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.
Cameron Jordan (NO, 39%) — We love elite DLs who play almost every snap. They’re a rare commodity these days, and Jordan has been one of the steadiest producers while maintaining a ridiculously high snap count. In Week One, Jordan played 60 snaps (86%) and recorded 4 solos and a TFL against a rebuilt Tampa Bay O-line. Ahead of him is a stretch of less-than-daunting lines, including Green Bay (who just lost stud RG Lane Taylor), Detroit, the Chargers, and Chicago.
DeForest Buckner (Ind, 27%) — Look, we know Buckner was traded from a Super Bowl team, but the dude is just coming into his prime. In his first game as a Colt, Buckner did Buckner, posting 6 tackles (4 solos) and a TFL. So why is his ownership so low? Yeah. We’re not sure either. Let’s scoop up all those Buckner shares now before it’s too late.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Chase Young (Was, 19%) — Welcome to the NFL, rook. Your assignment is Jason Peters and the stout Eagles O-line. Young promptly introduced himself to Carson Wentz (1.5 sacks), as well as racking up 4 tackles (2 solo) and a forced fumble. And while that is a helluva debut by the 2nd overall draft pick, it was his snap count that was the most encouraging. As part of a very talented four-man EDGE rotation, Young played the most snaps (53, 78%). We’d tell you he’s got some tough O-lines ahead, but that didn’t matter in Week One.
Aldon Smith (Dal, 19%) — Welcome back to the NFL, vet. In one of the most inspiring stories of redemption, Smith worked his way back onto the field, and actually surpassed veteran free agent Everson Griffen on the depth chart. Smith started and flat out dominated the Rams. Smith racked up 11 tackles (6 solo) and a sack on a 78% snap share. If he can keep this up (and his previous NFL track record says he can), Smith could end up a DL1.
Grady Jarrett (Atl, 7%) — Jarrett picked up right where he left off in 2019, with 4 tackles (2 solo), 1.5 sacks, and 1 TFL. Jarrett posted 69 tackles and 7.5 sacks last season, so this kind of production is to be expected. The days of DTs being worthless for fantasy are long gone. Perhaps your league-mates haven’t heard.
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.
Lawrence Guy (NE, 3%) — Guy isn’t a sexy pick, but he’s sure as hell a grinder who produces. All he’s done in the last three seasons is post 58, 59, and 61 tackles as the main cog in Bill Belichick’s run defense. He didn’t miss a beat in Week One, as he grabbed another 4 tackles (3 solo). Scoop him up this week and raise your tackle floor to a comfortably high level.
Takkarist McKinley (Atl, 3%) — Does McKinley have the makings of a fourth-year leap? It’s not unheard of for an edge rusher, though it’s more common for it to happen in years two or three. McKinley had a strong camp and has earned a starting job with the team again. He played 69% of the snaps and posted 5 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 1 TFL, and 1 PD in Week One. While one game and one strong camp does not a leap make, it’s better to grab him now and get on the right side of his availability, than wait a week too long and miss out on a barely-owned potential breakout 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.
Deion Jones (Atl, 28%) — Jones was the man before he was injured. He was a top-3 LB, and primed for a dominant career. He got back on the field last year, but seemed a step slow. As the season progressed, he seemed to get his sea legs, and started flashing that double-digit tackle production we were used to seeing. His start to the 2020 season is more confirmation that Jones may be that player again. Jones posted 9 tackles (6 solo) and a TFL as an every-down player. While others may have out-produced him this week, few players have the track record, pedigree, big play upside, and keys to the defense like Jones that are this poorly rostered. He’s sleep-like-a-baby material.
Devin White (TB, 27%) — White graduated to wearing the green dot (meaning he’s calling the palys for the defense), and looks like he’s up to NFL game speed in his second season. He posted 11 tackles (6 solo) and a TFL as he and fellow LB Lavonte David dominated tackles on this upgraded Tampa D. White brings similar big play upside as David, so while his tackle competition with David is a concern, he will make up for it with big plays. White had 2 TDs last season on 1 INT and 3 forced fumbles.
Shaq Thompson (Car, 21%) — Thompson has officially moved into the productive role he’s been waiting for. When you play next to Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis to start your career, you’re bound to play third fiddle. There’s not enough meat left on the bone after those two get done with offenses. Now the captain of the Panthers D, Thompson posted 12 tackles (5 solo) and 1.5 TFL. Thompson should flirt with double-digit tackles most weeks. His only issue is his tackle crew. To have only 5 of your 12 tackles count as a solo has been a long-standing issue in Carolina.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Jerome Baker (Mia, 14%) — I had to read Baker’s stat sheet twice. The new regime in Miami loves Baker, but beat writers assumed this was Kyle Van Noy’s defense, and Baker would be a part-time player. That was not the case on Sunday. Baker played all 61 snaps to Van Noy’s 41. That double-take stat line? 16 tackles (13 solo), 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble. Hey now. He was the #1 LB in Week One. The only reason Baker isn’t our #1 recommendation this week is that he was roasted in coverage. A lot of those tackles should have been incompletions or PD. So will the Dolphins continue with Baker as the every-down LB, or will Van Noy and Elandon Roberts (40 snaps) be more involved going forward? Want my advice? Oh wait, you’re reading this, so you probably do. I think he’s worth grabbing if you either don’t have a stud LB, or you can upgrade your LB2 or LB3. This kind of production is worth the risk, and this will be your only shot to get him. And if he burns us and goes back to being a 60% player, just visit this article for a replacement. No risk it, no biscuit.
