Fantasy Football: IDP linebackers to target and trade in dynasty leagues

Dynasty players are heading into the fantasy football offseason shortly when fantasy platforms switch over to 2025 following the Super Bowl, which will open up trades for managers looking to get an early start on improving their rosters for next season.

For the linebacker position, when it comes to players to target relatively cheaply, this group will focus on rookie linebackers who were not full-time starters in 2024 but have a shot to increase their role and IDP value in Year 2, assuming the offseason is favorable toward them. Plenty of veteran linebackers with safe starting roles are worth targeting, so many apply for this group, but for this article, the targets are treated as cheap young stashes to consider.

The full list of top IDP scorers, scoring settings, and production versus expected numbers can be found here.

Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

• Highest ideal trade price to acquire (draft picks): Mid-2025 third-round pick

Wilson was one of the highest-graded linebackers of this past year’s draft class coming out of college, but injury concerns caused him to fall to the third round. He made a solid impact in Year 1 as a part-time player while staying healthy for every game. Wilson was arguably the Steelers’ best linebacker this season, playing mostly on passing downs, where he thrived, earning a top-10 coverage grade for the position (76.9).

Not only did Wilson play well in more of a situational deployment as a rookie, but he delivered as the team’s best tackling linebacker as well, ranking 93rd percentile in tackles versus expected while both Elandon Roberts (-25.8) and Patrick Queen (-15.1) finished no better than 12th percentile in that regard. Queen is unlikely to cede the team’s LB1 role to Wilson this season. However, it’s possible that Wilson still earns a larger role because Elandon Roberts is scheduled to be a free agent, which — if the teams so chooses — could have Wilson taking on more work on early downs in addition to his passing-down duties. The Steelers have shown a tendency to split those LB2 duties among two separate linebackers in the past, but heading into the offseason, there’s at least a chance that Wilson could take on a larger role, making now a good time to invest for relatively cheap.

Tyrice Knight, Seattle Seahawks

• Highest ideal trade price to acquire (draft picks): Late 2025 third-round pick

Knight played more as a rookie than any other targetable linebacker on this list, giving us a decent sample size of what the 2024 fourth-rounder could provide for IDP. While Knight played as a starter for the second half of the year, he was only deployed in a full-time role once all season, which kept his IDP production in check and potentially allowed him to open a decent “buy window,” as he is potentially set up to start again in 2025 in a larger role.

The Seahawks linebacker room will need reinforcements this offseason because Ernest Jones, who the team acquired midseason, is scheduled to be a free agent, while the Seahawks previously moved on from both Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker, who they signed in free agency last offseason. Knight is the only obvious choice right now to not just keep his starting role but potentially absorb a larger one in Year 2 if Seattle is unable to add anyone substantial to this linebacker room. They may bring back Jones, though he had his share of struggles this season, and it’s more than possible they add one of the starting-quality free-agent linebackers that potentially hit the market. On the chance that only one starter is brought in, Knight will be in a decent spot to start himself while possibly earning some trust to play a full-time role because he gained some valuable experience in his rookie season. Knight delivered excellent tackles versus expected numbers when on the field this season, creating encouragement for his IDP stock should he start again. He is a solid young option to consider who could be had for a reasonable price.

Jaylon Carlies, Indianapolis Colts

• Highest ideal trade price to acquire (draft picks): Early 2025 fourth-round pick

In another situation where the team’s linebackers are pending free agents this offseason, leaving crucial vacated snaps for a rookie linebacker heading into Year 2 to potentially absorb, the Colts’ second linebacker spot is going to be one of the more desirable IDP spots to try and get in on this offseason. This has been a full-time role, and a productive one at that, though the new defensive coordinator will likely determine some of this and just how desirable that spot will be for IDP.

The Colts could potentially be losing E.J. Speed and Grant Stuard to free agency, giving Carlies a chance to earn a definitive role. Carlies performed well in his opportunities, even earning a 70.0 overall grade and a very strong 83.1 coverage grade, which is impressive even considering the smaller sample size. Lou Anaroumo is set to be the new defensive coordinator in Indianapolis, so he may help address this position (Akeem Davis-Gaither?), but if not, and the Colts maintain their philosophy of keeping the next man up at the position as an in-house promotion, then Carlies is the clear and obvious choice to take that spot, which should be a productive role for IDP.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Philadelphia Eagles

• Highest ideal trade price to acquire (draft picks): Mid-2025 fourth-round pick

Trotter is in an interesting position as a player who wasn’t given any real opportunity to start as a rookie, but much like other linebackers on this list, Trotter’s team could need his services in 2025 depending on how this offseason shakes out. Zack Baun is a pending free agent, though it would be a surprise if the team doesn’t re-sign him, and Nakobe Dean suffered a significant knee injury in the team’s wild-card game, which puts his 2025 season in doubt. Dean’s immediate replacement, Oren Burks, is also a pending free agent, which increases the chances of Trotter moving way up the depth chart.

Baun could command a decent contract, and with Dean still under contract, there might not be a lot of room or urgency to add much more, putting Trotter in a starting spot in the meantime. Don’t spend a ton to go out and acquire Trotter because he is only a fifth-round pick who might not be a long-term option, but he performed well on a very limited sample size as a rookie, and even if he’s a starter for this coming season only, getting a starting linebacker in this Eagles defense for cheap could prove valuable once the season kicks off.

Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders

• Minimum ideal trade return (draft picks): Mid-2025 third-round pick

Luvu has performed well as an IDP over the past few seasons, though it’s very difficult to ignore the boom-bust nature of that production. If he isn’t getting a sack or other unstable big plays, his tackle floor is about as low as it gets for full-time players at the position. Luvu rushed the passer more than any other player at his position and luckily found his way to eight sacks as a result, though anyone in tune with defensive production will know that those numbers can, and likely will, regress at any point.

Even taking into account the snaps that Luvu was rushing the passer, which would help lower his expected tackle numbers, he still finished 35.4 tackles below expected on the year, ahead of only two other players at the position. This has been a concern for Luvu in each of the past three seasons where he’s finished no higher than the 12th percentile in tackles versus expected since 2022 when he became a full-time starter. While Luvu finished as LB16 on the year, his LB27 rank in points per game is a good reminder as to where he more accurately scored and should be valued, potentially even lower with sack regression baked in, which is why IDP managers should look to capitalize on his 2024 production now. 

Quincy Williams, New York Jets

• Minimum ideal trade trade return (draft picks): Late 2025 third-round pick

Williams, much like Luvu was incredibly ineffective as a tackler in 2024, just as he has been in recent seasons. While Williams was a better sell candidate last offseason, there’s still some lingering value to take advantage of due to his All-Pro season in 2023. Williams’ 2024 didn’t come close to living up to the expectations set coming out of that excellent 2023 season, though he stayed healthy and was able to finish as LB25 on the year.

That being said, he’s a full-time starter with a decent NFL contract just one year removed from an All-Pro season that IDP managers can use as leverage in dynasty leagues, where the linebacker position doesn’t have a lot of desirable stars. Williams’ tackle production is easily replaceable for those willing to move on, even if it’s with a one-year fill-in option, so get yourself a decent return now while the opportunity is still there.