IDP Fantasy Football can be a bit like opening a new restaurant. Often, success depends on location, location, location. Of course, talent is important, but the scheme a defender plays in and the supporting cast (or lack thereof) around them can have a sizable impact on an IDP's fantasy value,
And very shortly, a boatload of defenders will be on the move.
It's a list that includes some big-name edge-rushers, including a couple who were just handed their walking papers. One of the greatest linebackers of his generation. And some young safeties trying to parlay solid 2024 campaigns into a fat payday.
Now, some of those players may well wind up re-signing with their old team. And for some, that is the best-case from an IDP perspective—if it's not broke, don't fix it. But for every player, there's a sweet spot—a team that would, at the very least, maintain their fantasy value and, in many cases, increase it.
This, of course, means that these players won't sign (or, in at least one case, re-sign) with the teams listed here—heaven forbid we have nice things.
But for a little while at least, we can hope.
Defensive Linemen
Joey Bosa, LA Chargers
After nine up-and-down seasons and five Pro Bowls, the Chargers released Bosa recently after he amassed five sacks in 14 games a year ago. Durability is a major concern for Bosa, who has missed over 20 games over the past three seasons. But when he's healthy, the 29-year-old still possesses elite upside.
Ideal Landing Spot – San Francisco: What's not to like about a Bosa family reunion in the Bay Area? Playing opposite his younger brother, Joey won't be expected to carry the team's pass rush. The Niners have the depth on the edge to manage Joey's snaps and keep him fresh (and healthy). And you can only double-team so many Bosas on a given play.
Harold Landry III, Tennessee
Like Joey Bosa, Landy was let go recently by the Titans. But unlike Bosa, Landry was solid in 2024—he topped 70 tackles for the third time in four years, added nine sacks, and was a top-10 IDP asset at his position. Landry missed all of 2022 with an ACL tear, but demand for his services should be high.
Ideal Landing Spot – Arizona: The supporting cast in Arizona isn't great—especially if Dennis Gardeck leaves. But with $78 million or so in cap space, the Redbirds have the cheddar to retain Gardeck and upgrade a pass rush that needs it by adding Landry. It wouldn't be a bad duo on the edge.
Khalil Mack, LA Chargers
Mack just turned 34, and his 2024 numbers weren't nearly as impressive as the season before. But he still managed half a dozen sacks, and as recently as two years ago, Mack racked up a career-high 17 sacks, added his fifth career season with over 70 stops, and ranked second among all defensive linemen in fantasy points.
Ideal Landing Spot – Dallas: The Cowboys have quietly opened up $54 million in cap space and badly need a reliable No. 2 edge-rusher opposite superstar Micah Parsons. Mack isn't going to duplicate his 2023 explosion, but he could flourish in Big D, given all the attention that Parsons commands from opponents.
Haason Reddick, NY Jets
Reddick's lone season with the New York Jets was an unmitigated disaster—a protracted holdout followed by an invisible season where he managed a single sack in 10 games. However, it's worth remembering that prior to 2024, Reddick had at least 11 sacks in four consecutive seasons.
Ideal Landing Spot – Detroit: The Aidan Hutchinson injury exposed how woefully thin the Lions were behind their star edge-rusher last year. Reddick is likely going to have to accept a short-term "prove-it deal" after last year's debacle—the Motor City is kind of favorable situation that could help Reddick resurrect his career.
Josh Sweat, Philadelphia
Those 2.5 sacks Sweat had in a dominant showing in Super Bowl LIX didn't help IDP managers, but it likely made the 27-year-old a lot of money. Sweat had 41 tackles and eight sacks for the Eagles in 2024 on the way to a DL27 fantasy finish, but just now entering his prime, Sweat's fantasy ceiling could be quite a bit higher.
Ideal Landing Spot – Washington: The Commanders have a clear need at edge-rusher and over $80 million in cap space with which to address it. Dan Quinn coaxed 10.5 sacks out of Dante Fowler Jr. last year, and Sweat and Dorrance Armstrong have the potential to become a solid one-two punch.
Linebackers
Ernest Jones IV, Seattle
Jones had quite the journey last year, getting traded to Tennessee just before the season and then to Seattle during the year. However, all the moving around didn’t stop Jones from being productive—the 25-year-old piled up 138 total tackles and finished the season as a top-20 fantasy linebacker.
Ideal Landing Spot – Las Vegas: The Seahawks have expressed interest in retaining Jones, and a recent knee surgery could cloud his free-agent market. However, the Raiders could use a more athletic linebacker inside than Robert Spillane, and as Spillane showed just last season, Las Vegas can be a jackpot in terms of tackle production.
Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati
His numbers were buoyed somewhat by the season-ending injury suffered by Logan Wilson, but by any measure, Pratt had himself a contract year—a career-high 143 total tackles and one of IDP's more surprising top-10 fantasy finishes. He also wore the green dot helmet communicator for a time, which could appeal to some suitors.
