 18.6% pic.twitter.com/HEopntahaQ
Over the past three seasons, we’ve seen Rashan Gary slowly climb up the ranks of being one of the league’s young bright spots at defensive linemen. With fellow EDGE rusher Za’Darius Smith out for a majority of the season, we saw the evolution of Gary occur right before our very eyes, and that has to make Packers fans and dynasty fantasy managers ecstatic.
With the 2nd highest win % in 2021 among EDGE defenders entering their 3rd year, trailing only Maxx Crosby and ahead of players such as Nick Bosa, Montez Sweat, and Josh Allen, Gary saw his production reach career highs in sacks with 9.5 (DL18), total tackles with 46, and 2 forced fumbles with a fantasy output of 11.1 PPG (DL30).
With Za’Darius Smith potentially being released in the offseason by Green Bay, Gary will have yet another year to build upon his impressive 3rd-year campaign. If Smith’s release does indeed happen Gary’s stock could rise very quickly. Try acquiring him on the cheap as fast as possible
Jonathan Greenard
Jonathan Greenard is having a HUGE breakout season ????
— PFF HOU Texans (@PFF_Texans) December 30, 2021
♦️ 87.0 PFF Grade (6th among all Edge Defenders)
♦️ 90.2 Pass-Rushing Grade (t-4th) pic.twitter.com/5dRPVYcE0a
New defensive line coach for the Houston Texans, Jacques Cesaire, had this to say about the second-year pro out of The University of Flordia in a recent interview:
Just strength, length, speed, passion, he doesn’t stop. He has an incredible motor, great, great rush hands. I just love the way he plays each and every snap.
Graded as the 10th best pass rusher (minimum 100 snaps played) according to PFF in 2021, Greenard finished 32nd in total fantasy point scoring and 15th in PPG using IDP Fantasy In Frames scoring with an average of 11.5 in 12 games played. He was also the DL23 in win % and DL7 overall among EDGE defenders.
Take into account he was dealing with foot and shoulder injuries down the stretch of the season starting in Week 13 which disrupted his hot streak of 14.0 PPG he would have finished as the DL7 overall tied with Saints’ defensive end Cameron Jordan.
While there are a lot of unknown variables to take into consideration on this Texans team heading into 2022, Greenard is by far their best defensive linemen and with the 9th best win % among defensive linemen that have been in the league for at least 3 years despite missing four games this season.
The future should be bright for this young man in your IDP dynasty leagues!