Minkah Fitzpatrick has been a brand name in IDP fantasy football since he arrived in Pittsburgh in a 2019 trade from the Dolphins. The former eleventh-overall pick forced two turnovers in his first game and looked energized by murmurs of the “bust” label.

In 2021, Fitzpatrick finished as the fantasy football’s second overall defensive back on the strength of 124 total tackles. Fantasy gamers interpreted Fitzpatrick’s statistical growth as an ascension after two DB2 seasons.

Gamers and sports writers alike cite tackle compilation as a sign of success, even talent. Fitzpatrick did not achieve triple digits in tackling before or since. Was 2021 his one great season? The reverse is more likely. Fitzpatrick was named All-Pro in 2019, 2020, and 2022. He didn’t even make the Pro Bowl in 2021.

Run-Play Tackling

Diagnosis of factors that buttress fantasy success informs prognoses for future production. Unforeseeable trends can be identified as they emerge, illuminating acquisition opportunities.

The not-so-secret ingredient of Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 2021 tackle total was run defense. Pro Football Focus credited him with 48 solo tackles and 13 assists in run-play tackling. A free safety in a single-high defense, Fitzpatrick tackled runners at an average depth of 11.3 yards downfield.

The tackle total was the second highest among all defensive backs that season, while the average depth of tackle was conversely the fourth highest. In contrast, former Panther Jeremy Chinn led all defensive backs with 56 solo tackles and added 9 assists. Chinn’s average depth of tackle in run-play tackling was 6.0.

Antoine Winfield Jr, another free safety, was making run-play tackles 11.9 yards downfield, on average. Pro Football Focus credited Winfield with 23 solo tackles and 14 assists, a little more than half of Fitzpatick’s total and closer to what one might expect from a player routinely lined up more than 12 yards downfield at the snap.

Team Context for Tackling

The 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers were the worst run defense in the NFL by average yards per rush,  total rush defense (yards allowed), and rushing first downs allowed (tied). Starting interior defender Stephon Tuitt surprisingly retired before the season started. Linebacker Devin Bush, the tenth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, posted the worst PFF grade of his career en route to bust status. Bush’s running mate, Joe Schobert, also received the worst PFF grade of his mediocre career in 2021.

IDP gamers believed Schobert to be a good player, evidenced by the tackle collection in Cleveland. He was widely drafted as a fantasy LB1 in the summer of 2021. Schobert started just one more game after that season and has been out of the league since 2022.