2023 IDP Dynasty Rankings – Defensive Lineman

2023 IDP Dynasty Rankings – Defensive Lineman - Edge Rushers
2023 IDP Dynasty Rankings – Defensive Lineman – Edge Rushers

Notice for the novice or rookie fantasy football managers. The 2023 IDP dynasty rankings for the defensive lineman will include the dual designated edge rushers. Also known as outside linebackers in the 3-4 base defensive scheme, these players can be marked as linebackers.

Which, for them, changes the value of the position and shouldn’t be crossed over to any LB rankings. Especially per the balanced scoring formats used to rank them here as they have been.

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2023 IDP Dynasty Rankings – Defensive Lineman

Defensive Lineman is likely the scarcest position to hit on big, so if you prioritize while drafting, using designated DL, DT, DE, or dual designated pass rushers (Edge Rushers) in any form.

We highly suggest you rethink how it’s harder to hit on these positions. So go as early as possible to get at least one of these front big men on your roster, and well before it drops off in upper-tier talent to choose from.

The rotating, by almost all NFL teams across the front line, has kicked up more choices recently. Although, in the end, it only leaves that handful that is so good they won’t share their IDP production.

Hence, fewer of them that positions value is great to have than “names” at other positions. Which n the end, for those positions like LB and DB. They can now be streamed way-way easier than DL.

The odds have also increased dramatically that those other designated positions can be supplemented easily. And via our in-season waiver wires, as long as we’re active early and tweaking where it’s needed.

Which won’t be the scariest position a manager is looking for. If we’re knocking on wood, and we’ve already covered the issue. Drafting and valuing that handful of talents that’ll constantly pad your box score each week.

If you would like to cross-reference any of these Individual Defensive Players, just hit our early linebacker rankings. Double-check those 2023 defensive back rankings, and draft your clear tier-one starting DLs first.

Then LB, before dipping into what is now the deepest player pool in fantasy football, the defensive backs. Adding, which includes cornerbacks and the preferred safeties, in those cases.

Tier One Defensive Lineman

1. Maxx Crosby – DE – Raiders

Turning quarterback pressures into sacks this season after a couple of years as a top-edge rusher capable of doing so. The Raider’s defensive end Maxx Crosby came full circle in 2022 by hitting home way more on average than before.

Applying not only his best 47 pressures to go with another career mark, 12.5 sacks. While also catching our attention even more elsewhere, and no, we’re not talking about his elite PFF grade (90.1*).

When there are not only sacks and backfield stats to consider here when looking at his third career-best 89 tackles as a designated DE/DL in most fantasy football formats, all these “numbers” padded his IDP box, but those tackles? Those came every week, and that’s what’s kept the top edges in the league up there, to begin with.

So let’s just say it separates the really good from the really great DL options to hit on. So the next two stud edge rushers had to take a back seat this year in this guy’s 2023 Dynasty IDP rankings as their base tackle averages for about the same amount of time doesn’t average nearly what Crosby has now started to pull off.

Though be it, we could see a 5th-year slump in trying to match his 2022 performance, which was an outlier season at this point, but the top tier top 5 DL is still a sure lock. Making this guy’s job a lot easier by headlighting this early ranking, with youth, talent, and aging of other Pro Bowl options continuing to happen.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 25 17 0 50% 0 13 21 12.5 89 4.3%

 

2 – Nick Bosa – DE – 49ers – Cheack Free Agency Status

Defensive End missed tackle rates are outstanding and way well beyond a Pro Bowl Level of elite consistency for IDP. Any position.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 25 16 0 100% 0 1 28 18.5 56 1.9%

3 – Myles Garrett – DE – Browns

Just split those IDP NFL hairs to their finest; my 2022 #1 DL now falls to 3rd, but only because he’s the oldest of the top 3. It’s what happens as we adjust as players emerge, and at just 27 years of age, Myles Garrett still has a ton of football to play yet.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 27 16 0 0% 0 2 9 16 60 1.6%

4 – Micah Parsons – LB/ED – Cowboys

Micah Parsons is also ranked as one of the best inside linebackers if you happen to be a novice to IDP. So when you see Parsons higher on many other 2023 Dynasty IDP rankings, keep it in mind as a DL play.

