Welcome to the NFL, Week 18 kickoff, and the championship matchup of your fantasy football leagues! Pay attention to the injury reports, and keep your lineup flexible when setting to cover your risk and maximize results.
Also, be wary as reports come out for stars sitting, as this was written prior to details about defensive players resting in Week 18. As of the time of this writing, teams expected to rest players some or the majority of the game includes the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, and Rams.
Every league is different — especially in the individual defensive player (IDP) world. These rankings are based on our fantasy scoring to help you adjust to your league while acknowledging that there will be some variations across different platforms. It doesn’t account for position requirements and is best thought of as IDP Flex rankings for Week 18!
Which IDP Players Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
1) Roquan Smith, LB | BAL (vs CLE)
2) Zaire Franklin, LB | IND (vs JAX)
3) Foyesade Oluokun, LB | JAX (at IND)
4) Brian Branch, S | DET (vs MIN)
5) Kaden Elliss, LB | ATL (vs CAR)
6) Derwin James Jr., S | LAC (at LV)
7) Budda Baker, S | ARI (vs SF)
8) Daiyan Henley, LB | LAC (at LV)
9) Robert Spillane, LB | LV (vs LAC)
10) Ernest Jones, LB | SEA (at LAR)
11) Brandon Jones, S | DEN (vs KC)
12) T.J. Edwards, LB | CHI (at GB)
13) Azeez Al-Shaair, LB | HOU (at TEN)
14) Zack Baun, LB | PHI (vs NYG)
15) Jamien Sherwood, LB | NYJ (vs MIA)
16) Blake Cashman, LB | MIN (at DET)
17) Joshua Metellus, S | MIN (at DET)
18) Eric Kendricks, LB | DAL (vs WAS)
19) Jordyn Brooks, LB | MIA (at NYJ)
20) Germaine Pratt, LB | CIN (at PIT)
21) Kyzir White, LB | ARI (vs SF)
22) Grant Delpit, S | CLE (at BAL)
23) Kyle Hamilton, S | BAL (vs CLE)
24) Jessie Bates III, S | ATL (vs CAR)
25) Quentin Lake, S | LAR (vs SEA)
26) Lavonte David, LB | TB (vs NO)
27) E.J. Speed, LB | IND (vs JAX)
28) Kyle Dugger, S | NE (vs BUF)
29) Nick Cross, S | IND (vs JAX)
30) Leo Chenal, LB | KC (at DEN)
31) Xavier McKinney, S | GB (vs CHI)
32) Bobby Wagner, LB | WAS (at DAL)
33) Fred Warner, LB | SF (at ARI)
34) Edgerrin Cooper, LB | GB (vs CHI)
35) Kevin Byard III, S | CHI (at GB)
36) Darius Muasau, LB | NYG (at PHI)
37) Jack Campbell, LB | DET (vs MIN)
38) Frankie Luvu, LB | WAS (at DAL)
39) Chandler Wooten, LB | CAR (at ATL)
40) Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB | CIN (at PIT)
41) Julian Love, S | SEA (at LAR)
42) Henry To’oTo’o, LB | HOU (at TEN)
43) Jordan Battle, S | CIN (at PIT)
44) Nakobe Dean, LB | PHI (vs NYG)
45) Christian Rozeboom, LB | LAR (vs SEA)
46) DeShon Elliott, S | PIT (vs CIN)
47) Patrick Queen, LB | PIT (vs CIN)
48) Dane Belton, S | NYG (at PHI)
49) Xavier Woods, S | CAR (at ATL)
50) Minkah Fitzpatrick, S | PIT (vs CIN)
51) Taron Johnson, CB | BUF (at NE)
52) Tre’von Moehrig, S | LV (vs LAC)
53) Justin Reid, S | KC (at DEN)
54) Jalen Thompson, S | ARI (vs SF)
55) Daryl Worley, CB | TEN (vs HOU)
56) Demario Davis, LB | NO (at TB)
57) Demani Richardson, S | CAR (at ATL)
58) Marist Liufau, LB | DAL (vs WAS)
59) Jordan Poyer, S | MIA (at NYJ)
60) T.J. Watt, LB | PIT (vs CIN)
61) Will Harris, S | NO (at TB)
62) Kenny Moore II, CB | IND (vs JAX)
63) Talanoa Hufanga, S | SF (at ARI)
64) Jacoby Windmon, LB | CAR (at ATL)
65) Cam Taylor-Britt, CB | CIN (at PIT)
66) Reed Blankenship, S | PHI (vs NYG)
67) Cody Barton, LB | DEN (vs KC)
68) Donovan Wilson, S | DAL (vs WAS)
69) Camryn Bynum, S | MIN (at DET)
70) Jeremy Chinn, S | WAS (at DAL)
71) Kerby Joseph, S | DET (vs MIN)
72) Luke Gifford, LB | TEN (vs HOU)
73) Micah Parsons, LB | DAL (vs WAS)
74) Devon Witherspoon, CB | SEA (at LAR)
75) Omar Speights, LB | LAR (vs SEA)
76) Harrison Smith, S | MIN (at DET)
77) Myles Garrett, DE | CLE (at BAL)
78) Pete Werner, LB | NO (at TB)
79) Quincy Williams, LB | NYJ (vs MIA)
80) Tremaine Edmunds, LB | CHI (at GB)
81) Trey Hendrickson, DE | CIN (at PIT)
82) Ugo Amadi, S | NO (at TB)
83) Keisean Nixon, CB | GB (vs CHI)
84) Taylor Rapp, S | BUF (at NE)
85) Devin Lloyd, LB | JAX (at IND)
86) Tyrice Knight, LB | SEA (at LAR)
87) Danielle Hunter, DE | HOU (at TEN)
88) Josh Hines-Allen, DE | JAX (at IND)
89) Christian Harris, LB | HOU (at TEN)
90) Coby Bryant, CB | SEA (at LAR)
91) Will Anderson Jr., DE | HOU (at TEN)
92) Dee Winters, LB | SF (at ARI)
93) Brian Burns, DE | NYG (at PHI)
94) Nick Bosa, DE | SF (at ARI)
95) Ty Summers, LB | NYG (at PHI)
96) Alontae Taylor, CB | NO (at TB)
97) Andrew Van Ginkel, LB | MIN (at DET)
98) Jahlani Tavai, LB | NE (vs BUF)
99) Greg Rousseau, DE | BUF (at NE)
100) Swayze Bozeman, LB | KC (at DEN)
Best IDP Players To Start in Week 18
Jamien Sherwood, LB, New York Jets
There are potential stars that might be out this week, and others performing for the offseason. Jamien Sherwood falls into the latter category, as a pending free agent this is his final game to put on a show.
As voted by his teammates, @JamienSherwood has been named our 2024 Curtis Martin Team MVP! 🙌
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 3, 2025
Sherwood is now up to 152 combined tackles on the season. Coming into this year, he had posted a career-high of just 46 tackles. Sherwood has seven games of 10 or more tackles, and just four below 7. Oh and in Sherwood’s first Jets matchup, the LB posted a season-high 18 tackles in the OT game. With the QB situation in Miami, he should eclipse 10 again.
Leo Chenal, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Need a deeper name for a streamer? Look no further than the Chiefs, the only team to have officially put much out on their defensive guys. Leo Chenal seems primed to be the lead LB in Kansas City with both Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill listed as doubtful.
Chenal started off the season decently, posting his top two tackle performances in the first two weeks. He’s yet to eclipse 60% of snaps but has multiple performances over five tackles, and with the starters missing, he’s got serious upside this week. He’s playing for a bigger role too, as Bolton is a pending free agent and might leave a hole in the middle.