Welcome to the IDP Waiver Wire article. Each of the three main positions will be broken down by league size. For shallow leagues, visit the Higher-owned Options. For 6-9 IDPs, check out the Top Targets, and for deeper leagues, check out the Going Deeper section. In general, we’re focusing on players who are less than 50% rostered in Yahoo! leagues.
Defensive Linemen
Higher-owned Options
These IDPs have steady, productive roles with high floors. Others may have better weeks but at the end of the season, these are most likely to help you most.
Joey Bosa (LAC, 24%) — Bosa is still in concussion protocol, but he did practice on Friday before he was ruled out. This one is an easy call: Bosa - in his limited and injured snaps this year - has still produced an elite pressure rate. A healthy Bosa (he dealt with leg and triceps injuries earlier in the season before sustaining a concussion 3 weeks ago) is a top-3 DL. His availability is insane because of injuries, but he’s worth the gamble if you don’t have a top-10 DL. Watch the practice reports carefully.
DeMarcus Lawrence (Dal, 12%) — D-Law would make this list based on his overall production. Through nine games, he’s the #9 DL. But since Week 5, he’s the #2 DL, posting 23 tackles, 3 sacks, 7.5 TFL, and 2 FF. His snaps have risen as Aldon Smith cooled off some and Everson Griffen was traded, and he has easily the best schedule remaining.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Sheldon Richardson (Cle, 8%) — Richardson’s renaissance continued in Week 10, with 6 tackles (2 solo) and a sack, giving him at least 4 tackles in each of the last four games. Richardson also has at least 4 tackles in six of his last eight games, and no fewer than 3 tackles per game in that span. He also has 3.5 sacks and has a glorious run of teams for your playoff push: Phi, Jax, Ten, Bal, NYG, and NYJ.
Chase Winovich (NE, 9%) — Look, I get it. I don’t like this any more than you do. But Winovich has gone from a 10-20% player to a 98% guy last week. The week before, Winovich played 67%. This is what we were hoping to see, because Winnie gets it done with that usage. In that span, no DL has more tackles (12). It’s always a risk with Bill Belichick, but his D has played better with Winovich on the field, so let’s hope this sticks.
Kenny Clark (GB, 7%) — I’ve been hollering for Clark for the last few weeks, and he’s showing you why. Clark had 5 tackles (3 solo) in Week 10 and has 9 tackles in his last two games. He has at least 4 tackles in three of the four games since returning to the lineup. He’s a valuable option in tackle-heavy and/or DT-required leagues.
Going Deeper
In leagues with 11-14 total IDPs, these are high-upside options who could come out of nowhere to be at least a solid 2nd/3rd starter, and at best give you a 1A option.
John Simon (NE, 1%) — Simon’s 5 tackles (3 solo) and sack in Week 10 shows why he’s worth riding as your DL3/DL4 through the valleys. He now has at least 5 tackles in two of his last three games and at least 4 tackles in four of his last games.
Khalid Kareem (Cin, 0%) — Kareem recorded 3 solos working as the rotational guy behind Carl Lawson. He has 3 tackles in two of his last three games, and with Takk McKinley failing his physical, he should retain this role. He’s a deep grab for your DL4 spot, but he faces Was and NYG next, so his upside is enticing as a completely unrostered player.
Linebackers
Higher-owned Options
These IDPs have steady, productive roles with high floors. Others may have better weeks but at the end of the season, these are most likely to help you most.
Myles Jack (Jax, 17%) — Jack posted 8 tackles (3 solo) in his return to the lineup. That’s on the low end of his production, as he’s been an LB1 all season. Jack is playing a highly productive spot on a defense that will be on the field a ton, and he has a great run of matchups up next. Pit, Cle, Min, Ten, and Bal all give up over 20 tackles per game to LBs.
A.J. Johnson (Den, 15%) — I’m losing my mind over why people keep ignoring Johnson. He had 12 tackles (9 solo) in Week 10. Johnson had a miserable matchup in Week 9 and still managed 8 tackles. Johnson is already a borderline LB1. Remove his dud against the Buccaneers, and he’s LB #5.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Christian Kirksey (GB, 8%) — Kirksey immediately resumed his role of every-down LB for the Packers, and racked up 7 tackles (4 solo). He was signed to be the difference-maker in the middle and was off to a good start this season before his injury. A player of his caliber with a 3-down role shouldn’t be this poorly rostered. Let’s rectify that, FP IDPers.
Alex Singleton (Phi, 1%) — In the mess that is the Eagles LB corps, they may have found a gem. Singleton’s play has improved dramatically, and his snaps have risen partly due to that improvement as well as the injury to Nathan Gerry. Singleton had 16 tackles (9 solo) while playing every snap. And while we shouldn’t expect 15+ tackles each week, we may see him push for double-digit tackles each week.
