Week 5 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football - Positional Rankings for Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

It's Week 5 in the NFL, which means the first round of byes is here. That brings questions for all of us. Chief among those questions is, "Why does any NFL team need a bye this early in the season?" It's a valid question, especially since the NFL added an extra game in 2021. Odds are most teams with a bye this early are asking the same question, since a Super Bowl appearance would likely require that they play 16 straight weeks.

The answer to why there are so many bye weeks, including at the outset of the season, is that it helps the NFL put more games on more screens each week. Spreading byes out means advertisers can plaster ads on Monday night, Thursday night, Sunday night, and all over your Sunday afternoons. So, the process is understandable from a marketing perspective, but it has a significant impact on fantasy rosters.

This week proves how hard early byes can hit IDP leagues, even when only a few squads are off. Despite only four teams being on bye this week, multiple key fantasy defenders are unavailable as a result. Three of our top ten DBs are out, three of our top ten LBs have gone home, and one of our top three edge rushers is on vacation. In total, 16 regulars in our IDP ranks are all on bye, yet many of you have yet to plan for this early hiccup.

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IDP Scoring System for Rankings:

6-points per Defensive Touchdown

4-points per Forced Turnover (FF/INT)

3-points per Sack

2- points per PD, FR, Safety

1-point Solo Tackle

0.5-points Assisted Tackle

Note: These rankings are also based on leagues that start one player at each defensive position (DL, LB, DB) and two DFLEX.

Top Fantasy Defensive Linemen of the Week

DL Riser of the Week:

David Onyemata, Atlanta Falcons

When I began prep for this week’s article on Thursday, I had Onyemata pegged as my DL Riser. Then he broke out against Jacksonville, with his promising pass rush metrics turning into sacks a week earlier than expected. The Falcon is winning over 20% of his pass rush battles while seeing 100% of the Falcons’ pass rush snaps this year. His opportunities should continue to rise as Atlanta’s schedule gets tougher, too.

The Texans are now a pass-oriented offense, and a high-volume one at that. While C.J. Stroud hasn’t been sacked in two games, his line remains battered and his sack rate is still over 6.8%. He's seeing pressure on 33% of his throws, and he's attempting a healthy 38 passes per contest. Expect good volume for all Falcons pass rushers this week, with Onyemata being the most effective option.

DL Disappointment of the Week:

Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers

As I have said, players like Burns are hard to bench or cut in even the shallowest leagues. He is a tremendously productive pass rusher who occasionally struggles with consistency in run support and tackling. That said, Burns and the Panthers' pass rushers have a tough matchup that forces us to fade them this week.

The Lions' offense has surrendered a paltry 35 quarterback pressures through four games. Only 11 of those have come from the edge, where Burns predominantly plays. Worse, Detroit is currently the fourth-most run-heavy offense in the NFL, which does not play into Burns' strengths. There is a strong possibility that Detroit secures an early lead and runs the clock out in the second half, which could nullify Burns.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Riser of the Week:

Pete Werner, New Orleans Saints

Werner doesn't add many splash plays, but that's okay in standard formats. This season, the Ohio State product is averaging a steady 8.5 tackles per game. It's not sexy, and he doesn't have the tackle ceiling of Roquan Smith or Quay Walker, but he's a steady player in tackle-premium scoring with a solid matchup in Week 5.

For some reason, the Saints started Derek Carr this past weekend despite him being clearly and severely limited. It resulted in a ton of screens and just 197 total yards of offense. Meanwhile, the Patriots benched the limited Mac Jones for the more limited Bailey Zappe in Week 4. With Zappe under center, the Pats averaged just 6.3 yards per pass attempt.

There is potential that this matchup pits a gimpy Carr versus Zappe. That is an underwhelming prospect for everyone in fantasy except the linebackers. Expect massive run-volume and tackle opportunities for Werner if Carr and Zappe play. Werner is an LB2 this week and a good bye-week filler.

LB Disappointment of the Week:

Shaquille Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

Let’s beat this dead horse. Shall we?

I've previously mentioned you should fade Leonard. I must continue to acknowledge his upside and elite history while harping on his lack of production. Now we are faced with the prospect that his playing time could go down significantly, adding insult to ineffectiveness. Leonard played just 45% of Indy’s snaps in a competitive game against the Rams but received no injury tag or explanation after the game. That’s troubling.

Leonard has yet to silence questions surrounding his health, usage, and production this season. However, he remains the 11^th most rostered LB in fantasy and the 10^th most started, as of this writing. The former superstar has done nothing since 2021 to merit that kind of faith from fantasy managers. Stash him in deep and long-term leagues based on the possibility he could still rebound, but he can't be trusted in most lineups right now.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Riser of the Week:

Adoree Jackson, New York Giants

Jackson receives our weekly boost for lead corners facing the Dolphins. While it's possible Miami will jump out to a large lead and run the ball against New York, they are coming off an embarrassing loss to a division rival. Tyreek Hill and company will want to hang at least 40 points on the Giants, meaning volume shouldn't be an issue for Jackson and the Giants' secondary.

DB Disappointment of the Week:

Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins

Despite being down early in multiple games this year, the Giants are averaging the eighth-fewest offensive plays per game. While Daniel Jones is averaging the 14^th fewest pass attempts per game and always offers turnovers, Big Blue doesn't have a standout wide receiver for Howard to shadow. Miami’s corners are big-play-dependent desperation plays against this low-volume Giants attack.

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