Looking for the next IDP unknown to come out of the woodwork and be the latest fantasy star to become a household name?

I thought so. And NO, I’m not talking about guys like DeAndre Levy or Rolando McClain because both of those situations are blatantly obvious! Taking on the challenge of Independent Defensive Players is no small task, in fact I find some of my best and most knowledgeable competition in my IDP leagues.

It’s for this reason, that you need to be prepared to go a round or two later at a position if your guy is gone and shop smart. Let other owners select Rolando McClain way too high and take an upstart like Levy a round or two early, just keep this list of IDP Values to be had when you go shopping for defensive talent in the mid-rounds.

Also tonight, you can hear the season debut of IDP Report Radio at 11:30pm EST right here. If you’ve got any questions, topics to discuss, or you just want to hear the defensive side of things please tune in every Tuesday night!

Charles Johnson - DE - Carolina: Most might believe Everette Brown will be the guy in Carolina to make up for the absence of Julius Peppers but Charles Johnson showed some pass rushing potential and the ability to stuff ball carriers. Tyler Brayton played most of the season opposite Peppers last year, but the team appears ready to use Charles Johnson a lot more this year. He racked 4 sacks in limited playing time last season, so I see him being even more productive now that he’s a bigger part of the rotation at DL this year.

Rocky McIntosh - LB - Washington: This guy has great ability and while he comes with injury concerns, he’s a good athlete that can play well in coverage. The Redskins are changing schemes to a 3-4 defense which will move Rocky from the weak-side OLB spot to the weak-side ILB spot in Haslett’s defense. McIntosh has a knack for making plays and forcing fumbles, so he should have a lot of opportunities to do just that. London Fletcher-Baker remains the other starter at ILB and cannot be counted out, but it’s not like there won’t be plenty of tackles to go around either. I look at McIntosh and see a guy you can snag much later with plenty of upside and not a lot of downside.

Dan Connor - LB - Carolina: With Thomas Davis out for the year, this should be obvious to most IDP vets and while some say this is no lock, I think it is. This isn’t NFL Betting, it’s Fantasy Football and Dan Connor is the ideal player on the inside. Jon Beason is actually expected to replace Davis on the weakside and Connor would man the MLB spot, it’s expected that both will be 3-down linebackers which would give Connor a significant upgrade in playing time. This guy showed some flashes late in the year when the Panthers went through a rash of injuries at the position, so this could be the start of something big for him and potentially your fantasy team.

Dannell Ellerbe - LB - Baltimore: I know this one shouldn’t be a secret, but a lot of fantasy owners just don’t do the research. Ellerbe was an athletic phenom coming out of Georgia with major character concerns that the Ravens signed as an un-drafted free agent after the 2009 draft. He basically beat out Traveres Gooden as the weak-side ILB playing next to Ray Lewis and showed that he has skills in coverage with terrific reaction speed. Ellerbe took the job and ran with it and really turned it on in the post-season with a 10 solo performance against the Colts in the playoffs. The kid can definitely play and I’m very excited to see what he can do with a full season under his belt. Definitely a great value for your 2010 IDP drafts.

Chris Harris - S - Chicago: The Windy City welcomes back Chris Harris after a 3-year stint in Carolina in which he was very productive playing the strong safety spot. The Bears need a true box safety that plays disciplined football and will be a force in the running game. Harris has a great ability to cause fumbles and rack up tackles, as he has averaged 75 tackles & 4 forced fumbles per season the last 3 years. I look for a return to IDP greatness for Harris and he’s definitely a DB that you can draft later after the Pollards, Branchs, Otagwes of the world are off the board.

Gibril Wilson - S - Cincinnati: It doesn’t matter where Hampster Wilson goes, he always produces. I realize that Chris Crocker, Chinedum Ndukwe, and Roy Williams are still on the roster, but there’s a reason Cincy brought Wilson in. The guy is much better in coverage than any of the current safeties on the roster and he produced 93 tackles from the free safety position last year, so don’t expect Wilson to be sitting on the bench. The guy is a 3-down safety that will be on the field making plays and I’m shocked to see how late he’s falling in some drafts. This guy will be a regular in your starting lineup, so don’t miss out and target him late in your IDP drafts.

Thanks a ton for reading and please bang out some feedback or comments below. You can also e-mail me questions, comments, and even complaints to joe@idpreport.com

Tags: 2010 Fantasy Football, Corner Back, Defensive End, Defensive Tackle, Fantasy Football, idp, Linebacker, NFL, Safety