IDP Defensive Back Rankings Week 1: The Safeties Who Get You Eight Tackles

Defensive back is the most misunderstood IDP position. People draft ball-hawks and start corners with big names. Neither is how you score. In tackle-heavy scoring the position is won by box safeties and slot defenders on bad teams in high-scoring games, because those players are on the field for every snap and the ball keeps coming toward them. Interceptions are variance. Tackles are a job description. Rank accordingly.

1. JORDAN BATTLE, BENGALS vs. Buccaneers. -3.5, total 50.5. 125 tackles in 2025 and the highest total on the slate. 2. BUDDA BAKER, CARDINALS at Chargers. +9.5, total 47.5. 120 tackles. Arizona is the biggest underdog of the week by a full point and a half, in a game expected to reach the high forties. For a box safety that is the ideal set of conditions: long opponent drives, plenty of plays, and a defense on the field.

3. NICK CROSS, COMMANDERS at Eagles. +6, total 44.5. 120 tackles, six-point road underdog. 4. DANE BELTON, JETS at Titans. +1.5, total 38.5. 120 tackles. The lowest total on the board is a real drag, but 120 tackles is 120 tackles. 5. JEREMY CHINN, RAIDERS vs. Dolphins. -3, total 40.5. 114 tackles. 6. NICK SCOTT, PANTHERS vs. Bears. +3, total 47.5. 111 tackles and a good script. 7. TALANOA HUFANGA, BRONCOS at Chiefs. +2.5, total 43.5. 106 tackles and 11 passes defensed on Monday night.

8. XAVIER MCKINNEY, PACKERS at Vikings. +1.5, total 46.5. 107 tackles and 10 passes defensed. 9. KYLE HAMILTON, RAVENS at Colts. -3.5, total 47.5. 105 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 9 passes defensed from the nickel - the most complete statistical profile of any defensive back playing. 10. RONNIE HICKMAN, BROWNS at Jaguars. +8.5, total 39.5. 103 tackles, and Cleveland being an 8.5-point road dog means volume even in a low-total game. 11. TRE'VON MOEHRIG, PANTHERS vs. Bears. +3, total 47.5. 103 tackles, 3 sacks and 14 tackles for loss, an unusually aggressive box role.

12. EVAN WILLIAMS, PACKERS at Vikings. +1.5. 100 tackles. 13. TYKEE SMITH, BUCCANEERS at Bengals. +3.5, total 50.5. 100 tackles and 13 passes defensed in the highest-total game of the week - the best combination of volume and environment in this range. 14. JESSIE BATES III, FALCONS at Steelers. +6, total 41.5. 98 tackles. 15. XAVIER WATTS, FALCONS at Steelers. +6. 96 tackles and 11 passes defensed. 16. JALEN THOMPSON, COWBOYS at Giants. -3, total 48.5. 95 tackles, Sunday night.

17. DERWIN JAMES JR., CHARGERS vs. Cardinals. -9.5, total 47.5. 94 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss. The best pure talent at the position this week, and the worst script - a 9.5-point favourite's defense plays the fewest snaps on the slate. Start him in leagues where big plays are weighted; be realistic about the tackle ceiling. 18. COOPER DEJEAN, EAGLES vs. Commanders. -6, total 44.5. 93 tackles and 16 passes defensed, the second-highest total on the slate. 19. JAQUAN BRISKER, STEELERS vs. Falcons. -6, total 41.5. 93 tackles. 20. ANTOINE WINFIELD JR., BUCCANEERS at Bengals. +3.5, total 50.5. 93 tackles.

21. KAMARI LASSITER, TEXANS vs. Bills. +1.5, total 44.5. 91 tackles and 17 passes defensed - the most of any defensive back on the slate, and a rare corner worth starting in tackle-heavy scoring. 22. JEREMY REAVES, COMMANDERS at Eagles. +6. 91 tackles. 23. ALOHI GILMAN, CHIEFS vs. Broncos. -2.5, total 43.5. 90 tackles and 9 passes defensed. 24. JULIAN BLACKMON, SAINTS at Lions. +7, total 49.5. New Orleans is a seven-point dog in a 49.5-point game, which is the best script available to any defensive back this week.

ROOKIE AND SECOND-YEAR STARTERS WORTH ADDING. Dillon Thieneman, Bears at Panthers (-3, total 47.5), opens at strong safety as a first-round rookie in a 47.5-point game. Andrew Mukuba, Eagles, and A.J. Haulcy, Colts, also start. Rookie safeties who play every down are the closest thing IDP has to free money, because tackle volume does not require experience - it requires snaps.

OUT. Kerby Joseph, Lions (knee, PUP) and Brian Branch, Lions (Achilles, PUP) - Detroit is without both of its starting safeties from last season, which pushes Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox into full-time roles against a seven-point underdog that will be throwing. Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks (ankle). Billy Bowman Jr., Falcons (Achilles). Garrett Williams and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Cardinals. Deane Leonard, Chargers. Kyler Gordon, Bears (calf). Trey Amos, Commanders (ankle, injured reserve). QUESTIONABLE: Chamarri Conner, Chiefs (knee, with reporting that he is not expected to play); Joey Porter Jr., Steelers (back); Xavier Woods, Bears (groin); Jordan Hancock, Bills; Christian Izien, Lions (groin); D'Angelo Ponds, Jets (calf) is doubtful.

THE RULE TO CARRY INTO WEEK 2. If you are choosing between two safeties of similar quality, take the one whose team is getting more points, every time. The underdog's defense faces more snaps, and snaps are the whole game at this position. The corollary is that you should almost never start a defensive back on a team favoured by more than a touchdown unless he is a genuine every-down box player, and even then you are accepting a lower floor for the same price.

METHOD. Starters taken from current team depth charts. Injury designations from the league injury report as of Friday, September 11. Spreads and totals as posted for the Sunday and Monday slate. Production figures are 2025 regular season totals. Every player's 2026 team was verified against his current roster page before publication.