Fantasy Football: Week 2 IDP Rankings & Tiers

• The Miami Dolphins’ locked-in weekly starter: Jaelan Phillips’ playing time and pass-rush ability should have him as a set-and-forget candidate in most IDP leagues with a great production floor and the potential for blow-up games.

• An impressive rookie debut: Jalen Carter’s incredible Week 1 has him moving up the ranks early in his NFL career.

• Dominate your fantasy league in 2023: For up-to-date fantasy draft rankings and projections, check out PFF’s fantasy rankings tool!

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

With Week 1 in the books, we finally have the ideal sample sizes for how teams will actually deploy their starters this season. While we don’t need to overreact or panic after one week of action, there’s a lot of key data that shouldn’t be ignored when setting the rankings for Week 2 and beyond.

Check the PFF.com rankings page for any updates closer to game time.

Last updated: 9:30 a.m., Sept. 17

Jump to a Position:

LB | ED | DI | S | CB

LINEBACKERS

• Denzel Perryman (LB9) moves into the top-12 linebacker conversation after he was the one clear every-down linebacker in Houston this past week. Perryman has a history of strong IDP production as a full-time player, and that continued in Week 1. He posted an elite 23% tackle efficiency for 14 tackles and was a top-five linebacker in first-contact snaps (10) in Week 1.

• The Washington Commanders’ linebacker deployment stood out after Week 1. Cody Barton (LB23) emerged as an every-down starter, while Jamin Davis (LB54) played fewer than 65% of the defensive snaps. If Barton is available on the waiver wire and you’re still rostering Davis, now is the time to swap them in your starting lineups.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers deployed an unideal rotation with their linebackers. Cole Holcomb (LB43) played fewer than 80% of the defensive snaps, and Kwon Alexander (LB52) led the team in tackles in Week 1 but played even less than Holcomb (69% of defensive snaps). There are other full-time linebackers to trust over them heading into Week 2.

EDGE DEFENDERS

• Jaelan Phillips (ED12) doesn’t draw the easiest matchup this week against the New England Patriots, but he put up strong pass-rush metrics and stuffed the stat sheet while playing 90% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 1. Phillips led all defensive linemen in Week 1 in first-contact snaps (nine), which led to 11 total tackles and a half-sack. He’ll be a locked-in starter, regardless of the matchup, with that usage.

• Harold Landry (ED18) didn’t post as strong of pass-rush metrics as Phillips in Week 1 but played about as much (87.5%), which is a great sign for a player coming off a season-ending injury in 2022. Landry disappointed in the box score in Week 1 but should be in for a bounce-back game in Week 2 against Chargers’ right tackle Trey Pipkins, who allowed four pressures, including a sack, in Week 1.

INTERIOR DEFENDERS

• Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round rookie Jalen Carter (DT9) was not only the highest-graded rookie defender in Week 1 (92.1), but he also earned the sixth-highest pass-rush grade (90.5) among defensive linemen. Carter played 50% of the team’s defensive snaps and tied for the league lead in total pressures in Week 1. He should continue to be a rare pass-rushing threat from the interior and with more playing time could push his way further up the rankings.

• Chris Jones (DT10) ended his holdout with the Kansas City Chiefs by agreeing to a contract solution. Jones has one of the highest pass-rush upsides in the league at his position, but it’s unclear if his snaps will be limited in his first game back after he sat out of the team’s training camp.

SAFETIES

• Kyle Dugger (S3) had a relatively quiet Week 1 but saw his total snap share reach 100% for only the second time in his NFL career. With Devin McCourty retiring, Dugger has stepped into an every-down role while still playing more than 50% of his snaps closer to the line of scrimmage. The difference this year is that instead of being off the field, Dugger is backfilling as a deep safety, which gives him more production opportunities, especially against a Miami passing offense that led the league in average depth of target (12.9) in Week 1.

• Grant Delpit (S4) did not disappoint in Week 1 after being pegged as one of “My Guys” heading into the year because of his expected usage and tackle opportunities in Jim Schwartz’s defense. Delpit totaled eight tackles in Week 1 and should get ideal IDP usage going forward after playing just 36% of his snaps deep and 36% in the box.

CORNERBACKS

• Kenny Moore (CB8) had a down performance in Week 1, making just three tackles, but his usage didn’t change much from previous years when he was a must-start IDP cornerback. Moore played almost every defensive snap, mostly in the slot, and faces a Houston Texans’ offense in Week 2 that totaled 49 dropbacks this past week, which was the second most in the league. Houston also tied for the fourth-most targets to the slot (13) in Week 1, so Moore should get more opportunities for production.

• Avonte Maddox (CB12) played a near-every-down role in Week 1, with 94% of his snaps coming in the slot. Maddox was targeted 12 times this past week, which was tied for the most in the league. He posted six tackles, including one for a loss, and two pass breakups. He should continue to be heavily targeted and involved in production opportunities against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football.

KEY

• DNP: Did not participate in team's most recent practice due to injury
• LP: Limited participation in team's most recent practice due to injury
• D: Player is doubtful to play due to injury
• Q: Player is questionable to play due to injury
• TNF: Player is playing on Thursday Night Football. Set lineups accordingly.
• SNF: Player is playing on Sunday Night Football. Set lineups accordingly.
• MNF: Player is playing on Monday Night Football. Set lineups accordingly.
• WW: Potential waiver-wire claim (see Weekly IDP Fantasy Report)