Fantasy football IDP LB rankings & tiers: Boosting Cedric Gray

My 2026 IDP LB rankings are mostly chalk. If you’re looking for a fantasy football point of view that flies in the face of everything we know… I’m not that guy. There are new narratives every year in the NFL, but you’ll only fail trying to make every single call.

Jordyn Brooks and Jack Campbell hold the first two spots in both my own and the consensus LB rankings. But at No. 3, I’m making a big change. The gaps open up right after that! Five players in my top 13 sit at least three spots off the consensus mark, and each move comes down to tackle volume, role, or age.

But first, I want to reiterate something I often talk about when it comes to IDP leagues. There’s no wrong way to play fantasy football; however, I believe if you are serious about IDP, you should be an advocate for the format. Tell your friends. Start small with a couple IDP spots where you can use any position. If you enjoy IDP leagues, go tell it on the mountain! Let the world know.

Let me build the cases for the five biggest breaks from the consensus in my IDP LB rankings.

(Note: My full LB rankings & tiers are at the bottom of the article!)

More fantasy football rankings & tiers: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Defensive Linemen

Cedric Gray, Tennessee TitansTennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray (33) exits the field after their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.

I have Gray third. Bold, right? The consensus has him 14th, so this is my largest jump. Gray won the starting job in training camp as a second-year player and never gave it back. He finished fourth in the NFL with 164 tackles across 16 games. He played at least 80 percent of the snaps in all but one game. His run-defense grade of 92.7 ranked second among 88 qualified linebackers. Tackle volume drives IDP scoring, and Gray delivered week after week. He posted double-digit stops in most of his outings and recovered two fumbles. At 23, he holds a green-dot role on a defense that will trail often, so the tackle chances keep coming.

Blake Cashman, Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) just keeps getting better every year and rising in my LB rankings, eclipsing 100 combined tackles in each of the last three years.

Cashman sits fifth for me and eighth in the consensus. He set a career high with 144 tackles in just 13 games last season, which ranked ninth in the NFL. His per-game rate stands out because that pace projects to nearly 188 tackles over a full schedule. He wears the green dot in Brian Flores’ defense and plays nearly every snap when active. His tackling grade jumped to 83.4 last season. He also added value as a blitzer with 19 pressures and a pair of sacks. The one real risk is health, since he has missed at least three games in five of his last six seasons. When he plays, he produces top-five numbers.

Ernest Jones IV, Seattle SeahawksSep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jones lands eighth for me and fifth in the consensus. He led Seattle with 126 tackles and added five interceptions on a Super Bowl team. So the profile is strong. But much of his 2025 value came from those picks, and interceptions swing year to year more than tackles do. Analysts flag his low-end speed as a cap on his three-down upside. He also shares the field with Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas, who both eat into the tackle share. Jones missed two games and signed a three-year deal to stay, so the role is secure. I just see a tackle floor closer to the mid-120s than the top five.

Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland BrownsYou could make the case that Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) should be slotted at No. 1 in IDP LB rankings, but I’m downgrading the second-year star.

Schwesinger comes in seventh for me against a consensus mark of third. He earned Defensive Rookie of the Year with 156 tackles, sixth in the NFL, plus 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions. I think there are two views here. He’s either the No. 1 IDP LB or you have to drop him some. I think he’s either going to be at his rookie-season level or better every single year, or 2025 was an overachievement. My caution stems from the fact that I don’t think this Cleveland defense will be quite what it was now that Myles Garrett is gone.

Cleveland added Jared Verse and hired new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, so the scheme and tackle distribution should shift. A quad injury ended his rookie year on injured reserve. Second-year linebackers who carry a heavy rookie tackle load sometimes give a portion back as offenses adjust. I still rank him inside my top eight, so this is a small step back, not a fade. I could also see him being even better, but I’m erring on the side of caution.

Foyesade Oluokun, LB, Jacksonville JaguarsNov 16, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) reacts to an incomplete pass by the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Oluokun is my biggest downgrade, and that choice doesn’t come easy. He’s an OG IDP LB, and yes, I hope you spelled that out in your mind when reading. It’s got a nice flow to it.

I have Oluokun 13th while the consensus places him sixth. He tied for 10th in the NFL with 143 tackles, his sixth straight season above 100. So the tackle floor is about as safe as they come. But his pass-rush grade ranked 85th among 88 qualified linebackers, and he was charged with 15 missed tackles, near the bottom in that category. He turns 31 in August, and his snap rate dipped into the mid-80s two years ago before bouncing back. Jacksonville lost Devin Lloyd to Carolina in free agency, which could raise Oluokun’s tackle count but also removes a playmaker beside him. I think what’s more likely is that the rise of the linebackers around him, like Ventrell Miller and Jack Kiser, will suppress Oluokun’s numbers.

2026 Draft LB Rankings Updated 8/12/26
  RankPlayerPositionTeamByeTier 11Jordyn BrooksLBMIA62Jack CampbellLBDET63Cedric GrayLBTEN9Tier 24Roquan SmithLBBAL135Blake CashmanLBMIN66Fred WarnerLBSF87Carson SchwesingerLBCLE118Ernest Jones IVLBSEA119Zack BaunLBPHI10Tier 310Jamien SherwoodLBNYJ1311Nate LandmanLBLAR1112Quay WalkerLBLV1313Foyesade OluokunLBJAC714Nick BoltonLBKC515Edgerrin CooperLBGB1116Tremaine EdmundsLBNYG8Tier 417Alex SingletonLBDEN1018Zaire FranklinLBGB1119Devin LloydLBCAR520Robert SpillaneLBNE1121Sonny StylesLBWAS722CJ AllenLBIND1323Kaden EllissLBNO824T.J. EdwardsLBCHI1025Daiyan HenleyLBLAC726Devin Bush Jr.LBCHI1027Azeez Al-ShaairLBHOU828Terrel BernardLBBUF729Nakobe DeanLBLV13Tier 530Patrick QueenLBPIT931Barrett CarterLBCIN632Mack Wilson Sr.LBARI1433Divine DeabloLBATL1134Quincy WilliamsLBCLE1135Dee WintersLBDAL1436Alex AnzaloneLBTB1037Demario DavisLBNYJ1338DeMarvion OvershownLBDAL1439Tyrel DodsonLBMIA640Eric WilsonLBMIN641Jihaad CampbellLBPHI1042Payton WilsonLBPIT943Drue TranquillLBKC5Tier 644Akeem Davis-GaitherLBIND1345Arvell ReeseLBNYG846Henry To’oTo’oLBHOU847Demetrius Knight Jr.LBCIN648Frankie LuvuLBWAS749Cody SimonLBARI1450Ventrell MillerLBJAC751Dre GreenlawLBSF852Anthony Hill Jr.LBTEN953Christian HarrisLBATL1154Drake ThomasLBSEA1155Trevin WallaceLBCAR556Derrick BarnesLBDET657Malcolm RodriguezLBDET658Christian EllissLBNE1159Josiah TrotterLBTB1060Pete WernerLBNO8