IDP Stock Market: Week 4

What's your favorite movie? Some of the best films start with one plot or story and end with a different outcome than expected. That's much like what we see in the NFL this season. We all had preconceived notions about who was elite, what teams were the best, and who to avoid. It's safe to say that through three weeks, we are experiencing the first plot twist of the season. Many new faces are on all three lists this week, but who are they? Are they long-term holds or short squeezes you can take advantage of? Here we go, folks, let's RING THE BELL!

Fortune 5

Stock up: Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota

This is a name you probably didn't expect to lead us off this week, but I can assure you that you need to take notice. Van Ginkel is proving to us that he not only is a startable fantasy player this season, but he may be one of the best in the league. Through Week 3, he is the second overall player (depending on format) in all IDP. If you don't believe me, let's look at the stats, shall we? He has 14 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and a touchdown in this young season. Yes, I know, the touchdown isn't something that can be relied upon, and I agree with you, but the sack production and the tackle consistency are enough for me to believe in him. Make sure if you have him, you're starting him. He's earned that nod.

Stock Up: Robert Spillane, Las Vegas

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Spillane has been an elite IDP option for the better part of two seasons, and he has started 2024 exactly how many expected him to do so. On a Las Vegas team that has better IDP options than offensive fantasy football options, he is standing on top currently. He is everything you want in a dynasty linebacker. He's in his prime at 28 years old, has high tackle floors (10+ in each of the first three weeks), and can give you that big play potential that is week-winning (has a sack or INT in 2/3 games). He's set-and-forget and bordering on dynasty LB1 territory early in this season.

Stock Up: Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati

This one may surprise some folks, but I think we are seeing a changing of the guard at linebacker in Cincinnati. Most people likely had Logan Wilson rated higher than Pratt, and while I was originally against Logan Wilson, I also folded to the pressures of the community. It appears to start that we were all wrong. Pratt is currently the best Cincinnati IDP to roster currently. He has 33 tackles through three weeks but also has two forced fumbles. He is coming into his own this season, and I think he is going to make some roster decisions that will be a bit more difficult with his emergence this season. I'll help you with one: start him. Even if this is a short-term window of opportunity, the point potential he is showing us week-to-week is too tasty to wait for it to end. This is an early-season decision you need to make, but one that I assure you will pay dividends.

Stock Up: Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans

There was a point when Mathieu was the most coveted defensive player on planet Earth. He has a rare ability to do everything on the defensive side of the ball. He can blitz effectively, cover receivers, or stay in the box and deliver the boom. He has a knack for being around the ball, and if you're watching a game he's in, don't be surprised if he is one of those guys who pops off the screen on almost every play. Unfortunately, he's not exactly been an IDP darling in his career, so seeing this start to the year excites me. He is doing everything I just described, translating to games' stats. He has two interceptions, a forced fumble, a subsequent recovery, and 14 solo tackles! Who knows when this ends, but while it is here, I would take advantage of this rise until we see the fall. Besides, who isn't a fan of the Honey Badger?

Stock Up: Eric Kendricks, Dallas

I was high on Kendricks in the first Stock Market Article, and I am back to take a victory lap. It appears we are finally seeing the dominating IDP linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys emerge again! It's not sexy, he hasn't had a boom play since Week 1, but he has a great tackle floor and the consistency we are seeing here helps managers sleep at night. Not a lot of players get 12 tackles in a game. When you have that type of volume, it doesn't matter whether they're assists or solos; you know you've got a guy who is a magnet for the ball. He's likely going to finish his career here, and he is a bit older than I would like to acquire in the dynasty, but at 32 years old, who's to say we don't get a few more good years for Kendricks before him riding off into the sunset?