Brian Robison has been an ageless wonder for IDP fantasy football players in 2016.

As OTAs are in full swing it’s time to go ahead and finish off our look at rookie IDP prospects from the 2015 NFL Draft. I have never lied to you folks and I will not start now (unless it involved money I owe you and then it’s a gray area). It gets thin quick for IDP players that have a reasonable shot at contributing right out of the gate. For the most part, we have mentioned when players have more dynasty than redraft value and which names to watch on the waiver wire. Obviously, in rookie only drafts there will be players drafted that I have chosen not to mention here due to the depth of rosters. What we have tried to do for the most part in this series is to highlight names that are the most likely to contribute sooner rather than later. Without further ado…   Owa Odighizuwa, (UCLA), DE, NEW YORK GIANTS, ( 3rd round ) : The Giants fill a position of need with the powerful Odighizuwa joining the defensive front. While “Owa” is already an edge rushing threat using sheer athleticism, his pass rushing technique can use a little work. The kid is strong as a horse in setting the edge and will more than hold his own against the run. Odighizuwa should challenge Robert Ayers (coming off of an injury), George Selvie and Damontre Moore for playing time earlier rather than later. He is an excellent early round dynasty draft pick that can be had later in redraft leagues bringing excellent upside potential as he carves out a role in the defense. Eli Harold, (Virginia), OLB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ers, ( 3rd round ) : Harold may take a little time to develop into a fantasy force but the talent is there. The 49ers defense is in a rebuilding mode and Harold’s ability to play the run should help him garner playing time early as he gets coached up to be an NFL pass rushing threat. He has the potential to replace Ahmad Brooks down the line and is a quality mid-round dynasty draft selection. Jordan Hicks, (Texas), ILB, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, ( 3rd round ): Hicks had struggles with injuries in 2012 and 2013 for the Longhorns before having a very nice senior season. He isn’t a particularly hard-hitting player but does play well enough in all facets of the game that he could eventually secure a three-down role in the NFL. The Eagles have been shopping ...

In fantasy football, no four-letter word is uttered with more contempt than "bust." That's because nothing (except maybe injuries) will derail the quest for fantasy glory quicker than watching an early draft pick fall flat on his face. It's been responsible for the untimely deaths of thousands of remote controls over the years. The thing is, in many instances it isn't the player in question's fault any more than it was the poor clicker's. After all, neither one of them drafted that player too early. Whether it's buying into the hype surrounding a player, ignoring the warning signs surrounding them, or a combination of the two, every year there are individual defensive players who get drafted too early. 2014 is no different. With that in mind, here's a look at the biggest Individual Defensive Player (IDP) league disappointments waiting to happen this season. Average Draft Position Data courtesy of My Fantasy League . Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Detroit (ADP: DL9) There's going to be a recurring theme running through this article. If, in order to justify the draft-day investment you've made, a player has to hit their IDP ceiling in 2014, then odds are you've over-drafted them. Mind you, this isn't to say that Ansah isn't a talented pass-rusher. The former BYU star led all rookies with eight sacks in 2013 despite playing fewer than 600 snaps. Set for a larger role and with an NFL season under his belt, Ansah appeared primed for big things this year. However, Ansah opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell offered no timetable for his return to the practice field while speaking with Justin Rogers of MLive.com on July 27. " It's whenever the Lord says that he's healthy and healed, " Caldwell said. "The medical staff will look at it after the Lord's decree and we'll see what goes on after that. " For all Ansah's talent, he's also still somewhat raw as a pro, and all these missed practice reps aren't going to make it any easier for Ansah to make a big second-year leap. At the rate things are going, it's going to take divine intervention for Ansah to justify his top 10 average draft position (ADP) this year. Sheldon Richardson, DE, New York Jets (ADP: DL10) Just as with Ansah, this isn't an indictment of Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson . After all, all Richardson did in his first NFL season was rank fifth among 3-4 defensive ends according to Pro Football Focus en route to being named ...

