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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.

Referenced scoring uses the settings below, with a link to all point leaders for 2022 and 2023 (min. 100 defensive snaps) here.

PFF-Preferred IDP Scoring:

Tier 1: The best bets for league-leading production

When combining the team LB1 projections based on defensive scheme and usage with each player’s production, specifically related to tackles versus expected, these six players form the clear first tier of potential top performers for 2024.

Each of the players averaged at least 15 points per game last year, in large part due to their full-time roles and ability to push for 150-plus tackles in a season. Aside from Ernest Jones, these linebackers cleared that mark in at least each of the past two seasons, making for some of the most consistent and steady options at the position. Also aside from Jones’ Rams, each team’s LB1 role is a projected above-average tackle-producing position based solely on expected defensive scheme. Those five linebackers also ranked in the 80th percentile in tackles versus expected last season.

Jones became a full-time starter last season and delivered a breakout year, averaging 9.7 tackles per game and adding 4.5 sacks. He didn’t quite hit 150 total tackles because he missed two games, but he was well on pace to clear that mark. His 15.6 tackles over expected was a 97th-percentile score for his position, providing optimism that he can deliver in 2024 as the team’s lone full-time linebacker.

Tier 2: A long list of safe bets for full-time snaps

At a position where volume matters above all else, the tiers get significantly larger as we account for full-time roles for historically strong producers at the position. There isn’t much question about playing time for those in this tier, so they are ranked with a combination of projected defensive scheme and past production in mind.

Azeez Al-Shaair, Nick Bolton, Lavonte David and Fred Warner kick things off as the first tier within this second tier. They were consistent producers last season, and there are no concerns about them falling off in 2024.

C.J. Mosley, Bobby Okereke, Kyzir White and Eric Kendricks are all projected for strong production based on their LB1 statuses in their respective defenses. However, each of these players ranked in the 36th percentile or lower in tackles versus expected last season. They have a chance to overcome that in 2024 thanks to overall positive roles in their defenses.

Bobby Wagner is projected for less-than-ideal tackle production in 2024, thanks to the man-heavy coverage tendencies of his coaching staff. Wagner was able to overcome his situation in 2023 to deliver in the 88th percentile in tackles versus expected last season. The concern comes from Dan Quinn’s defense projecting to be one of the most unfriendly tackle schemes for the position, which significantly lowers his 2024 projections.

Ivan Pace Jr. rises in the ranks after seemingly being confirmed as a full-time linebacker this season. He has stated that he’ll wear the green dot for the defense, which essentially locks him into a 100% snap role. In that full-time role last season, Pace thrived for IDP, delivering 57 total tackles, two sacks and an interception across those six games. Hopefully, he can continue to deliver at such an impressive rate in Year 2 across an entire season, which would leave him locked into starting IDP territory on a weekly basis.

Robert Spillane, Quincy Williams, Tremaine Edmunds, Logan Wilson, Patrick Queen, Kaden Elliss, David Long and Demario Davis should all be full-time players in 2024, but they were among the most inefficient tacklers at their position in 2023, a trait that tends to carry over year-to-year. All eight players, aside from Long, ranked in the 25th percentile in tackles versus expected last season. Wilson, Queen and Davis, specifically, are also projected to be in below-average defensive schemes for linebacker tackling, so they fall to the bottom of this tier.

Tier 3: Starting roles with reasons to temper expectations

Question marks begin to mount for the players in this tier, mostly due to injury history and uncertainty about maintaining full-time snaps. There are some strong lottery tickets to bet on here, but IDP managers should understand that these players are less likely to consistently excel than those in the tiers above.

The Detroit Lions linebacker situation is starting to sound like it could be different than last season with 2023 first-round pick Jack Campbell entering Year 2 and more comfortable in the defense. The likelihood of Campbell taking over as the Lions’ top linebacker has never seemed more likely, which helps move him up the rankings, but without official confirmation, expectations need to be tempered.

