Week 14 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

December 3, 2025

Fantasy football IDP rankings and IDP streamers for Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season. Chris's IDP fantasy start 'em, sit 'em picks for individual defensive players.

It's becoming a yearly tradition for fantasy writers to complain about the NFL's Week 14 bye schedule. Seemingly every season, we lose at least one, if not multiple, quality offenses to a late-season bye. This also means that IDP managers lose reliable stars on defense during their final push for the fantasy playoffs, forcing them to rely on more inconsistent assets such as Zaire Franklin.

For those too young to remember, fantasy football used to feature a variety of playoff start dates and formats. This included three or four round playoffs, as well as playoff rounds that lasted multiple weeks. However, fantasy commissioners no longer have the option to make every playoff round two weeks, because the NFL’s bye weeks are reaching later into the year.

Today, the NFL is earning more money from fantasy than ever, and its leaders are abundantly aware of the constant cash fantasy managers give them. Despite that awareness, we are seeing coaches, GMs, and owners consistently thumb their noses at our game. A fine example of this is the use of Week 14 byes that could have fit into Week 11 (two byes) or Week 13 (none).

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 Assisted Tackle

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

Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

DL Riser of the Week:

Jalyx Hunt, Philadelphia Eagles

Rostered in just 0.8% of IDP leagues, Hunt is DL46 in Standard IDP Scoring this season despite inconsistent usage. The positives for Hunt are many, including the fact that he is a young and raw prospect who has seen 70% of the defensive snaps in a third of his games. He is also earning above-average scores as a pass rusher and run defender.

This week, Hunt faces a Chargers offensive line that is in tatters. Los Angeles is surrendering the third most quarterback pressures in the NFL. Worse, this team has surrendered over 100 pressures off the edge… and that was with Joe Alt playing half of their games.

The Eagles could feast on the inexperience of Trey Lance or an injured Justin Herbert this week. Los Angeles has yet to protect its passers this season, and its continuing slew of injuries should only make that more difficult.

DL Fade of the Week:

Nick Herbig, Pittsburgh Steelers

Herbig has been a strong source of big plays this season. Unfortunately, 80% of his fantasy production has come with Highsmith off the field. Of course, Highsmith currently carries no injury designation, and he averages 70% of the defensive snaps when healthy.

While Herbig always offers the chance of a sack, even when playing just 40% of the Steelers’ snaps, he is currently rostered like an impact player. The Wisconsin alum is the 31^st-most rostered DL in fantasy as of this writing, and his start percentage is higher than Jalon Walker, Josh Sweat, and Jonathon Cooper.

There is no world where Herbig should be starting over the likes of Sweat and Walker, even when Highsmith is out.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Riser of the Week:

Tatum Bethune, San Francisco 49ers

The best-case scenario could be unfolding for Bethune, whose injury opened a potentially dangerous window for Curtis Robinson to steal reps or for rookie Nick Martin to finally earn his draft capital. Fortunately for Bethune, neither backup replaced his run support prowess, and Martin is currently dealing with a concussion.

Better yet, Bethune is reportedly on track to return in Week 15, when the 49ers return from their bye. Bethune averaged a whopping 12 tackles per game in the five games he was a healthy starter this year, and his fantasy playoff schedule includes a Bears offense attempting the second-most rush attempts and the most offensive plays per game.

LB Fade of the Week:

Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns

The Tennessee Titans' offense is attempting the fewest rush attempts per game this season, while running the fifth-fewest offensive plays. Worse, the Browns' defense is surrendering the tenth fewest rushing yards per game despite facing the tenth most rush attempts. In other words, Cleveland's run defense is stingy despite facing high volume.

To make matters worse, this is the rare game that Cleveland should be favored to control and win. Their defense should easily stifle a struggling Titans offense, and the Browns may nurse a small lead throughout the game. That means this game profiles as one of the lowest volumes of the week, leading us to fade Schwesinger in a pivotal fantasy season closer.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Riser of the Week:

Eric Murray, Jacksonville Jaguars

Murray has been on IR since Week 9, meaning he is eligible to return this week. While reports are mixed on whether that will happen, speculation is that Jacksonville’s release of Austin Trammell with no subsequent promotion/signing indicates Murray is likely to return this week.

Before his injury in Week 7, the former Texan was playing 100% of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps when healthy. Better yet, he was averaging a healthy seven fantasy points per game, making him DB22 overall at the time of his injury.

While Murray is not a DB2 moving forward, he does have some positive matchups during the fantasy playoffs, and he can be a valuable DB3 option in deeper playoff teams. Considering the veteran safety is currently available in 98.6% of IDP leagues, Murray is one of the better values available on deep league waivers.

DB Fade of the Week:

Tyrique Stevenson, Chicago Bears

Stevenson is DB25 in fantasy points per game, and he has started 40 of a possible 42 games in his NFL career. He has also graded positively as a run defender in each of his three professional seasons. However, Chicago's now healthy secondary is ballooning with talented defensive backs, and Stevenson's completion rate allowed is below par.

Jaylon Johnson is Chicago's top corner, playing across from Stevenson for years, and he saw an immediate return to full-time usage in his return from injury last week. Kyler Gordon also recently returned from injury, adding another talent to compete with the currently injured Stevenson.

To make matters worse, the Bears added C.J. Gardner-Johnson as their starting nickel corner in Week 9. Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen has publicly lauded Gardner-Johnson’s intelligence and tenacity, strongly indicating that nickel is not a place Stevenson could fill if he lost his outside corner spot.

That leaves us with Nahshon Wright, who has filled in admirably as an outside corner this season.  Wright’s coverage grades, reception rate allowed, and missed tackle rate are all better than Stevenson’s. Worse, Chicago beat writers are now speculating that Wright may have earned the final starting corner spot, even when Stevenson returns.

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