The title of “Best Cornerback in the League” (BCL) is not necessarily defined by statistics, but by the respect quarterbacks show by not throwing to his receiver when he is covered by a great cornerback. The title of BCL has belonged to NFL greats such as: Deion Sanders, Darrelle Revis, Charles Woodson, Darrell Green, and more recently Jalen Ramsey.

In this IDP Dynasty Dilemma, we will analyze Jalen Ramsey and if he is still a valuable commodity as an IDP contributor in your leagues.

REASON TO BUY

If we look at just 2022, Jalen Ramsey had nine games with double-digit fantasy points; highlighted by week 18 when Ramsey had 5 tackles and 2 interceptions. Jalen Ramsey concluded the 2022 season as the #5 rated defensive back in fantasy football. Those are the types of numbers that many people who build an IDP defensive back group around. And his 2021 numbers were not all that different from 2022.

Jalen Ramsey was recently traded to the Miami Dolphins and his new team will prove to be a godsend to Ramsey. With Xavien Howard as the other cornerback, teams won’t shy away from Ramsey’s side of the field; as teams did when he was with the Rams And with Jevon Holland monitoring the field behind him, Ramsey can take some risks; which may lead to more interceptions. The fit for Ramsey in Miami is tremendous. With Ramsey still performing at a high level, and a defensive backfield skilled enough to prevent opposing teams from shying away from Ramsey, this year could be Jalen Ramsey’s best yet in terms of IDP production.

REASON TO SELL

When you are one of the best cornerbacks in the league, you tend to see quarterbacks target the other side of the field. That just makes common sense when one side of the field is patrolled by one of the best corners in the league, and the other side is not. Last year saw Ramsey’s tackle numbers ascend to their highest total yet, 88 total tackles. That is because the Rams were a joke on defense last year and Ramsey was forced to make plays all over the field. After being traded to the Dolphins in the offseason, I don’t see Ramsey having as many opportunities this year; last year may have been the pinnacle of his IDP career. And if it was, that means his career is now on the down slope. Ramsey has never posted high interception numbers. Teams were smart enough to exploit the other side of the field when Ramsey was patrolling his side. In IDP it is paramount for any IDP contributor to have opportunities to perform; especially defensive backs. I doubt Ramsey will have the same opportunities in recreating last year’s totals as a Ram.

Ramsey is still a VERY GOOD football player. That doesn’t always mean Ramsey will be a good fantasy football player. I believe Ramsey’s best IDP days are behind him and, with the reduced opportunities being on a better team, will show that this year.

VERDICT

Jalen Ramsey is an example of a football player being great on the field and good in IDP. I would not build my IDP roster of DB’s around Ramsey. The opportunities are greater for players like Jalen Pitre, Budda Baker, and Derwin James. All of them have the freedom to roam around the football field and make plays; both in the secondary and behind the line of scrimmage. If your league must start cornerbacks, then yes, Jalen Ramsey should be rostered. However, if your IDP settings only list DB’s, I would take chances with tackle-producing safeties before taking Jalen Ramsey (or most other cornerbacks). Playing IDP is not about drafting names you know. Instead, you need to follow snap share, positional flexibility, and how players are used on the field. With all that said, Jalen Ramsey does not seem poised to recreate his numbers from last year.

My advice is to sell Jalen Ramsey for IDP purposes.