Alexander Johnson (Den, 7%) — We had high hopes for Johnson this season once veteran Todd Davis was released. Johnson is seen as the future 3-down LB in Denver, and he was going to be eased into a larger role this season. Between Johnson’s development and Davis’s skill set being sadly outdated, that time is now. Johnson showed out in his first action since being put in charge of this defense. He posted 12 tackles (8 solo) and just missed a few big plays. With Josey Jewell and Mark Barron splitting time next to him, Johnson has a clear path to pushing for double-digit tackles each week.
Myles Jack (Jax, 6%) — THERE’s the Myles Jack we know and love! Jack finished as the #2 LB for the week, posting 11 tackles (8 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 sack. We discussed this offseason that Jack’s move to the MIKE in previous seasons was slowing him down. Some players do better in a “kill the guy with the ball” role instead of reading defenses and lining up his team. Jack was dominant as an OLB before he became the play-caller. Now with Joe Schobert in town and calling plays, Jack looked faster and more aggressive. It could be a one week fluke, but seeing as how he excelled in this role before, we have to give both Jack and the Jax coaches credit for finding his potential again.
Patrick Queen (Bal, 17%) — The rookie and first-round draft pick had a strong showing in his NFL debut. We saw his aggressiveness early, recording a sack, TFL, and a forced fumble to go with his 8 tackles (4 solo). He looks entrenched in the middle of this defense (though safety Chuck Clark is actually the play-caller), and should be an LB2+/LB1- going forward.
Nathan Gerry (Phi, 9%) — The Eagles had plenty of chances to upgrade their nameless LB corps. Instead, they trusted Gerry with replacing the Super Bowl-winning tandem of Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham. Gerry had a solid game in Philadelphia’s loss, posting 10 tackles (5 solo) and 2 TFL. Sitting in the middle of this defense should produce LB3 production just by falling forward, but Gerry’s showing he’s more than that. He’s got sneaky LB2 upside.
Kenneth Murray (Lac, 9%) — Murray’s introduction to the NFL was supposed to be slower. He was to be worked in next to Drue Tranquill along with veteran Denzel Perryman. When Tranquill went down very early in the game (don’t get me started on all my Tranquill sleeper shares…) it was Nick Vigil and Murray out there for much of the game. With the Chargers D holding Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon to just 13 points, Murray likely earned himself a starting job that he might not relinquish. Murray recorded 8 tackles (4 solo), and should see a higher snap count going forward.
Micah Kiser (LAR, 3%) — The concern for Kiser coming into this season was the new-look defense the Rams were installing. There are pieces from Baltimore’s D and some cool new wrinkles. This made Kiser’s floor relatively shaky. Would he be involved enough to be consistent, or would he and former Raven Kenny Young be victims of the dreaded LB-rotation that’s been going around the league lately? While we’re not out of the woods yet, it’s looking like Kiser is indeed an every-down (or mostly every-down) contributor. Kiser had a solid Week One, posting 7 tackles (6 solo) and 2 PD.
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, but at best give you a 1A option.
Germaine Pratt (Cin, 2%) — Pratt should have just solidified his role as the LB to own in Cincinnati. Playing every down along with Josh Bynes, the Bengals want Pratt to blossom as the leader of this LB unit. And when Shawn Williams comes back, it should be Bynes who exits when Williams, Vonn Bell, and Jessie Bates III are all on the field. Pratt posted 12 tackles (7 solo) on his way to a top-10 Week One finish.
Jon Bostic (Was, 1%) — Surrounded by a cavalcade of young LBs rotating around him, Bostic was the veteran anchor on this revamped Washington defense. Playing a full-time role, Bostic posted 8 tackles (5 solo), 1.5 TFLs, and 1 sack. There may be more sacks coming, because with the monster D-line in front of him, Bostic can easily be the forgotten man to block on his way to a blitz. He’ll have tackle competition from that D-line and Landon Collins, but Bostic can be a solid LB3 for you with some LB1 weeks when he hits those home runs.
