2023 Fantasy Football IDP: Linebacker Rankings & Tiers

• Tackle machines at the top: Roquan Smith, Foyesade Oluokun and Nick Bolton have consistently delivered over expectations as tacklers, creating high expectations for 2023.
• The Los Angeles Rams‘ top linebacker spot is ideal for IDP: Enter Ernest Jones, who is primed to take over one of the best IDP opportunities in the league in Year 3.
• The choice between San Francisco 49ers linebackers: Fred Warner or Dre Greenlaw? Which one has been better for IDP and worth taking first in 2023?

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Breaking fantasy football rankings down into tiers helps fantasy managers better understand what separates each group and how to value each player at the position for this coming season. 

Linebacker-friendly defenses will be commonly referenced throughout these tiers and the list can be viewed in full here. Expected linebacker usage will also be referenced and the full breakdown of that can be viewed here.

Be sure to check out the rankings page for updates as the offseason progresses.

Preferred scoring for 2023 IDP Fantasy Football Rankings

Tier 1: High-end producers with optimal opportunity 

The top-tier of IDP linebackers mostly focuses on opportunity combined with an ability to produce at a high level. Opportunity not only includes how many snaps per game the linebacker is expected to play but also the defense in which they’re playing in and is usually going to be above-average in terms of being tackle-friendly for the position. 

Foyesade Oluokun, Nick Bolton and T.J. Edwards are the only exceptions in this tier for linebackers playing in a tackle-friendly defense, and it is because they have shown a history of overcoming their schemes to greatly deliver over expectations. Each player finished inside the top-six linebackers in tackles over expected in each of the past two seasons and are constant threats to hit double-digit tackles on a weekly basis, no matter the game or matchup. Edwards’ move to Chicago shouldn’t disrupt his ability to produce at a high level as his opportunity for snaps expects to be among the best in the league.

Dre Greenlaw comes in as the top 49ers linebacker to target for IDP purposes, expected to play a similar snap share as Fred Warner, but with a slightly more encouraging history of production. Greenlaw has edged out Warner in key production categories over the past two seasons despite missing significant time in 2021, and if healthy, figures to do so again in 2023.

Dre Greenlaw versus Fred Warner since 2021:

Ernest Jones’ opportunity is perhaps greater than any other linebacker heading into 2023, who, now that Bobby Wagner is gone, is the standalone LB1 for the Rams — a team that ranked as the most tackle-friendly defense for linebackers based on their 2022 scheme. Jones is coming off a strong season as the team’s LB2, posting over 100 total tackles on just 66% of the team’s defensive snaps. He figures to be on the field in a full-time role in 2023, which will create plenty of opportunities for him to emerge as one of the top tacklers at the position.

Tier 2: Expected full-time roles + one elite tackler in Denver

Denzel Perryman has been one of the better tackling linebackers in recent years and now lands in Houston, where his tackling ability could catapult him back into LB1 territory for IDP. The Houston Texans bring in DeMeco Ryans as the new head coach and with Ryans deploying one of the more linebacker-friendly schemes in San Francisco, it bodes well for Perryman’s prospects as an IDP. The only question surrounding Perryman is if he will be viewed as an every-down starter in Houston, but considering the other options at the position, he stands out as the best bet, which is why he’s so high on this list.

Alex Singleton is arguably the most efficient tackler in the league and has been the past three seasons. The only issue that keeps him from being in the top tier is whether or not he’ll be deployed in an every-down role. It’s been a rarity for his career to see full-time snaps, but even when he doesn’t he’s found a way to deliver exceptional tackle numbers. The Denver Broncos also drafted Drew Sanders in the third round this offseason and may want to get him involved on a limited basis which could contribute to Singleton’s limited opportunities behind Josey Jewell, but there still isn’t a linebacker in the league who racks up tackles at a higher rate, so LB16 overall could still end up being a value.

Nakobe Dean is set to take over a starting role in Philadelphia this season after spending his rookie year behind two established veterans who have departed in free agency, and now it’s Dean and Nicholas Morrow who should carry the bulk of the workload. Morrow, being the NFL veteran, could end up leading the way in snaps to start the year, but with Dean’s pedigree in college leading Georgia’s defense to a national championship combined with overall talent, the season-long bet for these rankings is on Dean to emerge as the best option.

