In the National Football League, games are decided in the trenches, at the line of scrimmage. Looking for an example? Look no farther than Super Bowl XLII, where the New York Giants’ front four helped propel the Giants to a win over the unbeaten New England Patriots. The defensive line is going to be of similar importance in Individual Defensive Player (IDP) leagues in 2015, and for a similar reason. Building a stout defensive line in fantasy football this year isn’t going to be easy. It’s a numbers game. In a 12-team IDP-league requiring two weekly starters up front, teams are going to be hard-pressed to all field decent starters, much less have any depth. It’s a similar dilemma to that facing fantasy owners at tight end. Either invest heavily early, or look for value plays later to take up the slack. Well, if you’re interested in taking the latter course of action (or if you just want to be prepared in case an unexpected run freezes you out in your IDP draft), here’s a look at a trio of beefeaters in a good position to out-perform their ADP in 2015. Charles Johnson, DE, Carolina (My Fantasy League ADP: DL32) With Greg Hardy now in Dallas after a lost 2014 season, the Carolina Panthers are trying to find ways to replace that lost sack production and bolster a pass rush that dropped from first in sacks in the NFL two years ago to 13th in 2014. The Panthers have been experimenting in organized team activities with sliding veteran Charles Johnson to the right defensive end spot, a slot formerly occupied by Hardy. ESPN’s David Newton thinks it’s a move that could bear fruit – maybe. “At 28,” Newton said, “he’s not as fast as he was when Carolina selected him in the third round of the 2007 draft. That’s not a knock on Johnson, still at 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, the leader of the Panthers defense. But a lost step makes it tougher to get around the opposing team’s left tackle, who often is in the 6-foot-5, 320-pound range.” Johnson, for his part, wasn’t tipping his hand when it comes to the Panthers’ plans for him in 2015. “We’ll see,’’ Johnson said. “When we get into training camp, we’ll see.’’ Granted, Johnson may well not be the player he once was, and his tackle numbers have fallen in recent seasons. But even if all Johnson can do in 2015 is back up last year’s DL21 finish in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Scoring, he’d be a steal at his present asking price. ...

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 ...

Dallas Cowboys Most Important New Arrival Defensive end Greg Hardy is still languishing on the Commissioner’s Exempt List but that did not stop the Cowboys from bringing him in for a visit and ultimately signing him to a one-year deal. The Cowboys took into consideration Hardy’s off-the-field woes and determined that his benefits on the field outweighed the risk, especially when they were able to reduce the risk in regards to his contract, literally paying him in game-day bonuses. Hardy will have a monster instant-impact in defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s defense as they look to take the next step in 2015. Also added – LB Jasper Brinkley, RB Darren McFadden, LB Andrew Gachkar, DB Corey White, FB Jed Collins Most Important Player Re-Signed The Cowboys defense easily exceeded expectations last season and that’s due in no small part to the play of Rolando McClain. McClain, of course, burned the Oakland Raiders then flamed out in Baltimore before catching fire in Dallas. After a quick visit to New England to gauge his market value, McClain returns to a Dallas defense solidifying its linebacking corps. Also re-signed – OL Doug Free, DL Nick Hayden Biggest Loss When Joseph Randle is able to run behind your dominant line and gain large chunks of yardage, it’s easy to wonder if you really need a high priced running back to do the same. DeMarco Murray no doubt had a great season, but taking into consideration the aforementioned dominance of the offensive line and Murray’s motivation in a contract year, we can see why Dallas didn’t overpay for its leading rusher to return. With that said, going with Joseph Randle and new signee Darren McFadden as some sort of committee is a dangerous prospect for the upcoming year unless of course they are able to add a top prospect in the draft. Until that happens, Murray is easily the biggest Dallas loss. Also lost – LB Bruce Carter, LB Justin Durant, WR Dwayne Harris, DE George Selvie, DB Sterling Moore, DL Henry Melton New York Giants Most Important New Arrival The addition of Shane Vereen will no doubt cause fantasy owners headaches this upcoming year but the Giants hope it causes headaches for opposing defenses as well. Rashad ...