If you're reading this, odds are your most important fantasy game of the season is on tap. In the vast majority of Individual Defensive Player (IDP) leagues it's championship week, and if you're still perusing the information superhighway for IDP tips, you're probably one of two teams still standing. However, you'll get no congratulations here. First, you haven't won anything yet. Second, I don't want to throw the reverse bad juju funky monkey hex on your team in Week 16 by patting you on the back prematurely. Besides, if you're looking for waiver help in the title game, you've already got problems. With that in mind, enough of my blathering. Let's get to it with a look at the top IDP Waiver Wire targets for championship week. PICKUP OF THE WEEK Justin Tuck, DE, New York Giants This season has been an absolute nightmare for batterymate Jason Pierre-Paul and the rest of the Giants, but Tuck has quietly had a rebound season this year, especially in the last month or so. Tuck's 55 tackles are his most since 2010, the 30-year-old has at least half a sack in four straight games, and over that stretch Tuck has reached the passer 7½ times. At this late juncture in the season Tuck is still available in many shallow IDP formats, and he's about as good as it's going to get where help up front is concerned. WEEK 16 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Cliff Avril, DE, Seattle On one hand, Avril's paltry 19 tackles and rotational role make him the definition of a boom-bust pick on the defensive line, and in a must-win game there's substantial risk involved in rolling such a player out there. However, Avril does have eight sacks in his first season in Seattle, he played the most snaps of any Seahawks' defensive lineman in last week's win over the New York Giants, and this week's home tilt with Arizona is very nice from an IDP perspective. Brian Robison, DE, Minnesota Don't look now, but with two sacks against Philadelphia in Week 15, Robison now has as many sacks in 2013 (nine) as Jared Allen . It's a career-high for the hirsute seventh-year pro, who unlike Allen has already been inked to a contract extension. Robison has a sack in three straight games and four in his past three games, and while this week's matchup with Cincinnati isn't especially favorable, neither was Philadelphia. David Hawthorne, ILB, New Orleans It's happened with very little fanfare, but, if Hawthorne can average eight total stops a game over the last two weeks of the year, the sixth-year veteran ...

Injuries took a significant bite out of IDP (Individual Defensive Player) rosters last week as stud cornerback Charles Tillman (out for the season for fantasy purposes) as well as elite linebacker Sean Lee (out for multiple weeks) went down. There are also the usual weekly conundrums such as the availability of Jacksonville linebacker Paul Posluszny after suffering a concussion last week. Never fear as the staff at ‘53 Deep' has scoured the weekly matchups to find the deep sleeper candidates to plug into lineups as more than adequate replacements. The fantasy playoffs are right around the corner and it is "make it or break it" time for many IDP teams with no margin for error. With that in mind let's get to it ... LINEBACKERS Thomas Davis, CAROLINA vs. New England: In week 8, Miami linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler had 11 and eight total tackles, respectively. Prior to their bye week the Patriots gave up eight tackles to LaMarr Woodley and 11 to Lawrence Timmons. Davis has seen a lull in tackle numbers the past three weeks (totaling only 19 stops) but has posted big plays with a forced fumble, interception and four passes defended. He will be heavily involved in trying to contain the resurgent Patriots offense this week. Aldon Smith, OLB, San Francisco at New Orleans: After being credited with one quarterback hurry while playing only 12 snaps last week, look for Smith to see a lot more action this week. The Saints have allowed seven sacks, 35 quarterback hurries and eight quarterback hits the last three games according to Pro Football Focus. For the season they've allowed linebackers to register 5½ sacks. Look for Smith to add to that total this week as the 49ers' sack master returns to form. Jon Bostic, MLB, CHICAGO vs. Baltimore: After two middling matchups against Green Bay and Detroit in which he managed only 10 total tackles (six solos), Bostic faces the very linebacker-friendly Ravens. Inside linebackers have twice eclipsed 15 total tackles against Baltimore over the past three games. Bostic is in for a big week as running backs Bernard Pierce and Ray Rice have averaged 21 carries between them the last three games. Get the rookie in your lineup. Darryl Sharpton, ILB, HOUSTON vs. Oakland: The Raiders are a top-five matchup for allowing fantasy points to linebackers and Sharpton is coming off a season-best eight total tackle game against Arizona. He's managed to stay healthy and play every defensive snap the past two games, so ...

