Edge rushers, linebackers, defensive backs—all the violence on one page. Every week, the tape gets stripped down and the board gets re-cut to reflect who is actually causing chaos out there. The widget controls let you filter by position. Use these numbers as a blueprint, not a commandment. IDP scoring is a wild animal, and the sharpest managers always carve out their own path.
I rank weekly as an official FantasyPros.comexpert, and the matrix below is my live defensive board. These numbers also bleed into their broader Expert Consensus (ECR), blending with the rest of the industry's collective forecast. Want to see where my raw tape departs from the hive-mind? Hit the consensus link right below.
Check the FantasyPros Consensus Rankings →
How to Read the IDP Board
Three groups, three different games. The defensive line is where sacks and tackles for loss concentrate, and where the gap between a top edge and a backup is biggest in points. Linebackers are the volume game, tackle counting on a defense that is on the field for the whole ball game, and the spot where a bye week or a pass-heavy schedule quietly moves someone five spots. Defensive backs are boom or bust, with interception and pass-defense points arriving in chunks, and a roster that wobbles with injury and coverage roles more than with raw talent.
The widget groups all of it by position, so filter to the roster your league actually runs. Read the top of each column for your starts, skim the next ten or fifteen rows for the stash candidates, and remember the order re-cuts every week for what the season is actually doing. A player's spot in the list is a projection for the next stretch of games, not a trophy for the last one. If your league runs offense too, the Standard and PPR board lives on its own page on the same weekly cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IDP fantasy football?
IDP (Individual Defensive Player) lets you draft defensive players — edge rushers, linebackers, and defensive backs — instead of starting a full team defense. Points come from tackles, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, fumble recoveries, and pass breakups.
What positions do I need to start in IDP?
Most IDP leagues require you to start 2 edge rushers, 3 linebackers, and 2 defensive backs, though league-to-league variance is high. Some leagues use an "edge only" or "edge lite" format where you start one pass rusher and fill the rest with linebackers and defensive backs.
Are these rankings based on a specific scoring system?
IDP scoring varies a lot by league, but a common framework is 3 points per solo tackle, 1.5 per assist, 5 per sack, 2 per tackle for loss, 7 per interception, 5 per fumble recovery, and 1.5 per pass breakup. If your league uses different scoring, adjust accordingly — the player order typically stays similar within tiers.
How often are the rankings updated?
These refresh every week through the season, with the heaviest churn around big roster moves, injuries, and depth chart changes. When the new week's widget goes live, the byline above updates to match automatically, and the widget pulls the latest data each time the page loads.