You’re probably already thinking about picking up Brian Branch in your IDP league, aren’t you?
Well, you probably shouldn’t.
The Lions rookie DB got plenty of buzz during Thursday night’s opening win at Kansas City. And he delivered the biggest play of the game: a 50-yard INT return for a TD that tied the score early in the third quarter.
That play alone makes Branch a potential difference-maker for Week 1 if he happens to be in your fantasy football lineup.
But you probably didn’t use him if you’re going by our Week 1 IDP rankings.
I didn’t even project Branch for Week 1. It’s not because I didn’t expect him to play. I just didn’t know exactly what his role would look like.
And rather than make a total guess, I’d prefer to not use such a player his first time out and then judge thereafter.
Branch’s TD and buzz from Cris Collinsworth overshadowed that the rookie only played 68% of Detroit’s defensive snaps.
The rookie looks like the team’s nickel DB (third CB), and that might mean more playing time other weeks. He’ll need to increase that snap share to be worth starting in most IDP leagues.
Six other Lions defenders collected more tackles, and three others matched Branch’s three total stops.
He might well get picked up in your league’s Week 2 waiver run. But I’d let someone else have him.
Everyone in fantasy football has a take on RB Jahmyr Gibbs’ disappointing Week 1 playing time. The Lions’ first-round pick on defense quietly had the same issue.
LB Jack Campbell played just 25 snaps against the Chiefs, 38% of the team total and third-most among non-edge LBs.
Alex Anzalone easily led the group at 94% playing time and will be the corps’ top IDP option until that changes.
Derrick Barnes checked in second but played just two more total snaps than Campbell.
Expect Campbell to quickly pass Barnes, who still doesn’t own a full-time role in his third season with the team.
Can Campbell ascend to full-time duty next to Anzalone, or perhaps eclipse Anzalone if Detroit wants just one full-timer at LB?
We’ll see. But Campbell belongs on fantasy benches until there’s a dramatic increase in his playing time. He doesn’t need to be rostered in shallower IDP leagues.
We’ll use this space to assess playing time, roles, and performance around the league, now that we’re getting real-game data on all the players.
We’ll also look at key injury situations to monitor for the week. Fortunately, we don’t have much on that front to worry about with Week 1 IDPs.
Looking for help with your IDP start or sit questions? Click the Team Intel button from your My Leagues page. That will take your league’s scoring and lineup requirements into account and personalize the recommendations.
Got any questions about IDP basics or strategy heading into Week 1? Check out this video for answers.