RADIO
Darius Leonard is out again, several key players hit IR, and Jalen Ramsey found about 99 reasons to sit out this week's game. Plus, two teams are on bye, so it may be time to dig a little deeper for IDP gems in Week 4.
Dedicated fantasy football players know that the game isn't played on offense alone. While team defenses are a staple of the game, being able to identify value with individual defensive players (IDP) takes it to the next level. As we do with each position and every league type, RotoBaller has you covered when it comes to IDP. Expert analysts Pierre Camus and Justin Carter will bring you their top 100 consensus IDP rankings throughout the 2019 season, so check here for the latest weekly updates.
Players are classified by major position group (DL, LB, DB) to simplify things for you. We've also tiered these rankings to give you an idea of relative importance and will analyze a few key players to watch. Check out our rankings page for the offensive players right here.
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Top 100 Individual Defensive Players - Week 4
| Tier | Rank | Player Name | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Luke Kuechly | LB |
| 1 | 2 | Bobby Wagner | LB |
| 1 | 3 | Cory Littleton | LB |
| 1 | 4 | Blake Martinez | LB |
| 1 | 5 | Joey Bosa | DL |
| 1 | 6 | Leighton Vander Esch | LB |
| 2 | 7 | Joe Schobert | LB |
| 2 | 8 | Jordan Hicks | LB |
| 2 | 9 | Landon Collins | DB |
| 2 | 10 | John Johnson | DB |
| 2 | 11 | Tremaine Edmunds | LB |
| 2 | 12 | Devin Bush | LB |
| 3 | 13 | Lavonte David | LB |
| 3 | 14 | Roquan Smith | LB |
| 3 | 15 | Harrison Smith | DB |
| 3 | 16 | Jaylon Smith | LB |
| 3 | 17 | Deion Jones | LB |
| 3 | 18 | J.J. Watt | DL |
| 3 | 19 | Aaron Donald | DL |
| 4 | 20 | Jordan Poyer | DB |
| 4 | 21 | Khalil Mack | LB |
| 4 | 22 | Calais Campbell | DL |
| 4 | 23 | Kyle Fuller | DB |
| 4 | 24 | Budda Baker | DB |
| 4 | 25 | Shaquil Barrett | LB |
| 4 | 26 | Danielle Hunter | DL |
| 4 | 27 | Jessie Bates III | DB |
| 4 | 28 | Danny Trevathan | LB |
| 4 | 29 | T.J. Watt | LB |
| 4 | 30 | Thomas Davis | LB |
| 5 | 31 | Antoine Bethea | DB |
| 5 | 32 | Zach Cunningham | LB |
| 5 | 33 | Chandler Jones | LB |
| 5 | 34 | Demario Davis | LB |
| 5 | 35 | Myles Garrett | DL |
| 5 | 36 | Devin Bush | LB |
| 5 | 37 | Jerome Baker | LB |
| 5 | 38 | Eric Kendricks | LB |
| 5 | 39 | Anthony Hitchens | LB |
| 5 | 40 | Jamie Collins | LB |
| 5 | 41 | Melvin Ingram | DL |
| 5 | 42 | Eric Reid | DB |
| 5 | 43 | Justin Reid | DB |
| 5 | 44 | Jayon Brown | LB |
| 6 | 45 | Chris Jones | DL |
| 6 | 46 | Matt Milano | LB |
| 6 | 47 | Patrick Onwuasor | LB |
| 6 | 48 | Demarcus Lawrence | DL |
| 6 | 49 | Cameron Jordan | DL |
| 6 | 50 | Terrell Edmunds | DB |
| 6 | 51 | Tracy Walker | DB |
| 6 | 52 | Dante Fowler | DL |
| 7 | 53 | Kevin Byard | DB |
| 7 | 54 | Damarious Randall | DB |
| 7 | 55 | Adrian Amos | DB |
| 7 | 56 | Jabrill Peppers | DB |
| 7 | 57 | Alec Ogletree | LB |
| 7 | 58 | Bradley McDougald | DB |
| 7 | 59 | K.J. Wright | LB |
| 7 | 60 | Hasean Clinton-Dix | DB |
| 7 | 61 | Jadeveon Clowney | DL |
| 7 | 62 | Jarrad Davis | LB |
| 7 | 63 | Benardrick McKinney | LB |
| 7 | 64 | Marshon Lattimore | DB |
| 7 | 65 | Anthony Walker | DB |
| 7 | 66 | Kareem Jackson | DB |
| 7 | 67 | Tyrann Mathieu | DB |
| 7 | 68 | Tahir Whitehead | LB |
| 7 | 69 | Nick Vigil | LB |
| 7 | 70 | Eddie Jackson | DB |
| 7 | 71 | Myles Jack | LB |
| 7 | 72 | Von Miller | LB |
| 8 | 73 | Carlos Dunlap | DL |
| 8 | 74 | Frank Clark | DL |
| 8 | 75 | Zach Brown | LB |
| 8 | 76 | Everson Griffen | DL |
| 8 | 77 | Quandre Diggs | DB |
| 8 | 78 | Bradley Chubb | LB |
| 8 | 79 | Todd Davis | LB |
| 8 | 80 | Vontaze Burfict | LB |
| 8 | 81 | Cameron Heyward | DL |
| 8 | 82 | Johnathan Joseph | DB |
| 8 | 83 | Clayton Geathers | DB |
