Fantasy Football IDP Rankings: Myles Garrett And Jared Verse Both Have Major Impacts After Blockbuster Trade

While the vast majority of fantasy football owners focus on the offensive stars, there is a growing segment of fantasy owners who also focus on the defensive studs. IDP owners focus on individual defensive players rather than just plugging in a team defense and forgetting about it. These are our IDP positional rankings for the 2026 fantasy football season.

Linebackers

The linebackers are your highest-scoring IDP options in most formats. Not only do they rack up the most tackles, but they also contribute both in coverage and with the pass rush. However, there are also a ton of them to pick from. You have to balance the volume of fantasy points with the volume of viable options at the position.

1. Jordyn Brooks, Miami Dolphins
2. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
3. Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions
4. Zach Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
5. Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns
6. Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs
7. Blake Cashman, Minnesota Vikings
8. Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Quay Walker, Las Vegas Raiders
10. Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
11. Ernest Jones, Seattle Seahawks
12. Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers
13. Tremaine Edmunds, New York Giants
14. Daiyan Henley, Los Angeles Chargers
15. Nate Landman, Los Angeles Rams
16. Kaden Ellis, New Orleans Saints
17. Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets
19. Alex Singleton, Denver Broncos
20. Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans
21. Tyrel Dodson, Miami Dolphins
22. Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles
23. DeMario Davis, New York Jets
24. Robert Spillane, New England Patriots

Defensive Linemen

You'll find a lot of boom-or-bust options here. If your lineman doesn't get a sack or forced fumble, they might give you next to nothing. However, a few big plays can make your week. The issue here is that there are only a handful of elite options, so if you don't get a top star, you'll have to adjust your strategy.

1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
2. Brian Burns, New York Giants
3. Will Anderson Jr, Houston Texans
4. Aiden Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
5. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
6. Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
7. Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
8. TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Andrew Van Ginkle, Minnesota Vikings
10. Trey Hendrickson, Baltimore Ravens
11. Jared Verse, Cleveland Browns
12. Jeffrey Simmons, Tennessee Titans
13. Tuli Tuipuloto, Los Angeles Chargers
14. Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears
15. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
16. Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
17. Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Harold Landry, New England Patriots
19. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
20. Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills
21. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
22. Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Jaelen Phillips, Carolina Panthers
24. Chase Young, New Orleans Saints

Defensive Backs

An ideal fantasy defensive back racks up tackles while giving you the occasional big play. Defensive backs that have a tendency to rush the quarterback and can pick off a few passes have a shot of being a truly special fantasy option.

1. Kamren Curl, Los Angeles Rams
2. Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
3. Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
4. Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
5. Nick Cross, Washington Commanders
6. Kevin Byard, New England Patriots
7. Tykee Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Antoine Winfield Jr, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers
10. Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams
11. Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons
12. Amani Hooker, Tennessee Titans
13. Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons
14. Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks
15. Jordan Battle, Cincinnati Bengals
16. Talanoa Hufanga, Denver Broncos
17. Jordan Battle, Cincinnati Bengals
18. Josh Metellus, Minnesota Vikings
19. Alontae Taylor, Tennessee Titans
20. Chamarri Conner, Kansas City Chiefs
21. Trevon Moehrig, Carolina Panthers
22. Julian Love, Seattle Seahawks
23. Jeremy Chinn, Las Vegas Raiders
24. Brian Branch, Detroit Lions

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