• Javon Hargrave He finished the year on a strong note again, but it didn't quite show at IDP. His sack and tackle totals for 2023 have dropped, resulting in a decline in fantasy production for one of the league's best interior defensive linemen.
• Jeremy Chin A recovery is certain in 2024. After a nightmare 2023, Chinn is set to start again on defense, ideal for a producing safety.
• Get an early start on fantasy football: use PFF Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator Get ready for your live draft by creating a real live mock draft simulation.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Injuries and inefficiency are the bane of fantasy football, but fantasy managers willing to forgive and forget have a few options available to make things right in 2024.
Here are seven players fantasy managers have relied on in the past who have underperformed this year, and that doesn't include the more obvious choices who played fewer than 10 games in 2023. Matt Judon and Uchenna Nwosu Instead, we’ll focus on players who have been absent for some time or who have been disappointing fantasy assets when they take the field in 2023.
The scoring referenced uses the following settings, with links to all point leaders for 2022 and 2023 (minimum 100 defensive snaps) here.
PFF Recommended IDP Scoring
| position | Solo TKL | assist | Saxophone | TFL | QB hit |
| download | 2.5 | 1.25 | Five | 1 | 2 |
| lb | 1.5 | 0.75 | Four | 1 | 2 |
| David | 2 | 1 | Four | 1 | 2 |
DT Javon Hargrave, San Francisco 49ers
Hargrave, 31, is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. But his first season with the 49ers in 2023 wasn't as good as fantasy managers expected after his career-high in sacks last season. In IDP fantasy football, sacks are a big factor in how many defensive linemen score. Hargrave's seven sacks in 2023 were good numbers, but not enough to warrant him being a solid weekly starter in IDP.
Hargrave's fantasy points per game dropped from 12.0 in 2023 (DT14) to just 9.1 in 2023 (DT28), but that's mostly due to the aforementioned drop in sacks. As we've detailed in hereWhile sacks and sack rate are not reliable indicators from year to year, Predicted Sack It is a more stable and predictable indicator.
Hargrave's pass-rush stats and projected sacks in 2023 were top-10 at his position, but his points per game numbers dropped substantially due to a decline in actual sacks. His tackles for loss also fell.
Making those kinds of big plays more consistently will be the biggest factor in Hargrave's resurgence in 2024.
EDGE Za'Darius Smith, Cleveland Browns
Another older defensive lineman, but still one of the best at his position. Za'Darius Smith Re-signed Cleveland Browns This offseason, he will team up with the Defensive Player of the Year. Myles Garrett Smith is a candidate for a comeback because of his low sack total in 2023 (5.5), which doesn't reflect his actual play.
Smith recorded his highest pass rush grade (87.4) since his 2019 career year and remained in the top 10 in pass rush grade and win percentage, just as he will in 2022 when he recorded 10 sacks on the season. While Smith is not expected to get back into double-digit sack territory at this stage of his career, he is still one of the best pass rushers at his position and deserves to get more sacks in 2024, as can be seen by the projected sack numbers in the graph below. If Smith maintains his level of play from 2023, there is no doubt we will see an uptick in his sack numbers in 2024.
Za'Darius Smith's 2023 and 2022 seasons
| metric | 2023 (EDGE rank) | 2022 (EDGE rank) |
| Fantasy points per game | 7.3 (ED66) | 12.3 (ED19) |
| Saxophone | 5.5 (ED57) | 10 (ED13) |
| Expected Sack | 8.7 (ED19) | 13.1 (ED5) |
| Pass Rush Grade | 87.4 (ED9) | 84.7 (ED9) |
EDGE Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
Last week we introduced Sweat as one of the top contenders for positive regression.And he is a prime candidate for a comeback in the IDP for the very same reasons.
It will be hard to replicate Sweat's overall efficiency in 2022, when he recorded 11 sacks on just 356 pass-rush snaps, but his playing time will go a long way in helping him get closer to a double-digit sack total. Sweat is set to play a career-high 828 defensive snaps (564 pass-rush snaps) in 2023, Haason Reddick departure New York JetsSweat will be relied on heavily on defense in 2024, giving him a good chance to bounce back.
Sweat was a top-12 edge rusher in expected sacks last season but only achieved 6.5, good for 45th at the position. Sweat has big gaps to fill, and that starts with his extended playing time creating those opportunities. His pass-rush metrics are also strong, but not as good as they would be in his 2022 career year. But he ranked 14th in total pressures (68), which alone should have translated into more sacks.
The Eagles Bryce Huff Sweat's lack of playing time this offseason is unlikely to hurt Sweat's playing time too much, as he has never contributed on every down before, even if the 2023 first-round draft pick is expected to see more snaps. Nolan SmithIf Sweat is healthy, there's no concern he won't lead that group in snaps.
One of the most underrated edge defenders this offseason, Sweat is priced well above his current ADP and should be in for a nice bounce back in 2024.
