Updated Fantasy Football IDP Rankings - Risers and Fallers

September 7, 2021

Updated fantasy football IDP draft rankings. Risers and fallers for individual defensive players - linebackers (LB), defensive linemen (DL), defensive backs (DB).

We are less than one week away from the beginning of the 2021 NFL season, and that means it’s time for us to put together our final preseason IDP Positional Rankings.

Injuries have been suffered, cuts made, trades executed, and depth charts announced. Now, we have tons of information about everyone we care about and many players we don't… and yet there’s still so much we don’t know!

Keeping in mind everything we do and do not know, the season will never wait for every roster and injury to settle itself. The NFL will push on, and so will we. That's why we are here with our final preseason list of IDP positional ranks. Below you'll find a comprehensive list of rankings based on each player's upside, downside, and the chaos that surrounds them.

Top-30 Fantasy Defensive Linemen for 2021

Biggest DL Riser of the Offseason

Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers

As a third-round draft pick forced into action during his rookie year after Bud Dupree went down, Highsmith was impressive. He notched a pressure on 9.3% of his pass-rush snaps, which is a rate just slightly lower than Brian Burns, and he missed only 6.3% of his tackles. Highsmith now has a starting job all to himself, and he should face lots of one-on-one matchups as offenses focus on T.J. Watt, Cameron Hayward, Joe Schobert, Devin Bush Jr., and others.

With reports that Highsmith is maturing and looking like a veteran this offseason, it’s easy to imagine him making the same big plays that Dupree did when he was opposite Watt. Highsmith is also an LB with fantasy DL eligibility, which should help his tackle totals as well. With a solid tackle floor and pass-rush upside, consider the second-year starter to be a low-end DL2 in most drafts, but his upside is that of a DL1.

Biggest DL Faller of the Offseason

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

Hendrickson was one of the biggest surprises in all of IDP last year when he tied for second in the NFL in sacks despite being drafted as a low-end DL4 in most fantasy formats. However, that big boom should be viewed in the proper context, as Hendrickson was surrounded by top-end talent (Marshon Lattimore, Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Chauncy Gardner-Johnson, etc.) that made his a lot job easier.

Conversely, Hendrickson’s new team (the Bengals) sported one of the thinnest cornerback and defensive line rooms in the NFL even before losing their two best players (Carl Lawson and William Jackson III) to free agency. With a tough slate of division opponents, a lack of support, and no noteworthy physical traits to rely on, Hendrickson could struggle mightily this year. His fantasy production should take a significant hit in 2021.

Top-30 Fantasy Linebackers for 2021

Biggest Linebacker Riser of Offseason

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

We noted early this offseason that the crowded linebacker room in Dallas was loaded with fantasy confusion, which impacted our initial IDP rankings for everyone in that group. However, it now appears we have some clarity on that situation… at least when it comes to the uber-talented Micah Parsons.

Reports are that the former Penn State superstar has been blowing up Cowboys camp, and his pre-season run has been exclusively with starters. He’s even been pulled early (11 plays) in those pre-season matchups, which is a precaution most teams don’t exercise with rookies who haven't played competitive football since 2019. The Cowboys clearly view Parsons as a special player who doesn't need much offseason seasoning, and they want to make sure he’s healthy to start the season.

Given the treatment Dallas has given the rookie all offseason, Parsons shouldn’t be expected to share many snaps with Jaylon Smith or Leighton Vander Esch. Splitting snaps was the only concern we had about this prodigy’s fantasy potential, and with that threat removed, he should have a clear path to a top-10 fantasy LB finish in 2021.

Biggest Linebacker Faller of Offseason

Jaylon Smith, Dallas Cowboys

Jaylon Smith is a 26-year-old former Pro Bowler who finished third in the NFL in combined tackles last year. That is the resume of an IDP superstar. It’s also the resume of a guy whose employers recognize empty tackles when they see them.

Despite his pedigree, age, and athleticism, Smith is almost universally viewed as a player on the decline. While he still knows how to fill box scores with stats, his actual positive impact on games has dwindled for two straight seasons. That is why the Cowboys have been looking for ways out of Smith’s massive contract all offseason, and it’s why they have started a rookie (Parsons) and a converted safety (Keanu Neal) over him in their relevant preseason games.

With all of the doubts surrounding Smith’s role in Dallas, IDP managers should be very cautious about drafting him as a top-20 linebacker this year. While Smith still has the athleticism and profile to rack up tackles as a starter on a leaky defense, he may need to be traded or released before he puts up consistent fantasy stats again.

Sleeper Linebacker of 2021

Zack Baun, New Orleans Saints

I’ve written up Baun a few times this offseason, so I won’t bore you with a rehash of why he and Jeremy Chinn were my two favorite defenders in the 2020 NFL Draft. Suffice it to say, the former Wisconsin Badger has the versatility and motor to be a force as both a pass rusher and a run-stuffer if he is given a chance to start. The question was always a matter of will he get that chance?

Early this offseason, all indications were that Baun would not get his shot. The Saints had invested a premium draft pick in Ohio State’s Pete Werner, and they were talking the rookie up as a starter. Those fears surrounding Baun started to ebb, however, after he flashed during preseason action. Baun’s versatility popped on the preseason tape, and his early impact should be enough to earn him a featured role with a head coach who’s favored versatile assets in the past (see Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara). IDP managers will want to invest a late-round pick in this high-upside option, even if his snaps are not yet guaranteed.

Top-30 Fantasy Defensive Backs for 2021

Biggest DB Wildcards

Keanu Neal, Dallas Cowboys
Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets

Last year, we told you that Jeremy Chinn was an elite fantasy asset because he was an NFL linebacker with fantasy eligibility at DB. Both Keanu Neal and Jamien Sherwood fit that same role this year, as newly minted linebackers who maintain DB eligibility on some fantasy websites.

Both Neal and Sherwood project as versatile coverage linebackers that their coaches (Dan Quinn and Robert Saleh) will try to utilize in a variety of ways. They should both have ample opportunity to clean up on tackles on running downs while getting action both in the pass rush and in coverage. Defenders who have stepped into similar roles/situations over the past few years include Chinn, Dre Greenlaw, and Kyle Dugger.

Biggest Fantasy DB Faller of Offseason

Kamren Curl, Washington Football Team

There’s still a lot of hope surrounding Curl and his long-term fantasy prospects. We’ve covered his strengths repeatedly, as an underrated athlete who cleaned up on fantasy stats while filling in for Landon Collins last year. As a matter of fact, Curl looked like the better and more rounded safety when compared to the version of Collins that Washington has paid for so far.

Unfortunately for Curl and his fantasy managers, Collins is back, and the Washington coaching staff values him as a defensive leader despite his limitations in coverage. Collins is earmarked to take back the role he ceded to Curl last year, and all reports indicate that Collins’ return has saddled Curl with the dreaded "position-less" designation for Ron Rivera and company. Curl is obviously talented enough to contribute as a multi-positional player who fills in all over the field. Still, it's tough to rely on consistent fantasy production from a guy who could play nickel corner some snaps and deep safety on others. That possible inconsistent usage makes Curl a DB2 this year, rather than the DB1 he was last.

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