Ideal Landing Spot – Indianapolis: It would be great if some team viewed Pratt as a potential No. 1 linebacker available at something of a discount. It's far more probable that he will get signed as a No. 2 linebacker, though, in which case, following defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to Indianapolis seems a good fit.
Jamien Sherwood, NY Jets
Sherwood was arguably the most pleasant surprise of 2024 at the linebacker position—filling in for C.J. Mosley, the converted safety topped 150 total tackles and finished the season eighth in fantasy points among linebackers. The question will be how confident other teams are that the 25-year-old can duplicate the feat.
Ideal Landing Spot – Los Angeles Rams: After rolling with Christian Rozeboom as the team’s top linebacker last year, it’s pretty clear that the Rams need to upgrade at the position. Sherwood would give the team a much more athletic option who is better in coverage—and a player capable of wearing the green dot.
E.J. Speed, Indianapolis
Speed may have been the No. 2 linebacker in Indianapolis a year ago, but his stats didn't show it—a career-high 142 tackles, 93 solos, and a top-15 fantasy finish. However, with a new defensive coordinator in Indianapolis, it's possible the Colts move on or that Speed gets more on the open market than Indy is willing to pay.
Ideal Landing Spot – San Francisco: The 49ers have to give serious thought to moving on from Dre Greenlaw after he barely played in 2024. Speed should be available at a relatively reasonable price point for a Niners team that needs a frugal add or two, and Speed would slot right in as Robin (again) to Fred Warner's Batman.
Robert Spillane, Las Vegas
Spillane has gone from an undrafted free agent to a reserve in Pittsburgh to a quality starter for the Raiders, racking up over 300 total tackles over the past three seasons. He's not an elite talent, but he's a smart, tough player who finished fourth in fantasy points among linebackers last season.
Ideal Landing Spot – Carolina: The most likely outcome here is likely Spillane staying in Vegas—the whole not fixing what isn't broken thing. But if Spillane does depart in free agency, he'd continue piling up stops in Charlotte—Carolina was dead last in run defense a year ago, surrendering almost 180 yards per game.
Defensive Backs
Camryn Bynum, Minnesota
Bynum wasn't able to reproduce his 137-tackle eruption of two years ago, but he still had a solid season for Minnesota in 2024, with 96 total tackles and a career-high three interceptions. With the Vikings re-signing safety Theo Jackson and a robust market likely awaiting, Bynum appears on his way out of the Twin Cities.
Ideal Landing Spot – Jacksonville: With Andre Cisco about to hit free agency, the Jaguars' most established safety right now is likely Andrew Wingard, who is an average talent at best. Bynum would immediately slot as a key component of a Jaguars secondary that won't hurt for tackle opportunities in 2025.
Jeremy Chinn, Washington
It had been a little while since Jeremy Chinn was a force in IDP leagues, but he turned back the clock a bit in 2024—the 27-year-old tied a career-high with 117 total tackles, adding a career-best two sacks and tallying the second-most solos of his five-year career. It was quite the bounceback year after he fizzled out in Carolina.
Ideal Landing Spot: Washington
This writer has tried to avoid tabbing old teams as ideal fits for too many players—overdo that, and you get a rather boring read. But much as with Bobby Wagner at linebacker, the Commanders would be wise to retain Chinn—his resurgence in 2024 was due in no small part to how well he fit in Dan Quinn's defense.
Jevón Holland, Miami
Holland had 96 tackles in 2022, but in 2024, he was essentially a fantasy afterthought—just 62 total tackles and the first season of his career in which he failed to record an interception. However, Holland has only just turned 25, and there should be a heated market for the young safety's services.
Ideal Landing Spot – LA Chargers: Only the New England Patriots have more cap space than the Bolts. A fat chunk of that will be spent on an edge rusher after the team released Joey Bosa, but there's plenty left over to ink Holland, too—and the Chargers play two deep safeties as much as any team in the NFL.
Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco
Back in 2022, Hufanga flirted with 100 total tackles, intercepted four passes, was named a first-team All-Pro, and finished as the highest-scoring fantasy safety in the NFC. Since then, however, he has missed as many games as he has played in, so the market for the 25-year-old's services could be softer than some expect.
Ideal Landing Spot – Pittsburgh: This would be a classic Steelers signing—a potential value who could be a substantial upgrade over DeShon Elliott if he can stay healthy. We just saw Elliott finish as a top-15 safety for the Steelers. A healthy Hufanga could do even better in the Steel City.
Tre'von Moehrig, Las Vegas
Moehrig exploded into IDP relevance in 2024, surpassing 100 total tackles for the first time in his career, intercepting a pair of passes, and finishing as a top-15 defensive back. The Raiders aren't short on cap space with which to bring Moehrig back, but the 25-year-old could generate quite a bit of interest in a rather weak free-agent class at his position.
Ideal Landing Spot – Denver: No, this isn't just being mean to Raiders fans. The Broncos have a need at safety opposite Brandon Jones. Moehrig's versatility would appeal to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, and as things stand right now, the linebackers in the Mile High City aren't world beaters.
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.
