IDP Breakout Candidates for the 2024 Season
Every season, players emerge from the shadows to become key contributors and game-changers. Identifying these potential breakout stars can give you a significant edge in your leagues this season. In this article, IDP Breakouts we’ll spotlight a selection of players poised to make a major impact. These are athletes who might have shown glimmer in the past and may still be flying under the radar for various reasons. Here I will explain my rationale as to why I think these players could step into larger roles and deliver a standout 2024 season.
Linebackers
Trenton Simpson, LB, Baltimore Ravens
As a 3rd round rookie pick selected last season by the Ravens, Simpson was regarded as one of the top three linebackers in his class only behind Jack Campbell and Drew Sanders. We kept waiting to see him play until one day it finally happened!
Playing only 20 snaps all year, he finally gets 26 snaps in week 18. While the team rested starters and already had a bye in the first round, finally decided to give Simpson playing time against the Steelers. He went out and tallied 7 tackles, six solos, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 TFL, and 1 QB hit.
While that is such a limited sample size, it’s reasonable to suggest with Patrick Queen now in Pittsburgh, Simpson steps into Queen’s role alongside Roquan Smith in the Ravens’ defense. Queen’s performance reached new heights after Smith joined Baltimore, and I anticipate that Roquan will continue to attract the majority of offensive blocking assignments, allowing Simpson to thrive. Take advantage of casual fantasy owners not paying attention and possibly being eliminated from week 18 fantasy playoff football. In one of your leagues its possible someone might not know who Simpson is yet.
E.J. Speed, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Here is a player I have written up in several articles this off-season and has a neat little story to go along with it. Although he’s currently being drafted after LB19 and is viewed as the LB2 on his team, both perceptions might be off the mark.
Since EJ Speed took over a full snap share once Shaq Leonard got cut weeks 12,13, and 15-18: achieving 128 points in 6 games. 21.33 points per game. If that was a full body of work, Speed would be LB2 on the entire season, second only to Foyesade Oluokun. Zaire Franklin’s same span (Weeks 12,13,15-18): 79 points in 6 games. Around 13.2 points per game would have been LB60 in IDP123 scoring.
He’s a player I rarely leave drafts without, and you can snag him later since he’s still flying under the radar, expect a breakout given the smaller sample size as casual fans might not notice him.
Tyrel Dodson, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Dodson was PFF’s top-graded linebacker and ranked third in coverage among all linebackers. With the Seahawks losing both of their starters from last season, Dodson is poised to see a significant increase in snap share. In 2023, Dodson started 10 games for the Bills, filling in for the injured Matt Milano at weakside linebacker. During that stretch, he recorded 74 tackles, including eight for a loss. Given that the Seahawks shipped off last season’s starters, Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks, there is clearly a need to fill huge snaps at this position
Jahlani Tavai, LB, New England Patriots
Though not currently a three-down player, Tavai’s stock is on the rise. There’s talk in training camps about him potentially earning a three-down role. Typically playing around 75% of the snaps, Tavai had a breakout year in 2023, finishing as PFF’s fourth-highest-graded linebacker with 111 tackles. With a new defensive scheme and coaching staff in place, there’s a good chance he could see an even larger role.
K.J. Britt, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last season, Britt capitalized on his 252 snaps, recording 33 tackles and securing a starting role. In 2024, Britt earned a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 72, one of the best on the team, second only to Lavonte David‘s 75. In contrast, Devin White’s run defense grade was a disappointing 31.4, which partly explains why the team let him sign with the Eagles.
This creates a significant opportunity for Britt to step up and log substantial snaps this season. Additionally, Britt proved to be the most reliable tackler among Tampa Bay defenders with 100 or more snaps in run defense, boasting a missed tackle rate of just 3.8%, compared to White’s 8.3%. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Britt play 1,000 snaps for the Bucs, making him a valuable target in the later rounds of drafts. Currently buried in Sleeper platforms’ ADP, you might need to dig to find him. Tampa Bay’s system is one of the few that allows two linebackers to play 100% of the snaps.
Defensive Linemen
Malcolm Koonce, DL/LB Las Vegas Raiders
Quick. Without doing any research, who would you say is the Raider’s highest-graded pass rush rate? If you say, Maxx Crosby, you would be wrong. It is none other than Malcolm Koonce.
It took a little longer to get this 3rd round draft pick on the field. In his third season, Koonce’s eight sacks in the last nine weeks of the season were impressive. If he maintained that level of production throughout the entire season, he could have ranked among the league leaders in sacks. According to Bleacher Report, Koonce recorded 52 total pressures on 344 pass-rush opportunities, and his 19.1% pass-rush win rate currently ranks 11th in the NFL Keep in mind he will also have single blocks for the majority of the season thanks largely to Crosby and to new addition Christian Wilkins. I am expecting big things out of Koonce.
For more info about Koonce, make sure you check out this special IDP Player Profile – Malcolm Koonce.
