Fantasy football IDP DB rankings & tiers: Still Buying Nick Emmanwori

My 2026 IDP DB rankings align with the consensus in many ways. And fantasy football managers shouldn’t be surprised to see NFL superstars like Kyle Hamilton and Derwin James Jr. sitting atop my board.

Despite his ongoing injury rehab, I’m still bought-in on Seattle Seahawks Swiss Army knife Nick Emmanwori and have him rounding out my first tier.

But six players in my top 36 fall at least three spots below their consensus marks. I rank three of them higher because of their roles and tackle volume. Three I rank lower because of injury history, an aging profile or a shrinking job.

Each gap in my IDP DB rankings comes down to how many tackle chances the player will get and whether he can stay on the field to collect them. Pretty simple, right?

(Note: My full DB rankings & tiers are at the bottom of the article!)

More fantasy football rankings & tiers: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Defensive Linemen | Linebackers

Jordan Battle, Cincinnati Bengals

I have Battle 18th, while the consensus places him 11th. His 2025 case looks strong on paper. He started all 17 games and led the Bengals with 112 tackles and four interceptions in his first full season as the starter. But his PFF overall grade of 61.5 ranked 63rd among 98 qualified safeties, and his coverage grade of 54.5 ranked 67th.

Bad DBs make for the best IDP since the ball moves in their direction. However, they can’t be so bad that they might lose their job, especially when the team isn’t committed to the player with a long-term contract. Battle is a contract-year player, so maybe this goes the other way, and he steps up to try and get a big contract extension. I’m not seeing it, though. Battle admitted he needs to cut down on missed tackles this offseason. The four picks helped his 2025 value, and interceptions swing more year-to-year than tackles do.

DeShon Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers

I rank Elliott 12th, compared with a consensus rank of 17th. He tore his hamstring and hyperextended his knee against Green Bay in Week 8 last season, and he needed surgery to reattach the hamstring to the bone.

But in 2024, he posted 108 tackles on a 97.3 percent tackle success rate, the best mark of any 100-tackle player since Next Gen Stats began tracking. He said he expects to be ready for Week 1. New coordinator Patrick Graham gives him an every-down role in the box next to Jaquan Brisker, and box safeties pile up tackles. That’s a good thing in IDP.

Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams

Lake sits ninth for me and 12th in the consensus fantasy football rankings. An elbow injury in Week 11 ended his regular season and required surgery, so his counting stats stopped at 61 tackles and 10 pass breakups over 10 games. But he played every defensive snap through the first 10 weeks before he got hurt.

His PFF overall grade of 75.1 ranked 13th among safeties, and he signed a three-year, $42 million extension. He works a hybrid slot role that keeps him near the ball. The versatile UCLA product broke up 10 passes in 10 games, so the coverage production travels with him when healthy.

Talanoa Hufanga, Denver Broncos

I have Hufanga 17th while the consensus places him 14th. His first year in Denver went well. He stayed healthy for all 17 games and set career highs with 106 tackles, 11 pass breakups and six tackles for loss on the way to second-team All-Pro honors. So the tackle total is there. But he recorded zero interceptions, and his ball production could fall further.

He also missed most of 2023 and 2024 in San Francisco due to wrist and other injuries, so durability is a question. Brandon Jones returns healthy alongside him, which can shift some tackle chances away from the former USC standout.

Kevin Byard III, New England Patriots

I rank Byard 13th against a consensus mark of 16th. The veteran led the NFL with seven interceptions in 2025 and earned first-team All-Pro honors. He has never missed a game in his 10-year career, and he played 99.8 percent of the defensive snaps. That durability is the whole case.

He posted 103 tackles and reunites with head coach Mike Vrabel in New England on a one-year deal. But he turns 33 in August, so age is the risk that pushes some rankers down. His run-defense grade of 76.4 still ranked 24th among safeties, and he plays every down on a defense that added talent this offseason.

Chamarri Conner, Kansas City Chiefs

I have Conner 25th while the consensus places him 19th. He set career highs with 117 tackles and two sacks in 2025 and led the Chiefs defense in snaps at 98 percent. So the volume looks appealing at first glance. But his PFF overall grade of 53.2 ranked 82nd among 98 safeties, and his coverage grade of 46.7 ranked 86th.

Conner is another example of a player in a contract year off his rookie deal who hasn’t played very well up to this point. That’s usually good for our fantasy football purposes, since bad defensive backs typically get the ball thrown at them. It also puts the Chiefs in a position to start developing the next guy in line if they don’t view Conner as the guy long-term.

He allowed a 114.6 passer rating in coverage and surrendered 56 receptions, so his job is not locked in. Kansas City signed Alohi Gilman and Kader Kohou and drafted secondary help, so Conner faces competition from Jaden Hicks and others for snaps at strong safety.