In IDP leagues, no position is more important than linebacker—the reality is that in most leagues, if you don't have a strong group of linebackers, you're done. Roasted. All over but the crying. Linebackers are usually the highest-scoring and most consistent players in fantasy. By a wide margin.
The reason for that is tackles. Linebackers who rack up big-time tackle numbers have both a high fantasy ceiling and a high floor. And while talent is, of course, a factor in which linebackers pile up gaudy numbers of stops, there's another major consideration—opportunity.
The key to opportunity for most linebackers is simply being on the field. Snaps. It's hard to tackle a guy from the sideline—unless you are Mike Tomlin.
That joke stays in this column for eternity. Forever.
The problem is that in this day of nickel sets as the base defense, the age of three off-ball linebackers on the field most of the time is long since over. As a matter of fact, with many NFL teams playing either more dime or three-safety looks, there are quite a few situations in which just one off-ball linebacker is on the field for a team.
Often, that lone linebacker is wearing a sticker on his helmet—the green dot that signifies that the player is wearing the helmet communicator on defense and making the defensive play calls. That player very rarely leaves the field, and while teams sometimes use a safety in that capacity, the overwhelming majority of NFL teams give that assignment to a linebacker.
With the number of every-down linebackers decreasing by the year, knowing who those green dot linebackers are is valuable information for IDP managers. In order to provide those managers with that information, once again in 2024 at Footballguys, we'll be maintaining an updated list of both who is wearing the green dot for all 32 NFL teams and who the other three-down linebackers are.
There will also be notes to keep fantasy managers apprised as to why any changes to the list happened--whether due to injury or performance, the dot can (and will) change hands.
There’s good reason why articles like this exist. The first six weeks of the 2024 IDP season have been a rollercoaster at linebacker. Every time it appears that things are turning around for the better and we get a big name back or a surprise star emerges, someone else goes down and smiles turn to frowns again.
Still, there’s opportunity in the madness and carnage. Every door that closes opens another. For every three-down linebacker who isn’t playing, another is. Knowing who those players are gets wins. Wins titles.
Table time.
WEEK 7 "GREEN DOT" AND THREE-DOWN LB
NOTES
Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals green-dot linebacker Kyzir White played just 21 snaps in Week 6 before exiting the game with a knee injury. Fifth-year veteran Krys Barnes took over as the team’s defensive signal-caller, registering 10 total tackles and playing every snap. Barnes could make for a solid Week 7 plug-and-play for IDP managers, but White has practiced in a limited fashion, and the Cardinals don’t play until Monday night. So, there’s some risk there.
Atlanta Falcons
Troy Andersen missed last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers, which led to a three-down role for third-year pro Nate Landman—or at least to close to one. Landman posted a 79 percent snap share last week, which he turned into eight total tackles. Andersen has already been ruled out for Week 7, which sets Landman up for a similar role in Week 7. The Seattle Seahawks aren’t a great IDP matchup, but for some managers, any three-down player available merits a look.
Cleveland Browns
The Devin Bush era in Cleveland has ended. We’ll give you a moment to collect yourself. The Browns activated Mohamoud Diabate off injured reserve last week, and the youngster took over No. 2 linebacker duties and played 74 percent of the defensive snaps. It may all be moot, anyway—veteran Jordan Hicks is practicing after missing time with an arm injury and appears more likely than not to return against the Cincinnati Bengals/
Denver Broncos
There was an interesting development in Denver’s blowout win Thursday—despite seemingly playing well in the place of Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad was benched to start the game in favor of journeyman veteran Kwon Alexander. However, in the second half it was Strnad opposite green dot linebacker Cody Barton, and Strnad actually wound up leading the team in tackles with nine. Whatever the reason, it’s a situation to monitor moving forward.
Green Bay Packers
The changing of the guard at linebacker continues in Titletown—rookie Edgerrin Cooper played a season-high 66 percent of the team’s snaps in their win over the Arizona Cardinals. Cooper told reporters the game is slowing down for him, stating that, “Just being out there more and getting more snaps and [the coaches] just seeing what I’ve been able to do. Just not having a mentality of trying to be too perfect and just trusting my eyes.” Expect his snaps to continue to rise.
Houston Texans
When the Texans face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, they will be all kinds of short-handed at linebacker. Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) has been ruled out. So has Henry To'oto'o (concussion). Christian Harris remains on injured reserve with a calf injury. Add all those injuries up, and it means that veteran Neville Hewitt will wear the green dot in Week 7. Hewitt has made over 40 starts in his NFL career and logged 134 total tackles as a 16-game starter for the New York Jets in 2020.
Las Vegas Raiders
After sitting out three games with an oblique injury, Divine Deablo returned to the starting lineup for the Raiders in Week 6, finishing the game with six total tackles and a sack. Perhaps even more importantly for IDP managers, Deablo was a full-time player opposite green dot LB Robert Spillane, staying on the field for 93 percent of the snaps. This week’s matchup with the Rams is terrible from an IDP perspective, but if that increased playing time holds, it’s good news.
Miami Dolphins
When last we saw Daid Long Jr., he was splitting snaps with veteran Anthony Walker Jr. as the defensive signal-caller right down the middle in his first game back for a hamstring injury. However, since then, the Dolphins have had their bye week—and somehow, Long picked up a knee issue during the week off. Long has practiced in a limited fashion all week and appears on track to play, but it’s fair to wonder if his snaps won’t be scaled back again in Week 7.
Minnesota Vikings
After erroneously claiming that he would be the green dot linebacker for the Vikings over the summer (Something that IDP managers aren’t at all bitter about. Nope. It’s fine.). It appears that Ivan Pace Jr. will get his shot in Sunday’s massive showdown with the Detroit Lions. Blake Cashman has been ruled out due to a leg injury. Cashman insinuated to reporters that he expects Pace to call the defensive signals Sunday, so if he doesn’t, we can officially never believe a Vikings linebacker again.
New York Jets
From all indications, veteran C.J. Mosley will return for the Jets after missing most of the last month with the dreaded turf toe. Many IDP managers will welcome Mosley’s return, but it presents the Jets with something of a quandary—Jamien Sherwood has been solid as New York’s green dot linebacker in Mosley’s stead. If healthy, Mosley may well slot right back into an every-down role. But Mosley being eased back in isn’t out of the realm of reason at all.
Gary Davenport (“The Godfather of IDP”) is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can’t make him call it X) at @IDPSharks.
