Chasing IDP Upside in Week 1
Welcome to our first Chasing IDP Upside in Fantasy Football article for Week 1 of the 2022 Fantasy Football season!
Each week we’re going to list players that we believe will outperform their Fantasy Pros IDP Expert Consensus Rankings, thereby giving you the advantage in setting your lineups for each week’s slate of games. So sit back, relax, and enjoy reading our Chasing IDP Upside in Fantasy for Week 1!
Linebackers
Follow @natemarcumBobby Okereke
Okereke entered 2022 playing second fiddle at LB to Shaq Leonard but is set up to take the first chair in Week 1. With Leonard being ruled OUT, Okereke will get his chance to show his chops. Reminiscent of the song “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” “If you care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you.” “Leonard plays a good fiddle boy, but give Okereke his due.” Well, something like that…But I will bet that Okereke outproduces his ECR LB17 in Week 1.
In 2021, Okereke finished as the LB20 overall, as his playing time continued to increase. This, of course, was with a healthy Leonard by his side for all but 1 game last year. So what makes us think that Okereke will be an even bigger impact without Shaq? Let’s go back to 2020 and look at Weeks 5 & 6, when Leonard was out. Okereke stepped up and turned in an LB9 and an LB27 finish in those weeks. The upside is there, and the matchup is prime to support what he does best. Houston enters Week 1 with a lot of hype surrounding rookie Dameon Pierce and would love to establish a running game to keep Indianapolis’ offense on the sidelines. This plays right into Okereke’s strength: he finished 11th among LB in run stops in 2021. If the Texans decide to attack through the air, another funnel of plays could go Okereke’s direction. With the blend of Davis Mills’s low ADOT and air yards, Bobby should be in or around a heavy percentage of the plays, thus leading to a very solid fantasy floor. Don’t be surprised to see double-digit tackle volume with a pass breakup or two. Hopefully, he has worked on his hands in the offseason and can turn the 2 dropped INT (most among LB) into even more INTs.
Defensive Linemen
Brian Burns
Follow @natemarcumBurns’ arrow is pointing up when being discussed among the best DE in the league. Since entering the league, Burns’ 25.5 sacks rank 14th in the NFL. Burns and Carolina Panthers will host the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, with Burns looking to add to that 25.5 career sack total. Lining up opposite Burns will be Jedrick Wills Jr, who took a considerable step back in 2021 after a really strong rookie season. Wills saw his pressure totals nearly double and just overall regressed. He will be looking to return to rookie form, but Burns will make that increasingly difficult. Facing pressure up the middle from Derrick Brown and an already injury-riddled O-line, new QB Jacoby Brissett will have his hands full with Carolina.
Currently ranked as the DL13, I can see a path to a sack plus a handful of tackles, assuming the Browns stick to their run-heavy approach. The bag of tricks that Burns possesses with be on full display in Baker Mayfields’ revenge game!
Defensive Backs
Follow @natemarcumNick Cross
If it has been said once, I imagine it being said a dozen times, we love Nick Cross. A Fantasy In Frames favorite, Nick Cross, will get an early audition for IDP hero in 2022. Entering the season, Cross simply had to win the starting SS spot, now as we enter Week 1, he will be primed to produce out of the gate! As mentioned with Okereke above, Cross and the Colts will face a Houston Texans team that should keep everything close to the line of scrimmage, which bodes well for Cross. Look for Cross to be heavily involved in the run-stopping game. Currently listed as the DB51, this is probably the most “low-hanging fruit” of all the picks. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him finish in the DB2 conversation at the end of Week 1.
Thanks for reading our Chasing IDP Upside in Fantasy for Week 1 article.
Now go out there and crush your matchups this week!
