In fantasy football, ability plus snaps drive linebacker prices. We want snaps for DL, but the ability to get to the QB and tackle ultimately determines talent.
There are second LBs on teams that would be the No. 1 in other spots, but won’t see the field as much and therefore won’t get the same chances for points. Demario Davis has graded better than Alex Anzalone in every season they have played in the NFL together, but I have Anzalone higher because he will wear the green dot and will likely play the most snaps he has ever had as the LB1 for the Bucs, while Davis will play behind Sherwood with the Jets and behind someone for the first time since 2018.
Jordyn Brooks is my LB1 overall this season because he is a great LB on a team that will likely be close to the bottom in offensive time of possession (26th in 2025), and Brooks has finished inside the Top-5 overall LBs in 3 of the last 5 seasons and averaged at least 12 fantasy football PPG in every season he has started.
The jump forward can happen very quickly for LBs. We saw Cedric Gray come out of nowhere for Tennessee in 2025; Schwesinger was an LB1, along with teammate Devin Bush, for the first time in his seven NFL seasons; and Nate Landman finished as an LB1 in his first season with over 1,000 snaps. The falloff can be just as brutal. Cole Holcomb was LB13 Overall in 2021 with over 200 points and hasn’t scored over 90 since then. More falloff examples can be found in Denzel Perryman, Frankie Luvu, Logan Wilson, Matt Milano, and many others.
There are also a lot of free agents at the LB position who can make an impact. I like Bobby Wagner to sign in with the Rams for a ring chase, but Bobby Okereke, Devin White, Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts, Logan Wilson, and Matt Milano are all still UFAs. There are many open spots; Arizona, Dallas, Buffalo, and Cincinnati would all welcome a veteran leader to the LB room.
The LB position is an arms race of talent in shallow leagues, and it can run out of talent if you start three and need one at flex as well, or if you have 16+ managers. It should be easy in almost every league, though, as the LB2-LB4 range is thick with talent and new talent emerges at the position every single season. They can’t be ignored to start, but drafting your LB3 can probably wait if you are in a tough spot.
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Fantasy Football IDP: Linebacker Draft Strategy
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
DeMarvion Overshown (51) – The low ranking I have for Overshown is for two reasons, but I still believe there is a ton of upside here. As a rookie, Overshown had the 13th-highest fantasy football PGG average but tore his knee, which sidelined him for 12 games in 2025. Overshown was only over 70% snaps in two games and didn’t play the last two weeks after a Week 16 concussion. The Cowboys don’t have many other options at LB, so time and snaps shouldn’t be a big obstacle, but he didn’t look the same in 2025, and we might have to consider him injury-prone. I’m willing to raise Overshown’s stock based on positive camp and preseason performances.
Dee Winters (67) – The Cowboys traded for Winters during the draft, and he figures to be the No. 2 next to Overshown, which might turn into the No. 1 if Overshown goes down. We saw Winters with almost 1,000 snaps last season, and he was still only 31st overall in LB points and 42nd in PPG. Winters is likely a deep league fill-in, but his upside depends on snaps.
Jaishawn Barham
Shemar James
Marist Liufau
New York Giants
Tremaine Edmunds (18) – Edmunds moves to NY after three seasons in Chicago and five in Buffalo. Edmunds has one of the highest floors in IDP with over 100 tackles in every season since 2018. Edmunds has averaged in double digits for three straight seasons and will be next to a rookie this season. There might not be a ton of upside, but his floor is one of the highest.
Arvell Reese (26) – Well, this is a strange pick given the Giants’ needs, but not for the player. Reese played a lot of ILB and EDGE at Ohio State last season and was projected as an EDGE, but the Giants’ drafting him with Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux means they’re going to play Reese mainly at ILB. Reese has upside if he plays enough to qualify at DL while still mainly playing ILB and consistently posting high tackle totals. The risk makes me want him as one of my first bench LBs if the league has enough bench spots for IDPs.
Micah McFadden – McFadden went down with a foot injury that saw him miss all but two games in 202,5 and he has been pushed out by the rookie Reese. McFadden has produced double-digit averages as a starter and will see some time when Reese plays on the line and is first up if a starter gets hurt.
