_jpg)
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.
We’ve hit Week 10 of the 2024 season. We’re neck-deep in it now. For quite a few teams, the next loss could be a season-killer. And a three-down linebacker in the right matchup right now can be the difference between victory and defeat at a time when the stakes are as high as ever.
Table time.
WEEK 10 GREEN DOT AND THREE-DOWN LB
Note: Here at Footballguys, we set the benchmark for three-down linebackers at a 75 percent snap share. Linebackers listed with an asterisk (*) may not hit that benchmark on a weekly basis this season.
NOTES
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have a solid grip on first place in the NFC South, and in Week 10 the team should be getting healthier defensively. After missing over a month with a knee injury, Troy Andersen carries no injury designation into Sunday’s game with the New Orleans Saints. Andersen was ridiculously productive before getting hurt, amassing 29 total tackles in his last two games. Assuming he’s a “go,” Nate Landman’s time as an IDP-relevant linebacker comes to an end.
Dallas Cowboys
Eric Kendricks has been banged up much of the season, but the veteran linebacker was out there in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, playing all 57 snaps. He was joined by DeMarvion Overshown, who missed one snap in the game. Kendricks is officially listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, but it appears that it will be him and Overshown out there when the Cowboys try to keep their season afloat against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Denver Broncos
Justin Strnad hadn’t been getting full-time snaps for the Broncos, but he was making enough hay with the snaps he was getting to be on the fringes of the IDP radar. He’s completely off the scope now—last week against the Baltimore Ravens, Strnad played only 14 snaps last week, ceding time to practice squad call-up (and one-time IDP stalwart) Kwon Alexander. Don’t get too excited about Alexander, either—he played just 54 percent of the defensive snaps himself.
Houston Texans
Fantasy managers who have been passengers on the Neville Hewitt waiver train need to know that it’s pulling into the station—Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) has no injury designation this week and appears set to return to the starting lineup. There still hasn’t been any definitive word regarding when third-year linebacker Christian Harris might return from injured reserve, so for the time being, it will be Al-Shaair and Henry To'oTo'o as the top two off-ball linebackers for the Texans.
Jacksonville Jaguars
There isn’t a team in the league that has been more maddening for IDP managers this year than the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not only have they rotated linebackers, but there’s been no discernible pattern. Last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Jaguars played quite a bit of three-LB sets, with both Foyesade Oluokun (90 percent) and Devin Lloyd (77 percent) playing enough to qualify for full-time status. Whether that holds or not in Week 10 is anyone’s guess.
Los Angeles Chargers
IDP managers should be overjoyed by Daiyan Henley’s IDP production as a full-time starter. Three times the second-year pro has eclipsed 10 tackles while playing full-time snaps, including a week ago against the Cleveland Browns. Henley appears to be locked into a three-down role with Los Angeles, while no other linebacker saw a 50 percent snap share in Week 9. However, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s heavy use of rotations this season adds just a tinge of unease.
Miami Dolphins
The expectation was that David Long Jr. would start at inside linebacker and wear the green dot for the Miami Dolphins in Week 9. The expectation got its hat handed to it—not was veteran journeyman Anthony Walker Jr.. making the defensive play calls, but Long played exactly as many snaps for the Dolphins as you did. This appears to be a straight-up, performance-related benching—making Walker one of this week’s better plug-and-plays at the linebacker spot.
Minnesota Vikings
The theme this week appears to be raining on the parades of IDP managers who have been riding waiver gems—and it’s no different in the Twin Cities. It’s not guaranteed that Blake Cashman (toe) will return in Week 10—in fact, both he and Ivan Pace Jr. (knee) are questionable. But Cashman is tentatively expected to return against the Indianapolis Colts, and given Minnesota’s penchant for dime sets that could leave Pace’s IDP value minimal.
New England Patriots
Over the past few weeks, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss had built some IDP momentum—the fourth-year journeyman has recorded nine stops in back-to back games in a three-down role. Those snaps were scaled back under 60 percent last week by an abdominal injury, and now Elliss has already been ruled out for Week 10. Sione Takitaki would appear to be the next man up in a Patriots LB corps wracked with injuries, but there are far too many questions to trust any Pats linebacker not named Jahlani Tavai this week.
Tennessee Titans
When the Titans flipped Ernest Jones IV to Seattle for Jerome Baker and a draft pick a little ways back, the assumption was the latter would replace the former as a starter in Nashville in short order. As it happens, either Baker isn’t happy about his change of scenery or Jack Gibbens ate all the Wheaties ever, because Baker remains on the sidelines watching Gibbens play every snap opposite green dot linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. Baker’s droppable at this point.
He’ll now wind up with a dozen tackles this week, because IDP.
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.
