Photo: Imagn Images

There are a variety of ways to define success. Some people dominate their industry, leaving no doubts of their greatness. Aerosmith is a good example of this. We all know that some musicians have been successful (maybe not to that level) without the catalog of songs that a band like Aerosmith has. I’d like to hone in on one subsection of the music world, the one-hit wonder.  Some of the most iconic songs could be considered one-hit wonders, which doesn’t diminish the talent of the person or band associated with it. It also means that the person or group couldn’t replicate that magic for more than a fleeting moment. Frankie Luvu and his career-high season last year is the latest in a long line of NFL and IDP one-hit wonders. Here is why you need to make sure he isn’t a focal point of your roster.

Who is Frankie Luvu?

Frankie Luvu is a former undrafted free agent out of Washington State who has made a career being a survivor in the NFL. After starting his career with three less-than-stellar seasons with the New York Jets, he finally popped in 2022 for the Carolina Panthers. He achieved more total tackles than his career totals this season, as well as setting career highs in most categories defensively, mostly due to an uptick in playing time. It is great to see a player get some positive marks while overcoming the obstacles of being an undrafted player from a smaller school. Last season, he again achieved a career-high in tackles while being consistent with his big play averages from the previous seasons. So, we have a 27-year-old player ascending and has found his footing in the NFL. What are we worried about?  The NFL landscape changes quickly. With these changes, we see significant trajectory volatility in players. I believe that Luvu may be one of the players who will be the unfortunate recipient of a bad change of scenery.

A Man Among Boys

The Luvu we have seen throughout his NFL career has been a linebacker for the Panthers, a franchise that appears to be poverty-stricken.  While the team mindset and results don’t affect fantasy football in IDP too often, it does allow for players to emerge who wouldn’t be focal points on more successful teams. Luvu fits this criterion more than one would think. When Luvu first broke into the NFL, he was a backup player for the New York Jets behind players like Darron Lee, Jordan Jenkins, and others of that same caliber. When he arrived in Carolina, his competition wasn’t exactly any better with players Shaq Thompson (who should be judged as an edge rusher) and Jermaine Carter Jr. It was only a matter of time before Luvu would get snaps considering Carter Jr. was the inside linebacker for the team. This isn’t a hit piece on Carter Jr., but the reality is that Luvu rarely had anyone he had to prove himself against that would be viewed within the league as a good player. This will change this season because Luvu was on the move this offseason.