Week 1 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2026) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

September 5, 2026

Fantasy football IDP rankings and IDP streamers for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Chris's IDP fantasy start 'em, sit 'em picks for individual defensive players.

One of the greatest mistakes fantasy analysts and fans can make is putting too much weight on early strength of schedule. Whether you are using last year’s results or trying to simply predict this year based on roster and history, the process is flawed and hard to rely on early in the year. While it is a useful tool midseason, strength of schedule is far less so in Week 1 or Week 2.

The Pittsburgh Steelers offer a fine example of this problem. Going into last year, the Steelers were viewed as a tough opponent for fantasy quarterbacks. After all, T.J. Watt's squad allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2024 and arguably improved with the addition of Jalen Ramsey. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh allowed the sixth-most QB points the following year.

With that said, some predictability does tend to translate year-to-year. For example, you can usually rely on the Cowboys to run a high-volume passing offense that feeds receivers and pass rushers alike. That is something to consider in your early season projections, but you shouldn’t heavily lean on those types of things when deciding whether to bench a starter in Week 1.

IDP Scoring System for Rankings:

6 points per Defensive Touchdown

4 points per Forced Turnover (FF/INT)

3 points per Sack

2 points per PD, FR, Safety

1-point Solo Tackle

0.5 points per Assisted Tackle

Note: These rankings are also based on leagues that start one player at each defensive position (DL, LB, DB) and two DFLEX.

Final Note: Our projections include offensive stats and special teams touchdowns, which elevate players like Travis Hunter and Marcus Jones.

Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen for Week 1

DL Riser of the Week:

Jaelan Phillips, Carolina Panthers

Phillips was our top DL Value of the Year in our preseason rankings, in part because he has a strong schedule to start the season. While projecting matchups this early is discouraged, as we noted in our intro this week, the Bears do profile as a strong fit for Phillips.

Chicago Head Coach Ben Johnson has already stated he wants to break the offensive points scored record this year, something that will require significant passing volume. While Caleb Williams did dial back his sack rate last year,  significant questions at left tackle remain, at least until Ozzy Trapilo is back and fully healthy.

The Bears’ current projected starting left tackle in Week 1 is Braxton Jones, who was 66^th amongst qualifying offensive tackles in Pass Protection Grade for PFF last year while allowing pressure at one of the worst rates in the NFL (11%). Reports out of camp have been negative for all of Chicago’s left tackle prospects, as well.

DL Fade of the Week:

Odafe Oweh, Washington Commanders

Oweh’s ADP in redrafts (DL21 overall) far outpaces his career production, with the former Raven never cracking the top 50 defensive linemen in Standard IDP Scoring. Worse, he has a bad matchup on paper this week.

Philadelphia allowed the sixth-fewest quarterback pressures last year despite health issues along their offensive line. In fact, 2025 was the third straight year they finished among the top six in that category. That’s bad news for pass rush specialists like Oweh.

Worse, the Eagles have finished in the top ten in rush attempts per game and in the bottom ten in pass attempts per game in each of the past four seasons. This is despite having multiple offensive coordinators during that span. Philly is committed to the run under Nick Sirianni and will continue to lean on it against the underdog Commanders.

Top Fantasy Linebackers for Week 1

LB Riser of the Week:

Sonny Styles, Washington Commanders

While Styles was a hot name this offseason due to his glowing NFL Draft profile and the resources Washington invested in him, the buzz this summer has cooled significantly. Several IDP analysts have expressed concern about Styles admitting he has felt “lost” at times, which likely contributed to multiple outlets ranking him as an LB3.

Do not count us amongst the throngs worried about Styles, especially against an Eagles offense that has consistently finished amongst the league leaders in rush attempts under Sirianni. Philly has a penchant for running the ball and feeding opposing linebackers across multiple coordinators and multiple seasons.

LB Fade of the Week:

CJ Allen, Indianapolis Colts

Allen is currently the 38^th most rostered LB in fantasy, which is significantly lower than where we rated him right after the NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Allen’s early-season stock has plummeted this summer, and his current fantasy usage has not kept up with that fall.

While we still hold out significant hope for Allen long-term, making him a strong hold in dynasty and deep IDP leagues, multiple outlets have indicated that Allen may start the season on the bench. Due to injuries and inconsistencies during the preseason, most Indy beat writers are actually reporting Allen may even start the year on special teams.

Given these concerning reports, it is hard to rate Allen near his current usage rate (LB38). Take a wait-and-see approach with this one before plugging him into any lineup, even a deep one.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs for Week 1

DB Riser of the Week:

Caleb Downs, Dallas Cowboys

Downs was a preseason fade for us, due to his elevated ADP and insane expectations. However, even with a healthy dose of skepticism about whether the Buckeye will return value at his rookie cost, we do expect him to start the season with a bang.

The versatile rookie should split his time between the slot, deep safety, and the box against a Giants offense desperate to keep up with the Cowboys’ high-scoring attack. We don’t expect Downs to come off the field in a high-volume and high-scoring affair. This matchup should reward defensive backs and pass rushers on both sides of the ball.

DB Fade of the Week:

Paulson Adebo, New York Giants

Adebo has been a consistent producer for fantasy teams over the past two years, which is why he has been the 17^th DB off the boards this preseason. However, camp reports have consistently suggested that Adebo is in a tight race with Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II, with John Harbaugh refusing to name a starter publicly.

The Giants have an elite fantasy matchup on paper, given the Cowboys give up the fifth most fantasy points to opposing DBs over the past four seasons. Ideally, Adebo should capitalize on that if he is a starter… but that is a big if.

The uncertainty surrounding the former Saint has him much lower on our board than his ADP would suggest.

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