It's Week 3 of the 2013 NFL season, and if there's one mantra IDP owners need to follow in the last week before the bye weeks begin, it's this: Don't panic. Yes, an 0-2 start is far from ideal. However, in the vast majority of IDP leagues it also isn't the end of the world, so don't go blowing that roster up just yet. There's still plenty of time to right the ship. At least, I hope there is, because most of my IDP teams decided that getting the snot kicked out of them would be a fun way to start the year. It's also too early to start freaking out and dropping underperforming IDP studs. Every year there are several prominent individual defensive players who get off to a slow start. Most of them end up getting their acts together and returning to the level of productivity we expected (or at least close to it). This isn't to say that there isn't cause for concern with players like Dallas Cowboys' linebacker Sean Lee , whose fantasy production appears to have been negatively impacted by the new scheme in Dallas. The leash gets shorter the shallower the league, but panic drops will come back to bite you in the butt as often as not. Through two games last year, Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake had four tackles and no sacks. He ended the year with 15 sacks. Just saying. Now, onto this week's recommendations. Every week during the 2013 season, I'll point out some individual defensive players who could be set to exceed expectations this week (studs) and some that for whatever reason are riskier plays than usual (duds). That isn't necessarily to say that every "stud" is a must start (it depends on your other options) or that every "dud" should be glued to your bench (just that the odds of a letdown week are greater than usual). Let's get this show on the road! STUDS Michael Johnson, DE, Cincinnati (vs. Green Bay): The talented trio of Johnson, defensive tackle Geno Atkins and fellow end Carlos Dunlap have gotten off to a sluggish start in 2013. However, the stage would appear to be set for them to pick up the pace in Week 3, as no quarterback in the NFL was sacked more last year than Aaron Rodgers . Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans (vs. Arizona): The Arizona Cardinals allowed an eye-popping 58 sacks in 2012. The more things change, the more they stay the same it would appear, as through two games the Cardinals are allowing the most fantasy points per game to defensive linemen. That bodes very well for Jordan's IDP prospects this week. Brian...

If you've read much of my work here at Fantasy Sharks, then you know I'm a proponent of waiting to draft defensive players in IDP leagues. One of the reasons that I champion this strategy is that there's more depth on the defensive side of the ball, and that deeper player pool allows savvy IDP owners to load up on offense and still put together a strong group if IDPs. However, the defensive lineman slot is relatively shallow compared to linebacker and defensive back, due in large part to the proliferation of the 3-4 defensive front across the National Football League. The number of truly reliable, every-week fantasy starters on the defensive line has shrunk in recent years, which puts a premium on grabbing one with one of your first few defensive picks. However, sometimes things don't quite work out as planned, so whether you got caught on the outside looking in during a run or you're just looking for some badly-needed depth in the trenches, this edition of the IDP Bargain Bin will take a look at some undervalued defensive linemen in 2013. Julius Peppers -- DE, Chicago Bears Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers has been shipped off to the old folks' home by IDP drafters, with an average draft position of DL14 at My Fantasy League. Yes, Peppers is 33 years old, and it's just about guaranteed that once a year Peppers will post a goose-egg and leave his fantasy owners throwing stuff. However, Peppers is also a player with double-digit sacks in eight of 11 NFL seasons (including 11.5 in 2012) and has finished inside DL1 territory in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Scoring each of the past five years. Even if he's not the player he once was, Peppers is still a serviceable first pick on the defensive line if you stock up on offense and linebackers early or get caught by a run. LaMarr Houston -- DE, Oakland Raiders The 30th defensive lineman off draft boards according to MFL, LaMarr Houston's four sacks in 2012 are hardly eye-popping, but the fact that the fourth-year pro's 69 tackles led all 4-3 defensive ends in 2012 should get your attention. So should the fact that Houston will be in for the heaviest workload of his career this season, for a Raiders defense that will be on the field in perpetuity in 2013. I'm a big fan of pairing a high-tackle end like Houston with an elite pass-rusher, and when you take into consideration the low asking price Houston is commanding in IDP drafts the idea becomes all the better Rob Ninkovich -- DE, New England Patriots ...