We should consider the longevity of his dual position as the team ages and higher-end draft picks like Sam Williams develop.

It’s just something to keep in mind if or when you’re paying premium prices for Parsons expecting this role, as he has now, to last forever. After all, the object is to field the best possible winning combinations, and Parsons will feel any need the Cowboys have.

And eventually, the Cowboys will likely wise up and stop putting their franchise defensive player in harm’s way. At least on purpose quite as much, and other edge rushers that specialize only off the edge are drafted, signed, and resigned over the next decade.

I guess we can call this one a long-term guy call on my part, but I feel great about setting the odds that, in the end. Parsons will see way less pass-rushing and more middle linebackers in the long term. This will indeed likely also offer inside pass-rushing scheming. So we’ll cross that bridge after Parsons passes Myles Garrett sooner than later.

That’s also only as long as he sticks as a dual edge rusher IDP play for his entire dynasty career. Noting, in 2021, Parsons’s rookie season. Dallas blitzed (rushed) Parsons 114 times. That’s significant considering the 68 in 2022, and which will stick in his third year?

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 23 17 0 81.8% 1 68 14 13.5 65 7.1%

5 – Brian Burns – DE – Panthers

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 24 16 0 50% 0 29 9 12.5 63 6%

 

6 – Aidan Hutchinson – DE – Lions

Youth and a well above-par 2022 rookie season secure his dynasty outlook as a top-end edge rusher “target” after at least after this offseason of development.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 22 17 3 80% 0 9 5 9.5 52 5.5%

7 – Quinnen Williams – DT – Jets

Positional value is key to be aware of here, long-term. Or at least it should be in every early 2023 Dyasty IDP rankings, considering the scarcity of the younger defensive tackles in the NFL. Especially when we’re seeing a few more “solid” and serviceable edge rushers appear more and more each season.

While it can be said too, it recently seems to be leaving the DT position among the elite IDP producers lingering so far. So only a handful of these guys will get you sacks from within the interior of the defensive line.

And that fact, fantasy football friends have Quinnen Williams, where he belongs in our top 10 DLs, and we’ll add. It likely won’t just be for a hot second, as he’s just now hitting his NFL prime age(25-29). Not blitzed one time, more than notable as a defensive tackle*

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 25 16 0 50% 0 0* 16* 12* 65 7%

8 – T.J. Watt – OLB/ED – Steelers

Father time stops for no one and has to be considered, and not forgetting to mention. We need our high-profiled guys to stay healthy and be on the field producing way more often than not, and no matter how elite it may be, when they do.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 28 10 2 100% 0 35 4 5.5 55 3.5%

9 – Chris Jones – DT – Chiefs

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 28 17 0 80% 0 9 13 15.5 44 2.2%

10 – Christian Wilkins – DT – Dolphins

It’s inconceivable he’ll match that linebacker-type combined tackles number again as a DT. Although, we’re sure willing to find out and assume as the Dolphins sit across the front seven. Getting 2/3 of that 98 would still land him as a key anchor to any starting defensive IDP roster.

So, in this case, this year, and for our way to early 2023 dynasty IDP rankings. Christain Wilkins, at number ten, breaks our tier one for the top tier and most secure options we feel we have to pick from at the moment. Or age, contract, and team scenarios have other factors on the table we’ve considered.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 27 17 0 100% 0 1 2 3.5 98* 1%

 

 

Tier Two Defensive Lineman

11 – Rashan Gary – OLB/ED – Packers

Rashan Gary will be recovering from a torn ACL and reportedly will miss the start of the 2023-2024 season. So we are definitely thinking more of a long-term dynasty window at the top of this one.

When eventually, the Packer will likely move Gary to the blindside more. While an aging but yet real NFL solid player Preston Smith flips the 30-year mark soon.

Mentioning it as well. The Packers also have an out they can exercise after the 2023 season, according to his contract details via spotrac.com. Also, after getting this far on this list, the 2024 free agency for many of these players could be very interesting to deal with.

