The 2024 season has plenty of fantasy football IDP regression candidates.
Gaining a competitive advantage is important in fantasy leagues. Especially in fantasy football IDP leagues, figuring out which player will regress before the season starts can be the difference between making the playoffs or winning a championship. Heading into the 2024 season, there are plenty of under the radar players who could break out in a big way this season.
DaRon Bland, DB
Listing DaRon Bland as a potential regression candidate should not be much of a surprise to anyone. The Dallas Cowboys cornerback had a league-leading nine interceptions with five touchdowns. He’s also the only defensive back in the top-40 in points at the position with under 70 tackles.
It’s likely that Bland will continue to be targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2024 with Trevon Diggs returning from injury. However, it’ll be nearly impossible for him to replicate his success from 2023. After all, Bland is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in interceptions and score at least five touchdowns. It’s safe to say he will regress in that regard.
With that said, even with his expected regression, Bland’s still worth targeting in fantasy football IDP leagues solely due to who plays on the opposite side of him. As long as Trevon Diggs remains elite, Bland will continue to be the more-targeted player, thus giving him more opportunity. Just don’t expect his level of production to continue going forward.
In 2024, your leaguemates will likely draft Bland early based on his 2024 performance but we recommend waiting on the cornerback position, a position you can find good value later in the draft.
Bryce Huff, EDGE
Bryce Huff was an analytical darling during his tenure with the New York Jets. And in 2023 we finally saw him breakout. During his final season with Gang Green, Huff ranked third in true pass set pressure rate (25.4%) and pass rush win rate (22.9%), second in adjusted pressure rate (18.6%), and his 20.1 percent pressure rate was tied for first among Edge defenders (min. 275 pass rush snaps). He finished the season with 10 sacks and signed a massive three-year $51.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. However, there’s reason to believe there could be a fall off approaching.
Given his contract, the Eagles will be making Huff a starter – a position he’s never been in. When given more attention by offensive opponents in the second half of the 2023 season, Huff’s pressure rate dropped to 9.8 percent. In essence, he was having inconsistent production when faced with double teams. The other issue is that Huff is just not good against the run.
Because of his mentality as a pass rusher, he shows little patience holding the edge or putting himself in a position to make a play on the running back. This can be taught, but it will likely take time. There’s a likelihood that Huff’s tackle numbers increase this season. However, there’s real potential to see a falloff in his pass rushing ability if forced into a full-time role. Considering his popularity among fantasy football IDP circles, Huff is not worth the cost, and a player to stay away from.
Jack Gibbens, LB
Jack Gibbens was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL draft. After originally being waived during roster cuts, Gibbens managed to find his way back onto the team and made a couple of appearances in his rookie season. However, it’s his 2023 season that probably caught the eye of fantasy football IDP players.
Through the first 15 weeks of the season, Gibbens was a tackling machine. His 70 solo tackles were good for 26th among all linebackers, while his 71.2 defense grade by PFF ranked 35th (min. 100 snaps). Gibbens showed a sure tackling ability, tying Logan Wilson for 23rd-best among all LBs in miss tackle percentage (6.9%). Yet while Gibbens provided IDP players with decent production for a waiver wire addition, things could look a lot different this season.
In the 2024 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected North Carolina’s Cedric Gray in the fourth round. While Gibbens is currently slated as the starter, there’s rumblings that the UNC product will instantly push for starting time. With that said, the Titans did tender Gibbens this offseason. However, any time a new coaching staff comes in, players without true pedigree are more likely to end up on the chopping block. Gibbens started hot last season, but fizzled before going on IR with a back injury – and that will provide opportunity for Gray to compete for playing time early.
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