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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.
In most fantasy football leagues, this is it—Week 14 brings with it the end of the regular season. And there are quite a few IDP managers who need a victory this week to keep the season going. They need to squeeze every point possible from their starting lineups.
It's awfully hard for linebackers to tally fantasy points if they are sitting on the bench.
Table time.
WEEK 12 GREEN DOT AND THREE-DOWN LINEBACKERS
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
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris apparently decided the best answer to the question of "Nate Landman or Troy Andersen?" is "yes" because the duo split the No. 2 LB role in Atlanta almost right down the middle last week. In fact, No. 3 linebacker Damone Harris actually played more snaps than Landman or Andersen. Right now, Kaden Elliss is the only Falcons linebacker with any real IDP value.
Buffalo Bills
For a good chunk of the season, Dorian Williams was a full-time linebacker in Buffalo and a productive IDP asset. But veteran Matt Milano was back on the field in last week's blowout win over San Francisco, playing 37 of 48 snaps (77 percent). On the other hand, Williams' snaps were scaled back considerably—to zero. Williams was fun while he lasted, but he's waiver-wire fodder now.
Carolina Panthers
There appears to be a very real chance that oft-injured linebacker Josey Jewell (hamstring) will miss Week 14, although he got in a limited practice after missing Thursday's session. If Jewell can't go, the assumption is that rookie Trevin Wallace will assume green-dot duties, just as he did earlier this season when Jewell was sidelined. Chandler Wooten would likely slot as Carolina's No. 2 linebacker, although he's an IDP desperation play at best.
Detroit Lions
Jack Campbell is locked in as the defensive signal-caller for the injury-ravaged Lions, but the rest of the linebacker corps is a muddy mess. Second-year pro Trevor Novaske barely cleared the 60 percent snap share threshold against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14, while three more linebackers (Zeke Turner, David Long Jr., and Kwon Alexander) all saw snap shares north of 30 percent. To call the situation unsettled is putting it mildly.
Green Bay Packers
The more things change, the more they stay the same. With rookie Edgerrin Cooper sidelined once again by a hamstring injury, veteran Isaiah McDuffie reprised his early-season role as an every-down linebacker. McDuffie paced the Pack with a season-high 15 tackles, although just four were solos because the Lions scorekeepers hate him or something. McDuffie's IDP value carries an expiration date, but so long as Cooper is out, the fourth-year pro has fantasy value.
Los Angeles Chargers
The No. 2 linebacker spot for the Chargers had been something of a group affair, so even with Denzel Perryman inactive in Week 13, the belief was that would continue. Instead, fifth-year- pro Try Dye saw a surprising 77 percent snap share and paced the team with an impressive 14 tackles (six solo). It's not a sure thing that Dye sees a similar snap share Sunday night against the Chiefs, but at this point in the season, there likely isn't much better on the waiver wire in most IDP leagues.
Minnesota Vikings
With Ivan Pace Jr. now on injured reserve, Blake Cashman is the only IDP-relevant linebacker in the Twin Cities. The Vikings were already near the bottom of the league in multiple-linebacker sets, and with Pace out, Minnesota is running three-safety sets with Joshua Metellus, Camryn Bynum, and Harrison Smith all on the field. It bumps the fantasy value of those safeties, but the rest of the linebackers in Minnesota aren't rosterable.
New York Giants
Things just keep getting better and better for the floundering Giants—in addition to an offense hit hard by injuries on its third starting quarterback of the season, the defense will be without green dot linebacker Bobby Okereke (back) has been ruled out for Week 14 with a back injury. The belief is that third-year pro Micah McFadden will take over relaying the defensive signals while rookie Darius Muasau sees a bump in playing time, but how big that bump will be is uncertain.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The No. 2 linebacker spot next to Lavonte David has been hit-or-miss for IDP managers this season, but at this point, some folks are looking for any port in the proverbial storm. But after K.J. Britt went down for the Bucs last week, J.J. Russell took over—and essentially played an every-down role. Now, however, Russell is also out with a hamstring injury, which means that UDFA rookie Antonio Greer is in line to start.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are a banged-up mess at linebacker—both green-dot linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. (hamstring) and Jerome Baker (neck) are in danger of missing Sunday's AFC South tilt with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team has indicated that sixth-year veteran Luke Gifford would be in line to assume green dot duties if Murray can't go, while rookie Cedric Gray appears the leading candidate to start in Baker's spot if he sits.
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.