Week 4 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2025) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

September 24, 2025

Fantasy football IDP rankings and IDP streamers for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. Chris's IDP fantasy start 'em, sit 'em picks for individual defensive players.

There is growing buzz surrounding the “Travis Hunter Problem.” Nearly all offseason, the general opinion of fantasy analysts, including yours truly, was that Hunter is an “IDP cheat code” on apps like Sleeper and ESPN. Those providers allow the Heisman winner to accrue offensive and defensive stats while in your DB slot, which felt like a massive advantage.

So far, Hunter has not offered such an advantage, as the “IDP cheat code” is merely DB13 in PPR/Standard IDP scoring. One reason for that is his inconsistent usage on both sides of the ball, while another is his lack of rapport with Trevor Lawrence, a problem all Jacksonville receivers seem to have. Unfortunately, context doesn’t help those who used a high pick on Hunter.

With that said, remember we are three weeks into the NFL season, and Hunter is a rookie. Also, keep in mind that no player in recent memory has attempted what he is, playing equal shares on offense and defense. So, it’s best to be patient and expect Hunter's chemistry to improve with Lawrence … which should, in a seemingly counterintuitive way, elevate his value as a defender.

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 per 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.

Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

DL Riser of the Week

Al-Quadin Muhammad, Detroit Lions

When a defender gets 2.5 sacks against Lamar Jackson on Monday Night Football, it’s hard not to label him a riser. Even better, Muhammad's playing time has gone over 50% each of the past two weeks, and that trend should continue as long as Marcus Davenport remains out. In fact, that usage could rise after his Monday night performance.

The downside of Muhammad is that, while he is top 15 in pass-rush win rate and pass-rush grade, the sample size is still small. However, he has a strong matchup on tap that makes him a fine streamer in Week 4. The Browns already lost their left tackle, and their right tackle is questionable. Plus, Cleveland is third in the NFL in pass attempts this year.

DL Disappointment of the Week

Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles

Let us start by acknowledging the fact that the Eagles have a surprisingly solid pass-rush matchup this week. While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have regularly finished near the top of pass-blocking metrics, injuries and attrition have them ranked 18^th in pressures allowed, and their pass-blocking grade is near the bottom of the NFL in 2025.

With that said, Carter sits outside the top 50 in pass-rush win rate, pass-rush grade, and pressure rate. In other words, it would be fair to question whether his currently disappointing fantasy numbers are unfairly impacted by his early Week 1 exit … if the advanced numbers weren’t also disappointing.

This is all worth mentioning because Carter remains the 25th-most-rostered and started DL through Week 3. He is rostered in more leagues than Nik Bonitto, Travon Walker, Abdul Carter, Rashan Gary, and Josh Hines-Allen, amongst others. While he is a talented player with a good matchup, those players are all better season-long fantasy assets.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Riser of the Week

Robert Spillane, New England Patriots

Spillane was our debut Disappointment of the Week this year, and he backed that up with a bomb in Week 2 that made him a fade the following week. Fortunately for him, the former Steeler righted the ship in Week 3 with an interception and 15 tackles against his old team.

Of course, Spillane’s place on this list does not mean he will live up to the LB1 hype he had this preseason. Remember, the one-time Raider led the NFL in missed tackles through two weeks, and the LB position is deep with more physically gifted athletes. With that in mind, he’s rising out of the LB4 tier but not into the LB1 one.

LB Disappointment of the Week

Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Wilson was last week’s Riser of the Week because it finally appeared he had secured a starting job with a consistent snap share over 80%. Apparently, that was an aberration, as the Steelers continue to exhibit questionable personnel and lineup decisions that indicate Pittsburgh is uninterested in working through the growing pains of talented young players.

While Wilson’s 2025 coverage grades are not on par with his college or rookie resumes, he has been an effective pass-rusher in the NFL with solid tackle rates and good run metrics. He's also incredibly young and athletic, so it's disappointing to see him splitting half his time with Cole Holcomb.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Riser of the Week

Cole Bishop, Buffalo Bills

Bishop's advanced metrics are not elite, nor is his fantasy production so far. However, his usage is ideal, and his matchup is even better this week.

Bishop is used in the box regularly, and he shades into the slot as well, but a majority of his snaps come at free safety. That free safety usage is helpful when you play on a Bills team that routinely gets out to a big lead, forcing opponents to throw a lot while attacking the intermediate and deep portions of the field.

The Saints attempt the third-most passes per game, and that trend is likely to continue, considering they have the worst roster in the NFL and should routinely fall behind in predictable losses. Better yet, Spencer Rattler is second in turnover-worthy throw rate amongst passers who have started at least two games this year.

DB Disappointment of the Week

Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints

The Saints were my preseason pick to choose first in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they’ve done nothing to change that narrative. While they kept things relatively close against Arizona and an injury-plagued San Francisco roster, their performance against Seattle is more indicative of what we should expect versus Buffalo.

Despite keeping some games close, the Saints are facing the ninth-fewest pass attempts per game this season. Worse, the Bills are 28^th in passes over the past two weeks, and they have averaged 27 pass attempts in games they win by 10+ points since the beginning of 2024.

The Bills are currently 16-point favorites over New Orleans, and that is a conservative bet. This is a problem for Taylor, who has no one worth shadowing in a game the Bills should control all day. Plus, the cornerback is the 20th-most-rostered DB in fantasy, but he’s fantasy’s DB65 despite two close contests against high-volume passers.

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