IDP Defensive Line Rankings Week 1: Sack Spots, Traps and Every Starter

Defensive line scoring is sack-driven and sacks are opportunity-driven. A pass rusher needs the other team to throw, and the other team throws when it is behind. So the ideal defensive line start is a good rusher on a team that is favoured, or a good rusher against an opponent whose best blocker or best offensive weapon is unavailable. Below is every starting lineman on the Sunday and Monday slate, ranked, with 2025 production and the numbers that set the environment.

1. DANIELLE HUNTER, TEXANS vs. Bills. +1.5, total 44.5. 15 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2025, the highest sack total of any lineman on this slate. 2. AIDAN HUTCHINSON, LIONS vs. Saints. -7, total 49.5. 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss. Detroit is a seven-point favourite and New Orleans will be without Cameron Jordan, which means the Saints are throwing from behind. This is the cleanest combination of talent and script on the board.

3. WILL ANDERSON JR., TEXANS vs. Bills. +1.5, total 44.5. 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss - the most tackles for loss of anyone playing this weekend. Houston has the two best rushers in one front, which normally splits production, but against a 44.5-point game where neither team is expected to run away, both should see a full complement of passing downs. 4. JEFFERY SIMMONS, TITANS vs. Jets. -1.5, total 38.5. 11 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 67 tackles. Interior rushers who also tackle are the most stable line asset in the format.

5. MONTEZ SWEAT, BEARS at Panthers. -3, total 47.5. 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss. A three-point favourite in the second-highest total of the early window. 6. LAIATU LATU, COLTS vs. Ravens. +3.5, total 47.5. 8.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss. 7. JOSH HINES-ALLEN, JAGUARS vs. Browns. -8.5, total 39.5. 8 sacks. Jacksonville laying 8.5 is the largest home spread of the early window, which is exactly what a pass rusher wants even in a low-total game.

8. JARED VERSE, BROWNS at Jaguars. +8.5, total 39.5. 7.5 sacks, 58 tackles, 11 tackles for loss in his first Cleveland season. The spread cuts against him but the tackle floor is unusually high for an edge. 9. ZACH ALLEN, BRONCOS at Chiefs. +2.5, total 43.5. 7 sacks. 10. CALAIS CAMPBELL, RAVENS at Colts. -3.5, total 47.5. 6.5 sacks and a bigger snap share with Nnamdi Madubuike ruled out. 11. GEORGE KARLAFTIS, CHIEFS vs. Broncos. -2.5, total 43.5. 6 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, Monday night.

12. JALEN REDMOND, VIKINGS vs. Packers. -1.5, total 46.5. 6 sacks, 62 tackles, 12 tackles for loss - the best combined line in this tier. 13. GERVON DEXTER SR., FALCONS at Steelers. +6, total 41.5. 6 sacks from the nose, though six points down in a 41.5-point game is a poor script. 14. MORO OJOMO, EAGLES vs. Commanders. -6, total 44.5. 6 sacks, and with Jonathan Greenard out the Philadelphia rotation concentrates. 15. MYLES MURPHY, BENGALS vs. Buccaneers. -3.5, total 50.5. 5.5 sacks in the highest-total game of the week.

16. ZACH SIELER, DOLPHINS at Raiders. +3, total 40.5. 5.5 sacks, 47 tackles. 17. KEEANU BENTON, STEELERS vs. Falcons. -6, total 41.5. 5.5 sacks, 51 tackles. 18. TRAVIS JONES, RAVENS at Colts. -3.5. 5 sacks. 19. DERRICK BROWN, PANTHERS vs. Bears. +3, total 47.5. 5 sacks and 73 tackles, the highest tackle total of any lineman on the slate. 20. JORDAN DAVIS, EAGLES vs. Commanders. -6. 4.5 sacks, 72 tackles. 21. DEFOREST BUCKNER, COLTS vs. Ravens. +3.5, total 47.5. 4 sacks, 9 tackles for loss.

22. MALCOLM ROACH, BRONCOS at Chiefs. +2.5. 4 sacks. 23. JONAH LAULU, RAIDERS vs. Dolphins. -3, total 40.5. 4 sacks, 51 tackles. 24. JONATHAN ALLEN, BENGALS vs. Buccaneers. -3.5, total 50.5. 3.5 sacks, 68 tackles. 25. JAVON HARGRAVE, PACKERS at Vikings. +1.5. 3.5 sacks. 26. TRAVON WALKER, JAGUARS vs. Browns. -8.5. 3.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and the best spread on the board for a rusher. 27. CAMERON HEYWARD, STEELERS vs. Falcons. -6, total 41.5. 3.5 sacks and 78 tackles, the highest of any lineman playing.

THE TRAPS. Chargers linemen laying 9.5 against Arizona look appealing on talent and are not: a nine-and-a-half-point favourite sees the fewest passing downs of any defense on the slate once the game gets away. Jacksonville's front is the exception because the total is low enough that Cleveland has to throw all afternoon regardless. And be careful with Bengals and Buccaneers linemen despite the 50.5 total - a shootout where both teams score keeps both offenses balanced, which is not the same thing as a pass-rush environment.

OUT. Cameron Jordan, Saints (hamstring), who had 10.5 sacks in 2025. Nnamdi Madubuike, Ravens (neck). Micah Parsons, Packers (knee, on the PUP list, with the club pointing to Week 5 as the earliest return). Jer'Zhan Newton, Commanders (pectoral, injured reserve). Deatrich Wise Jr., Commanders. Mykel Williams, 49ers. Joseph Ossai, Jets (foot). DOUBTFUL: Shemar Stewart, Bengals (knee). QUESTIONABLE: Chris Jones, Chiefs (calf, limited Friday); T.J. Sanders, Bills (knee); Jordan Phillips, Dolphins; Za'Darius Smith, Falcons (shoulder).

POSITION ELIGIBILITY WARNING. Several of the best rushers on this slate are listed at linebacker on their team's depth chart because the chart uses a 4-3 template: Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson, Brian Burns, Khalil Mack, Nik Bonitto, Andrew Van Ginkel, Greg Rousseau and Jaelan Phillips all appear at weakside or strongside linebacker. Most IDP formats classify them as defensive linemen. Check your own league settings, because starting one in an LB slot when he is DL-only is the most common way to lose a Week 1 matchup before kickoff.

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.