2025 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 100 IDP (Individual Defensive Players)

Updated 2025 IDP fantasy football rankings highlight top linebackers, defensive linemen, and safeties to target after Week 2 of the NFL preseason.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

We have finished Week 2 of the NFL Preseason, which means we only have Week 3 left, and then it's onto the regular season. We are now getting a better perspective on how NFL teams' depth charts are shaking out. 

While most fantasy players only focus on offense, there is a growing community that also drafts individual defensive players instead of team defenses. We have updated our IDP rankings for every position. 

The Top Linebacker

Any of our top four-ranked linebackers could easily be the top guy. Those four are Roquan Smith, Zaire Franklin, Fred Warner, and Zack Baun. You can make an easy case for Baun based on last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, but we just want to see him do it one more time before we're willing to give him the top spot.

Warner is another linebacker with an easy case; however, he is more of a big-play guy than a tackling machine. That's not to say he doesn't get plenty of tackles, and his big plays have been consistent; we just prefer the guaranteed tackles at this position. That leaves us with Smith and Franklin, with Smith getting the slight edge because he has a bit more upside playing on the Ravens' defense. Both have the tackle numbers, but Smith is the better real-life player, and in a defense that we expect to make more big plays. 

High On Hutchinson

The name that probably jumps out to most IDP owners in this ranking is Aidan Hutchinson, coming in as the DL2 behind only Myles Garrett. He ranks ahead of players like T.J. Watt, Maxx Crosby, and everybody else. We are calling our shot on Hutchinson and believe this is his monster breakout season. Last season, he was already on pace for a huge year before getting injured. This year, he'll pick up where he left off. After an 11.5 sack 2023, he had 7.5 sacks in five games in 2024 before getting injured. This is the year that he'll establish himself as an IDP superstar. 

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) walks off the field after practice during training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Sunday, July 20, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Budda Baker Holds On To The Top Spot

While there were a lot of changes as you get deeper into the rankings, things near the top stayed generally the same, besides a slight dip from Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James. His lack of consistent tackling caused us to lower his ranking a few spots. Budda Baker maintains his spot at the top of the defensive backs list, followed by a handful of safeties who could all stake a claim for that top spot. This is a deep position as far as elite safeties go.    

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Without further ado, let's take a look at this year's IDP rankings.

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings