Updated IDP Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 225 Individual Defensive Players (2026)

September 1, 2026

Updated RotoBaller's fantasy football IDP draft rankings for individual defensive players - top 200 tiered rankings for linebackers (LB), defensive linemen (DL), defensive backs (DB).

It's officially September, and we are back with more fantasy football rankings to help crush your upcoming fantasy football drafts. Play in IDP leagues? We do too. At RotoBaller HQ, we help guide fantasy managers who play in IDP leagues with our updated fantasy football IDP rankings for 2026. Below, you will find the top 225 overall rankings for defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs.

RotoBaller lead fantasy football analysts Chris Gregory and Matt Donnelly have put together their individual 2026 IDP rankings. Find out where key players such as Aaron Donald, Roquan Smith, Zaire Franklin, Devon Witherspoon, Jared Verse, Trey Hendrickson, Robert Spillane, Budda Baker, Tyrel Dodson, and Nick Emmanwori are listed below.

In addition to these IDP draft rankings, be sure also to check out our team's fantasy football articles and analysis -- they discuss draft sleepers, busts, players to target and avoid, rookies in the best landing spots, and so much more. Most importantly, our brand new free mobile app is a must-have -- download it and configure your notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts.

IDP Fantasy Football Rankings

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Fantasy Football IDP Player News

Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons (knee) has been moved to the reserve/PUP list, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As a result, Parsons will miss the first four games of the regular season, although it has been widely reported that he's targeting Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys for his return, barring a setback. Parsons is working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 15 of the 2025 season, just a couple of months after being traded from Dallas to Green Bay. Across 14 games last year, he amassed 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Now 27, Parsons will offer a major boost to the Packers' defense in a competitive NFC North once he's healthy enough to play. Brenton Cox and Barryn Sorrell are early candidates to earn more defensive snaps in his absence.

Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have signed defensive tackle Aaron Donald to a one-year deal worth $20 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The deal could pay him up to $30 million with potential incentives. Donald is coming out of retirement and will return to the team where he played 10 seasons from 2014 to 2023. During his first stint in Los Angeles, he tallied 111 sacks and 24 forced fumbles. He made the Pro Bowl in all 10 seasons, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and was an eight-time First Team All-Pro. One of the greatest defensive players of this century, Donald will join forces with fellow superstar Myles Garrett, who was traded from the Browns to the Rams this past offseason. All of a sudden, the Rams D/ST is back to being the #1 unit in fantasy football.

Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (back) has been activated from the PUP list and is officially on the team's initial 53-man roster. Porter missed all of training camp, and prior to suffering the injury, he had been seeking a new contract. It's unclear whether those talks will continue into the regular season, but the good news is that it doesn't seem like Porter has any plans to let his contract status impact his availability. He should be on the field for the Steelers' season opener against the Falcons on September 13, lining up alongside fellow projected starting cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Jalen Ramsey.

Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) appears on the team's initial 53-man roster, which means that he was not placed on injured reserve. As a result, he'll be eligible to play in the Ravens' first four games this season, although it remains uncertain whether he'll be available for Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. The former Pro Bowler continues to work his way back from a very serious cervical neck injury that he suffered during Baltimore's second game last season. Prior to that, though, he had played every game for three consecutive seasons from 2022 through 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, he amassed 99 tackles, 19.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He ranked as a top-12 defensive tackle in IDP leagues during both of those seasons.

Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (knee) did not practice on Monday, according to Stu Jackson of the team's official website. The extent of Garrett's injury is unknown, but head coach Sean McVay did say that the star defender is "doing good." The 30-year-old was traded from the Browns to the Rams during the offseason, offering a major boost to Los Angeles' Super Bowl-caliber roster. Last year in Cleveland, he amassed 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a career-high 23 sacks. He was the top-scoring defensive lineman in fantasy football, in addition to setting a new NFL single-season sack record. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like Garrett's injury is too serious, so he should be able to play in the Rams' season opener Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers.

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