Jordan Hicks and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah fall into this tier, as the Browns’ defense projects to be the least-friendly tackle scheme for the position. Cleveland also has a history of not deploying multiple full-time starters each week, which limits the potential for both to increase their rank this offseason.

There are some concerns about Frankie Luvu’s ability to produce consistent weekly production in Washington, playing on a potentially unfriendly defense for tackle efficiency, as mentioned with Bobby Wagner. However, Luvu’s concern could be greater because he’s likely to see a lot more snaps blitzing and playing on the edge – both of which are also efficiency killers for his tackle production. While his potential for big plays might be greater, identifying the weeks when those will hit could become frustrating for IDP managers as they struggle with the ups and downs of his production relative to his peers.

K.J. Britt and Isaiah McDuffie both make for good sleeper targets late in IDP drafts because they are both the clear favorites to play near full-time roles in their respective defenses. Britt has almost no competition behind Lavonte David on his team while McDuffie appears to be holding off second-round rookie Edgerrin Cooper for the starting spot next to Quay Walker in Green Bay.

Ja’Whaun Bentley is the lone team LB1 in this tier. His question marks stem from never being a full-time player despite leading his team’s position in snaps. It’s unclear if the New England Patriots‘ new coaching staff will maintain a similar deployment, but either way, Bentley has also proven to be one of the more ineffective tacklers at the position in recent years, ranking in the 37th percentile in tackles versus expected in 2022 and the 11th percentile in 2023 (-18.6).

Tier 4: NFL starters, but without assurances for full-time roles

Full-time roles become less likely in this tier. Even for those locked into their roles on the depth chart, the opportunity for snaps isn’t quite at the level of those in the higher tiers.

Drue Tranquill and Germaine Pratt are locked into LB2 roles for their respective teams this season with both players unlikely to play 100% of their team’s snaps most weeks, there’s still potential for production in those less-than-full-time roles. For Tranquill, with Nick Bolton currently sidelined with an elbow injury, there’s strong potential that he’s one of the better linebacker handcuffs in the league.

Pratt is a solid LB2 for his team but isn’t quite that for IDP. He cracked 100 total tackles for the first time in his career last season and finished 12th percentile in tackles versus expected (-18.5) after not finishing above average in that metric in the past three seasons.

The Philadelphia Eagles linebacker situation has been a question mark all offseason long. Devin White will likely play a starting role, so there is another spot open for the taking. All reports thus far seem to indicate that Zack Baun is the favorite for that spot right now, ahead of Nakobe Dean, which may be a surprise to some, especially considering that Baun has fewer than 200 NFL snaps at off-ball linebacker. But for IDP, we care less about that and more about the potential for snaps this year, and it seems like Vic Fangio and the Eagles are willing to give him a shot, making him another nice sleeper candidate later in drafts.

Tier 5: Waiting in the wings for starting roles

This final tier consists of hopefuls and players who could emerge at some point this season if circumstances fall in their favor. As things stand, each player in this tier sits third (at best) on their team’s depth chart, which makes them unlikely IDP contributors. However, the offseason is long and things could very well change; injuries happen and camp battles could swing in different directions.

There are several young players on thinner depth charts who either didn’t get a chance last season or are new to the league. They could surprise and emerge as starters, as unlikely as it may seem right now. Malik Harrison, Junior Colson, Edgerrin Cooper, Jonas Griffith, DeMarvion Overshown, Trevin Wallace, Cedric Gray and SirVocea Dennis all fit that bill and shouldn’t be completely counted out yet.

Everyone else is essentially the next man up should something happen to one of the two starters ranked ahead of them on their respective depth charts.

Dre Greenlaw is the outlier of the group. After tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl, he’s unlikely to be ready for the start of the year — hence why De’Vondre Campbell ranks as LB37 at the moment. Should Greenlaw recover in time for a return this season, he would cut into Campbell’s snaps as a starter, even if he doesn’t get his full role back this season.