Odafe Oweh, DL/LB, Baltimore Ravens
Oweh is currently being drafted as DL72, but with Jadeveon Clowney‘s departure, there’s a strong chance he could post DE1 numbers this season. As a former first-round pick, Oweh still holds significant potential, despite not yet living up to expectations.
Oweh boasts a Pass Rush Win Rate of 18.2%, ranking 10th among all EDGE defenders with at least 100 pass-rushing attempts, according to Pro Football Focus. The best part about drafting Oweh is that he won’t cost you much, allowing you to prioritize elite linebackers and defensive linemen before picking him. He might even be available late in drafts, where some view him as a potential bust. This perception is incorrect—take advantage of it.
This is a player that I have talked numerous times about on the RPO Football Show and F6P this season.
YaYa Diaby, DL/LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Diaby is a highly underrated starter with DL/LB eligibility on Sleeper. After pushing aside underperformers, he climbed the depth chart and saw his snap share rise to around 60% toward the season’s end. Despite leading the Buccaneers with 7.5 sacks, Diaby is still only rostered in 29% of leagues, and many managers might overlook him on draft night.
Drafting him at his current DL64 ADP could be a game-changer. While others chase top edges and linebackers, you can grab Diaby late at a discount, setting yourself up for success.
Arnold Ebiketie, DL, Atlanta Falcons
Just two seasons ago, the Falcons selected Arnold Ebiketie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He excelled in a 3-4 scheme in college but seemed miscast last season in a 4-3. With Atlanta planning to revert to a base 3-4 scheme, Ebiketie should thrive.
The Falcons parted ways with Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree and didn’t draft an edge rusher until the third round, so Ebiketie is poised for a significant uptick in production. What’s intriguing is that he recorded just 0.05 fewer sacks than Campbell and Dupree, despite playing 130 fewer snaps. Ebiketie managed six sacks and 12 QB Hits in limited time off the bench—production that flew under the radar.
Savvy managers should keep an eye on him as a potential breakout candidate, especially since he may be available on waivers in many leagues. Ebiketie’s ADP is currently DL80 in 123 scoring.
Update: The Falcons traded a 3rd round pick for Matthew Judon. As a result, Ebiketie will be competing for the second Edge spot instead of the first.
D.J. Wonnum, DL/LB, Carolina Panthers
Wonnum looks like a rising pass rusher after tying his career-high with 8 sacks and setting a new personal best with 62 tackles in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings, where he became a consistent top DL-24 player at his position, surpassing his previous rotational usage.
Now with the Panthers, a team undergoing significant changes, Wonnum should see plenty of snaps, especially after the departure of Brian Burns. Alongside Jadeveon Clowney, who also joined the Panthers, Wonnum is a great late-round dart throw with potential upside in the NFC South. One of them could emerge as a key player this season, based on their previous performances.
Note: Wonnum is currently working back from a quad injury and not yet practicing performing team drills, but there is optimism that he will returning shortly. You will want to monitor this injury situation to make sure he is available for Week 1.
Bryce Huff, DL/LB, New York Jets
Technically, Bryce Huff had a breakout season this year but did so on a limited snap count. (Finishing Ten sacks in 17 games on just 42.2% of snap counts) The feeling in the IDP community is with a healthy dose of 60% snap share he should thrive now. Using PFF grades here is what we found out.
- Overall grade: 79.7 (27th among edge rushers on 481 snaps)
- Pass rush grade: 86.8 (10th among edge rushers on 334 snaps)
- Rush defense grade: 48.1 (outside the top 100 for edge rushers on 134 snaps)
Because he is a pure-rush specialist he is a popular name that people say will break out and it is likely to assume, but pay attention to the third stat line about run defense- he will have to get better before we can crown him just yet. There was a reason why the Jets did not trust him with a higher volume dosage, but if he could clean this up the sky is the limit from here.
Defensive Backs
Ji’Ayir Brown, DB, San Francisco 49ers
In his rookie season, Brown lived up to his reputation as a ball-hawking safety. He recorded two regular-season interceptions and added another in the postseason while serving as a part-time starter, stepping up after Talanoa Hufanga‘s season-ending injury. The 49ers use a 4-3 scheme, which features a lot of four-man pass rush with zone coverage. More particularly playing in cover three, with one single high safety places emphasis on the strong safety historically creating turnovers, Brown could emerge as a standout takeaway specialist on an elite defense in his second year.
Antonio Johnson, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Coming out of last year’s rookie draft, scouts had Johnson as the DB#3 in that draft class behind only Brian Branch and Jordan Battle. Having limited play, he graded per PFF with a respectable 73.8 grade on 171 snaps. While the case is still out on whether Johnson could excel in his new role, he appears to be a Swiss army knife of sorts having experience in both safety roles and also the slot. Johnson could be selected late in drafts or picked up on waivers.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots
If you are playing in cornerback-required leagues and looking for a guy who will play 100% of snaps, with four a more tackles a game this is it! The Patriots may have found their next superstar cornerback with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft. Gonzalez, a big corner at 6-1, 205 pounds, showcased exceptional traits before being injured as a rookie. Expect big things soon out of this player, and this may be the last time you could get him off waivers.
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