2013 IDP DB Rankings

Can’t get enough Fantasy Football? Sign up for an IDP league and add another dimension to your fake football Sundays. We’ve got your 2013 IDP DB Rankings to help you out! I already posted my 2013 Overall IDP rankings earlier this week, so check those out, too.

And then, I knocked out the 2013 IDP DL Rankings, which are always tricky!

Better yet, over the weekend I covered the 2013 IDP LB Rankings.

Just beware that you may get even further conflicted with the outcomes your cheering for and need a calculator close by. Especially when your Tony Romo starts throwing passes to your DeAngelo Hall. Quick, what is 2 subtracted from 6?

Before we get right to our 2013 IDP DB Rankings, lets take a peek at the position.

Defensive Back Position Overview

There is always some disparity between the best real and fake football players, but at the Defensive Back position it is significant. Deion Sanders went to 8 Pro Bowls and was a highlight reel ball hawk, but he recorded a mere 66 total tackles in 1992, which was his career high and the only time he had more than 50.

The best real cornerbacks rarely get the ball thrown their way and it is often unproven rookies and first-year starters who get picked on by opposing teams and therefore rack up the big tackle totals. Therefore targeting Safeties is a solid strategy, they’re often hoovering around the line and the football in the run game.  Matt Elam isn’t in the same class as Darrelle Revis in the real game, but in Fantasy Football,  Elam is the more valuable player.

The other two IDP  positions are impacted by a team’s defensive scheme more than Defensive Backs. However, teams that employ a Tampa 2 Defense and drop their Safeties and Middle Linebacker back into coverage allows their Cornerbacks to be in the play more. Charles Tillman is a perfect example and with Monte Kiffin in town, perhaps Morris Claiborne is ready to be an IDP force.

Finally, it can be tricky to find Defensive Backs who boast week-to-week consistency, so landing a top option is advised. However, it is also a deep position that can be streamed, so don’t fret if you do miss out on a top option, just be ready to play the waiver wire.

2013 Defensive Back Picks, Sleepers and Busts

Pick: Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs

Did you hear about Berry’s new pass rushing role? He is going to be lined up all over the field and that means he’ll be big play threat at all times. Put 85 tackles in the bank and there might not be an option at DB with as high a ceiling and floor.

Pick: Tyvon Branch, Oakland Raiders

There isn’t a lot of big play upside here, but who cares, when healthy Branch is a lock for tackle totals in the three-digits. There is a lot of security in that and when he does grab a ball it is a bonus, not a relief. Got to love a reliable option with all the positional uncertainty.

Sleeper: Da’Norris Searcy, Buffalo Bills

The physical Strong Safety will inherit the starting gig in Buffalo and take his tackling show on tour in 2013. The opportunity is there to approach 100 total tackles and that is the sound of great fake football.

Sleeper: DeAngelo Hall, Washington Redskins

Not a prototypical sleeper, but given Hall’s low consensus ranking and 3 straight 90 tackle seasons he fits, or is at least being undervalued. He’ll be good for a few picks and although, he wont win a popularity contest, he might help win you a week or two.

Sleeper: Marcus Gilchrist, San Diego Chargers

With a clear path to the starting job at Strong Safety, Gilchrist will have excellent fantasy value. He recorded 59 tackles, while only playing 59% of the Chargers defensive snaps in 2012. Look into that how you will, but it tells me he knows how to tackle.

Bust: Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks

Opposing teams are likely to avoid Sherman more in 2013, which leaves Fantasy owners relying on more interceptions to make up for less tackling opportunities. Let someone else in the draft room reach for the superstar.

2013 IDP DB Rankings

We hope you liked these 2013 IDP DB Rankings — and you end up with a bunch of pick-6s, a Fantasy Football title and a few of the coldest beverages of your choice!