- Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson both have legitimate claims to the IDP1 throne: With both players coming off career IDP seasons, IDP managers can’t go wrong with either option for dynasty purposes.
- Jack Campbell and Carson Schwesinger emerge as elite options: Both players revitalize the top of the linebacker dynasty ranks, coming off elite seasons early in their careers.
- Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool. Get 25% off your PFF+ annual subscription with code PFFFANTASYPODCAST25.
Estimated Reading Time: 28 minutes
Version 1.0 of the IDP dynasty rankings follows the Super Bowl as fantasy platforms switch over to 2026 league settings and the offseason officially begins.
PFF-preferred IDP-scoring:
| Position | Solo Tackles | Assists | Sacks | TFLs | QB Hits | PBUs |
| DI/ED | 2.5 | 1.25 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| LB | 1.5 | 0.75 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| CB/S | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
- All IDP scorers under these settings can be viewed here (minimum 100 snaps), dating back to 2022.
- Age is a factor in dynasty leagues. This list is designed to create the best long-term dynasty roster.
- This list assumes true position (DT, EDGE LB, CB, S) for players (e.g., outside linebackers are considered “edge defenders” to reflect real NFL value).
- This is version 1.0 — these rankings will change throughout the offseason, so be sure to check the rankings page for updates and to sort by position.
Tier 1
| RANK | POSITION | PLAYER | 2026 TEAM | AGE |
| 1 | ED1 | Aidan Hutchinson | Lions | 25.5 |
| 2 | ED2 | Will Anderson Jr. | Texans | 24.4 |
| 3 | ED3 | Micah Parsons | Packers | 26.7 |
| 4 | ED4 | Jared Verse | Rams | 25.3 |
| 5 | ED5 | Myles Garrett | Browns | 30.1 |
| 6 | ED6 | Abdul Carter | Giants | 22.4 |
| 7 | LB1 | Jack Campbell | Lions | 25.5 |
| 8 | LB2 | Carson Schwesinger | Browns | 22.5 |
| 9 | ED7 | Nick Bosa | 49ers | 28.3 |
| 10 | ED8 | Brian Burns | Giants | 27.8 |
| 11 | ED9 | Maxx Crosby | Raiders | 28.5 |
| 12 | ED10 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | 31.3 |
Aidan Hutchinson leads the way as the top overall dynasty IDP option for the second year in a row. Coming off a major leg injury and looking no worse for wear in 2025, he did nothing to drop in value from his top spot last season. Hutchinson was the overall ED1 in points per game in 2024 prior to his injury, and in his first year back, he finished as a top-five scorer at his position thanks to high-end playing time, elite pass-rush metrics and delivering on that potential production. Since entering the league in 2022, Hutchinson owns a 93.2 pass-rush grade, which trails only reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett (96.0) and Micah Parsons (94.9) while also leading the league in expected sacks in 2023 and 2025. Hutchinson will be turning just 26 years old heading into the 2026 season and is more than likely to continue delivering at a top-12 level, if not higher, for years to come.
Will Anderson comes the closest to dethroning Hutchinson for the top spot, delivering his first top-12 finish this past season and his first truly elite year as a pass-rusher. Anderson delivered career highs in pass-rush grade (91.6), total pressures (93) and win rate (26.2%) – the first time he’s cracked the top-10 at his position in all of those marks. Anderson was an elite college prospect, and he’s been delivering on that potential with the expectation that he’ll continue to do so for several more years. He’s also a year younger than Hutchinson, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him valued slightly higher, and we’re truly splitting hairs at the top of the ranks, though Hutchinson’s slightly stronger track record gives him the edge for now.
Micah Parsons is unfortunately coming off a torn ACL; otherwise, he’d likely be in contention for the top spot as well, as he’s done nothing but deliver consistently elite production since entering the NFL and is still going to be just 27-years-old at the start of next season. Parsons has never failed to crack double-digit sacks in a season and has always delivered a top-five pass-rush grade at his position since entering the league. Parsons will more than likely bounce back from his injury in 2026 and deliver another high-end season for IDP, with many more to come, which is why he’ll remain locked into these top three dynasty assets once for the remainder of the offseason.