Jack Kelly
Darius Muasau
Philadelphia Eagles
Zack Baun (8) – Baun has gone from out of position in New Orleans to one of the best LBs in the league with the Eagles. Baun finished 2nd in points at LB in his first season with Philly in 2024 and was 14th in 2025. Baun will provide the occasional INT (4 in the last 3 seasons) and can get to the QB (3.5 sacks in each of the last 2 seasons), and has had 120+ tackles in each year with the Eagles.
Jihaad Campbell (42) – Campbell had a weird season as a rookie, starting the first 7 weeks while Nakobe Dean was out, then only had a couple more starts at the end of the year due to injuries. He only had two double-digit games in those 7 starts; however, the upside really showed when he started Weeks 17 and 18 and had 13.5 and 12.9 totals, 13th best over the final two weeks. Campbell is likely capped with Baun next to him, but is a nice risk/reward option in deeper leagues.
Smael Mondon
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Washington Commanders
Sonny Styles (6) – I am extremely excited about the Washington landing spot for Styles! Taking an LB inside the Top-10 shows just how talented an LB is and the type of leader a team wants to build their defense around. Styles was impressive at the combine, but his communication on the field and the ability to tackle and make splash plays (22.5 TFL, 9 Sacks, 1 INT/FF in CFB) are what made him a high pick. My ranking might be aggressive, but he will immediately be a 100% snap-share player with tremendous upside.
Leo Chenal (49) – Chenal finally getting out of Kansas City is very exciting for his IDP value. Chenal has been part of a 3-man rotation over the last few years with the Chiefs and hasn’t gone over 527 snaps in a season yet. The Commanders are going to move Luvu to OLB, and Chenal should see a ton of snaps. I think Styles will thrive and might keep a lid on just how productive Chenal can be, but Chenal will see more snaps than ever before and has a high ceiling.
Frankie Luvu (75) – Luvu was LB7 Overall in 2022 and finished inside the Top-20 among LBs in 2023 and 2024, but fell to LB48 in 2025. Luvu will be moving to a rotational Edge defender and should see more value when he gets DL qualification. He might be sneaky if he qualifies at DL and is forced to move back inside due to an LB injury.
Jordan Magee
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Devin Bush Jr. (24) – Wow, did Devin Bush take a jump in Cleveland in 2025! Bush went from a 100-tackle rookie to a guy who couldn’t seem to overcome his ACL tear late in his rookie season to LB7 Overall in 2025 and a big contract with the Bears. Two INTs returned for TDs surely boosted his overall performance, but Bush also had a couple of sacks, forced fumbles, 7 TFLs, and 125 tackles. I don’t expect an LB1 finish again with Edwards next to him, but big plays can boost him again if he finds his way back to them.
T.J. Edwards (35) – Edwards had three straight seasons of 1,000+ snaps and Top-8 LB finishes before the 2025 season, when he missed 6 games with ankle, glute, hand, and hamstring injuries during the regular season and a broken fibula in the playoffs. Edwards was working in team drills during OTAs, and the ceiling remains high. However, the floor has to be acknowledged as having 4 separate injuries during the season, with the worst one in the playoffs.
Ruben Hyppolite II
Jack Sanborn
Keyshaun Elliott
Detroit Lions
Jack Campbell (2) – Campbell went from a solid starting LB for IDP to the No. 2-scoring IDP from 2024 to 2025. The jump came from everywhere: 45 more tackles than 2024 (131-176), 3 FF from 1 over his first two seasons, two FR when he didn’t have one in his first two seasons, 5 sacks after 3.5 in his first two seasons, and 9 TFL after 5 in each of his 23 and 24. The tackles give him an enormous floor, and the splash plays give him more upside than most, and I only see Brooks higher than him at LB.
Derrick Barnes (72) – The 2nd LB spot is a bit of a mess. Derrick Barnes played a ton of snaps in 2025 but split time between DL and LB, which kept his tackle total low. With the additions of Wonnum and Moore to the Edge for Detroit, I am guessing Barnes plays a little more ILB this season.