Micah Kiser (LAR, 12%) — I mentioned last week that Kiser was severely under-rostered coming off his bye and he promptly showed out with 12 tackles (10 solo). He had a great matchup with Seattle, and has some other nice matchups upcoming (@TB, SF, @Ari). Kiser is a solid LB2/LB3 with the occasional LB1 upside (like last week).
Going Deeper
In leagues with 11-14 total IDPs, these are high-upside options who could come out of nowhere to be at least a solid 2nd/3rd starter, and at best give you a 1A option.
Germaine Pratt (Cin, 1%) — Pratt posted 8 tackles (5 solo) coming out of the bye. While I’m not nuts about any of these Bengals LBs for an LB1/LB2, I’ll gladly take Pratt as my LB3/LB4. He’s a steady 6-9 tackle guy who plays plenty enough to be useful as a backend starter, particularly for as much as this defense stays on the field.
T.J. Edwards (Phi, 2%) — While Alex Singleton had the bigger fantasy day, Edwards had a helluva fantasy tally himself, posting 12 tackles (4 solo). He had 13 tackles (6 solo) and a sack the week before his bye, so Edwards could also be knocking on the LB1/LB2 door along with Singleton.
Harvey Langi (NYJ, 0%) — As mentioned on here last week, with Blake Cashman Out (hamstrings) and Avery Williamson traded, Langi got a chance to show what he can do, and he delivered in Week 9. Langi had 10 tackles (9 solo) and was all over the field. It’s too hard to trust the Jets to send Langi back out with a full-time role knowing that Cashman is getting healthier, but if Langi sticks and can reproduce Williamson’s double-digit tackles, then you’re getting an LB2+/LB1- to ride the rest of the season. Langi is fresh off his bye.
Defensive Backs
Higher-owned Options
These IDPs have steady, productive roles with high floors. Others may have better weeks but at the end of the season, these are most likely to help you most.
Keanu Neal (Atl, 23%) — Since Week 2, Neal has been a top-10 DB, and a consistent one at that. Neal has at least 5 tackles in every game this season, and at least 5 solos in six of his last seven games. Neal is coming off his bye and has picked up his pace and aggressiveness over the last month. It seemed like Neal wasn’t fully trusting his twice-repaired leg to start the season, but lately he’s looked like his old self.
Daniel Sorensen (KC, 21%) — Sorensen is DB #9 on the season as he puts up LB stats as a safety. That’s because he essentially plays LB on a team that struggles to find consistency out of their actual linebackers. Sorensen’s role increased around Week 4 and since then, he’s DB #2 over his last six games. Sorensen was on a bye last week, so his availability is plentiful in shallow leagues.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Khari Willis (Ind, 5%) — Willis continued to shine in Week 10, posting 8 tackles (5 solo) and seemingly always around the ball. In his last four games, Willis has 34 tackles, second only to Jordan Poyer (35) for DBs. He’ll continue his run of great tackle crews with two home games (top-5 crew) and a trip to Houston (top-10 crew).
Kenny Vaccaro (Ten, 8%) — Vaccaro is as steady as they come for DBs. His 8 tackles (5 solo) in Week 10 gives him between 4 and 8 tackles in every game this season. If volatility drives you crazy, Vaccaro’s consistency is a warm blanket. His tackle floor is buoyed by his elite home tackle crew, and even most of his upcoming road games feature good-to-great tackle crews (Ind, Bal, GB, Hou). The only bad crew is Jax in Week 14.
Eric Rowe (Mia, 8%) — While Rowe has been almost as steady as Vaccaro (at least 4 tackles in every game but one), he does have more big-play upside on a defense that allows him to be more aggressive. Rowe’s immediate schedule isn’t as stable as Vaccaro’s but it’s packed with big-play upside (Den, NYJ, Cin).
Going Deeper
In leagues with 11-14 total IDPs, these are high-upside options who could come out of nowhere to be at least a solid 2nd/3rd starter, and at best give you a 1A option.
Rayshawn Jenkins (LAC, 3%) — Jenkins has settled into a solid DB2 for the Chargers. He posted another 5 tackles (4 solo) in Week 10, and now has 26 tackles, 2 PD, and an INT in his four games since the bye week. He’s been a DB1 over that stretch (though he’s likely to settle in as a DB2 going forward).
Ronnie Harrison, Jr. (Cle, 1%) — I was concerned that Karl Joseph would get his job back (and am still slightly) but in Week 10, Harrison remained the every-down safety. He posted 6 solos, a PD, and a QB hit and is turning into a high-end DB2. Let’s hope he holds onto this gig, but at 99% availability, he’s worth a shot.
Darnell Savage (GB, 1%) — Savage was a 5-7 tackle option to start the season, but had a few rough games in Weeks 7 and 9. He got back on the 5-7 tackle train last week, with 5 tackles (4 solo) and seems to be one of the beneficiaries of Christian Kirksey getting his MLB role back. With fewer LBs on the field now, Savage should resume his solid tackle floor he sorely missed while Kirksey was out.
