These four fantasy football IDP players have a chance to break out in 2024.
Picking and choosing potential fantasy football IDP players to break out can be a toss-up. There’s been times where I felt like I’ve found the next TJ Watt, only for them to disappear into the abyss. Yet these four players may have the chance to truly breakout in the upcoming NFL season.
Jalen Carter, DT – Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Carter came into the league with some controversy. Carter was involved in a street racing incident that killed one person, and severely injured another. He was sued by Victoria Bowles for leaving the scene of the accident and failing to offer aid to those involved in the crash. That was the headline pre-draft. Those charges were eventually settled, and Carter was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round while those charges were pending.
On a strictly football level, Carter has the potential to be a DPOY candidate in the NFL. As a rookie, Carter had 33 tackles, six sacks, eight tackles for loss, nine QB hits, and two forced fumbles. Those are terrific numbers for a rookie in a crowded front seven. He did seem to hit the “rookie wall” in the second half of the season, and it seemed his lack of conditioning had something to do with it.
“It’s been a lot on conditioning,” Carter said at Eagles’ OTAs. “Really, I’d like to be more conditioned than working on technique because we got all year for technique stuff. We work on technique every day in practice with our hands, working on pass rushes and stuff like that.”
That’s great to hear from Jalen that he’s taking his conditioning seriously going into his second season, something a defensive lineman would strongly rely on. With Fletcher Cox retiring, the second-year player is going to called upon to pick up the slack. New incoming defensive coordinator Vic Fangio loves to lean on his pass rushing stars, so look for Jalen to explode this year.
Kobie Turner, DT – Los Angeles Rams
With Aaron Donald out of the picture, the Los Angeles Rams are looking for the future of their defensive line. In the 2024 NFL draft they chose to cut right to the chase, drafting college teammates Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to bring youth into a defensive line. However, I believe a third-round pick already on the roster can help fill the void left by Donald, and his name is Kobie Turner.
The No. 89 pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Wake Forest posted 57 tackles (29 solo), nine sacks, eight tackles for loss, 16 QB hits in only four official starts last year. With Donald gone, the Rams will now expect Turner to build on the promising rookie season. Donald’s presence obviously opened up opportunities for other defenders, but with Turner has the ability to step up and become an excellent fantasy football IDP option in 2024.
Yaya Diaby, OLB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A third round pick out of Louisville that many dubbed as a “project”, is now a favorite to breakout in fantasy football IDP leagues. Diaby stands at 6 feet 3 inches and ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, a 1.56 10-yard split, and recorded a 37-inch vertical.
Although he did not start a game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers until Week 12, Diaby posted 38 tackles (25 solo), 7.5 sacks, 12 TFLs, eight QB hits, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Compare that to the NFL’s DROY Will Anderson, who had 45 total tackles, 22 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss, and seven sacks in a season where he started 15 games. As you can see, Diaby wasn’t far from those numbers while starting in almost half the number of games. Now, I’m not suggesting that Diaby is better than Anderson, but the Louisville product seems to be headed in the same direction and is poised to repay the Bucs for drafting him.
On top of that, longtime pass rusher Shaq Barrett was released this offseason. That should spell great things for Diaby as they will now turn to him to help fill that void as a full-time starter.
Jordan Battle, S – Cincinnati Bengals
Alabama alum Jordan Battle enters his second season with the Bengals, and has even more competition for a starting spot. Vonn Bell is back with the team after leaving in free agency a couple years ago, and Geno Stone was signed this offseason which all but confirms an uphill battle for Jordan to start. Dax Hill seems to be transitioning to corner, but the two veterans in front of Battle are the presumed starters which in the long run could be a positive for him.
Fantasy football managers should expect Jordan to learn from the veterans in the safety room. Because of them, he should continue his growth, making him a much better player in the process.
Bell is coming off a rough season in 2023. It’s unlikely that the Bengals keep Battle off the field for too long and stifling the growth he showed at the end of last season.
Battle took the limited chances that were given to him and finished with 71 tackles, two sacks, five deflections, and one interception. He finished the season with an 81.3 PFF run-defense grade and a 76.4 PFF coverage grade, 13th and tied for 17th respectively among safeties in 2023.
Fantasy football IDP players may not have confidence in Battle now that Stone and Bell are there. However, they should have confidence in a player that Nick Saban described as a leader and raved about his work ethic and football intelligence.
