Fantasy football IDP rankings & tiers: Jordyn Brooks at the top

Before diving into this year’s IDP rankings (they’re at the bottom of the article if you want to skip ahead), I want to talk NFL shop for a bit and discuss IDP & fantasy football strategies. And this is all stuff I’ve said before. You can Google my name and the term IDP and find stuff going back years and years.

Individual Defensive Player leagues turn the defense from one roster slot into a full draft board. Instead of picking a team defense, you draft real defenders at real positions. It takes more work, but it makes every Sunday matter more. Here is how to build a winning IDP roster for the 2026 season.

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

Build your IDP scoring system around tackles

Tackles are the most predictable stat in fantasy football IDP, so they should be the basis of any IDP league. Sacks, interceptions and fumbles are hard to predict week to week. A player with 100+ tackles in a season will always give you points, and he will usually add a few big plays too.

A solid IDP starting scoring setup is 1.5 points per solo tackle, 1 per assist, 4 for a sack, 4 for an interception, 4 for forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, 2 points for a safety and 1.5 per pass defended. You can add QB hits and tackles for loss to give the defensive line more value. Make a scoring adjustment, then go back and see how it affects previous years’ point totals when viewing different position groups.

Set enough IDP starting spots to matter

If your league’s best running backs score 200+points and your best defender tops out near 100 points, IDPs don’t matter in your format. And that does a disservice to the format. Match your IDP starters to your offensive starters, so managers have to invest in both sides. My preferred format is 1 DT, 2 DE, 3 LB, 1 CB and 2 S. In dynasty leagues, go deeper on the bench, because injuries and young players fill roster spots fast.

On the flip side, if you only have one or two starters, you are drafting far down deep enough to add variance. Meaning, imagine if every team in your league only needed one running back and one wide receiver. The difference between the best team’s RB and the worst team’s RB (12 RBs total in theory) wouldn’t be as much if the league required teams to start two RBs and a flex (24+ RBs). You with me?

Draft linebackers as your IDP foundation

Linebackers are the backbone of an IDP roster because they make the most tackles. There are many good ones, so you can wait and still land a strong starter. Focus on high-volume inside linebackers over pass-rushing hybrids. Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks led the NFL with 183 combined tackles in 2025, and that kind of steady tackle producer is exactly the profile to target early.

Get one elite defensive lineman, then wait

The defensive line works like the running back position in fantasy football. There are a few standout options, then a steep drop to a big group of players who are honestly a bit interchangeable. If anything, DL is less breakout-prone because there’s only a handful of guys who could realistically crack the top five. Try to lock in one top lineman early. Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett sits at the top of the position for 2026. Interior linemen who pile up tackles also carry hidden value, since their production is steadier than a pass rusher who lives on sacks.

Wait on defensive backs and skip shutdown corners

Defensive backs are the last group to fill. Production is scheme-dependent and hard to predict beyond the first tier or two, so let the value come to you. The biggest mistake is chasing shutdown cornerbacks. I used to say you don’t want Darrelle Revis and, before him, Champ Bailey. Now, it would be someone like Patrick Surtain II. The best corners do not get thrown at, so they make fewer plays. A defender actually scores more when he allows the catch and makes the tackle. Target tackle-heavy safeties and nickel corners who play near the line of scrimmage.

Don’t fear good players on bad defenses

Bad players on bad defenses typically fare best in IDP because they’re on the field a ton and offenses pick on them. So variations of the inverse can be true as well. But it’s just a little more nuanced. Someone has to make the tackles even on the worst defenses, and bad units often have one or two heavy producers. Draft the disruptor on a bad team the same way you would draft a workhorse back on a losing offense. Sure, game flow might not work in your favor, but good players are good. In-season, play the matchups with your mid-tier defenders and avoid overreacting to one hot or cold week.