Jared Verse and Abdul Carter represent more of the future at the position, spending no more than two seasons in the league and showing nothing but high-end promise with elite college profiles to back them up. Verse recently finished as a top-12 IDP scorer at his position and still has plenty of room to grow when accounting for his high-end pass rush metrics and playing time, scoring in the top 97th percentile in expected sacks in each of his first two seasons. Carter isn’t far behind after his rookie year, which saw him score in the 93rd percentile in expected sacks while delivering the best pass-rush grade (84.5) for a full-time rookie edge defender since 2012. Carter is more than due to deliver on his high-sack potential, as there is no reason to expect otherwise, and once he does, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him (or Verse) move up the dynasty ranks this time next year.
Myles Garrett just broke the NFL sack record in a season at 30 years old and has shown no signs of a potential decline in play to expect him to fall off in the next year or two. At some point, that drop-off will come, and for Garrett, it’s more than likely to come sooner than later than most of Tier 1, though considering he’s still playing at an elite level, it’s hard to bet against him for the short-term. As a result, he’ll remain a top-five option considering IDP managers can get a near guarantee on that level of return for at least another season or two, and anything on top of that is a bonus.
Jack Campbell and Carson Schwesinger are neck and neck for the top linebacker spot coming out of the 2025 season. Campbell gets the edge purely due to track record, though Schwesinger obviously has time to take that for himself with another year in the league. Campbell, specifically, has finished in the top 90th percentile in tackles versus expected in all three seasons of his NFL career, comes with an elite college profile as a former first-round pick, and finished as the overall LB4 in his first season as a full-time linebacker in 2025. Schwesinger also boasts a high-end prospect profile, which he absolutely delivered in Year 1, cracking the top-five IDPs at his position, and looks poised to return that value year over year. Schwesinger is younger, so IDP managers may skew that way in personal rankings, which is fine since it’s so close, but with both players younger than 26 years old, it matters less with so many high-end years still likely remaining in their NFL and IDP careers.
Maxx Crosby and T.J. Watt rounded out Tier 1, as both players still delivered IDP production at an elite level, though there has been a noticeable decline in pass-rush metrics coming out of this season as they get a little older. Both Crosby and Watt failed to crack the top 20 in pass-rush grade at their position for the first time in several years, which isn’t the end of the world for their IDP value, but it does check one fewer box than some of their peers in this range. Their ability to produce at a high level, thanks to some of the best playing time in the league, which will allow them to deliver for IDP and is worthy of being locked in weekly starters for at least another season, keeps them in Tier 1.
Tier 2
| RANK | POSITION | PLAYER | 2026 TEAM | AGE |
| 13 | ED11 | Laiatu Latu | Colts | 25.1 |
| 14 | ED12 | Nik Bonitto | Broncos | 26.4 |
| 15 | LB3 | Edgerrin Cooper | Packers | 24.2 |
| 16 | LB4 | Roquan Smith | Ravens | 28.9 |
| 17 | LB5 | Jordyn Brooks | Dolphins | 28.3 |
| 18 | LB6 | Nick Bolton | Chiefs | 25.9 |
| 19 | LB7 | Quay Walker | FA | 25.8 |
| 20 | ED13 | Byron Young | Rams | 27.9 |
| 21 | ED14 | Alex Highsmith | Steelers | 28.5 |
| 22 | ED15 | Josh Hines-Allen | Jaguars | 28.6 |
| 23 | S1 | Kyle Hamilton | Ravens | 24.9 |
| 24 | S2 | Nick Emmanwori | Seahawks | 23.3 |
| 25 | LB8 | Fred Warner | 49ers | 29.2 |
| 26 | LB9 | Zack Baun | Eagles | 29.1 |
| 27 | LB10 | Nakobe Dean | FA | 25.2 |
| 28 | ED16 | Danielle Hunter | Texans | 31.3 |
Laiatu Latu is on the cusp of cracking the top tier after a promising rookie year and a breakout Year 2. He still has room to grow as an overall IDP. Latu took a massive leap in 2025, setting a new career high in pass-rush grade (77.0), total pressures (61), win rate (15.4%) and playing time. Latu also owns a very high-end prospect profile, owning comparable college metrics as previous top-five picks at the position who have been delivering for IDP for several years. As an ascending IDP combined with his college profile, Latu is seemingly on pace to deliver a potential top-12 season, arguably in Year 3, which would assuredly help him move up these rankings even more.
