Entering 2024, regardless of your league structure, you want to find sleepers in your IDP drafts- here we are going to look at Defensive Line (DL) options. The thing with IDP, is that players can have different positional eligibility. For the purposes of this article, we are going to use the positions on the Sleeper platform.
- George Karlaftis (KC)
- Byron Young (LAR)
- Jadeveon Clowney (CAR)
George Karlaftis (KC)
Karlaftis hasn’t hit the highs that were expected of him since he was selected at the end of the first round in the 2022 draft. But, entering his third season, he should be able to take another step forward. Last season, he took another step forward from his rookie season. Finished 2023 with 10.5 sacks, 17 QB hits and was top-10 in pressures and hurries.
In an ideal world he would improve on his tackle numbers, with just 80 combined over his past two seasons. But, his snap count gives him that opportunity. (He was only outsnapped by three players on defense last season). If he can improve his tackle numbers, and be more consistent week-to-week as a result, he is going to be a valuable option for fantasy this season.
Byron Young (LAR)
Young was second on the team in defensive snaps, behind only Jordan Fuller. With that opportunity, he had 61 combined tackles, 8 sacks, 8 TFLs and 19 QB Hits. His ability to get to the QB is fantastic. The need for him to do so in 2024 is going to be increased, now the team are going to be without Aaron Donald.
There is the narrative that he team could struggle to compensate for such an important loss in their defense, but the team did bring in additional weapons on their defensive line. (Including the very rare-sighted Rams first-round draft selection!?). Young is available almost for free, and can be a productive fantasy option- at the minimum he could be a bye-week fill-in player.
Jadeveon Clowney (CAR)
Clowney has bounced around a little after suffering some injury-plagued season with the Texans. For 2024, he is signed to the Panthers, where he has actually signed a two-year deal, and is going to be tasked with trying to replace Brian Burns.
The veteran rusher finished 2023 with one of his better seasons in the NFL, finishing with 9.5 sacks, 9 TFLs and 19 QB Hits. The Panthers have a clear need for him to be out on the field, and he was able to play in every game last season. He is being completely overlooked after a few seasons of being unable to be a consistent IDP performer. But, if you need a swing for the fences-type, Clowney has some upside.
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