Top 26 Dynasty IDP Targets Under 26 In 2020: #4

by Gary Van Dyke | Feb 7, 2020

Welcome to the fantasy football’s Top 26 dynasty IDP targets under 26 in 2020. This series of articles is intended to help those fantasy football owners looking to revamp or start a dynasty roster. So why 26 under 26? Because our focus is on a group of fantasy football defensive players that are no older than 25. And have shown to be long term potential IDP assets at the highest level. The kind players we want to have on our rosters as they hit their prime years. And hopefully helping us earn a few titles as the seasons roll by.

Dynasty IDP Targets Ranking Ground Rules

Ranking fantasy football players can vary in opinions. So we will lay out the ground rules on how those IDP hairs were split between these players. Starting with the following things taken under consideration. And making this statement now.

No matter how, when. or why it’s an opinion. And the same can be said on who the players are that are chosen to be in the rankings.

So with that being said, my credentials in IDP knowledge runs around fifteen years now. And much of that time is not just spent on fantasy football data. It also includes researching and keeping up on the latest reports and news. And although “numbers” have to be used to rank. I find that those IDP hairs are so thin to split that normally I’d soon have any player within a difference of ten from any given rank.

The point here is we’ll list the considerations taken into these rankings. And my personal opinions are just that. Because all of the 26 and likely a few that didn’t make my list, boils down to my personal preferences.

Now on to our Top 26 Dynasty IDP Targets under 26 years old for 2020.

Considered

Player statistics

Team situation

Surrounding Talent

Player potential

Consistency Margin Of Error

Preferences

2020’s Fantasy Football Top Dynasty IDP Targets: #4

Pittsburgh Steeler Outside Linebacker T.J. Watt

Position: OILB/Edge – Height/Weight: 6-4, 252lb – Age As Of Jan.1, 2020: 25

Salary / Contract

2019 Gridiron Ratings

Overall

LB 87

ER 91

*RK LB-1st/ER-1st***

Performance

LB 94

ER 93

RK LB-1st/ER-1st

Opportunity

LB 85

ER 93

RK LB-11th/ER-1st

Availability

LB 99

ER 99

Healthy

Solo

LB 41

ER 61

LB 48th/ER-15th

Note* It is Watt’s combination of tackles, sacks, and other playmaking type plays that have his performances and overall rating versus opportunities where they are.

Combine

40 Yard Dash 4.69 SECONDS

Bench Press

21 REP

Vertical Jump

37 INCHESBroad Jump 128 INCHES3 Cone Drill 6.79 SECONDS

20 Yd Shuttle

4.13 SECONDS

College Credentials

The younger brother of professional football players J.J. and Derek Watt, T.J Watt attended Pewaukee High School in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. After graduating, he entered the ranks of college prospects as a three-star recruit, according to many experts at the time. And then following in his brother’s footsteps, he attended the University Of Wisconsin as a tight end.

Watt was redshirted as a freshman in 2013 and sat out his following sophomore season due to a right knee injury in 2014. Then in spring practice of 2015, and after being asked to switch to an outside linebacker, Watt injured his left knee during spring practice that required surgery.

He was able to return that year as a reserve linebacker and finished with eight tackles and two passes defended. And then finally, Watt’s luck turned, and he was healthy entering 2016, winning a starting position. Watt indeed broke out as a dominant defensive player, earning high honors as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and named to the second-team Associated Press All-American team. He ended his final year of college with 63 combined tackles, sixteen for loss, and had twelve sacks.

NFL Recap

Watt attended the combine and had stellar performances across the board. As a designated linebacker, he was first in the short shuttle and broad jump and came in second in the three-cone drill and the vertical jump. Although his best designation was as an edge rusher where most experts suggested he was a late first to second-round selection. And the Steelers did just that, selecting Watt 30th overall in the first round of the 2017 draft. That season Watts emergence allowed the Steelers to move on from a long time veteran James Harrison. And the rookie, in turn, went on to make his mark accordingly for the Steelers in a big way. Watt ended his rookie campaign with 54 combined tackles, ten tackles for a loss, setting a Steeler rookie record with seven sacks. Almost double the previous record of four sacks last matched by Bud Dupree in 2015.

As the clear cut starter off the edge in 2018, Watt did not disappoint and again showed Steeler fans he was the real deal. He continued where he left off as an edge-rushing playmaker from his rookie season. One that could get into the backfield and disrupt opposing team’s game plans. He finished the 2018 campaign with 68 combined tackles, twelve for a loss, and thirteen sacks. And added those game-changing type plays with six forced fumbles while getting to the opposing quarterback 21 times. 2019 wasn’t any different for Watt, wrapping the season up just as stronger by recording 55 combined tackles, fourteen for a loss, and a career-high fourteen sacks. And once again improved as a game-changer with eight forced fumbles, eight passes defended, two interceptions, and got to the opposing quarterbacks 36 times.

