The Chargers (and fantasy owners) are hoping Joey Bosa can return to to his dominant form this season
For fantasy football leagues that include Individual Defensive Players (IDPs), which position is the most valuable? Is it the stud defensive lineman that racks up sacks and makes big plays behind the line of scrimmage, it is a linebacker that fills the stat sheet in a number of ways, or is it a defensive back that does his best linebacker impression while also excelling in coverage?
Opinions will no doubt vary, but in looking at the top 50 IDPs for 2019, it appears that the do-everything linebackers get the nod followed by the elite pass rushers. But don't sleep on the multi-dimensional DBs either.
The pool for each position is fairly deep, considering in most cases IDP leagues feature one or two of each position (DL, LB, DB) in a starting lineup, perhaps three if you employ a flex. But just as is the case with QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs, D/STs, and even Ks, picking the right IDP (and when) could be the difference between you putting together a championship-caliber defense or watching another team in your league claim the title.
2019 Positional Rankings: QB I RB I WR I TE I DST I K I DL I LB I DB
2019 IDP Rankings
| Rank | Player | Pos | Team | Bye |
| 1 | Darius Leonard | LB | IND | 6 |
| 2 | Bobby Wagner | LB | SEA | 11 |
| 3 | Deion Jones | LB | ATL | 9 |
| 4 | Joey Bosa | DE | LAC | 12 |
| 5 | Aaron Donald | DE | LAR | 9 |
| 6 | Leighton Vander Esch | LB | DAL | 8 |
| 7 | J.J. Watt | DE | HOU | 10 |
| 8 | Luke Kuechly | LB | CAR | 7 |
| 9 | Roquan Smith | LB | CHI | 6 |
| 10 | Danielle Hunter | DE | MIN | 12 |
| 11 | Derwin James | S | LAC | 12 |
| 12 | Tremaine Edmunds | LB | BUF | 6 |
| 13 | Landon Collins | S | WAS | 10 |
| 14 | Jamal Adams | S | NYJ | 4 |
| 15 | Blake Martinez | LB | GB | 11 |
| 16 | Lavonte David | LB | TB | 7 |
| 17 | Alec Ogletree | LB | NYG | 11 |
| 18 | Myles Garrett | DE | CLE | 7 |
| 19 | Cameron Jordan | DE | NO | 9 |
| 20 | Budda Baker | S | ARI | 12 |
| 21 | Keanu Neal | S | ATL | 9 |
| 22 | Cory Littleton | LB | LAR | 9 |
| 23 | Melvin Ingram | DE | LAC | 12 |
| 24 | Frank Clark | DE | KC | 12 |
| 25 | Jaylon Smith | LB | DAL | 8 |
| 26 | Devin White | LB | TB | 7 |
| 27 | Calais Campbell | DE | JAC | 10 |
| 28 | Chris Jones | DE | KC | 12 |
| 29 | Demarcus Lawrence | DE | DAL | 8 |
| 30 | DeForest Buckner | DT | SF | 4 |
| 31 | Reshad Jones | S | MIA | 5 |
| 32 | Khalil Mack | LB | CHI | 6 |
| 33 | Kiko Alonso | LB | MIA | 5 |
| 34 | Everson Griffen | DE | MIN | 12 |
| 35 | Kwon Alexander | LB | TB | 7 |
| 36 | C.J. Mosley | LB | NYJ | 4 |
| 37 | Dee Ford | DE | SF | 4 |
| 38 | Carlos Dunlap | DE | CIN | 9 |
| 39 | Jordan Poyer | S | BUF | 6 |
| 40 | Shawn Williams | S | CIN | 9 |
| 41 | John Johnson | S | LAR | 9 |
| 42 | Johnathan Abram | S | OAK | 6 |
| 43 | Eric Kendricks | LB | MIN | 12 |
| 44 | Joe Schobert | LB | CLE | 7 |
| 45 | Devin Bush | LB | PIT | 7 |
| 46 | Harrison Smith | S | MIN | 12 |
| 47 | Damarious Randall | S | CLE | 7 |
| 48 | Jabrill Peppers | S | NYG | 11 |
| 49 | Malcolm Jenkins | S | PHI | 10 |
| 50 | Nick Vigil | LB | CIN | 9 |