Josh Sweat's 2023 and 2022 seasons
| metric | 2023 (ED rank) | 2022 (ED rank) |
| Fantasy points per game | 10.4 (ED40) | 12.3 (ED21) |
| Saxophone | 6.5 (ED45) | 11 (ED10) |
| Expected Sack | 10.9 (ED12) | 7.6 (ED25) |
| Pass Rush Grade | 74.1 (ED37) | 82.1 (ED13) |
LB Georgie Jewell, Carolina Panthers
Jewell had high hopes for the IDP manager in 2022, but his playing time and tackle grades in 2023 didn't live up to those expectations. He previously Tackles and expected numbers In 2022, he played 95% of the team's defensive snaps in 13 games and earned a (+11.2) rating. Last year, he played just 73% of the snaps, ranking in the 26th percentile at his position. Tackles and expected numbers (-9.8) In 16 games, he played just 30 fewer snaps than the previous year.
One of the biggest changes for Jewell in 2022-2023 was the departure of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who had employed Jewell as a lead linebacker.
Jewell may not have a true all-down role with the Panthers in 2024, but his familiarity with Evero's defense should allow for more consistent production and stronger play at the position, similar to what IDP managers got in 2022.
Georgie Jewell's 2023 and 2022 seasons
| metric | 2023 (LB rank) | 2022 (LB rank) |
| Fantasy points per game | 9.9 (LB51) | 16.1 (LB2) |
| Tackles and expected numbers | -9.8 (LB82) | +11.2 (LB13) |
| PFF Grade | 67.2 (LB45) | 71.7 (LB25) |
| Defensive Snap Share | 73% | 95% |
LB Denzel Perryman, Los Angeles Chargers
Another veteran linebacker who joined the new team this season, Perryman, hasn't been a full-time linebacker in recent years, but with the Chargers' thin depth at the position, that could well change in 2024. Junior ColsonThe team does not have a clear candidate for a starting linebacker, and given Perryman's NFL experience, he was likely acquired in free agency to work alongside the younger Colson to lead the defense so the team doesn't have to rely solely on rookies or other inexperienced starters.
The veteran's 2023 season saw him make just 11 appearances through the first 17 weeks of the year, but his average weekly snap share (73%) was still higher than his 12 appearances (70%) in 2022. Unfortunately, his production level is nowhere near what fantasy managers have gotten out of him in 2022, which should set a new standard for Perryman as he enters the 10th year of his NFL career.
Perryman ranked in the 85th percentile in tackles despite a low snap share in 2022, but he wasn't able to crack the top 30 percentile in that regard. 2023His health will always be an issue, but if he can avoid any major injuries he should be able to return as a regular fantasy starter in higher leagues.
Denzel Perryman2023 and 2022 seasons
| metric | 2023 (LB rank) | 2022 (LB rank) |
| Fantasy points per game | 9.4 (LB65) | 12.4 (LB25) |
| Tackles and expected numbers | -8.9 (LB80) | +7.7 (LB18) |
| PFF Grade | 59.9 (LB69) | 74.2 (LB18) |
| Defensive Snap Share | 73% | 70% |
S Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
Baker has been one of the most consistent and efficient defensive backs over the last few years, making him an IDP favorite. Unfortunately, that run came to an end in 2023 when he missed several games with an injury. Baker's 11.8 fantasy points per game were not at the level we're accustomed to, and ultimately it came down to a lack of big plays, as highlighted in the graph below.
Baker's tackling grades remain among the best at his position, a positive sign that with a bit more luck he could bounce back in 2023. He also failed to record an interception for the first time since 2019, failed to force a fumble for just the second time in his career, failed to record a half-sack for just the second time in his career and failed to intercept a pass for just the second time in his career, which led to a poor IDP grade in 2023.
Fortunately for Baker, who is arguably the best player on the Cardinals' defense, those factors tend to change significantly from year to year. Baker's tackle floor is on the high end, and a bounce back in 2024 is entirely possible.
Budda Baker2023 and 2022 seasons
| metric | 2023 (SAF rank) | 2022 (SAF rank) |
| Fantasy points per game | 11.8 (S33) | 14.7 (S5) |
| Tackles and expected numbers | 11.1 (S14) | +21.0 (S4) |
| Big Play Rate | 0.68% (S111) | 1.71% (S31) |
S Jeremy Chin, Washington Commanders
Chinn may not reach the heights of his impressive rookie season, in which he averaged 15.9 fantasy points per game as the leading scorer at his position, but after a very disappointing campaign last year, this may be one of the easiest seasons on the list to bounce back from.
Chin will play in 12 games in 2023. Carolina PanthersDuring his playing time, his weekly defensive snap share never reached 80% and he averaged a career-low 39% of defensive snaps during his playing career, a big change from playing over 90% in each of his previous three seasons.
As a result, Chin was not a factor in the IDP, averaging just 4.9 points. Fortunately for Chin, Dan Quinn and Washington Commanders They needed a player with his skill set in free agency. Camren Carl He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Quinn's single-high defensive coverage scheme, best suited to a box-heavy, tackle-absorbing configuration, should help Chin regain the favor of IDP managers. Most importantly, Chin will start again, which is obviously the most important step in him regaining IDP relevance.
Jeremy Chin's 2023 season compared to previous years
| metric | 2023 (SAF rank) | 2022 (SAF rank) |
| Fantasy points per game | 4.9 (S85) | 14.1 (S10) |
| Tackles and expected numbers | -3.3 (S78) | +4.0 (S28) |
| Defensive Snap Share | 39% | 91% |