Many of the top dynasty linebacker options live in this second tier, and depending on scoring, there’s an argument for them to be even higher. This group is led by Edgerrin Cooper, who is coming off a disappointing season in 2025, especially compared to his rookie year, though he’ll have plenty of runway to improve upon that season. Obviously, this ranking puts faith in him doing so several times over. Cooper is young enough, has great draft capital behind him and is locked into a starting role to the point that an LB25 finish can be viewed as a disappointment. He’ll have plenty of room for positive regression as a tackler and in the big-play department, which we’re banking on for him to be worthy of this ranking, though if/when he does hit, he’ll also likely rise in the rankings by this time next year.
Some of the very best veteran edge defenders make up a big chunk of this second tier, and all of them should be considered in great spots to push for ED1 production in at least 2026, making them great options to target for those looking to be immediate competitors in start-ups while not sacrificing too much future potential. Only Danielle Hunter arguably has maybe one more season of high-end production left since he's turning 32 years old during the 2026 season while the rest will be under 30 still, but even still, Hunter is coming off a career year in terms of pass-rush grade (90.1) and may have a few more years left in him, keeping him in Tier 2 for now.
The top dynasty safeties also land inside Tier 2, which is admittedly a high cost to pay for players at such a deep and unstable position, though Kyle Hamilton and Nick Emmanwori have earned the right to be the ones we pay up for, if we’re willing to take that shot. Hamilton has consistently delivered as not just one of the NFL’s best safeties since entering the league, but he’s also been a top-12 IDP safety in points per game in three consecutive seasons, delivering a level of consistency rarely seen from the position. Doing so before turning 25 years old and giving us a track record to expect no difference in future seasons gives him the edge over Emmanwori for now. Emmanwori can easily seize this top spot with another year of his elite usage and production that we saw as a rookie, especially considering he comes with a high-end prospect profile for the position. We immediately saw him deliver on that potential as a rookie. As much variance as there is at the defensive back position, IDP managers should bank on Hamilton and Emmanwori’s roles remaining IDP-friendly, giving them every opportunity to keep delivering high-end production going forward.
Tier 3
| RANK | POSITION | PLAYER | 2026 TEAM | AGE |
| 29 | ED17 | Jalon Walker | Falcons | 23.3 |
| 30 | DT1 | Byron Murphy II | Seahawks | 23.4 |
| 31 | DT2 | Jeffery Simmons | Titans | 28.6 |
| 32 | LB11 | Foyesade Oluokun | Jaguars | 30.5 |
| 33 | LB12 | Jamien Sherwood | Jets | 26.1 |
| 34 | LB13 | Blake Cashman | Vikings | 29.8 |
| 35 | LB14 | Nate Landman | Rams | 27.2 |
| 36 | S3 | Tykee Smith | Buccaneers | 25.0 |
| 37 | S4 | Brian Branch | Lions | 24.3 |
| 38 | LB15 | Jihaad Campbell | Eagles | 22.3 |
| 39 | LB16 | DeMarvion Overshown | Cowboys | 25.5 |
| 40 | LB17 | Ernest Jones | Seahawks | 26.2 |
| 41 | ED18 | Mike Green | Ravens | 22.0 |
| 42 | DT3 | Zach Allen | Broncos | 28.5 |
| 43 | DT4 | Dexter Lawrence | Giants | 28.3 |
| 44 | DT5 | Quinnen Williams | Cowboys | 28.2 |
| 45 | DT6 | Jalen Carter | Eagles | 24.9 |
The Falcons’ 2025 first-round edge defenders kicked off the third tier, after both showed promise as IDPs in Year 1, though they still have plenty of room to improve heading into Year 2. James Pearce Jr. was originally in this spot after he produced in the stat sheet, landing 10.5 sacks despite ranking just 62nd percentile in expected sacks, which points to a player who will potentially regress in that regard in Year 2. However, Pearce had significant character concerns coming out of college, and those have translated to the NFL following an arrest. As a result, and admittedly not knowing Pearce's future in the NFL, he had to fall significantly in these rankings (Tier 5), as there are too many red flags at the moment. Meanwhile, Walker didn’t play as much as Pearce as a rookie, though he finished with slightly better underlying metrics overall, also with room to grow. Walker comes out of college with a unique profile as more of a hybrid linebacker/edge, though in Year 1 in the NFL, he played exclusively as an edge, creating a more stable IDP outlook as we expect his progression going forward.
