Foyesade Oluokun should be the First Linebacker selected in 2023 IDP Leagues.
Oluokun was the Top Scoring Linebacker in 2021
In the 2021 NFL season, Atlanta linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (“Foye”) erupted onto the scene posting a whopping 192 combined tackles through 17 games. This total was the 7th highest in NFL history, and the most tackles in a season since Chris Spielman put up 195 back in 1994. Oluokun also added 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 6 passes defended, 3 interceptions and a forced fumble. While his 2021 fantasy ranking depends solely on the scoring of each league, Oluokun was second in default IDP123 scoring on Sleeper, trailing only T.J. Watt in posting 360 fantasy points.
The lucrative production in 2021 caught the attention of several NFL teams in free agency that following offseason, and it was ultimately the Jacksonville Jaguars that outbid the masses for Oluokun’s services, signing the former Yale linebacker to a three-year, $45 million deal.
Oluokun was the Top Scoring Linebacker in 2022
When a player switches teams and schemes, there are always question marks relative to whether their production will translate over. In Oluokun’s first year with the Jaguars and Mike Caldwell’s defensive system, he eclipsed the fantasy masterclass he served up the year prior, finishing with 384 fantasy points using Sleeper’s default 123 scoring. No matter what form of scoring you look at, however, Oluokun’s stats were eye-popping. Oluokun actually posted the 4th most solo tackles of all-time for a single season with 128. This is particularly relevant to IDP, because solo tackles provide a safe floor, and this is what made Foye Oluokun a “must-start” week in and week out.
Oluokun finished the 2022 campaign with 184 combined tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. Looking at his 2022 game log, Oluokun had 10 or more tackles in nine of the seventeen games in which he played, and only recorded less than 8 tackles in three of those games. All-in-all, these numbers and the manner in which they are distributed speak volumes relative to the upside Oluokun offers in IDP formats, as well as a floor that is higher than any other player on defense. In this sense, Foye Oluokun is the Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen of linebackers, and he has been for the last two seasons now. He’s not just a one-and-done, and his skillset is not suited for just one system. Oluokun is an elite producer in the league and tackles at rates that few other players have in NFL history.
IDP Drafting in 2023
With two consecutive monster seasons under his belt, why is Foyesade Oluokun not the undisputed #1 ranked player in IDP football? First and foremost, it relates to the linebacker position. While it depends on how deep the league you are playing in is, there are often starting linebackers available on the waiver wire throughout the season. The same cannot be said for edge-rushers posting double digit sack numbers on a consistent basis, such as the Micah Parsons’ and T.J.Watts of the world.
So while it may be fair to place a young, stud edge-rusher like Nick Bosa or Micah Parsons ahead of Oluokun in dynasty rankings, can the same be said for placing younger linebackers like Roquan Smith and Nick Bolton ahead of him? Oluokun is just two years older than Roquan Smith, so there is not a huge advantage age-wise relative to a manager opting to draft Roquan. While it’s fair to say that Roquan is the better linebacker in the NFL, and rightfully so, he’s the best in the league, in IDP we worry only about production. With that in mind, Oluokun has the edge, scoring 27 and 15 more tackles in the last two seasons, respectively, over Roquan. With his 180 tackles in 2022, Nick Bolton is an enticing pick in startup drafts, especially for those managers opting for a “productive struggle”, as he has plenty young enough to be held through a rebuild.
However, no one has put up numbers like Oluokun in consecutive seasons, and for competitors in dynasty and all managers in re-draft formats, he should be the first linebacker selected off the board, and arguably the first IDP selection in general.
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If you want to win a dynasty championship trophy, make sure you check out our 2023 Linebacker Rankings.