Malcolm Rodriguez (78) – I’m just not ready to trust Rodriguez. He should get the majority of the snaps if the roster stays as is, but with Okereke, Wagner, and Logan Wilson all still UFAs, I think the Lions will sign a veteran to push Rodriguez in camp
Jimmy Rolder
Damone Clark
Green Bay Packers
Edgerrin Cooper (20)https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/players/ernest-jones.php – The Packers LBs are hard to rank, and to me, Cooper gets the edge over new teammate Franklin, but they both have issues. Cooper played over 1000 snaps in his 2nd NFL season and had to play through a foot injury after Week 9, picked up a shoulder issue in Week 13, and left the last game of the season in the playoffs with an ankle injury. It is fair to think Cooper will take a jump in his 3rd season with the Packers, but also fair to label him as potentially injury-prone.
Zaire Franklin (25) – Franklin has had over 1,000 snaps in 4 straight seasons, and before 2025, he finished as an LB1 from 22-24. Franklin is very valuable for IDP when he’s on the field, but he has been terrible as a real player, which is why the Colts traded him for a rotational IDL. Franklin has graded poorly according to PFF: 93/94 in 2025, 55/92 in 2024 (when he was the #1 IDP scorer), 64/89 in 2023, and 64/93 in 2022. Franklin’s 13.9% missed tackle percentage was the worst of his career. The upside is obviously there, but McDuffie has a lot of experience if Franklin just isn’t working out.
Isaiah McDuffie
Ty’Ron Hopper
Minnesota Vikings
Blake Cashman (11)– Cashman hasn’t hit LB1 status for a season yet because of a few missed games, but he’s inside my Top-12 because his fantasy football PPG has finished LB6 Overall in 2025 and LB11 Overall in 2024. Turf toe cost him some games in 2024, and a hamstring issue in 2025, but the high week-to-week average, coupled with the 6.5 sacks he’s had over the last two seasons in Minnesota, gives him a huge floor. The shallower the league, the more I want Cashman on my team.
Eric Wilson (42) – Wilson is just a solid LB who hasn’t missed a game in the last 3 seasons. Playing next to Cashman is probably a limiting factor on his ceiling, but he finished 13th overall at LB and 22nd in PPG in his first season with the Vikings. I’m probably a tad low on Wilson’s rank, but I think Minnesota will work in rookie 2nd round pick Jake Golday at some point.
Jake Golday
Ivan Pace Jr.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Divine Deablo (59) – The Falcons have a lot of LBs who are below average, and even though Deablo is the best of a bad bunch, I am not very excited to draft him. The good news is that Deablo will be hardest to push off the field as he will wear the green dot as the team’s primary communicator. Deablo missed 4 games with a fractured forearm but didn’t miss any time after Week 12. From Week 12 on, he had double digits in 5 of 7 games, yet only rose to LB30 in PPG during that stretch.
Christian Harris (79) – Harris hasn’t cracked the Texans’ starting lineup since Azeez Al-Shaair signed, and he goes to Atlanta to start for new DC Jeff Ulbrich. Harris is fast but misses many tackles. The rookie Kendal Daniels will likely push Harris off the field on passing downs, and if the missed tackles don’t stop, Andersen will push him off the field on running downs. The speed gives Harris a strong chance to succeed, but there is a lot of floor in him too.
Troy Andersen
Kendal Daniels
Channing Tindall
Carolina Panthers
Devin Lloyd (29) – This might be a little low for Lloyd, given the opportunity to get out of Oluokon’s shadow and the kinds of tackle opportunities, but he’s also missed games in each of the last 3 seasons. There was a lot of production from 5 INTs last season as he dropped from 7.1 combined tackles per game in 2024 to only 5.4 in 2025. Lloyd has also seen his snaps decline in each of his 4 NFL seasons, from 1030 as a rookie to 761 in 2025. His floor will stay high when he’s healthy, with almost no competition next to him, but drafting him will be for pure upside in volume.
Trevin Wallace (71) – Wallace started the first 10 games of the 2025 season before a stinger and, eventually, shoulder surgery ended his season. Wallace will have volume as long as he’s healthy, but he hasn’t yet been cleared for contact and wore a non-contact jersey in OTAs.