This is the first tier to house the defensive tackle position, which is led by the very promising Byron Murphy II after a breakout Year 2 for the 2024 first-round pick. Murphy cracked the top 15 at his position in pass-rush grade (76.6), total pressures (50) and sacks (seven) during the regular season, and he should continue to ascend as an IDP going forward, considering he too owns an elite college profile. Outside of Jalen Carter, the rest of the best defensive tackles are on the slightly older side in this tier, which is more about their guaranteed production than anything else, since that is so hard to find at this position. As much as we might be tempted to skew younger in the defensive tackle rankings, this is a position of patience, often more so than any other, making the old reliables better bets to make, even in dynasty.
This tier also houses some potential future breakout candidates, not dissimilar to Jalon Walker, depending on how this next season shakes out for them in terms of playing time. Promising young prospects like Jihaad Campbell, DeMarvion Overshown, Mike Green and even Jalen Carter could all end up with career years in 2026 and improve their standings in these rankings, but for now, there’s at least enough reason to pump the brakes until we see a little more IDP production from that group.
Tier 4
| RANK | POSITION | PLAYER | 2026 TEAM | AGE |
| 46 | ED19 | Dallas Turner | Vikings | 23.0 |
| 47 | ED20 | Chop Robinson | Dolphins | 23.1 |
| 48 | ED21 | Tuli Tuipulotu | Chargers | 23.5 |
| 49 | ED22 | Jaelan Phillips | FA | 26.7 |
| 50 | ED23 | George Karlaftis | Chiefs | 24.9 |
| 51 | ED24 | Greg Rousseau | Bills | 25.9 |
| 52 | S5 | Derwin James Jr. | Chargers | 29.5 |
| 53 | S6 | Antoine Winfield Jr. | Buccaneers | 27.5 |
| 54 | S7 | Budda Baker | Cardinals | 30.1 |
| 55 | LB18 | Tremaine Edmunds | Bears | 27.8 |
| 56 | LB19 | T.J. Edwards | Bears | 29.5 |
| 57 | LB20 | Devin Lloyd | FA | 27.4 |
| 58 | S8 | Xavier Watts | Falcons | 23.8 |
| 59 | S9 | Kevin Winston Jr. | Titans | 23.0 |
| 60 | S10 | Jaquan Brisker | FA | 26.8 |
| 61 | ED25 | Jonathan Greenard | Vikings | 28.7 |
| 62 | DT7 | DeForest Buckner | Colts | 31.9 |
| 63 | DT8 | Kobie Turner | Rams | 26.8 |
| 64 | DT9 | Mason Graham | Browns | 26.1 |
| 65 | LB21 | Payton Wilson | Steelers | 25.8 |
| 66 | LB22 | Tyrel Dodson | Dolphins | 27.6 |
| 67 | ED26 | Jonathon Cooper | Broncos | 28.1 |
| 68 | S11 | Malaki Starks | Ravens | 23.8 |
| 69 | S12 | Quentin Lake | Rams | 27.0 |
| 70 | S13 | Talanoa Hufanga | Broncos | 27.0 |
| 71 | S14 | Cole Bishop | Bills | 23.3 |
| 72 | LB23 | Daiyan Henley | Chargers | 26.2 |
| 73 | LB24 | Barrett Carter | Bengals | 25.5 |
| 74 | LB25 | Terrel Bernard | Bills | 26.8 |
| 75 | LB26 | Zaire Franklin | Colts | 29.6 |
| 76 | LB27 | Alex Singleton | FA | 32.2 |
Several of the top edge defenders in Tier 4 are players we can still remain hopeful for, though 2026 should be viewed as a crucial season for all to deliver on their potential. Dallas Turner is the youngest of the bunch, though he has yet to see a consistent starting opportunity in the NFL, but when he has, he’s produced almost exclusively as a result of playing time alone, though he started to show flashes late in Year 2. Turner projected as more of a long-term IDP project coming out of college, and heading into Year 3 is when we should start to bet on that potential coming to fruition, even without guarantees. Chop Robinson, Jaelan Phillips and Dallas Turner, specifically, are all former first-round picks in the NFL draft, and all have shown flashes so far in their careers, just not any true consistency. Robinson is only entering Year 3, and considering the depth chart he faced in Year 2, his down year was expected, though even on a per-play basis, almost all of his key metrics took a substantial hit compared to his rookie year. Phillips has dealt with injuries while also falling short of his expected production, considering his strong metrics when on the field. We’ll be hoping for that production to catch up to his level of play as he hits free agency and potentially joins a new team this offseason, but for now, expectations are relatively tempered.
