The bye weeks are in full swing and injuries are as well. It’s hard enough deciding who to play each week, and these things do not help. So this week I am giving you three IDP Stock Market transactions that you should make to improve your IDP portfolios.
Jack Sanborn, LB, Bears
Maybe the hottest name in fantasy football right now is Jack Sanborn a linebacker for the Chicago Bears. He became the next budding star when the Bears traded away star linebacker Roquan Smith at the trade deadline. With that move, the big question was who would take over that role? Many fantasy managers felt that Nicholas Morrow who was already a starter would benefit the most by moving inside. There were managers who felt that safeties Eddie Jackson or Jaquan Brisker might play more in the box. Both thoughts had been potentially correct. While I could see those being possibilities, it didn’t answer who would take over for Smith. The Bears clearly knew that answer and didn’t hesitate to put rookie Sanborn, who was nothing more than a special teams player up until now, in a starting role.
Sanborn has started both games since the Smith trade and he has been excellent in that role. The Bears and fantasy managers couldn’t have asked for a better output from Sanborn. In the two games, he has played 106 defensive snaps (89%) while seeing his special team role decline dramatically. Sanborn has totals of 19 tackles, 16 beings solos, an 84.2% solo tackle rate, two TFLs, two QB hits, and two sacks. Both of the games he started have been at home, so we’ll see over the next two weeks with road trips to Atlanta and then New York (Jets), if he can continue the hot play. I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t and I am trying to acquire him in all of my leagues. He’s a perfect fit for the Bears for two reasons, production, and price. Much cheaper than Roquan and as of now there hasn’t been a drop-off between the two. Get him now if you can.
Andrew Adams, SS, Tennessee Titans
You’re probably reading this and thinking who the hell is Andrew Adams and why would I want him on my fantasy rosters? I thought the same thing at first but after the last four weeks, he’s played well enough to be a must-roster option in IDP leagues. Before we get to why let’s do a little history on him. Adams is a seven-year veteran who was drafted by the New York Giants in 2016 where he spent two seasons before being released. In 2018, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would add him to their roster and he’s spent the past four seasons there. Adams made some splash games but none of his seasons were anything special and definitely not fantasy relevant. He had career highs in tackles of 46 in both 2016 (NYG) and 2019 (TB) with a four-interception season in 2018 (NYG). Before coming to the Titans he started 35 of 87 career games, mostly as a fill-in role.
Now we fast forward to this year with Tennessee and two things stand out. First, Adams has quickly become a Mike Vrabel favorite as linebacker Dylan Cole has. That’s huge for not only the Titans but fantasy managers. Second, starting strong safety, Amani Hooker has been battling injuries. So with Hooker out, it was Adams that Vrabel turned to. Over the last four weeks, Adams has made three starts, played 98% of the defensive snaps, and hasn’t disappointed with his production. In those three starts, he’s totaled 24 tackles (8 per game) with 18 being solos (75% solo rate). Also in those three starts, he’s had seven or more tackles and six solos. That consistent floor production makes him valuable, especially in deep leagues.
AJ Epenesa, DE, Buffalo Bills
Many fantasy managers have probably moved on from 3rd-year defensive end AJ Epnesa, but those who were patient and held onto their shares are now getting a return on their investment. In his first two seasons, Epenesa played in 28 games, with one start and he recorded 28 tackles, 19 solos, five TFLs, 13 QB hits, 2½ sacks, and two PBUs. He was miss cast as an OLB last year which hurt his progression in my opinion, as that’s not his natural fit position. Now we look at this year and the Bills have put him back at defensive end in a heavy rotation and now he’s starting to bloom in year three.
Epenesa has played all nine games, making one start, which was last week in place of the injured Gregory Rousseau. In that start, he produced three tackles, all solos, one TFL, one sack, one forced fumble, and two PBUs. On the season he has a total of eight tackles, six being solo, three TFLs, six QB hits, 3½ sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four PBUs. As you can see he’s progressed a lot this year even in a rotational role as a backup. It’s hard to find productive defensive ends in fantasy and Epenesa is a waiver wire option that’s gonna cost you pennies on the dollar. Be patient and don’t have high expectations and you’ll get the return you want. A trending up dynasty stock
All stats provided by Pro Football Reference
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
