IDP Sits Week 1: Every Defender Who Is Out, and the Big Names You Should Bench

More IDP matchups are lost to a player who did not play than to a player who played badly. Week 1 is the worst week for this because rosters turned over in March and the injury news that mattered happened in August, while most people were drafting. Here is the complete list of defenders who will not be on the field this weekend, followed by the ones who will play and still should not be in your lineup.

THE HEADLINE ABSENCE. Micah Parsons is on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury and will not play for Green Bay. The team's general manager has said publicly that Week 5 is the earliest he could be activated. If you drafted him as your DL1, you need a replacement for at least the next month, not just this week. In a start-two-DL format, the cleanest available answer is Jalen Redmond of Minnesota, who had six sacks and sixty-two tackles last season and is unrostered nearly everywhere.

THE MOST COSTLY LINEBACKER ABSENCE. Cedric Gray of Tennessee has been ruled out with a concussion. He finished fourth in the NFL with 164 tackles in 2025, which means a lot of people drafted him in the middle rounds as a set-and-forget starter and are finding out about this on Saturday. Cody Barton is the beneficiary in the same room and is available in most leagues.

DETROIT IS WITHOUT BOTH STARTING SAFETIES. Kerby Joseph is on the PUP list with a knee injury and Brian Branch is on the PUP list with an Achilles injury. Detroit hosts a New Orleans team that is a seven-point underdog in a 49.5-point game - the best tackle environment of the early window - and the players absorbing those snaps are Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox. That is a speculative add in deeper leagues and a genuine warning for anyone who drafted either of the starters expecting Week 1 production.

RULED OUT - THE FULL LIST. Line: Micah Parsons (Packers, knee); Cameron Jordan (Saints, hamstring), who had 10.5 sacks last season; Nnamdi Madubuike (Ravens, neck); Jer'Zhan Newton (Commanders, pectoral, injured reserve); Deatrich Wise Jr. (Commanders); Mykel Williams (49ers); Joseph Ossai (Jets, foot); Warren Brinson and Jordon Riley (Packers); Shemar Turner (Bears); Omarr Norman-Lott (Chiefs); Tershawn Wharton (Panthers, neck); Anterio Thompson (Falcons); Kayden McDonald (Texans, ankle, injured reserve).

Linebacker: Cedric Gray (Titans, concussion); Teddye Buchanan (Ravens, knee); Jonathan Greenard (Eagles, pectoral); Patrick Jones II (Panthers, back); Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Browns); E.J. Speed (Texans); Jonathon Cooper (Broncos); Harold Landry III (Patriots); Noah Sewell (Bears, Achilles); DeAngelo Malone (Falcons); Erick Hunter (Patriots); Tyler Baron (Jets, knee); Marist Liufau (Cowboys, forearm, injured reserve); Nic Scourton (Panthers, knee, injured reserve); Jamal Adams (Vikings, injured reserve).

Secondary: Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch (Lions, PUP); Nick Emmanwori (Seahawks, ankle); Bud Clark (Seahawks, ankle, injured reserve); Billy Bowman Jr. (Falcons, Achilles); Garrett Williams (Cardinals, Achilles); Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (Cardinals, ribs); Deane Leonard (Chargers, abdominal); Kyler Gordon (Bears, calf); Coby Bryant (Bears, knee, injured reserve); Trey Amos (Commanders, ankle); Storm Duck and Darrell Baker Jr. (Dolphins); Dorian Strong (Bills); M.J. Stewart (Texans); Tre Brown (Jets); Jakorian Bennett (Eagles, knee); Donte Kent (Steelers); Cameron Mitchell (Colts); Terrion Arnold (Seahawks).

QUESTIONABLE AND DOUBTFUL - HAVE A PLAN. Doubtful: Shemar Stewart (Bengals, knee); D'Angelo Ponds (Jets, calf). Questionable: Chris Jones (Chiefs, calf, limited in Friday's practice); Tuli Tuipulotu (Chargers, hip); Za'Darius Smith (Falcons, shoulder); Christian Rozeboom (Buccaneers, foot); Joey Porter Jr. (Steelers, back); Xavier Woods (Bears, groin); Chamarri Conner (Chiefs, knee, with reporting that he is not expected to be available for Monday night); T.J. Sanders (Bills, knee); Jordan Hancock (Bills); Austin Ajiake (Colts, hamstring); Christian Izien (Lions, groin); Ty'Ron Hopper (Packers); Jordan Phillips (Dolphins).

PLAYING, BUT SIT THEM ANYWAY. Derwin James Jr., Chargers vs. Cardinals. He is the most talented safety on the slate and Los Angeles is a 9.5-point favourite, the largest spread of the week. A defense laying nine and a half sees the fewest snaps on the board once the game tips. Daiyan Henley and Troy Dye, same defense, same problem, and Tuli Tuipulotu is questionable in front of them. If you have any comparable option on a team getting points, use it.

Jaguars defenders in a 39.5-point game are the interesting edge case. Jacksonville lays 8.5, which normally suppresses tackle volume, but the total is low enough that Cleveland has to throw for four quarters. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are fine starts on pass-rush volume. Foyesade Oluokun is a weaker start than his 143 tackles suggest, because a big favourite in a low-total game is the exact profile that caps an off-ball linebacker's floor.

THE PRINCIPLE. There is no such thing as a matchup-proof IDP asset, only players whose volume is large enough to survive a bad script. If a defender's value comes from tackles, ask what his offense is going to do; if it comes from sacks, ask what the other offense is going to do. The players in this section fail one of those two tests this week. They will be fine in Week 2.

METHOD. Every designation on this page comes from the league injury report as of Friday, September 11, and every player's 2026 team was verified against his current roster page before publication. Spreads and totals are as posted for the Sunday and Monday slate. Designations change; check inactives ninety minutes before your game.