2013 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings

1. Luke Kuechly  Carolina Panthers Linebacker

Kuechly had extremely high expectations in his rookie year after the Panthers selected him with the ninth overall pick out of Boston College – a college career in which Kuechly posted an entirely absurd total of 532 tackles in 38 games – but the rookie lived up to every bit of the hype. Despite seeing less than 50 snaps in four games, Kuechely finished with double-digit tackles in all but six games, making it to at least eight tackles in three of the instances where he fell short of double digits. After 16 games the result was 165 tackles (103 solo), one sack, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Kuechly could miss three games in 2013 and still be a serious threat to repeat as the league's leading tackler. It's a remarkably safe statement that Kuechly is the top IDP at any position, because he's locked in as the top linebacker by a safe distance, something no defensive lineman or defensive back can safely about their own positions.

2. James Laurinaitis  St. Louis Rams Linebacker

Laurinaitis has been an IDP beast for each of his four NFL seasons, and his owners will have every reason to expect a repeat for the fifth year in a row in 2013. The former Ohio State star posted 142 tackles for the second year in a row in 2012, though he raised his solo tackle total from 105 to 117 in the process, which actually signals an improvement. Laurinaitis isn't just an elite source of tackle production, though, as he has recovered a fumble in each of his NFL seasons while totaling 8.5 sacks and seven interceptions in that span. There's a fair amount to be said regarding Laurinaitis' consistency, too, because he had six or more tackles in 13 games last year. Laurinaitis should continue to pile up tackles and make plays in a rising St. Louis defense. A highly talented defensive line of Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford should both open up lanes for Laurinaitis and keep offensive linemen preoccupied, leaving Laurinaitis free to pursue the ball.

3. Bobby Wagner  Seattle Seahawks Linebacker

If you're the gambling sort, you might want to rank Wagner ahead of Laurinaitis and perhaps even rank Wagner on a plane similar to Kuechly's. Like Kuechly, Wagner was a rookie last year who, despite possessing much less hype than the Carolina star, quickly established himself as one of the league's most dominant defenders. Although he began the year in a two-down role, it didn't take long for Wagner to emerge as Seattle's top linebacker, and he finished the year with 139 tackles (86 solo), two sacks and three interceptions. Wagner is a highly disruptive player with exceptional speed, and he should continue to supplement his high tackle totals with impact plays in coverage and behind the line of scrimmage. While some might consider it unreasonable to expect Wagner to match the numbers from his exceptional rookie years, there's actually reason to suspect Wagner can improve on his stats in 2013. He posted those 139 tackles while playing just 849 snaps on defense, whereas Kuechly and Laurinaitis played 923 and 1,080, respectively. If Wagner can approach 1,000 snaps on defense, 160 tackles might come with them.