We've hit Week 7 of the 2012 NFL season, which means that by week's end we'll have reached the halfway point of this year's fantasy football campaign, with some IDP teams chewing up the competition while others flounder as a result of mounting injuries, poor performances, or an unfortunate combination of the two. So far as last week's recommendations go frankly I don't know how I fared, as between the shellacking I took in my IDP leagues and the havoc wreaked on them by the season-ending injuries suffered by linebackers Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and D.J. Smith of the Green Bay Packers I have blocked Week 6 from my mind in an effort to retain what's left of my sanity. So, with a healthy dose of selective amnesia it's time for another week of IDP Studs and Duds, where I'll point out some Individual Defensive Players who could be set to exceed expectations this week (Studs) and some that for whatever reason are riskier plays than usual (Duds). That isn't necessarily to say that every "Stud" is a must-start (it depends on your other options) or that every "Dud" should be glued to your bench (just that the odds of a letdown week are greater than usual). We're also hit one of the dreaded six team bye weeks, so IDPs from the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Diego Chargers will all be taking the week off. Keep them on your bench. Finally, before we get on with the show, if you have a specific IDP Start/Sit question you'd like my take on you can e-mail me at askgary@fantasysharks.com or post the question in the "Kilroy Krystal Ball" thread in the Fantasy Sharks IDP Forum. I can't promise I'll get to every question, but I'll do the best I can. STUDS Robert Quinn -- DE, St. Louis Rams (vs. GB): The second-year pro was shutout of the stat sheet last week against the Miami Dolphins, but Quinn has already racked up six sacks this season and faces a Green Bay Packers team on Sunday that has allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL this season. Brian Robison -- DE, Minnesota Vikings (vs. ARI): Robison is off to something of a slow start this year, with only one sack in six games, but the table is set for a rebound this week against an Arizona Cardinals squad that has been the friendliest fantasy matchup for opposing defensive linemen in 2012. Matt Shaughnessy -- DE, Oakland Raiders (vs. JAX): Shaughnessy had his best game of the season last week with five tackles and a sack against the Atlanta ...

It's Week 15 of the 2011 season, and that means one thing. If you're still reading this you've likely advanced to the fantasy playoffs, quite possibly in spite of, and not because of, the recommendations I've offered here this season. However, someone has to tell you what not to do, so as you get your playoff affairs in order here's a look at some players you should give serious consideration to getting into your lineups or who could outperform expectations (Studs) and some that, for whatever reason, you may want to consider leaving alone, or at least take into account that they may be a relative disappointment this week. (Duds) STUDS Darnell Dockett -- DE, Arizona Cardinals (vs. CLE): Dockett's stats have suffered in his move to a role as more of a "true" 3-4 DE, but the eighth-year veteran should be in for a big day against a Cleveland Browns team that has fallen apart offensively. Michael Johnson -- DE, Cincinnati Bengals (at STL): After falling out of favor and from the starting lineup in Cincy Johnson has bounced back, has a sack in each of the past two games, and possesses a very favorable IDP matchup with the Rams this week. Jabaal Sheard -- DE, Cleveland Browns (at ARI): There seems to be no "rookie wall" for Sheard, who has 14 tackles and two sacks in his past three games and faces an Arizona Cardinals squad this week that has allowed the third most sacks in the NFL this year. London Fletcher -- ILB, Washington Redskins (at NYG): It goes without saying that you should start Fletcher this week, but I wanted to give the old man props for leading the National Football League in tackles at 36 years young. David Harris -- ILB, New York Jets (at PHI): Harris has been something of a disappointment IDP-wise this season, but he should have a solid shot at a big day in a top 10 fantasy matchup with the even more disappointing Eagles Sunday. Jerod Mayo -- WLB, New England Patriots (at DEN): Mayo appears to have rounded back into form at the perfect time for his IDP owners and matches up at Mile High this week with a Fighting Tebows team that loves to run the ball. DeAngelo Hall -- CB, Washington Redskins: Hall is just good enough to occasionally make the big play but not so good that opposing quarterbacks have any reservations about throwing his way, which makes him an intriguing IDP option, especially in favorable matchups such as this one. Darian Stewart -- SS, St. Louis Rams (vs. CIN): The second-year pro was one of the few bright spots in the Rams ...