| 8 | 84 | Whitney Mercilus | LB |
| 8 | 85 | Justin Simmons | DB |
| 8 | 86 | Olivier Vernon | DL |
| 8 | 87 | Akiem Hicks | DL |
| 8 | 88 | Karl Joseph | DB |
| 8 | 89 | Justin Houston | DL |
| 8 | 90 | Shawn Williams | DB |
| 8 | 91 | Logan Ryan | DB |
| 8 | 92 | Earl Thomas | DB |
| 8 | 93 | Devin McCourty | DB |
| 8 | 94 | Bradley Chubb | LB |
| 8 | 95 | Raekwon McMillan | LB |
| 9 | 96 | Justin Houston | DL |
| 9 | 97 | Clayton Geathers | DL |
| 9 | 98 | Akiem Hicks | DB |
| 9 | 99 | Matt Judon | DL |
| 9 | 100 | Kenny Clark | DL |
Key Players to Watch
Deion Jones (LB, ATL) - This fourth-year 'backer is getting back to the form that made him a Pro Bowl player in 2017 after a down year. Jones has 17 solo tackles, including three tackles for loss. He will be more critical than ever to this defense with safety Keanu Neal tearing his Achilles last week. The Titans live to run the ball and throw short routes, so Jones is a high-floor pick at LB.
Melvin Ingram (DE, LAC) - Whether it's Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick behind center for Miami, it doesn't really matter. The Fins have allowed 13 sacks in three games and it doesn't promise to get any better. Ingram has just one QB takedown so far, but this is a prime chance for him to wreak havoc while Joey Bosa occupies the offensive line's attention on the other side.
Cameron Heyward (DE, PIT) - He is yet to register a sack or a QB Hit this season after picking up eight sacks last year and 12 the year before. This is a good time for the first one to come, as the Bengals come to town. They've allowed 11 sacks already and it doesn't appear Cordy Glenn is ready to get on the field just yet. Given the state of the Pittsburgh offense, it doesn't seem as likely that Cincinnati will be forced to pass it as often but there is still some upside here that is worth taking a chance on in deeper leagues where a DE spot must be filled.
Kevin Byard/Kenny Vaccaro (S, TEN) - The highest-paid safety in football, Byard hasn't been a fantasy factor since his Week 1 interception. He needs to become a more consistent tackler if he is to be trusted in leagues that use only one DB. Vaccaro has amassed 13 solo tackles on the year but has otherwise been quiet as well. While a road game against the Falcons doesn't seem like a great opportunity for either one, it is. Matt Ryan has thrown six picks in the first three games, including three at home against an Eagles Defense that isn't stopping anyone through the air. Take your pick of which Titan you think gets in on the action this Sunday (my bet is Byard).
Bradley McDougald (S, SEA) - Facing the Air Raid offense might be tiring for a defensive back but it's promising for his fantasy numbers. The Cardinals have attempted nearly 46 passes per game, with Kyler Murray tossing three picks and taking 16 sacks in the process. McDougald came on last year as a big-play machine and already has one INT this season, so chances are good for a stat-stuffing day. He is questionable after suffering an ankle sprain last week, so this is definitely a situation to monitor as a risk/reward play.
Reshad Jones (S, MIA) - Aside from being a Dolphin, former Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones has been suffering this year because of an ankle injury. Now that Minkah Fitzpatrick is out of town (with more moves presumably to come), Jones is needed on the field until someone chooses to take on his salary. For the time being, it appears he's healthy enough to go in Week 4 and should be plenty busy. The fact that the Chargers are without several key offensive players should mean a lot of crossing routes to Keenan Allen and a mostly conservative offense. Jones should have a chance to play closer to the line of scrimmage and rack up tackles.
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
