Week 9 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

What exactly is a struggling NFL player? Is it a player whose statistics are rough, or is it one whose film leaves you scratching your head? When Brock Purdy leads his receivers too much or misses multiple open receivers but finishes with a win and a QBR of 75.5 … is he struggling? When Josh Hines-Allen sits sixth in pass rush win rate but 39^th in sacks, is he struggling?

It's a fair question for any fantasy manager or NFL personnel executive to ask, and it’s one IDP managers have to ponder more often than most. What do we do when the film or the advanced metrics tell us a player is ripe for production … but the production never comes? How long can we say Yaya Diaby is just unlucky, rather than someone who cannot turn pressure into sacks?

The aforementioned Hines-Allen is a great example. His advanced metrics and film have been elite since his time at Kentucky. However, those metrics have not always translated into fantasy points. Hines-Allen has posted just two double-digit sack seasons in his career, despite consistently elite pass-rush rates. Is that bad luck, or is he simply not as good as we think?

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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

Josh Uche, Kansas City Chiefs

Josh Uche has always been an underrated situational pass-rusher, dating back to his time as an undersized edge at Michigan. He ranks in the top 30% in pressure rate over the past three seasons but simply never plays enough or gets enough help to be a fantasy factor.

Chiefs just got a dog in Josh Uche pic.twitter.com/0av7BuTYf9

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) October 28, 2024

Uche's playing time won't likely spike with his trade to the Chiefs, but his efficiency could. The Chiefs already rank as the fourth-best team in getting pressure and they have four defensive backs with a positive coverage grade. This scheme and roster could maximize Uche as a rotational player who is always a threat any time he’s on the field.

While this former Wolverine isn't jumping into a must-start territory and remains a risk in most IDP formats, he is a must-roster in deep leagues with hefty benches. The needle is pointing up after his move to Kansas City.

DL Disappointment of the Week

Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore's edge-rushers have been largely sack-dependent for fantasy purposes this year. The trouble is that they both continue to be inconsistent in that department despite some solid metrics backing them up.

Admittedly, neither of these players has ever ranked particularly high in my rankings. While I liked Van Noy as a SAM linebacker coming out of BYU, he was never profiled as the sack artist that Baltimore is asking him to be. Meanwhile, Oweh has consistently been a darling for advanced metrics and testing, but he continues to struggle to close on sacks.

If there was a time you could book these guys as easy starters, it would have been last week against the Browns. Cleveland allows the most sacks per game in the NFL, was attempting the third-most passes per game, and attempted the third-most passes last weekend. Despite all that, Oweh and Van Noy came up empty for fantasy managers.

This week, the Ravens face a Broncos offense that is surrendering the third-fewest sacks per game. The Broncos also attempt passes near the league median, at 32.9 per contest. Add in the mobility of Bo Nix and how quickly he gets rid of the ball, and this matchup isn’t great for Baltimore’s edge-rushers.

Top Fantasy Linebackers of the Week

LB Riser of the Week

Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers

Cooper was a relatively raw prospect coming out of Texas A&M. He was high on many boards because of his elite range and athleticism. He produced as a pass-rusher in his final collegiate season, but he also had the physical profile to become a consistent tackler in run support.

Exhibit-A as to why Edgerrin Cooper is the future at the LB position…#GOPACKGO pic.twitter.com/1TaTZZyhcO

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) October 29, 2024

It was a slow start to the season for Cooper, which was to be expected given his raw profile. However, the arrow has pointed up on him the past few weeks. In each of his past three games, Cooper has seen at least 60% of the defensive snaps. That's nearly double what he was receiving previously.

With that increased playing time, Cooper has put together two high-end fantasy performances in three tries. While he had a dud in Week 7, bookending that game are two contests with at least eight tackles in each. Throw in a sack for good measure, plus at least five solos in each, and you have a high-upside player just scratching the surface.

LB Disappointment of the Week

Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars

Perhaps it won’t matter much if Doug Pederson is fired and the Jaguars hire a new head coach. However, as long as Pederson remains the coach, we should have concerns about Devin Lloyd’s playing time.

With Foyesade Oluokun activated from IR last week, Pederson was asked if rookie Ventrell Miller would play at the same time as Oluokun. The thought from the media was that Oluokun and Lloyd typically played together when both were healthy, but Miller had earned more playing time with his promising play.

Pederson’s response seemed telling.

“I would say, short answer is yes. I think you want your best 11 on the field, whatever that looks like,” Pederson answered. “And [it] sometimes doesn't necessarily have to be the best football player, but the one that does things right the most. But I do still think that there's, there's enough of a rotational piece with those guys.”

Most in the Jacksonville press took this answer as a shot at Lloyd. His usage on Sunday indicates the press was right. Lloyd had a nearly even split in playing time with Miller in Week 8, seeing just 56% of the defensive snaps. This week, that kind of usage will make it tough to use Lloyd, the 35^th-highest-scoring LB in fantasy.

Top Fantasy Defensive Backs of the Week

DB Riser of the Week

Mike Sainristil, Washington Commanders

Those of you who followed NFL Draft evaluations this past spring know Sainristil was widely regarded as the best slot corner in this rookie class. I graded him as the most tenacious and aggressive corner in the group, with arguably the best blitzing and run support skills of anyone in a deep cornerback room.

I know one thing - Mike Sainristil is NOT afraid to tackle… pic.twitter.com/Kl6m3mvnnY

— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) October 27, 2024

The Michigan alum has seen consistent usage in Washington's secondary as a rookie. Better yet, he's been moved all over the field. That means that he isn't just in on nickel packages. Rather, he is playing in the slot on nickel, but he's staying out wide in base packages. That is a great sign for his week-to-week fantasy viability going forward.

To the surprise of no one who evaluated him during his national championship season, Sainristil is a diligent tackler with a very low 4.9% missed tackle rate. The analysts at PFF even grade him as the 14^th-best tackling defensive back in the NFL, which is impressive for a rookie. He has gone from a dynasty stash to a redraft asset.

DB Disappointment of the Week

Kenny Moore II, Indianapolis Colts

The Minnesota Vikings average the fewest offensive plays and the fewest pass attempts in the NFL this season. That fact is due in part to Sam Darnold having the fourth-highest intended air yards per attempt in the NFL. Darnold also relies heavily on his outside receivers, rather than throwing into the slot.

To make matters worse, the Indianapolis Colts average the seventh-fewest offensive plays per game. Add in the fact that the Colts have just benched their starting quarterback and are going with a statuesque passer who could be a sitting duck against a prolific Vikings pass rush, and this game could be a clock-ticking, low-volume affair.

While it's true that Moore is a versatile player who is strong in run support and plays all over the field, this contest is risky. He plays over half of his snaps in the slot, where the Vikings do not have a receiver or tight end they target more than four times per game. This could be a low-opportunity affair for Moore.

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