Claudin Cherelus
Bam Martin-Scott
New Orleans Saints
Kaden Elliss (39) – Elliss has been no worse than LB24 Overall in the last 3 seasons, with at least 1082 snaps in those seasons. Elliss fit perfectly with the Falcons and moves to New Orleans to do the same. The problem I see with Elliss is that he has had 200+ snaps outside as a pass rusher and Staley hasn’t typically moved his LBs outside that often. Kenneth Murray in 2021 and Demario Davis last season had over 100 snaps with Staley calling plays.
Pete Werner (58) – Werner has averaged only 10 fantasy football PPG once and has never finished above LB49 in Total Points as a starter since 2022. Werner recorded the highest missed-tackle percentage of his career in 2025. I’m no longer waiting for a breakout that isn’t likely to be coming. Werner is an injury fill-in unless he finds something we haven’t seen yet.
Danny Stutsman
Isaiah Stalbird
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Alex Anzalone (30) – Tampa Bay is a great landing spot for Anzalone, as Lavonte David is retiring and SirVocea Dennis has failed to impress, leaving a lot of snaps open. Anzalone will wear the green dot and eat up every snap he’s healthy for. Anzalone has had 3 seasons with 1,000+ snaps, and last year’s 38th-place finish in total LB points is his lowest. Getting out of Jack Campbell‘s shadow raises the ceiling quite a bit.
Josiah Trotter (34) – Trotter will compete with veteran Christian Rozeboom to earn the starting spot next to Anzalone, and I think he will be the Day 1 starter. Trotter was one of the best Run Defenders at LB in CFB and ranked 12th in RunD grade. Rozeboom has a lot of starting experience, but Trotter is probably a better LB than Rozeboom now, and I think he will push Anzalone for the LB1 in Tampa quickly.
Christian Rozeboom (78)– Rozeboom has a lot of snaps and finished as a Top-30 LB but has been awful in real performance, grading 81/94, 64/92, and 84/89 in his 3 seasons. A bad camp performance from Trotter and the veteran might take his place early, but it will take a massive leap in performance to hold this job, and we just haven’t seen him do that yet.
SirVocea Dennis
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Mack Wilson (50) – Wilson landed on IR after Week 9 with a rib injury, but before that, he was averaging 12 PPG and ranked 25th in PPG. Mack Wilson started all 17 games for the Cards in 2024 and was LB50. Mack Wilson has a high ceiling as the leading veteran; he should see the most snaps in his career, but he’s the best of a bad bunch, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Simon or Gibbens push him for playing time. Opportunity is here, but I’m afraid the whole group rotates too much for anyone to hold value.
Jack Gibbens
Cody Simon
Owen Pappoe
Los Angeles Rams
Nate Landman (33) – This is probably too low for Landman, coming off an outstanding season with an LB8 Overall finish and LB14 in PPG. Landman was injured early in 2024 and was limited to 13 games, playing through much of them gimpy, but he played 15 games in 2023 and finished at LB35. I think he’s probably closer to the LB3 finish if the Rams sign a veteran (like Bobby Wagner, who has played there before and should be ring chasing).
Omar Speights (80)– Obviously, with my ranking of Landman being a bit preemptive, I don’t think that Speights is going to hold onto this job very long. He started 16 games last season alongside Landman, saw only 673 snaps, and finished 74th in total points and 86th in PPG.
Grant Stuard
Shaun Dolac
San Francisco 49ers
Fred Warner (9) – Warner was coming off back-to-back LB1 seasons in 23 and 24 and 17 games played in 3 straight seasons before a Week 6 broken ankle put him on IR. Warner had no limitations during OTAs and should be ready to go in Week 1.
Dre Greenlaw (66) – Greenlaw has been outstanding in the past, but he’s only played 11 games in the last two seasons. Greenlaw has a nice floor when he’s healthy, but I’m not going to count on him.
Tatum Bethune
Nick Martin
Luke Gifford
Seattle Seahawks
Ernest Jones IV (15) – Jones has been a high-end LB tow of the last 3 seasons and has finished no lower than LB24 Overall in that time. Jones fit perfectly into what Mike Macdonald wanted, combining his high-tackle floor with 5 INTs and bringing one to the house. Jones will wear the Green Dot and remain the same producer in 2026.
