WELCOME TO THE FANTASY IN FRAMES’ 2025 AFC SOUTH IDP DIVISIONAL PREVIEW!
Today, we’re going to be taking a look at the four teams in the AFC South and telling you who the players are you should invest in for IDP fantasy football in 2025 and/or those you should potentially avoid.
Now, before we start going position by position, let’s break down the ins and outs of each team from this past season!
***Also, stats & info from all of our divisional previews are sourced from the following outlets: PFF, Fantasy Points Data Suite, FantasyData, FTN, & NFL Next Gen Stats.***
Now that we’ve seen where these teams left off in 2024, let us preview where their players at different positions can either help or hurt your fantasy football teams in 2025!
Linebacker
Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal LB3)
The rise in IDP relevance for Franklin over the last couple of seasons has been incredible. A former seventh-round pick out of Syracuse spent his first four seasons as a special teams player before breaking out in 2022. Now, Franklin is one of the top tacklers in the league. He has finished in the top 10 for IDP LBs the last three seasons and was the top-scoring linebacker in Fantasy Pros scoring last year. Franklin had 173 total tackles with 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 2024. Franklin looks to be a top-five linebacker again and is being drafted as such.
Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars (FIF Consensus & Personal LB13)
Oluokun has been a tremendous fantasy asset in his career. In seven seasons for the Falcons and Jaguars, he has had 571 solo tackles, 356 assists, 10.5 sacks, six fumble recoveries, and seven interceptions. He has been a consistent top-tier linebacker since 2020. He has twice finished as the top LB in Fantasy Pros scoring and second once in that period. But Oluokun took a step back last season, playing in only 13 games and finishing with less than 200 fantasy points for the first time since his second season in the league in 2019.
Oluokun should still be fantasy relevant, but he has been knocked down to tier two entering 2025. If he stays healthy, he should still have a chance to finish as a top 10 LB.
Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars (FIF Consensus & Personal LB38)
A former first-round pick, Lloyd has yet to live up to the hype. He has been a solid second fiddle to Oluokun, but he has been a middle-of-the-road fantasy option at LB. The Jaguars did not pick up his fifth-year option, so it will be interesting to see if they re-sign him to a new contract after the season or if they let him move on. He is a decent option as a low-end LB2 or high-end LB3.
Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans (FIF Consensus & Personal LB23)
Now on his third NFL team, Al-Shaair had his breakout season in 2023 during his one season in Tennessee. His first year with the Texans had some highlights and lowlights. He played in only 11 games last season because of injuries and suspensions. He laid a brutal hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which resulted in a three-game suspension and essentially ended Lawrence’s season. There is some risk when drafting Al-Shaair. When he plays, he turns out good numbers. Still, he is also on the NFL’s “naughty list” after accruing 13 violations for personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations in recent seasons.
Al-Shaair plays hard, and you love to see it, but he is also gaining a reputation as a “dirty player” and is all over the league’s radar. But if you are willing to take the risk, then you have a possible top 20 LB in the league on your roster week to week.
Cody Barton, Tennessee Titans (FIF Consensus & Personal LB52)
Barton is on his fourth team in four years and will be making his debut this year with the Titans. While Barton isn’t as highly coveted as the players mentioned earlier, Barton is a player who continues to perform for fantasy at a reasonable price tag. Barton has shown he can finish as a top 40 LB, as he proved with the Seahawks, Commanders, and Broncos. Barton doesn’t appear to have a lot of competition for playing time at linebacker on the Titans and is a favorite to wear the green dot. If you miss out on high-end linebackers, Barton is a decent option late in drafts.
Best Value at LB
Jaylon Carlies, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal LB27)
With E.J. Speed moving over to the Texans this season, there are 142 total tackles vacated on the Colts’ defense. Carlies, who played a combo safety/linebacker position at Missouri, is going to get first crack at replacing Speed and playing next to Franklin. Carlies looked good in limited action last season, filling in for an injured Speed. He was one of my favorite stashes in dynasty leagues.
The Colts didn’t bring in anyone in the draft or free agency to compete with him, so I fully expect the weakside LB job to be his. In some formats, Carlies is listed as a defensive back, which could make him a sort of cheat code if he puts up LB2 or LB3 numbers in a DB spot in your starting lineup.
Best to Avoid at LB
E.J. Speed, Houston Texans (FIF Consensus & Personal NA LB)
Speed put up good fantasy numbers for the Colts the past two seasons, but his efficiency rankings were not significant. He now joins a crowded Texans’ linebacker room. People drafting Speed off of last year’s fantasy output are likely to be disappointed, as it isn’t likely he can repeat last year’s top 20 fantasy finish. Speed isn’t even guaranteed a starting spot for Houston. He is a player I want to no part of this season. He’s an avoid for me.
Defensive Linemen
Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans (FIF Consensus & Personal DL6)
Anderson is quickly becoming one of the top young defensive line assets in IDP fantasy. Anderson was able to tally 11 sacks in his second pro season in only 14 games. The sky is the limit for him. He is a top 10 DE who could be pushing for a top five finish this season.
Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans (FIF Consensus & Personal DL8)
Hunter is the older, more experienced player of the great Texans defensive end duo. Hunter is right there in tier two of DEs with Anderson. In his first season in Houston, after eight years in Minnesota, Hunter had 46 tackles and 12 sacks. He has finished as a top 10 IDP defensive end in six of the last eight years. Hunter has 99.5 career sacks in nine seasons. He should be a lock for another double-digit sack season in 2025.
Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars (FIF Consensus & Personal DL13)
After a career year in 2023 with 17.5 sacks, Hines-Allen fell off a bit in 2024, finishing with just eight sacks and a four-year low in total tackles (45). Hines-Allen only has two double-digit sack seasons in his six years, so there is some risk here. The talent is there, it just doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. He falls into tier three for me and a top 15 DE.
Travon Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars (FIF Consensus & Personal DL17)
The former top overall pick in 2022 has put together back-to-back double-digit sack seasons. While the Jaguars’ defense has been pretty disappointing the last couple of years, when Walker and Hines-Allen are playing at the top of their games at the same time, it makes Jacksonville’s pass rush very dangerous. Walker had a career-high 61 total tackles last season, showing his growth as an overall defensive player. Walker is still just 24 years old, entering his fourth season in the league. He has worked his way into a top 20 DE for me and has even more value in a dynasty league.
DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal 18DL)
Buckner is one of the most important interior defensive players in the league. When he is in the lineup, the Colts are simply a different defense. When he isn’t out there, Indianapolis struggles to stop the opposing offense. Buckner only played 12 games in 2024 but was still able to record 61 total tackles and 6.5 sacks. He had previously played in all 17 games in the last three seasons. In start defensive tackle leagues, Buckner should be the top player at his position off the board. But even in a DL start league, Buckner is still a top 20 player even in his early 30s.
Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans (FIF Consensus & Personal DL21)
The Titans’ defense is a big question mark entering the 2025 season. The one stud still on the roster is Simmons. Along with Buckner, Simmons is one of the top interior defensive players in the league. He is a must-own in a DT start league, but also joins Buckner as a top 20 DL in the league. In 2024, Simmons had 76 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
Best Value at DL
Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal DL24)
Latu was the first defensive player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was a rotational piece in his rookie season, playing in all 17 games. He was able to tally 32 tackles and four sacks. He should see an uptick in snaps this season. Other second-year defensive linemen are more valued currently in drafts. Latu hasn’t seen as significant an uptick in draft ADP as some others, but that makes him a value pick for this season.
Defensive Back
Nick Cross, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal DB13)
Cross came out of nowhere last season to be one of the top defensive backs in IDP. Cross, in his third season and first year as a starter, played in 17 games and had 146 total tackles with 87 solo tackles, three interceptions, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
Cam Bynum, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal DB23)
The biggest surprise in football last year was Baun, who ended as the LB2. The question
Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans (FIF Consensus & Personal DB36)
It seems like it has been a long time since Pitre was the top overall IDP DB in his rookie season in 2022. Pitre was a tackle machine that season with 147 tackles, while also adding five interceptions as a safety. Pitre only has 149 total tackles and one interception combined over the last two seasons, while mostly playing slot corner. Pitre is still a pretty well-known name, but the production hasn’t been there the last couple of seasons. He is a DB3 at best for me. I don’t mind grabbing him late in drafts, but he is not someone I’m leaving my draft without.
Best Value at DB
Kenny Moore II, Indianapolis Colts (FIF Consensus & Personal DB33)
If you are in a start cornerback league, Kenny Moore II is one of my favorite values. He has consistently been a top 10 CB over his eight-year career. Playing slot corner on a defense that only starts two linebackers is a prime position. Moore has taken advantage, finishing as the top scoring CB on Fantasy Pros twice in his career, with two other top three finishes. Even in a combined DB league, Moore can be a decent dart throw from week to week as a DB3.
Best to Avoid at DB
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Houston Texans (FIF Consensus & Personal DB47)
Gardner-Johnson moves from the Eagles to the Texans. His IDP success last season was in part because he was on the best defense in the league. He also got a decent amount of his scoring coming from 12 passes defended and six interceptions. He had a modest 56 total tackles. I’m a little skeptical of how Gardner-Johnson will fit in on a new team with a secondary that is pretty young, though talented. If you wait on DB in your draft, Gardner-Johnson could be a decent player to take a shot at, but there are just too many other players I would rather take a chance on.
The X-Factor at DB
Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (FIF Consensus & Personal DB28)
If you are in an IDP league where Hunter can be played on defense but accrue offensive statistics, then Hunter is my 1.01 in fantasy drafts. If he can be a WR3 for fantasy purposes, he will likely be the top scoring DB in IDP leagues. If I’m ranking Hunter on just his pure defensive impact for IDP, he is DB34 for me. It will be interesting to see if he is used more in the slot or on the outside. If he ends up a slot corner, I think he can have a similar role as Kenny Moore II.
Thanks for taking the time to read the FANTASY IN FRAMES’ 2025 AFC SOUTH IDP DIVISIONAL PREVIEW! You can follow me at @jtorange on Twitter/X. Feel free to reach out for any fantasy football questions you might have!
***For more 2025 Fantasy Football Divisional Previews, click here.***
