After a long offseason, the 2026 NFL season is finally here. There were some stellar performances in Week 1 of the 2026 season on both offense and defense. More important, we finally got to see which players will have roles worth targeting in IDP formats.
A number of rookies made a major impact in their first career game in Week 1. Conversely, there were also plenty of veterans who were underwhelming relative to our expectations. Below are the IDP risers and fallers after Week 1.
IDP Risers
Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Titans
Veteran linebacker Cedric Gray missed the Titans' Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets after suffering a concussion and minor injuries in an ATV accident over Labor Day weekend. His injury gave 2026 second-round pick Anthony Hill an expanded role in his NFL debut. He took advantage of it.
Hill was one of three players on the Titans' defense to log a 100 percent snap share, finishing with 16 tackles (two solo), four stops and two pass breakups. The rookie had zero missed tackles in his first game against a Jets offense that had 39 rushing attempts.
The rookie will have an every-down role as long as Gray is sidelined and has the potential to play himself into a significant role once Gray is back in the lineup. Hill is worth rostering considering how frequently Titans opponents will try to run out the clock.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Bears
Dillon Thieneman, Chicago's 2026 first-round
After a long offseason, the 2026 NFL season is finally here. There were some stellar performances in Week 1 of the 2026 season on both offense and defense. More important, we finally got to see which players will have roles worth targeting in IDP formats.
A number of rookies made a major impact in their first career game in Week 1. Conversely, there were also plenty of veterans who were underwhelming relative to our expectations. Below are the IDP risers and fallers after Week 1.
IDP Risers
Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Titans
Veteran linebacker Cedric Gray missed the Titans' Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets after suffering a concussion and minor injuries in an ATV accident over Labor Day weekend. His injury gave 2026 second-round pick Anthony Hill an expanded role in his NFL debut. He took advantage of it.
Hill was one of three players on the Titans' defense to log a 100 percent snap share, finishing with 16 tackles (two solo), four stops and two pass breakups. The rookie had zero missed tackles in his first game against a Jets offense that had 39 rushing attempts.
The rookie will have an every-down role as long as Gray is sidelined and has the potential to play himself into a significant role once Gray is back in the lineup. Hill is worth rostering considering how frequently Titans opponents will try to run out the clock.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Bears
Dillon Thieneman, Chicago's 2026 first-round pick out of Oregon, wasted no time making an impact in his NFL debut. Thieneman was all over the field in his first game against the Panthers, registering 10 tackles (eight solo) and a quarterback hit in his NFL debut.
Thieneman's speed and instincts frequently showed against the Panthers, an encouraging sign for a rookie who was missing the team's top two projected starters across from him at safety (Coby Bryant and Xavier Woods).
Chicago's defense looked overmatched in Week 1, which could lead to plenty of teams testing Chicago through the air. That will not only give Thieneman opportunities to rack up tackles, but will put him in position to generate turnovers as well.
Josiah Trotter, LB, Buccaneers
2026 second-round pick Josiah Trotter was in a battle throughout training camp with SirVocea Dennis to be one of the Buccaneers' starting off-ball linebackers. It appears that Trotter won the job after playing 58 of 64 defensive snaps against the Bengals compared to Dennis' five.
In his NFL debut, Trotter registered 11 tackles (four solo) with just one missed tackle. He also added 1.0 sack and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
It isn't fair to expect the sack or turnover production from Trotter consistently, but the fact that he's already flashing playmaking ability is positive for his IDP potential in his first season.
Quentin Lake, S, Rams
Quentin Lake was arguably the best defensive player for the Rams in their disappointing season-opening loss to the 49ers. Lake recorded 10 tackles (seven solo) with two pass breakups and an interception. He was one of three Rams defenders who played 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps in Week 1.
Opposing offenses will be throwing to keep up with the Rams offense, especially with edge rusher Myles Garrett sidelined for at least four weeks with a knee injury. That could lead to plenty of opportunities for tackles and turnovers for Lake.
Dallas Turner, DL/LB, Vikings
Dallas Turner showed significant growth in 2025, registering 66 tackles (29 solo) with 11 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and four forced fumbles. The Vikings saw that growth and promptly cleared a path to a larger role for Dallas Turner, trading Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles this offseason.
Turner showed that his development in 2025 wasn't a fluke in Week 1. The third-year edge tied with Lions' edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the most pressures in Week 1 (9) and recorded his first sack of the 2026 season. Turner also led all of Minnesota's edge rushers with an 82 percent snap share in his 2026 debut.
His expanded role should lead to more sack production, making him an intriguing boom-or-bust option in IDP leagues.
IDP Fallers
Myles Garrett, DL, Rams
Myles Garrett was listed as a faller before Week 1 due to questions about his playing time and role after missing most of the summer while nursing a knee injury. He's a faller again because that knee issue limited him in his debut with the Rams and ultimately led to a surgery that will require a trip on the injured reserve.
Garrett will miss at least four weeks healing from his surgery. It's also fair to expect the Rams to bring him along slowly to make sure that he doesn't suffer any setbacks and is at full strength for the team's playoff run.
It's a worst-case scenario for IDP managers who drafted Garrett off a record-setting season in Cleveland. He's worth stashing on the IR, but it may be difficult to carry him as a bench stash in shallower league settings.
Devin White, LB, Lions
Veteran linebacker Devin White had a bounce-back season with the Raiders in 2025, logging 174 tackles (95 solo) with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. He signed with the Lions this offseason, a move that was intriguing for IDP given the upgrades Detroit had along their defensive line.
However, it is clear after Week 1 that white is not in Detroit's initial plans next to Jack Campbell at linebacker. White played just 18 of 90 defensive snaps in Week 1, well behind Derrick Barnes (77) and fewer than even Malcolm Rodriguez (20).
White will need an injury to have any IDP value if that trend continues, making him hard to roster going forward.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, Bills
One of the more intriguing training camp battles was among Buffalo linebackers Dorian Williams and rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr. For most of the summer, it seemed like Elarms-Orr was impressing the team with his high-end athleticism in coverage.
Buffalo announced that Williams ultimately won the training camp battle, but his limitations in coverage made it possible that Elarms-Orr could see a significant on-field role in 2026. That did not happen in Week 1.
Williams played 53 of Buffalo's 79 defensive snaps, but the team elected to use safeties Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the box instead of bringing Elarms-Orr onto the field. That led to the rookie playing just eight snaps in his first career game.
Elarms-Orr could gradually take on a larger role in Buffalo's defense, but for now he's droppable in shallower IDP formats.
Jared Verse, DL, Browns
Nobody expected Jared Verse to be a one-for-one replacement for Myles Garrett in Cleveland. However, there was hope that Verse could show growth in 2026 and start converting his pressures into sacks.
Those hopes did not come to fruition in his debut with the Browns. Verse registered only three tackles (two solo) with zero pressures. Verse also played just 37 of Cleveland's 57 defensive snaps, though some of that could be attributed to the blowout loss.
It's fair to give Verse more time in IDP leagues, but if there are more consistent edge rushers on the waiver wire, it also makes sense to pivot to a more trusted player.
Arizona Cardinals Edge Rushers
The Cardinals have consistently rotated their defensive linemen under defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. It would have been fair to wonder if that would change in a new coaching regime. After Week 1, we know it won't.
Arizona had four edge rushers (Josh Sweat, Zaven Collins, Baron Browning and Jordan Burch) play fewer than 30 of the Cardinals' 55 defensive snaps in Week 1. Burch was the most productive of the group as a pass rusher, logging three pressures and a sack.
IDP managers looking to find underrated value might want to look somewhere else given how volatile the playing time and production will be in this group in 2026.