12 – Dexter Lawrence – DT – Giants

One more season of dominating over fellow DT’s Leonard Williams production, and we’ll be sold to lock him down higher as a DL play. That’ll likely happen, and as we’ve mentioned, the hairs got pretty fine in this area, to begin with, between who is who and who’s currently up or down.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 25 16 0 33.3% 0 0 19 7.5 68 1.4%

13 – Aaron Donald – DT/DE – Rams

Age may be a factor, whether he plays more than a year or two more, and the state of the Rams last season. Yet we still aren’t knocking this Pro Bowl and future Hall Of Famer out of the upper tier just yet.

Not until he says he’s ready to call it quits because if the man is playing, whatever elite-like production we get, so be it a possible short window. We’ll want that padding our box scores until it rounds out and then figure out when we can’t.

Hence, maybe the shortest term, but far from the lowest ceiling in 2022, 2023, maybe 2024, and so on.

14 – Jonathan Allen – DT – Commanders

It’s not like 28 years of age is old in the NFL. So other than picking on that, we also have the Commander’s Da’Ron Payne in this way early 2023 dynasty IDP rankings. So we’re factoring in a little that coming off arguably his best season ever. Was it possible that having a healthy and top-performing season by Payne (free agent) going to factor in again or not?

Can Allen keep dominating with less talent next to him, drawing attention? Can Chase Young ever bounce back and break out completely, also drawing his attention? This is why Jonathon Allen slips a little versus all these others.

Jonathan Allen is an elite player and still has at least a 5-year window and will keep anchoring a lot of manager’s starting lineups as a DT1. And, like the rest of these defensive tackles on this ranking. An upper DL2 is if we’re playing a general designation and using them as defensive linemen outright.

Year Age GM Int CMPL % TD Rushed QB Hit Sack Tackles Miss. TKL %
2022 27 16 1 100% 1 0 9 7.5 65 1.5%

15 – Kwity Paye – DE – Colts

Perhaps this is optimistic, or perhaps we’re leaning on knowing Kwitty Paye started out looking hot. Then after an early mid-season injury, he didn’t quite hit a streak again that drew a lot of attention. So keep this in mind; this rank won’t reflect his draft or trade stock.

It’s also purely based on his two first years in the league as a whole being on well on par on the field, not the box score, unfortunately.

We’ll give him the long-term upside this year, but it certainly teeters this season on whether the following season or not. Paye is even under consideration for the top tier in any dynasty league rankings.

16 – Jeffery Simmons – DT – Titans

As we mentioned, in this situation this year with the defensive lineman. It’s this guy’s opinion at this early point Jeffery Simmons is our next within the tier cut-off point.

Giving Jeffery Simmons a pass on a down year, banged up or not, it was clear to see, without Harold Landry able to play, how it happened. Especially when all opposing offensive lines had to do, was focus on Simmons and on paper and film, that’s it. With no other dominant player around him on this Titans front 7.

So his elite PFF performance (81.1) is still as notable as his career numbers are. Hence, giving Simmons the benefit of a doubt, no matter who’s coaching this Titans team.

And that Simmons is very capable, at least when schemed right, he will change the momentum of any given contest again soon enough. Keeping him right here on the edge of the secure DLs we want to target first in standard leagues.

The “Other Top Tier” Defensive Lineman

Anyone of these following NFL defensive linemen could leave this guy eating crow the next year or so. Or perhaps if younger. They could go the other way and not break out completely until further down the road.

So until further notice, or we’ve had something during the offseason to change his 2023 dynasty IDP rankings.

These players are a little too much in limbo somehow based on scenarios that’ll need to either play out more. Or simply involves age, career transitioning, etc. And we’ll be sure to circle back at some point.

Updating where we need to in all our rankings. And setting things up a bit tighter and prepping for the 2023 NFL preseason. And each has an upper-tier upside for at least the next 3 to 5 years, if not longer.

In a pretty “soft” order, for now.

17 – Haason Reddick – SLB/ED – Eagles

18 – Kayvon Thibodeaux – OLB/ED – Giants
19 – DeForest Buckner – DT – Colts
20 – Jaelan Phillips – OLB/ED – Dolphins

21 – Da’Ron Payne – DT – Commanders
22 – Matt Judon – OLB/ED – Patriots
23 – Leonard Williams – DT – Giants
24 – Chase Young – DE – Commanders

Defensive Lineman Special Mentions*

Harold Landry – OLB/ED – Titans
Grover Stewart – DT – Colts

 

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