This tier's linebackers are a mixed bag of old reliables and young hopefuls, as long-time starters like Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Alex Singleton, and Zaire Franklin repres the latter. These players are all likely to have starting roles in 2026, potentially longer, and deliver usable weekly production for IDP, which is more than we can say about a lot of the linebackers that rank outside the top 20 or so. Others like Devin Lloyd, Payton Wilson, and Barrett Carter are still early enough in their NFL careers that they can improve their IDP values with the right situations in 2026. They’ve shown flashes of IDP potential already, though none are guaranteed full-time roles, which is what holds them back at the moment.
Tier 5
| RANK | POSITION | PLAYER | 2026 TEAM | AGE |
| 77 | S15 | DeShon Elliott | Steelers | 28.8 |
| 78 | S16 | Jordan Battle | Bengals | 25.2 |
| 79 | S17 | Jeremy Chinn | Raiders | 28.0 |
| 80 | S18 | Tyler Nubin | Giants | 24.7 |
| 81 | DT10 | Calijah Kancey | Buccaneers | 25.0 |
| 82 | DT11 | Leonard Williams | Seahawks | 31.7 |
| 83 | DT12 | Ed Oliver | Bills | 28.2 |
| 84 | DT13 | Derrick Brown | Panthers | 27.8 |
| 85 | DT14 | Devonte Wyatt | Packers | 27.9 |
| 86 | ED27 | Trey Hendrickson | FA | 31.2 |
| 87 | ED28 | Montez Sweat | Bears | 29.5 |
| 88 | ED29 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Giants | 25.2 |
| 89 | LB28 | Cedric Gray | Titans | 23.3 |
| 90 | LB29 | Demetrius Knight Jr. | Bengals | 22.5 |
| 91 | LB30 | Teddye Buchanan | Ravens | 22.5 |
| 92 | CB1 | Cooper DeJean | Eagles | 23.0 |
| 93 | CB2 | Devon Witherspoon | Seahawks | 25.2 |
| 94 | LB31 | Robert Spillane | Patriots | 30.2 |
| 95 | ED30 | James Pearce Jr. | Falcons | 23.0 |
| 96 | ED31 | Donovan Ezeiruaku | Cowboys | 22.3 |
| 97 | ED32 | Travon Walker | Jaguars | 25.2 |
| 98 | ED33 | Chase Young | Saints | 26.8 |
| 99 | DT15 | Chris Jones | Chiefs | 31.6 |
| 100 | DT16 | Milton Williams | Patriots | 27.0 |
| 101 | ED34 | Josh Sweat | Cardinals | 28.9 |
| 102 | S19 | Chamarri Conner | Chiefs | 25.6 |
| 103 | S20 | Jessie Bates III | Falcons | 29.4 |
| 104 | S21 | Julian Love | Seahawks | 27.9 |
Tier 5 welcomes in the first cornerbacks, which, even just inside the top-100 players, is still a little more than we should feel comfortable spending. However, those looking to lock down either of the two younger locked-in weekly options, Cooper DeJean and Devon Witherspoon, shouldn’t spend any higher than this with so many other potential options still to come and considering the more valuable positions ahead of them. That being said, DeJean and Witherspoon lead the way for the position as the players who have produced consistent tackle numbers while being in ideal positions to deliver big plays and maintain those tackle numbers.