It's Week 13 of the 2011 fantasy football campaign, and this week brings with it the conclusion of the regular season in many leagues, making this a do-or-die game for many an IDP owner across the land. To help you prepare for another week's action here's a look at my Top 30 defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs for Week Eleven of the 2011 season in IDP leagues. These rankings are based on Default IDP Manor Scoring, which awards 1 point for solos, .5 points for assists, 2 points each for fumbles forced and recovered, 4 points for interceptions, sacks, and safeties, 6 points for defensive touchdowns, and 1 point for passes defensed. It's a balanced scoring system, so if your IDP league is especially tackle-heavy or big play-heavy some players may move up (or down) a few spots. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 1.) Jared Allen - MIN vs DEN 2.) Terrell Suggs - BAL at CLE 3.) Julius Peppers - CHI vs KC 4.) Trent Cole - PHI at SEA 5.) Andre Carter - NE vs IND 6.) Jason Pierre-Paul - NYG vs GB 7.) Justin Smith - SF vs STL 8.) Chris Long - STL at SF 9.) Elvis Dumervil - DEN at MIN 10.) Kyle Vanden Bosch - DET at NO 11.) Jeremy Mincey - JAX vs SD 12.) Haloti Ngata - BAL at CLE 13.) Chris Clemons - SEA vs PHI 14.) Jason Babin - PHI at SEA 15.) Will Smith - NO vs DET 16.) J.J. Watt - HOU vs ATL 17.) Robert Mathis - IND at NE 18.) Greg Hardy - CAR at TB 19.) Calais Campbell - ARI vs DAL 20.) James Hall - STL at SF 21.) Charles Johnson - CAR at TB 22.) Cliff Avril - DET at NO 23.) Ahtyba Rubin - CLE vs BAL 24.) Ray Edwards - ATL at HOU 25.) Darnell Dockett - ARI vs DAL 26.) Justin Tuck - NYG vs GB 27.) Israel Idonije - CHI vs KC 28.) Lamarr Houston - OAK at MIA 29.) Brian Robison - MIN vs DEN 30.) Robert Geathers - CIN at PIT LINEBACKERS 1.) Patrick Willis - SF vs STL 2.) D'Qwell Jackson - CLE vs BAL 3.) Derrick Johnson - KC at CHI 4.) James Laurinaitis - STL at SF 5.) Curtis Lofton - ATL at HOU 6.) Paul Posluszny - JAX vs SD 7.) London Fletcher - WAS vs NYJ 8.) Nick Barnett - BUF vs TEN 9.) Daryl Washington - ARI vs DAL 10.) Chad Greenway - MIN vs DEN 11.) Ray Lewis - BAL at CLE 12.) Navorro Bowman - SF vs STL 13.) Sean Weatherspoon - ATL at HOU 14.) Pat Angerer - IND at NE 15.) Karlos Dansby - MIA vs OAK 16.) Brian Urlacher - CHI vs KC 17.) Sean Lee - DAL at ARI 18.) Brian Cushing - HOU vs ATL 19.) D.J. Williams - DEN at MIN 20.) DeMarcus Ware - DAL at ARI 21.) David Hawthorne - SEA vs PHI 22.) Kevin Burnett - MIA vs OAK 23.) Perry Riley - WAS vs NYJ 24.) James...