Fantasy Football Dynasty IDP Targets Summary

Watt is pound for pound one of the best universal front-seven IDP players for deep formatted dynasty leagues. And likely as well for redraft leagues with deep formats. Because over the last two seasons, the total package of producing combinations of tackles, sacks, and playmaking type plays have kept Watt very relevant. And his flexibility in formats that use flex spots or designated positions is priceless. He can also help owners through bye weeks or injuries by inserting him where he best fits for maximization. This helps when sorting through for the best options off the waiver wire those occasions a player pick up is the only option.

He rarely flat out disappoints in any given game, and when he hits, he normally hits hard in the score box. And this is shown in his overall and performance Gridiron ratings more than anything. Those ratings reflect his overall body of work and hinge on his game-changing type stats he produces like sacks, tackles for loss, and such. And normally, we would focus on the solo rating, but Watt is one of those rare cases that it’s not as relevant for the total package of his IDP value.

Watt’s Pound For Pound Dynasty IDP Targets Scoring Value

There are so many types of scoring formats in IDP anymore, from sack heavy to tackle based, and anywhere between. And it makes explaining Watt’s IDP value a little more difficult over profiling other IDP players. So we’re going to attack this a little differently from the status quo. We’re approaching it from the two main formats used that this writer knows of that Watt’s IDP value is the greatest. And those are a balanced tackle to sack ratio and a sack heavy to tackle ratio score set up.

In those two formats, Watt was likely as high as a top-five to a top 25 producer at the end of the year rankings. And again, this depends largely on the scoring format of the league setting an owner has acquired him in. While breaking these down, we’ll add the optional settings for those super-deep formats. Just keep in mind when they are added, they will only enhance Watt’s value.

Tackle Balanced

Solo Tackles: 2 point
Assisted Tackles: 1 point
Sacks: 4 points
Tackles For Loss: 2 point
Passes Defended: 2 point
Interceptions: 3 points
Fumbles Forced: 3 points
Fumbles Recovered: 3 points
Sack Yards: 1 pt per 10 yds
Quarterback Hits: 1 point
Tackles For Loss: 1 point

Sack Heavy

Solo Tackles: 2 point
Assisted Tackles: 1 point
Sacks: 6+ points
Tackles For Loss: 3+ point
Passes Defended: 2 point
Interceptions: 3 points
Fumbles Forced: 3 points
Fumbles Recovered: 3 points
Sack Yards: 1+ pt per 10 yds
Quarterback Hits: 2+ point
Tackles For Loss: 2+ point

Keep in mind this was as a rookie in 2017. Watt averaged one game-changing type play every 19 snaps and with an average of 50 snaps per game. With an average of making a playmaking type play of 2.6 per contest. And out of 15 contests and there were only 4 games, he didn’t record one.

In 2018, Watt averaged one game-changing type play every 16.5 snaps and with an average of 56 snaps per game. With an average of making a playmaking type play of 3.4 per contest. And out of 16 contests and there were only 3 games, he didn’t record one.

In 2019, Watt averaged one game-changing type play every 10.8 snaps and with an average of 58 snaps per game. With an average of making a playmaking type play of 5.3 per contest. And out of 16 contests and there were zero games, he didn’t record one.

In his career, Watt has an average of 4 combined tackles and 3.6 game-changing type plays per contest, a total average of 7.6 per game. His performance percentage of consistency at some level is 85% of the time. And over those three years, he has reduced his percentage from 26% in 2017, to 18% in 2018, and down to 0% in 2019.

It is this Writer’s Opinion

It’s this writer’s opinion, Watt as a universal IDP play or edge rusher is certainly a top tier 1 option. He will be in the range of an LB2 in tackle balanced leagues and LB1 in sack heavy formats. And in leagues that are completely focused on tackle based scoring, he is likely going to fall into a bye-week or injury option based on his consistency percentage. Unless the starting line ups are really deep, then he may work at the tail end of your starting lineups.

Readers must keep it in mind I’ve ranked him this high based on his utility as a flexible IDP player and what that brings to the table. And owners will need to know the league’s set up before acquiring him. Gauging at what level it will take to do so, versus his value.

In a standard-sized league with a deep format, this writer would select him in the second wave of IDP players in most cases. And as an outside linebacker in the Steelers 3-4 defensive scheme, Watt’s greatest value is likely as an edge rusher overall. It boils down to properly utilizing him within the lineup that offers his best dynasty value overall. In other words, he is a player that has to be managed in most cases to warrant this dynasty IDP targets ranking. But the pay off in doing so will be priceless throughout the season.

Top 26 Dynasty IDP Targets To “Click On” And…

Thank you for joining me as we rank the top 26 under 26 fantasy football dynasty IDP targets for 2020.

Gary VanDyke

“The IDP Tipster”

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