Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Last year every fantasy football owner that plays in an IDP league was completely enamored with Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly. The rookie led the entire NFL with 164 tackles and was an absolute terror on the field. Just down that list of tackle leaders, however, was fellow rookie, Lavonte David.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker was tied for eighth in the league with 139 tackles. The 2012 second round pick had his name appear next to Paul Posluszny and London Fletcher, but the former Nebraska standout was a free agent pickup in most formats. He proved to be one of the best IDP finds of the year.
David even ranked second in the entire league in solo tackles. The linebacker made a play on his own 112 times last year, which was second to only James Laurinaitis (117) of the St. Louis Rams. David will be a reliable starting linebacker this fantasy season, if for no other reason than the fact that Tampa simply has no one else at the second level to make plays. He will constantly have to make one-on-one tackles, which will make him a superstar in leagues that reward a full point per tackle.
The weakside linebacker also added two sacks and one pick to his staggering rookie stat line. The 23-year-old has amazing athleticism and his sideline-to-sideline speed is uncanny. He may only weigh 233 pounds, but this is one linebacker that consistently plays bigger than he looks.
David may not draw the attention of the other veteran backers this summer in fantasy drafts, but he will end up outperforming most of them when it is all said and done. He will anchor a hungry defensive unit and will once again prove that outside linebackers can be just as dangerous in fantasy as middle linebackers.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
