Week 8 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2026) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

October 29, 2026

Fantasy football IDP rankings and IDP streamers for Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season. Chris's IDP fantasy start 'em, sit 'em picks for individual defensive players.

There are only four teams on bye this week, but the IDP casualties are significant. While these byes have relatively little impact on your offensive players compared with some of the bigger weeks ahead and behind us, Week 8 sees us lose a variety of defenders who spend their time dominating the top of these rankings.

First, and perhaps most impactful, is the loss of our top defensive lineman in our rest-of-season rankings (Will Anderson Jr.). Whenever the NFL’s sack leader takes the week off, IDP managers should take notice. To add insult to injury, our top linebacker (Fred Warner) is staying home, along with our LB3 (Arvell Reese) and another top-10 DL (Chase Young).

To add further salt to the wound, the top pass-rushers left on our board face tough matchups this week. Dallas Turner should take most of his snaps against the dominant Penei Sewell, David Bailey faces two of the NFL's highest-rated pass-blocking offensive tackles, and Tuli Tuipulotu faces a Rams offensive tackle duo that ranks eighth in pass-block win rate this year.

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.

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

Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

DL Riser of the Week

Mike Green, Baltimore Ravens

Green’s usage depends on the game script, typically spiking in contests against pass-heavy offenses or in competitive affairs. When that usage spikes, Green typically gets pressure. He is the 13th-highest-rated edge in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate, and he logs a sack every time he sees 25 or more pass-rush sets this year.

The Bills are on tap this week, and the game projects to be high-scoring if Lamar Jackson returns from injury. Remember, the last time these two met was a 41-40 barn burner, with Josh Allen attempting 46 passes. While that kind of result isn’t guaranteed a year later, it helps Green elevate to a strong bye-week flyer in a week where DL is thin.

To add even more fuel to this fire, the Ravens’ top edge-rusher (Tavius Robinson) was put on IR this past Saturday, and that led to Green posting a season-high snap percentage against the Bengals. Expect that elevated snap rate to continue as long as Robinson is out, unless Baltimore makes a trade for Khalil Mack or another edge before the deadline.

DL Fade of the Week

Gracen Halton, San Francisco 49ers

Halton has been one of the more productive rookies for the 49ers this season, playing nearly half of the team’s defensive snaps while contributing two sacks and 4.6 fantasy PPG. He’s been good for fantasy, too, ranking 12^th amongst all defensive tackles in standard IDP scoring, despite his limited snap share.

Unfortunately, most of Halton’s production has come on passing downs, and his opportunities in that area should dry up with San Francisco’s acquisition of DeForest Buckner. Buckner is the second-most-productive pass-rushing DT in the NFL, and Osa Odighizuwa is the clear man to pair with him, leaving Halton the odd man out.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Riser of the Week

Kendal Daniels, Atlanta Falcons

Daniels was one of our top available waiver adds this week, as he is rostered in just 0.8% of IDP leagues and ranks 25^th at his position in standard IDP scoring points per game. His game against the 49ers was particularly encouraging, as it was his first with 100% of the defensive snaps, and it translated into 18.5 fantasy points.

Of course, some of Daniels’ big game against San Francisco was due to the circumstances. He is first and foremost a coverage linebacker who faced an offense that litters its running backs and tight ends with short throws with Daniels in coverage. However, the rookie is one of Atlanta’s top defenders, and his usage is trending up.

LB Fade of the Week

Robert Spillane, New England Patriots

Spillane is the 22nd-most-rostered LB in fantasy despite averaging a mediocre 5.1 standard IDP points per game (61^st at his position). Worse, New England’s matchup with Miami doesn’t project to be profitable for New England’s primary tacklers.

The Dolphins are running the second-fewest offensive plays per game this season. While they average the 11th-most rush attempts per game, a surprising total, that number is inflated by the 41 rush attempts they managed in a close contest with the Jets. Excluding that outlier game, Miami is just 21^st in rush attempts per game.

Given how badly the Dolphins struggle to stay competitive, it is tough to imagine they will manage a league-average rush rate against a Patriots squad facing the seventh-fewest offensive plays and rush attempts this season. New England’s pace of play and style could align with Miami’s tendencies, limiting Spillane’s fantasy upside.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Riser of the Week

Brian Branch, Detroit Lions

We have been telling you to add Branch wherever you can for weeks, long before he was cleared to return from injury. So, it is no surprise we love him after he posted a strong 8.8 fantasy points in his first game back … but there was good reason to worry he may struggle to recover from a torn Achilles, since most do. So, his debut was exceptional.

The film on Branch’s return was as strong as the box score, with the hybrid showing surprising burst and closing speed. Better yet, PFF graded Branch as Detroit’s best defender (for what that’s worth), and the Alabama product is already DB10 in fantasy points per game despite playing just 67% of the defensive snaps in his premiere.

The hope here is that Branch will only get healthier and play more. He was a contender for DB1 overall each of the past two seasons, and all signs point to him returning to that pace by the fantasy playoffs. The fact that he's the 21st-most-rostered DB in fantasy means a lot of IDP managers are still missing the boat on a potential league winner.

DB Fade of the Week

Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

I have ranked James as a top-10 defensive back, when healthy, each of the seven years I have been writing this piece for RotoBaller. So, it means a lot when I say the former Seminole is droppable in most shallow IDP formats. However, as difficult as that is to write, it is even more difficult to imagine circumstances leading to his return this year.

The Florida State product hasn’t played a snap since Week 3, and now there is speculation he could be placed on IR. That means you will be without him for at least four more weeks. When you then consider that the Chargers are winless, with little hope of a turnaround, it is unclear why James would play another snap this season.

While some of this may seem obvious to those who follow NFL injury news closely, James is still widely rostered in IDP leagues. In fact, he is still the 14th-most-rostered DB in all IDP leagues. In fact, he is rostered in more leagues than four DBs who rank in the top 10 in PPG (Brian Branch, Jordan Battle, Amik Robertson, and Jevon Holland).

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