So we are through one week of the regular season and a disturbing trend continues to rock the IDP landscape. Linebackers are going down to injury like storm troopers from a single Han Solo laser blast (you know what I'm talking about Star Wars' fans). Jadeveon Clowney, Zach Brown, Justin Durant, John Abraham, Nick Roach, Koa Misi and Philip Wheeler are all out and many of them for an extended period. That was the good news. Derrick Johnson, Dannell Ellerbe and Robert Mathis are all out for the remainder of the season. It has been a brutal season to be a linebacker and we are not even two weeks in. That is what the '53 Deep' column is for as we will continue to work 24/7 (Alright...we do take an hour a week off to watch Ray Donovan) to unearth those deep sleepers that can help stem the damage from all these injuries. An added feature that debuts this week will be a number in parenthesis example...(52). Those will represents where each player is ranked as of Thursday afternoon according to the consensus IDP rankings at Fantasy Pros. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Kyle Williams, DT, BUFFALO vs. Miami (42): Williams was credited with a single assist last week against the Bears but all was not lost. He surprisingly managed to intercept the first pass of his nine-year career. OK, we can't expect the big man to suddenly become Jairus Byrd but we can expect a bounceback game in Week 2. The Dolphins ran the ball between the tackles just under 30 times last week and Williams will see ample tackle opportunities. He was credited with 2 quarterback hits and hurries last week and will get to Tannehill at least once this week. Wallace Gilberry, DE, CINCINNATI vs. Atlanta (47): If you slept on picking up Gilberry after he was featured here then get with the program folks. He put up 4 total tackles while racking up 1 ½ sacks and being credited with a pass defended. All the man has needed is consistent snaps and he's getting those now for the Bengals playing 67 against Baltimore. Atlanta allowed only a single sack last week but there were 14 quarterback hurries against them as well. Look for Gilberry to post another sack and 3-4 tackles again this week. Jeremy Mincey, DE, DALLAS at Tennessee (59): Mincey's stat line for Week 1 doesn't jump off the page but he actually played a solid game. Mincey played 43 snaps last week and while he did not get to the quarterback he was buzzing the tower. He was credited with 3 quarterback hurries and one hit while playing 43 snaps. This...

We're four weeks into the 2013 season, and Individual Defensive Player (IDP) squads have taken shape. Some owners are riding high at 4-0 or 3-1, while the 2-2 teams hang on for dear life and the 1-3 and 0-4 clubs try to figure out where things went wrong and get back on track before it's too late. If there was a theme in Week 4, it's that patience is a virtue. A number of stars who had been slumping to start the season, from linebackers James Laurinaitis (St. Louis) and Sean Lee (Dallas) to defensive tackle Geno Atkins (Cincinnati), rebounded with strong showings. However, whether your championship train is humming right along or stuck in a ditch, every IDP owner should constantly be looking to improve their teams, so here's a look at some of Week 5's top IDP waiver wire options. PICKUP OF THE WEEK Daryl Washington, ILB, Arizona He's back! After serving a four-game suspension to start the 2013 campaign, fantasy football's top linebacker from 2012 is set to return to action this week. There's no guarantee that Washington will immediately pick up where he left off last year, as there's a new defensive coordinator in the desert and stiffer competition for tackles in the form of Karlos Dansby . However, it isn't every day that a player with IDP LB1 upside is just sitting there on the waiver wire, so if Washington is available in your league he should undoubtedly be your top priority this week. WEEK 5 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Marcell Dareus, DT, Buffalo Despite the fact that he's been playing a lot of nose tackle in Buffalo's new "hybrid" defense, Dareus has been very productive so far this season with 19 tackles and three sacks through four games. Those numbers place Dareus inside the top-five defensive tackles in Fantasy Sharks Default IDP Scoring , making the third-year pro a priority target for IDP owners in defensive tackle-required formats headed into a matchup with a Cleveland Browns team that just allowed 1½ sacks to Cincinnati defensive tackle Geno Atkins in Week 4. George Selvie, DE, Dallas The season-ending knee injury suffered by Anthony Spencer has thrust Selvie into the starting lineup for the Cowboys, and so far the 26-year-old has been up to the task. Selvie's four solos and a sack in last week's loss to the San Diego Chargers gives the fourth-year pro a sack in three out of four games this season. His tackle numbers are good but not great, but IDP owners in deeper formats in need of some help up front could do a lot worse. Craig ...