Tier 3: Strong volume-based options to round out starting lineups

Divine Deablo, Cole Holcomb and rookie Jack Campbell appear set to lead their respective linebacker rooms in snaps this coming season, but all three defenses are well below average in terms of tackle-friendly schemes. Each of these three linebackers shouldn’t take too much of a production hit as, at least in Deablo and Holcomb's case, they’ve shown they can post strong tackle numbers, but it is enough to push them down the ranks a bit. For Campbell, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll start over Alex Anzalone in Detroit, but common sense points to his first-round draft capital and underwhelming performances from Anzalone over the last two seasons being the deciding factor in getting him on the field early in his NFL career.

Shaquille Leonard stands out in this tier as one of the best IDPs in recent years when he’s on the field, but the drop in rankings comes from a concern that he may not be on the field to start this season. Leonard underwent two back surgeries last year and appeared in just three games in 2022, and without an encouraging timetable for his return, IDP managers will be better suited to either let another drafter take him closer to where he’s been drafted in the past. If Leonard is cleared and appears healthy prior to the 2023 season, he’d be in contention to move into one of the top two tiers, but at this point, that appears unlikely.

Demario Davis has long been a reliable IDP option but as the years have progressed, his efficiency has dropped significantly for a player in a full-time role. While Davis’ blitz upside has led to an average of 4.5 sacks per year since he joined the New Orleans Saints in 2018, banking on those sacks can be a frustrating weekly routine, as his tackle numbers are well below par for an every-down linebacker.

Tier 4: Steady depth or upside question mark options

Zaven Collins significantly underperformed in his first season as a starter last year and now with a new coaching staff coming in, there are talks about his position changing to more of an edge rusher role, which leaves his value as a linebacker hanging on by a thread. Moving primarily to the edge would take away Collins’ full-time role and make him even more of a boom/bust player than he already was last season due to his low tackle floor. Until further notice, Collins should not be treated as a startable IDP linebacker. On a similar note, Isaiah Simmons may suffer a similarly ambiguous fate after being utilized more as a nickel defender in 2022. How the new Cardinals’ coaching staff views him will also provide clarity on his IDP value, but it’s not worth investing too highly in right now.

Devin Lloyd will hopefully avoid the inconsistent role he played as a rookie, sharing starting snaps with Chad Muma for a large part of the season, but that is just a hope at this point in the offseason. Depending on how the Jacksonville Jaguars view their two Year 2 linebackers, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if they continue to deploy them in situation-specific roles again in 2023 until someone can emerge.

David Long has a chance to become the Miami Dolphins’ top linebacker in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense, but Jerome Baker remains a contender for that role as he’s been in that spot since 2019. Depending on how Fangio views each player in his system, either one can emerge which is why they both fall in this tier. Long gets the slight edge here as the linebacker who has performed better in a traditional linebacker role these past few seasons, as Fangio did not utilize his linebackers in pass-rush roles as much as Baker has been utilized in Miami these past few seasons.

David Long versus Jerome Baker when lined up in the box since 2021:

The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns‘ linebacker rooms currently have a number of question marks as well about who will emerge as snap leaders, so it becomes difficult to invest too much in those rooms, outside of Matt Milano. Tyrel Dodson in Buffalo filled in for Tremaine Edmunds last season during his absence and appears to be the favorite to do so again in 2023 now that Edmunds is off to Chicago, but it’s far from a guarantee. Anthony Walker’s return to Cleveland likely puts him back in the top spot, where he was last season before he got hurt. However, still not the most ideal top spot in the league and in a defense that doesn’t project to be great for linebacker production.

Brian Asamoah is generating a fair bit of excitement as a potential breakout candidate in Minnesota now that Eric Kendricks is gone, but with Brian Flores coming in as the new defensive coordinator, that role isn’t likely to be as prosperous as IDP managers will hope. Flores’ defense has primarily leaned on one linebacker with very little opportunity from a second option to contribute in a man-heavy and blitz-heavy defense. With Jordan Hicks as the established veteran, he should be considered the favorite to lead the group while Asamoah may have difficulty emerging as relevant on a weekly basis.

Tier 5: Worthy deep league fliers

Plenty of rookies and team LB3s fill out this final tier for those deeper leagues in need of depth at the position. Perhaps the best flier to take is on E.J. Speed, who, assuming Leonard isn’t healthy to start the season, appears to be the next man up in what could be a profitable IDP role for the former fifth-round pick.

Rashaan Evans and Myles Jack also come in as the only free agents worth mentioning. Depending on where they sign they could have some value on teams that view them as potential reliable starters.