IDP Spotlight: ILB Gary Brackett, Indianapolis Colts

  Posted 8/4 by Jeff Pasquino, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

Gary Brackett is the centerpiece of the Indianapolis Colts linebacking corps. He is not very flashy, but he is very productive. There is little sizzle behind the former Rutgers Scarlet Knight, but there is plenty of steak. For the past three years, he has consistently put up solid numbers, averaging nearly 90 solo tackles and over 30 assists each season.

Brackett does not (and will not) get much recognition from the media as he is much more of a lunch pail player. He just goes to work and gets the job done - and that job is usually to stuff the middle and tackle the running back. This is reflected in his "glamour stats", which are pretty lean. Brackett has collected just two sacks and one fumble recovery in the past three years.

There is a positive side to all of this - Brackett is a three down player and rarely if ever comes off the field when Indianapolis is on defense. That's a very important fact as the Colts are often ahead, so if he were not a key part of pass defense then his value would go down quickly. Brackett has snagged seven interceptions since 2005 and swatted away 15 passes over that same timeline.

So what is in store for 2008? More of the same, most likely. Brackett has a solid contract and is under wraps for modest numbers for the next two seasons. He also faces no immediate threats for his job, as the depth behind him pretty much begins and ends with rookie Philip Wheeler.

Brackett may not win you many fantasy football games on his own, but his steady production will keep you from losing when you expect a victory. Those stable linchpins in your lineup are key when you are trying to post solid numbers week after week. Brackett should go off the draft board as LB15 at the earliest and probably later as some go after bigger names, so Brackett should be a solid LB2 value play for 2008.

Positives

• Brackett is young (28) and faces no threats for playing time


• He is a three-down linebacker, so he will be on the field nearly every defensive snap for the Colts


• Brackett posts solid numbers, game after game, for the past three seasons


• There is little depth behind Brackett, so there is no young pup pushing at the old veteran to crack the lineup this year

Negatives

• There is little upside towards "big play" abilities - don't draft Brackett expecting double-digit sack numbers


• He is not a huge value play, as he should be drafted close to where his value lies (LB2)


• The Colts may face more throwing offenses than rushing, which may limit his tackle numbers in some contests
  

Final Thoughts

Gary Brackett is just 28 years old and is nearing the peak years for his production. He is the center of the Colts' defense and has virtually no threat to his job or his numbers. The Colts did add Philip Wheeler out of Georgia Tech, but he remains at least a year away from pushing for a starter role. Brackett has been a "Lucky 13" - the 13th best linebacker in fantasy football - for the last three seasons. His contract is stable for this year ($2.055M) and next ($2.415M) and he has missed just two games in the past three years. While Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders get much of the attention, Brackett mans the middle of the field and quietly produces solid numbers game after game. He should be available in many IDP fantasy drafts as a solid LB2 that has borderline LB1 upside.

Quotes from the IDP Spotlight Message Thread

To view the entire thread, click here.

tex:
"He'll be top 25."

Bdub:
"Solid production week to week. A good LB2."

tjford:
"Hagler is done for the year leaving Session and a slew of rookies to handle the SAM spot. Brackett probably gets a bit of a boost from this. As usual, Brackett stays a safe but solid LB2 with top 20 being his upside."

Duckboy:
"Brackett has never been exceptional, just rock-solid. Pencil him in for his usual 120 combined tackles with a handful of INTs and FF/FR. Mid to upper level LB2"

Aaron Rudnicki:
"He's finished as the #13 ranked ILB for 3 years in a row, which is basically a LB1 in most leagues yet he doesn't get a ton of recognition. He's probably not as good as his numbers suggest, but he's a solid, reliable player who can play in all downs and situation. He has just 2 years left on his contract and given how the Colts have handled most of their prior free agent LBs, there's a good chance that they'll let him walk rather than sign him to a big contract extension. It looks like the rookie Phillip Wheeler will serve as his backup this year, and he could be groomed to eventually take over at MLB in 2010."

Rozelle:
"If you're a LB in Indy, you're always replaceable. I don't think Brackett is anything special, so I think he may be a product of the system. He's just a solid player, who is smart with a good motor. I'm not sure how much love Brackett would get in the open market, probably more than Indy is willing to pay. Someone will be groomed, but I have my doubts it's Wheeler."

Biabreakable:
"I don't see why it wouldn't be Wheeler who seems like a very similar prospect to Brackett. Maybe not as physical as you would like a MLB to be but he is very good in coverage which is what Dungy is looking for and I think why they took him. I see Wheeler competing for SLB this year. Remains to be seen if they re-sign Brackett down the road or not. But I do think Wheeler is a guy who could fill in for him if they don't keep him. Brackett's value last year came from the interceptions. I saw a few of these and he made some fantastic plays. A solid LB2."

Projections

IDP Scoring System

• 1.5 pts per Solo Tackle
• 0.75 pts per Assisted Tackle
• 4 pts per Sack
• 4 pts per Forced Fumble
• 4 pts per Fumble Recovery
• 5 pts per Interception
• 1.5 pts per Pass Defensed
• 6 pts per Touchdown
• 2 pts per Safety