Drake Thomas (45) – Thomas started from Week 4 on for the Seahawks and was LB28 in PPG at 11.1. I think Thomas has a chance to get better in his 2nd season as a starter, but there just aren’t many more snaps to go around for him, and there are players with higher ceilings I would rather take. This might be a bit low for Thomas, but he’s in a large tier of LBs in the part that makes this group deep through LB3-LB5.
Tyrice Knight
Patrick O’Connell
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Terrel Bernard (48)– Bernard finished as an LB5 overall in 2023, but that was the only season he played 17 games and one of only two seasons he’s averaged more than 10 PPG. Bernard has dealt with pec, hamstring, ankle, quad, and elbow issues over the last two years, which concerns me about his ability to stay on the field. The floor remains high because there is no one on the current roster with comparable experience or talent.
Dorian Williams
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Joe Andreessen
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Miami Dolphins
Jordyn Brooks (1) – My no-doubt No. 1 LB for 2026 is Brooks. He has finished as an LB1 in 4 of the last 5 seasons and has averaged at least 12 PPG. The Dolphins’ defense is going to have a lot of time on the field, and Brooks is going to stack tackles (111+ in 5 straight seasons) and get every opportunity for big plays, too.
Tyrel Dodson (57) – Dodson is coming off an outstanding season with an LB1 finish, but the Dolphins drafted Jacob Rodriguez in the 2nd round, and he isn’t pushing Brooks out. Maybe Rodriguez doesn’t play much this season, and this ranking is way too low, but I think they’ll rotate enough to impact the value of both of them.
Jacob Rodriguez (68) – I hope the way snaps are split is by game rather than by in-game scenarios for Dodson and Rodriguez. There is also a possibility that Brooks or Dodson will be traded, as the Dolphins are expecting many wins this season and both are slated to be UFAs in 2027. Rodriguez should be an instant add in leagues that have two LB spots and Flex if he ends up with a starting spot. He misses tackles but makes a ton of tackles because he is always around the ball, which always comes with splash plays (7 FF, 2 FR, 4 INT, 11 TFLs, 1 Sack).
Ronnie Harrison
Kyle Louis
New England Patriots
Robert Spillane (19)– Spillane was LB13 in his first season in Vegas, went to LB3 Overall in 2024, and before getting hurt, he was still LB16. He had played 17 games in two seasons in a row before 2025 and isn’t injury-prone but is definitely more of an injury risk. In any case, his floor is an LB2 with LB1 upside.
Christian Elliss (62) – Elliss is the LB2 in New England as he was last season, but the Patriots tend to move the LB2 out more often and rotate a third safety in. Elliss will probably only have value if Spillane misses time.
K.J. Britt
Namdi Obiazor
Chad Muma
New York Jets
Jamien Sherwood (13) – Sherwood has finished as an LB1 in each of the two seasons he has been given over 1,000 snaps. Sherwood has had 150+ tackles in each of those seasons and is in line to wear the green dot again and lead the Jets in snaps in a season where the Jets are projected to be near the bottom in Time of Possession, giving the defense a lot of snaps.
Demario Davis (38) – This might be too low for Davis, but he is 38 and will not wear the green dot this year after having it for 8 seasons in New Orleans. The Jets will still be on the field a lot, and he has set a new career high in tackles two seasons in a row. I’m willing to accept being too low on Davis with his age and new situation.
Kiko Mauigoa
Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Mykal Walker
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Roquan Smith (4) – Roquan has a floor of LB20 overall over the last 5 seasons and remains one of the highest-floor players in the league. He has a floor of 130 tackles over the last 3 seasons, and 2025 was the first year he didn’t have a sack. The Ravens continue to give him no competition at LB for tackles, and he should keep piling them up.
Teddye Buchanan (61)– Not a bad rookie season for Buchanan; he earned a starting gig and had 93 combined tackles. The problem is with Roquan next to him, there aren’t many more snaps on a game-to-game basis, so his upside is limited without an injury.
