8 Breakout Linebackers To Target For IDP Leagues In 2022

Jul 10, 2022

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It's easy to draft Darius Leonard and Roquan Smith, but the key and fun part of an IDP draft are the middle-to-late rounds when you're identifying those potential lottery tickets.

More Breakout IDP Candidates: Defensive Backs | Defensive Linemen

I've identified a few linebackers who are seeing increased roles in their defense, which could lead to more snap volume and tackle opportunities - resulting in fantasy points. These guys are either coming off an injury or are stepping in thanks to vacated snaps.

Cody Barton, Linebacker, Seattle Seahawks

Cody Barton is probably one of my favorite targets heading into the 2022 season. You may be asking, “Who?” Well, I’m here to tell you who.

Bobby Wagner had been holding down one of the full-time off-ball LB spots since 2012 and rightfully so. It was death, taxes, Bobby Wagner. Age and contract caught up and the Seahawks made the business decision to move on.

Cody Barton had mostly been a special teamer through his first three seasons. He played decent on special teams and showed flashes throughout his limited playing time. Through his first two seasons, he played 266 snaps. In 2021, he appeared in a career-high 190 defensive snaps, thanks to a Bobby Wagner injury[ at the end of the season.

Barton was a three-down LB in that final two games, but you probably weren’t able to play him in Week 17. Barton finished with a 13% tackle rate over those last two games and missed just one tackle.

#FFIDP Cody Barton - reads the run, hits the gap, and to borrow a Madden-ism, BOOM....hits the runner head on for the TFL... pic.twitter.com/yd8QSjkeMr

— Mike Woellert (@Mike_Woellert) January 3, 2022

The Seahawks didn’t do much to address the LB position during the offseason, so it seems they feel comfortable with him in a full-time role, so with that potential snap volume, his tackle opportunity upside is massive. It does look like Jordyn Brooks will be wearing the dot this season, but Barton should be entrenched as a three-down LB. I’ve got Barton as my LB14 and will look to draft him in all redraft leagues.