Trey Hendrickson is a tricky dynasty evaluation right now, coming off an injury-shortened season where he’ll now be entering free agency at 31 years old. Hendrickson has consistently delivered as an elite pass rusher over the past four seasons in Cincinnati, even delivering back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024. However, coming into this year, even before his injury, he was one of the prime sack regression candidates, which only increases as he gets older and potentially joins a new team. Hendrickson should still be a solid weekly ED2 option for at least another season, though with an often low tackle floor and potentially lower sack numbers, IDP managers should expect that value to only decrease as opposed to the other way around.
Tier 6
The sixth tier houses several pending free agents and ones who could be in danger of massive drop-offs on new teams, like Devin White, highlighted here. Specifically at safety, high-end 2025 performers like Kamren Curl and Nick Cross could serve as potential traps for IDP managers who might not be aware of their standing heading into this offseason. Both players produced due to ideal circumstances on their respective teams this past season, though they may end up in completely new situations in 2026 that might not be nearly as IDP-friendly. For Cross, specifically, he was utilized as the box-heavy safety in both Gus Bradley’s and Lou Anarumo’s defense the past two seasons, which allowed him to rack up tackles at an elite rate, and there’s no guarantee he’ll see that level of deployment/production again on a new team.
Meanwhile, a pending free agent like Leo Chenal has a real shot to improve his IDP value with a fresh start on a new team where he could potentially be a full-time linebacker for the first time in his NFL career – an opportunity he was not afforded in Kansas City. Of course, there’s a chance that other NFL teams don’t view him as a full-time starter, so with landing spot and opportunity still to be determined, Chenal’s IDP value has a shot to rise or fall depending on where he ends up signing this free agency period.
Tier 7
Tier 8
| RANK | POSITION | PLAYER | 2026 TEAM | AGE |
| 172 | LB46 | Drake Thomas | Seahawks | 26.0 |
| 173 | LB47 | Mack Wilson Sr. | Cardinals | 28.0 |
| 174 | LB48 | Cody Simon | Cardinals | 22.2 |
| 175 | LB49 | Alex Anzalone | FA | 31.4 |
| 176 | LB50 | Demario Davis | FA | 37.1 |
| 177 | ED51 | Carl Granderson | Saints | 29.2 |
| 178 | ED52 | Harold Landry III | Patriots | 29.7 |
| 179 | ED53 | Uchenna Nwosu | Seahawks | 29.1 |
| 180 | S38 | Kamren Kinchens | Rams | 23.4 |
| 181 | S39 | Malik Mustapha | 49ers | 23.6 |
| 182 | S40 | Jalen Thompson | FA | 27.6 |
| 183 | CB12 | Trent McDuffie | Chiefs | 25.4 |
| 184 | CB13 | Alontae Taylor | FA | 27.2 |
| 185 | CB14 | Kyler Gordon | Bears | 26.2 |
| 186 | CB15 | C.J. Gardner-Johnson | FA | 28.2 |
| 187 | S41 | Kerby Joseph | Lions | 25.2 |
| 188 | S42 | Ji'Ayir Brown | 49ers | 26.1 |
| 189 | DT29 | Bryan Bresee | Saints | 24.4 |
| 190 | DT30 | Gervon Dexter Sr. | Bears | 24.4 |
| 191 | DT31 | Travis Jones | Ravens | 26.3 |
| 192 | LB51 | Ventrell Miller | Jaguars | 27.1 |
| 193 | LB52 | Christian Rozeboom | FA | 29.0 |
| 194 | LB53 | Germaine Pratt | FA | 29.7 |
| 195 | LB54 | Akeem Davis-Gaither | Cardinals | 28.4 |
| 196 | LB55 | Jack Kiser | Jaguars | 24.0 |
| 197 | LB56 | Eric Wilson | FA | 31.4 |
| 198 | LB57 | SirVocea Dennis | Buccaneers | 25.9 |
| 199 | LB58 | Nickolas Martin | 49ers | 22.3 |
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