Trenton Simpson
Jay Higgins IV
Cincinnati Bengals
Demetrius Knight (41) – Knight and Carter were separated by only 6 total snaps but 40 points because Knight had splash plays and Carter didn’t. They both had 106 combined tackles, but Knight had 2 INTs, 7 PDs, 3 Sacks, 4 TFLs, and 1 FF.
Barrett Carter (70)– Knight and Carter were both rough last season, but Knight was moved around more, had fewer missed tackles, and made big plays. If one of them gets benched, it will probably be Carter.
Oren Burks
Shaka Heyward
Cleveland Browns
Carson Schwesinger (3) – Schwesinger was an LB1 in his first season out of UCLA with very little starting experience in College. Schwesinger did everything: 156 tackles, 2.5 Sacks, 2 INTs, and 11 TFLs. He should put his name in the No. 1 IDP conversation for a very long time.
Quincy Williams (22) – Quincy has posted LB1 seasons alongside CJ Moseley and Jamien Sherwood over the last 3 seasons and has averaged at least 10.8 PPG in each of the last 5 seasons. The upside is capped for anyone next to a player like Schewinger but Williams has made the most of playing next a stud and has a tremendously high floor.
Winston Reid
Justin Jefferson
Nathaniel Watson
Pittsburgh Steelers
Payton Wilson (31) – Queen had just under 400 more snaps than Payton Wilson, scored just 7 more points, and had 6 more combined tackles. Even with Queen continuing to wear the green dot in Pittsburgh, Wilson is going to see the most snaps of his career this season and might take a nice leap in year 3.
Patrick Queen (36) – Queen has thrived on volume, with 1,000+ snaps over 4 seasons in a row. Queen graded very poorly in 2025 and led the league with 31 missed tackles and allowed the 3rd-most receptions among LBs, behind only Devin White and Dee Winters. He is expected to wear the green dot, but if he plays this poorly again in 2026, he will start losing snaps.
Cole Holcomb
Malik Harrison
AFC South
Houston Texans
Azeez Al-Shaair (46) – Al-Shaair has been kicked around the league a bit but has found a nice fit in Houston. He is for sure the best LB on the Texans roster, but he thrives on volume. The Texans’ offense had the 4th-highest TOP in 2025, giving Al-Shaair the 2nd-most snaps he’s ever seen, but still only 27th in the regular season.
Henry To’oTo’o (69)– To’oTo’o has provided us with a strong LB4 floor over the last two seasons but has the same issue Al-Shaair does with snaps, but makes up for it with TFLs and Sacks that Al-Shaair doesn’t get, and they were only separated by 4 points in 2025 with 100 fewer snaps.
E.J. Speed
Jake Hansen
Wade Woodaz
Jake Hummel
Indianapolis Colts
CJ Allen (28) – Over 2,000 snaps have been vacated by the Colts with the Franklin trade to Green Bay and Pratt as a UFA. CJ Allen might have a big learning curve making the jump to the NFL, but he will wear the green dot, and any mistakes he makes this season will be on the field. Volume will give him a nice floor, and there is a ton of upside.
Akeem Davis-Gaither (47) – ADG isn’t the best LB, but he is the only one with significant starting experience on this roster and should play next to Allen on most snaps.
Austin Ajiake
Bryce Boettcher
Jaylon Carlies
Jacksonville Jaguars
Foyesade Oluokun (12) – Oluokun is one of the most consistent performers at LB over the last 5 seasons with 2 LB1 overall finishes and one LB2 overall finish. In that stretch from 2021 to 2023, he had a low of 173 tackles. He missed 4 games in 2024 but returned to his 3rd 17-game season in the last 4 in 2025, finishing LB12 Overall with 143 tackles. Oluokun’s floor is an LB1/LB2 borderline with LB1 overall upside in fantasy football.
Ventrell Miller (40) – Miller finally gets a chance to start next to Oluokun after Lloyd left for Carolina. Lloyd will be capped by Oluokun eating up so many tackles, but Lloyd provided LB4 value consistently finishing between LB31-42 overall over the last 4 seasons. Miller could have more upside, but I’ll wait until he shows it to move him beyond an LB3.
