- Elite tacklers lead off the rankings: Brian Branch, Kyle Hamilton, Budda Baker and more are in the best position to deliver consistent production at fantasy’s most inconsistent position.
- Fading the position in drafts still makes the most sense: Considering the instability of IDP safety production, waiting on the position and taking shots on lesser-known NFL starters with ideal projected deployments should still pay dividends.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
Breaking fantasy football rankings down into tiers helps fantasy managers better understand what separates each group and how to value each player at the position for this coming season.
You can view all past top IDP scorers, scoring settings, and production versus expected numbers from 2022 through 2024 for free here.
TIER 1: High-cost safeties with the best shot to return that investment
The elite tacklers at safety are in the best position to remain consistent at an inconsistent position thanks to ideal tackle-friendly deployments and a history of high-end tackle efficiency. When considering the unstable production at the position, this group only fills the top tier as the most likely bets to return IDP starter-quality production, though the odds for the majority of players in the lower tiers are close enough that waiting on the position in drafts remains the best strategy.
For those wanting to spend up to lock in a weekly DB starter, a lot of the position’s leaders in tackle efficiency make up this tier, as all hit double-digit tackle rates last season. Budda Baker was far and away the position’s leader in that regard, and while he is unlikely to repeat the production of his 2024 season, he has ranked no worse than 93rd percentile in tackles versus expected in each of the past three seasons. He also remains in a defensive scheme that projects to be among the most tackle-friendly for his role within that defense, keeping him as a top option for 2025.
DeShon Elliott is the newest addition to the top tier of IDP safeties thanks to the projection for an ideal deployment in a tackle-friendly defensive scheme. Elliott recently signed a two-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, locking him into the team’s favorable IDP safety role, which should come with full-time snaps this season after finally locking down that role late last year. Elliott also ranked 98th percentile in tackles versus expected in this role last season, leading to 14.9 points per game (S8), despite averaging just 87% of defensive snaps. Expect Elliott to continue his high-end tackling on a larger snap share in 2025, making him as well-positioned for a top-12 season as any.
#FFIDP – In breaking down each team’s expected safety deployment via expected coverage schemes, we can get a loose idea of the safeties in the best position to make tackles in 2025.
👀Last year this process nailed exactly where the top two tackle leaders at the position would… https://t.co/3qLu2H2xsX pic.twitter.com/0FamHO0Skl
— Jon Macri (@PFF_Macri) June 17, 2025
TIER 2: Slightly less expensive starting IDP options
Nick Cross is coming off an incredibly efficient season, where many may draft him earlier than this after finishing second at the position in tackles, behind only Baker. Cross worked as the primary box-heavy safety in Gus Bradley’s defense last season, which resulted in one of the most ideal deployments for IDP at the position. With Bradley gone and Lou Anarumo in as the new defensive coordinator, the scheme is going to change and contribute to Cross’ tackle regression in 2025. That being said, Cross is still going to get an opportunity to produce solid numbers as a tackler, which makes him worthy of this second tier of defensive back options.
Devon Witherspoon and Kyler Gordon lead the cornerback position this season, as both play slot-heavy roles in defenses that will allow for ideal production from that position. Witherspoon has been in that role for two seasons now, ranking 91st percentile in tackles versus expected last season as the overall CB5 for IDP. Gordon has long been a strong tackler for IDP and now lands in a defense run by Dennis Allen, whose slot corners last year in New Orleans thrived on a weekly basis. Whether it was Alontae Taylor or Ugo Amadi as the team’s nickel corner, they were able to deliver high-end production with sack upside thanks to their role and deployment, which should also help fuel Gordon’s potential for a breakout season.
TIER 3: Darkhorse starters to target later
When fading the position, this is the tier where most drafters will end up pulling their DB starters from, and there are still some solid options to choose from – all of whom have a shot to be weekly IDP starters in 2025.
One of the prime examples of an ideal late-round target at the position is Will Harris, who is the likely bet to step into Dan Quinn’s strong safety role that allowed Jeremy Chinn to play 41% of his defensive snaps in the box last season and deliver over 100 total tackles. Harris isn’t the known commodity or past high-end producer at the position, but he absorbs an ideal role for IDP that can help make him the perfect value pick in drafts this season.
At the cornerback position, Andru Phillips enters 2025 coming off an exceptional rookie season as a tackler, as he finished as the position’s leader in tackles versus expected without playing a full-time role. Phillips’ role should only grow in Year 2 as the team’s primary nickel corner, which puts him in an ideal position to continue racking up tackles at a high rate. Phillips has room to grow, not just in terms of playing time but in the big play department as well, as he’s generated just 14.5% of his IDP points from non-tackles last season and still averaged 10.6 points per game (CB24).
TIER 4: Deep league options
In IDP leagues where fantasy managers have to start more than two defensive backs on a weekly basis, this group is going to make a lot of rosters thanks to likely full-time roles within their NFL defenses. A lot of safeties qualify for this bucket, and they may outperform their ranking with just positive luck in the big-play department, though their projection for consistent tackles puts them as a lower base projection for IDP this season.
Camryn Bynum is a prime example of a player who doesn’t project for an ideal role, but with some positive variance, he could end up outperforming his projection as a tackler. This has been the case with Bynum in the past, as he’s delivered high-end tackle totals despite playing more of a deep safety role in Minnesota. However, with Bynum heading to a new defense where he’ll expect to continue playing a deep safety role, there’s no guarantee that he can maintain that level of efficiency, which is what puts him in this lower tier amongst similar options.
TIER 5: Rounding out the top-100
The final tier of defensive backs is a mixed bag of loosely projected safety starters and hopefuls. Others are just in weaker potential spots for IDP production, though as is the case with any starter at the position, that doesn’t mean they can’t deliver.
Theo Jackson becomes an interesting name this season with Bynum off to Indianapolis. Jackson should step into Bynum’s vacated deep safety role, as there are no guarantees that he can be as productive in that role as Bynum once was. Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith’s roles in this defense are solidified as they’ve thrived in Brian Flores’ defense already. In Jackson’s deep role, his overall snap opportunities is going to be his key for production, just not necessarily one that is ideal to allow him to be a starting option in non-shallow formats.
Rookies Nick Emmanwori and Jonas Sanker are both waiting to take on a starting role in what would be ideal deployments for tackling opportunities. With Emmanwori currently behind Coby Bryant and Sanker behind Demani Richardson, they might not have to wait long to take over as starters, but they’ll still likely be waiver-wire options rather than worthy of a draft pick for 2025 as of now.
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