Neville Hewitt (NYJ, 1%) — Hewitt’s role likely just shot through the roof. He earned the starting gig next to Blake Cashman, but Cashman went down early, leaving Hewitt as the main LB (Harvey Langi took over for Cashman). Hewitt had 8 tackles (5 solo) and a PD, and that could be his floor now…
Avery Willamson (NYJ, 1%) — …or Williamson could be recovering from his knee injury just in time to take over the role that Blake Cashman owned while Williamson was working his way to full health. This one is a bench stash, but it won’t take much for Williamson to find himself back in a triple-digit tackle role this season. Williamson was an LB1 in this role before he blew out his knee.
Joe Thomas (Dal, 0%) — In super-deep leagues, Thomas should still be available. With Leighton Vander Esch out for 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone, Thomas will be the next man up. That is, until/unless Sean Lee is healthy enough to play. And if you’ve played IDP long enough, you know counting on Lee’s health is worse than playing the slots.
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.
Tracy Walker (Det, 22%) — The word out of Detroit was that Walker was no longer a starter, and was part of a 3-man rotation at safety, and this news came down just days before Week One. Walker indeed did not start. And he indeed was part of a 3-man safety unit. But Walker played 54 snaps (90%), racking up 9 tackles (8 solo), 2 TFL, and 1 PD. That’s top-10 safety production. Carry on. Oh, and scoop a 2019 DB1 who is still doing DB1 things.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Marcus Maye (NYJ, 4%) — If you’ve tuned into the IDP Corner at all this summer or heard my SiriusXM Radio segment, you already know what I think of Maye. He’s Jamal Adams. Adams and Maye were drafted as essentially two dynamic, playmaking safeties. But Maye suffered some injuries, and the team leaned on Adams more. With Adams gone, Maye stepped into that dynamic and productive role and did dynamic and productive things. Maye was the #1 DB in Week One with 10 tackles (7 solo), 2 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PD, and 1 PD. This was no fluke. He just needs to stay healthy (an issue for him), and he’ll give you league-winning potential.
Terrell Edmunds (Pit, 8%) — Edmunds moved into a triple-digit tackle role last season, but there were some concerns as to how much Minkah Fitzpatrick would eat into that production. We thought Edmunds would maintain that same role, and he sure showed up in Week One to confirm our faith in him. Edmunds posted 9 tackles (7 solo) and a TFL. Mmm, LB production from a DB. Yes, please.
Jonathan Abram (LV, 15%) — We heard during training camp that Abram had blossomed into the player they thought they drafted in 2019. In Week One, it seems those reports were accurate. Abrams had 13 tackles (9 solo) and a TFL, and seems firmly entrenched in a productive role next to Cory Littleton.
Adrian Phillips (NE, 5%) — While we’re still not convinced that Phillips will be a weekly DB1 (even though he’s got the chops for it, HC Bill Belichick will rotate 4-5 DBs as safeties), but it’s hard to deny what Phillips put up in Week One. Phillips posted 9 tackles (8 solo), 1 TFL, 1 PD, and 1 INT in his Patriots debut. He’s a great fit for this defense, so let’s hope ol’ Hoodie keeps him out there enough to keep putting up DB1/DB2 production.
Jeremy Chinn (Car, 3%) — Chinn was an every-down player in his NFL debut, playing a hybrid safety/OLB role for the new-look Panthers. This will be a monster role for Chinn, and we think his 8 tackle (7 solo) performance is closer to his floor than his ceiling. Just wait until this dynamic athlete gets comfortable.
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, but at best give you a 1A option.
Darian Thompson (Dal, 0%) — The Cowboys let Ha Ha Clinton-Dix go because Thompson just flat-out beat the veteran out of the starting strong safety job. We now see why. Thompson was all over the place, with 10 tackles (9 solo). He’d be worth a pickup just being the starting SS for Dallas, but with Leighton Vander Esch missing 6-8 weeks, Thompson’s tackle floor as clean-up man behind a thin LB corps is pleasingly high.
Josh Jones (Jax, 0%) — Jones looks like the player the Packers thought he was when they handed him a starting job. Jones quickly fell apart and the Packers moved on. But it appears he’s regained his form with Jacksonville. So much so that they let Ronnie Harrison go so Jones could take over. And take over he did. Jones led the Jags with 12 tackles (6 solo) and looks like a steal at 0% ownership.
Brandon Jones (Mia, 0%) — Don’t blink or you’ll miss Jones’ 10 tackles (7 solo). He looked decisive and aggressive for Miami. But he did play just 34 snaps as the team’s third safety. He certainly may have earned a larger role, but consider this fair warning that he’ll need more than 34 snaps a week to be more than just a DB3 with huge upside.
Jordan Fuller (LAR, 0%) — Well, THAT was a surprise. Fuller started over FS Taylor Rapp and had a shaky start but a strong finish. Fuller could be part of the new-look Rams D. That D held Big D down adequately enough to snag their first win. Fuller had a big 4th-down stop, but for fantasy, it was his 8 tackles (5 solo) that got our attention. Fuller has the makings of a DB2/DB3 if he hangs onto the starting job.
