Navorro Bowman tore his ACL and MCL in the postseason, and the 49ers have already said they don't expect him to be ready for Week 1. It's obviously a significant loss for San Francisco, and it's a loss for fantasy teams that use individual defensive players, too.
In our scoring system for IDPs, Bowman finished the 2013 season as the top defender, edging out Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Three more linebackers (Paul Posluszny, Lavonte David and Karlos Dansby) rounded out the top 5, before we reached our first lineman (St. Louis' Robert Quinn, who finished 2nd in the league with 19 sacks).
Our scoring system gives defensive players 1.5 points for each solo tackle and .75 for assisted tackles, plus 3 points for every sack or turnover and 6 points for touchdowns. Defensive linemen get slightly more points for tackles (2 and 1) and sacks (4).
For accounting purposes, note that while linebackers filled the most spots (40) in our top 75, defensive linemen accounted for 17 and defensive backs 18. Pretty good representation, then, of the different positions last season.
Last year's top 75 IDPs are presented below; we've condensed the table to show just total tackles and sacks for each player.
2013's TOP INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Player, Team | Pos | Tckl | Sck | FF Pts |
NaVorro Bowman, S.F. | ILB | 145 | 5 | 243.75 |
Vontaze Burfict, Cin. | OLB | 171 | 3 | 240.75 |
Paul Posluszny, Jac. | MLB | 162 | 3 | 240 |
Lavonte David, T.B. | OLB | 145 | 7 | 234 |
Karlos Dansby, Ari. | ILB | 122 | 6.5 | 226.5 |
Robert Quinn, St.L. | DE | 57 | 19 | 216 |
Kiko Alonso, Buf. | MLB | 159 | 2 | 211.5 |
J.J. Watt, Hou. | DE | 80 | 10.5 | 205 |
Luke Kuechly, Car. | MLB | 156 | 2 | 204.75 |
Jerrell Freeman, Ind. | ILB | 126 | 5.5 | 203.25 |
Barry Church, Dall. | FS | 135 | 0 | 202.5 |
DeMeco Ryans, Phi. | ILB | 127 | 4 | 189.75 |
Danny Trevathan, Den. | OLB | 129 | 2 | 189.75 |
Alec Ogletree, St.L. | OLB | 117 | 1.5 | 189.75 |
Stephen Tulloch, Det. | MLB | 135 | 3.5 | 184.5 |
Chad Greenway, Minn. | OLB | 134 | 3 | 180.75 |
Lawrence Timmons, Pit. | ILB | 126 | 3 | 180 |
Mychal Kendricks, Phi. | ILB | 106 | 4 | 179.25 |
Nick Roach, Oak. | MLB | 112 | 5.5 | 177.75 |
Rob Ninkovich, N.E. | DE | 91 | 8 | 177 |
Chandler Jones, N.E. | DE | 79 | 11.5 | 177 |
Derrick Johnson, K.C. | ILB | 107 | 4.5 | 177 |
Thomas Davis, Car. | OLB | 123 | 4 | 177 |
DeAndre Levy, Det. | OLB | 119 | 0 | 177 |
D'Qwell Jackson, Cle. | ILB | 141 | 1.5 | 175.5 |
James Laurinaitis, St.L. | MLB | 116 | 3.5 | 173.25 |
Daryl Smith, Balt. | ILB | 123 | 5 | 171 |
Eric Weddle, S.D. | FS | 115 | 1 | 170.25 |
A.J. Hawk, G.B. | ILB | 118 | 5 | 168 |
Bobby Wagner, Sea. | MLB | 120 | 5 | 168 |
T.J. Ward, Cle. | SS | 112 | 1.5 | 165.75 |
Curtis Lofton, N.O. | MLB | 125 | 2 | 164.25 |
Kevin Burnett, Oak. | OLB | 105 | 2.5 | 163.5 |
Antrel Rolle, NYG | SS | 98 | 2 | 163.5 |
Greg Hardy, Car. | DE | 59 | 15 | 161 |
Paul Worrilow, Atl. | OLB | 127 | 2 | 160.5 |
Robert Mathis, Ind. | OLB | 59 | 19.5 | 159.75 |
Charles Woodson, Oak. | FS | 97 | 2 | 159 |
Earl Thomas, Sea. | FS | 105 | 0 | 158.25 |
Lamarr Houston, Oak. | DE | 69 | 6 | 158 |
Kyle Williams, Buf. | DT | 68 | 10.5 | 158 |
Justin Tuck, NYG | DE | 63 | 11 | 157 |
Muhammad Wilkerson, NYJ | DE | 63 | 10.5 | 157 |
Reshad Jones, Mia. | FS | 107 | 1.5 | 156.75 |
Erin Henderson, Minn. | MLB | 112 | 4 | 156.75 |
Perry Riley, Wash. | ILB | 115 | 3 | 155.25 |
Philip Wheeler, Mia. | OLB | 118 | 0.5 | 155.25 |
James Anderson, Chi. | OLB | 102 | 4 | 155.25 |
John Cyprien, Jac. | SS | 104 | 1 | 155.25 |
David Harris, NYJ | ILB | 124 | 2 | 154.5 |
Patrick Willis, S.F. | ILB | 104 | 3 | 154.5 |
Antoine Bethea, Ind. | SS | 110 | 1 | 154.5 |
Major Wright, Chi. | SS | 100 | 0 | 151.5 |
Marcell Dareus, Buf. | DT | 71 | 7.5 | 150 |
Olivier Vernon, Mia. | DE | 57 | 11.5 | 149 |
Calais Campbell, Ari. | DE | 58 | 9 | 148 |
Sean Lee, Dal. | MLB | 99 | 0 | 146.25 |
Mason Foster, T.B. | MLB | 92 | 2 | 146.25 |
Eric Berry, K.C. | SS | 74 | 3.5 | 145.5 |
Josh Wilson, Wash. | CB | 93 | 2 | 144.75 |
William Moore, Atl. | SS | 86 | 2 | 144.75 |
James Ihedigbo, Balt. | SS | 101 | 0 | 144 |
DeAngelo Hall, Wash. | CB | 78 | 0 | 143.25 |
Dannell Ellerbe, Mia. | MLB | 101 | 1 | 143.25 |
Zach Brown, Tenn. | OLB | 91 | 4 | 143.25 |
Bernard Pollard, Tenn. | SS | 99 | 0.5 | 142.5 |
Carlos Dunlap, Cin. | DE | 58 | 7.5 | 142 |
Jurrell Casey, Tenn. | DT | 55 | 10.5 | 141 |
Tashaun Gipson, Cle. | FS | 95 | 0 | 139.5 |
London Fletcher, Wash. | ILB | 111 | 2 | 139.5 |
Cameron Jordan, N.O. | DE | 47 | 12.5 | 138 |
Sheldon Richardson, NYJ | DE | 78 | 3.5 | 137 |
Jared Allen, Minn. | DE | 52 | 11.5 | 137 |
Tramon Williams, G.B. | CB | 83 | 2.5 | 136.5 |
Adrian Clayborn, T.B. | DE | 64 | 5.5 | 135 |
--Andy Richardson