Top 24 Defensive Players (IDP) Rankings For Week 1: Bosa Brothers Ready To Score Big

No matter how your IDP roster is set up, we have you covered. Just like offensive players, defensive players can have positive and negative matchups that will reflect in their fantasy potential. The top seven names are broken down for each week between defensive lineman, linebackers, and defensive backs. Some leagues, you might no restrictions and just need to roster IDP players, and you can find them as a whole in our rankings. Get the rest of your fantasy football lineup figured out with our projections page.

Defensive Lineman

1. Joey Bosa – Los Angeles Chargers

Joey Bosa is certainly a man who needs to disrupt the quarterback to have fantasy production, and Week 1 against the Bengals is a great spot for that to happen. The Bengals offensive line allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing defensive lineman.

2. Chris Jones – Kansas City Chiefs

Coming off an injury-plagued 2019 season, I am a big fan of him taking on a weak Houston offensive line in Week 1. Jones is one of the top defensive linemen in the game. Houston allowed the 10th most fantasy points per game to opposing defensive lineman.

3. Myles Garrett – Cleveland Browns

If you are looking for someone to get to the quarterback, not many are better than Myles Garrett. He will find himself here often due to his consistency, even in a below-average matchup or two.

4. Cameron Heyward – Pittsburgh Steelers

There are not too many defensive tackles that consistently perform as high as Cameron Heyward. He was coming off a season where he had over 100 fantasy points and finished as the third-best defensive lineman.

5. Melvin Ingram – Los Angeles Chargers

This Chargers defense is in a great spot for Week 1, as mentioned above with Bosa. The offensive line and a rookie quarterback is going to help the upside of the Chargers.

6. Carlos Dunlap – Cincinnati Bengals

Carlos Dunlap continues to be one of the more underrated options, and it is likely due to the Bengals’ defense as a whole just being bad. The Chargers were middle of the road in fantasy points allowed last season.

7. Cameron Jordan – New Orleans Saints

Cameron Jordan is going to be higher most weeks, but against Tampa Bay in what should be an improved offensive line and a smarter quarterback throwing earlier, it might be tough for him to make weight.

8. Nick Bosa – San Francisco 49ers

Nick Bosa is headed for superstardom and is a great option in Week 1 against the Cardinals. Bosa played 14 games last season and had nine sacks. He also forced a fumble and had two recovered himself.

Linebackers

1. Darius Leonard – Indianapolis Colts

Darius Leonard is simply the top dog of any position and was likely one of the first off the board in your IDP drafts. The number one spot each week is his. Jacksonville also allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game to opposing linebackers.

2. Joe Schobert – Jacksonville Jaguars

Joe Schobert is now in Jacksonville, and that bodes well for his IDP upside. He has already been one of the top linebackers and will take on the Colts in Week 1. Schobert was a top-five back last season.

3. Jordan Hicks – Arizona Cardinals

Jordan Hicks is simply a stud for IDP purposes. Hicks had 92 tackles and played very well in pass coverage. He was able to force a turnover and was a top-five IDP scorer at the position.

4. Cory Littleton – Las Vegas Raiders

Cory Littleton is another linebacker who moved teams this offseason. Littleton had a lot of success with the Rams, and I don’t expect that to change in Las Vegas. It is a great spot as the Panthers allowed the most fantasy points to opposing linebackers.

5. Bobby Wagner – Seattle Seahawks

The tackles will always be there for Bobby Wagner, and he is one of the more consistent options. Wagner will have plenty of chances in Week 1 against the Falcons, who allowed the 10th most fantasy points to linebackers.

6. Jaylon Smith – Dallas Cowboys

Jaylon Smith is coming off of a fantastic season and looks exactly like the player he was before the major leg injury. Smith finished 11th among linebackers in fantasy scoring.

7. Roquan Smith – Chicago Bears

I am going with some upside here with Roquan Smith. He is a big playmaker and will take on a pedestrian offensive line in Detroit. They allowed 17.5 sacks to linebackers in 2019.

8. Blake Martinez – New York Giants

After time in Green Bay, Blake Martinez will head on over to the New York Giants. There will be plenty of tackle opportunities for him here. After finishing the top ten in scoring, it will be tough to see him slip out even in a new location.

Defensive Backs

1. Budda Baker – Arizona Cardinals

Budda Baker is just one of the more consistent secondary options, and you can count on him for a few tackles a game at the least. The 49ers were in the bottom half in fantasy points allowed to defensive backs last season.

2. Jordan Poyer – Buffalo Bills

Jordan Poyer is a part of the lethal Buffalo secondary, and his tackle numbers should be relatively high in 2020. Poyer finished 5th in scoring and averaged 7.8 fantasy points per game.

3. Taylor Rapp – Los Angeles Rams

With the Rams linebacking core taking a hit over the offseason, both he and John Johnson should see a ton of work. Rapp was able to finish 21st in scoring at the position and should be higher.

4. Tracy Walker – Detroit Lions

Tracy Walker exploded onto the IDP scene in 2019, and while the sample is small, he should still be a busy IDP player in 2020. Walker did miss some time in 17 but had 82 tackles in 13 games.

5. Shawn Williams – Cincinnati Bengals

It is hard not to like what Shawn Williams brings to the table each week in terms of consistency. Things might change a little bit this year, but the Chargers did allow the 8th most fantasy points to opposing defensive backs.

6. Kevin Byard – Tennessee Titans

While Kevin Byard can be a bit boom or bust, the upside is there every week. Byard is coming off a season where he had five interceptions and 60 tackles.

7. Jamal Adams – Seattle Seahawks

Jamal Adams is now in Seattle, and there have been talks about him not playing as close to the line at times. We shall see, but he is a top option each week. Defensive backs have always had a strong matchup against the Falcons, given the volume.

8. Harrison Smith – Minnesota Vikings

Harrison Smith has been a top ten defensive back for IDP leagues over the last few seasons, and not much has changed. He finished top eight in IDP scoring last season.