Dennis Gardeck
Jack Kiser
Yasir Abdullah
Tennessee Titans
Cedric Gray (7) – I was excited for Barton in 2025, and Cedric Gray came from the top rope for an LB5 Overall finish. Gray was 3rd in CFB in 2022 with 145 tackles, but that isn’t always a 1-for-1 going to the NFL. Shaun Dolac was 2nd in 2022 and 1st in 2024 but is 2nd string for the Rams now. Gray was 1st in PPG from Week 9 on and clearly has LB1 upside.
Anthony Hill Jr. (52) – Hill can do it all and has a 9.93 RAS to prove his athleticism. Hill has averaged 7 tackles per game over the last two seasons at Texas and has had 12 Sacks, 3 INTs, 23.5 TFLs, 7 FF, and 2 FR. The upside seems to be capped with Cedric Gray in front of him, but his first obstacle is beating Cody Barton for snaps.
Cody Barton (76) – Barton is in a tough spot after looking like the clear #1 LB in Tennessee, getting pushed out by Gray, and the Titans spending a 2nd-round pick on his replacement. Barton might provide us with some value early in the season if he can keep Hill off the field, but I don’t expect that to last long.
Mohamoud Diabate
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Alex Singleton (21) – Singleton continues to be the Broncos’ leader, with Strand next to him. After tearing his ACL in Week 3 of 2024, we saw a nice rebound from Singleton, and he finished as an LB3 while still averaging over 10 PPG. He even dealt with the removal of a cancerous tumor at the end of November and only missed a game. Singleton proved he was back after a lost season in 2024, and volume gives him a nice floor. We should see another strong season in 2026 with no one on the roster to push him.
Justin Strnad
Karene Reid
Jordan Turner
Red Murdock
Kansas City Chiefs
Nick Bolton (23) – Bolton has had a floor of LB25 in his four healthy seasons since 2021. Bolton has had over 1000+ snaps in 3 of the last 4 seasons and makes his money on tackles. 154 in 2025, 106 in 2024, and peaked at 180 with over 1300 snaps in 2022. Missing games is the only way Bolton can fall off, and the upside of an LB1 is in play.
Drue Tranquill (56) – Tranquill finished as high as LB6 overall with the Chargers in 2022. Leo Chenal is gone to Washington, and with very little experience, Tranquill might be able to see over 1000 snaps in the regular season for the first time since that 2022 season. I think Tranquill will be more of a nuisance to Bolton’s value, but there is upside to go beyond and LB4/5 this year.
Jack Cochrane
Jeffrey Bassa
Cooper McDonald
Las Vegas Raiders
Quay Walker (14) – Walker finally gets out of Cooper’s shadow and is going to see a lot of snaps in Vegas. This ranking is probably about as high as we can get him, since Dean will wear the green dot initially, but I would bet that Walker leads them in snaps given Dean’s injury history. Walker has finished as an LB3 for 3 seasons in a row, but I have him ranked where his PPG average left him last season, as a high-end LB2 at 14th.
Nakobe Dean (37) – Dean is a very great instinctive LB who has missed 24 games over the last 3 seasons. I am not surprised the Raiders chose him to wear the dot, given Walker’s erratic behavior, but he is likely to miss games. Dean has finished as high as LB13 overall, and his 11.9 fantasy football PPG was 22nd in 2025, but there aren’t many more players I would guarantee to miss time in 2026.
Segun Olubi
Tommy Eichenberg
Cody Lindenberg
Los Angeles Chargers
Daiyan Henley (27)– Henley took a bit of a step back in 2025 after finishing as LB17 overall and averaging 12.1 PPG. He dropped to LB36, averaging 9.9 PPG. He did pick up a groin injury in practice before Week 7 and finished as LB53 in PPG from Weeks 7-18 after matching his LB17 finish in 2024 from Weeks 1-6.
Denzel Perryman (60) – Perryman has fallen off a cliff since his LB11 Overall finish in 2021. Since that 2021 season, he has failed to play more than 12 games in a season and has averaged only 7.2 PPG over the last two seasons. Perryman will still be 2nd in snaps if healthy, but the downside is that it drags him down to an undraftable spot in most leagues.
Junior Colson
Troy Dye
Del’Shawn Phillips
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