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.
Yannick Ngakoue (Min, 19%) — Ngakoue racked up another sack, which gives him 5 sacks in his last four games. With Danielle Hunter’s season in doubt, Ngakoue should continue to play a full complement of snaps each week (he was likely a rotational player with Ifeadi Odenigbo with Hunter in the lineup). Hunter’s 13 solos and 5 sacks in his last four games make him the #3 DL over that stretch. Fair warning: he faces Atlanta in Week 6 (good matchup), but then has his bye.
Jonathan Allen (Was, 11%) — As I mentioned before, Allen’s playing time and tackle opportunity skyrocketed with the loss of DT Matt Ioannidis. Last week, Allen posted 8 tackles (5 solo), after posting 9 tackles (6 solo) in Week 3. His 11.2% tackle rate is second-best for players with at least 200 snaps. He’ll get two of the better matchups over the next two weeks, as he heads to face the Giants (and one of the friendliest stat crews in the league), before welcoming Dallas and their backup center and backup QB.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Kerry Hyder, Jr. (SF, 8%) — Hyder had another sack in Week 5 and continues to produce in place of Nick Bosa. And while it’s damn-near impossible to replace Bosa’s production, Hyder has been a DL1 since taking over. In his last four weeks, Hyder has 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 4 TFL.
Chase Winovich (NE, 6%) — Winovich had a surprise bye week thrown his way, but can now be picked up and inserted into your lineups for the rest of the season. He’s playing a healthy 66% (a miracle for any NE DL) and has been a top-15 DL over his first four games. Winovich has 14 tackles (9 solo), 2.5 sacks, 4.5 TFL, and a forced fumble.
Carlos Dunlap (Cin, 7%) — What a week for Dunlap. The two-time Pro-Bowler was relegated to third-down duties earlier in the week, but on game day, he recorded a sack, and then watched two of his linemates - Sam Hubbard and D.J. Reader - go down. This will thrust Dunlap back into a starting role (and frankly, the demotion may have only been temporary anyway, as the Bengals had a unique plan for slowing down the Ravens offense). He also has some good matchups for tackles ahead, as the Colts, Browns, and Titans all give up over 10 solos per game to DLs.
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.
Stephon Tuitt (Pit, 2%) — Tuitt racked up 5 tackles (2 solo) and 1.5 sacks in Week 5, and now has 11 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 3.5 TFL in his four games. Tuitt has been a backend DL2 so far, and that’s where we expect him to live going forward.
{(Trey Flowers|DL|DET}} (Det, 4%) — Outside of his Week 2 dud, Flowers has at least 3 tackles in each of his three other games, and has a sack as well. Now past his bye, Flowers has DL1 upside as your DL3.
Kenny Clark (GB, 2%) — The run-stuffing nose tackle for the Packers has been a 55-60 tackle, 5-6 sack guy consistently throughout his young career. He was injured (groin) early in Week 1, but is looking like a good bet to start this week coming off their bye. Watch practice reports carefully, but if Clark practices in full at any point this week, throw him in your lineup. If not, he’s worth the stash even if he comes back a week later.
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.
Fred Warner (SF, 63%) – Warner is outscoring more highly-owned LBs like Demario Davis and Kwon Alexander, and is the #10 LB for fantasy. His Week 5 11-tackle game is his third game with at least 9 tackles, but he also brings big-play upside (as he did last season). Warner has 2 TFL, 2 PD, and an INT so far this season. Speaking of Davis, he and Bobby Wagner have their bye this week, so if you’re in a shallow league, Warner could be the perfect replacement.
Patrick Queen (Bal, 44%) – What a difference a few weeks make. After the loss to Kansas City - where he was temporarily benched - Queen rebounded with his best game of the season in Week 4 (12 tackles, 9 solo, and a sack). The rookie then bested that in Week 5, with 9 tackles and a forced fumble that he returned for a TD. Removing his Week 3 game against the Chiefs (4 solos), Queen has at least 8 tackles in each game. His 42 tackles (30 solo), 2 sacks, 5 TFL, 2 FF/FR, and TD make him the #1 LB in fantasy. Remove the TD and he’s still a top-10 LB.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
De’Vondre Campbell (Ari, 11%) — Campbell continues to impress, with another 9 tackles (8 solo) in Week 5. He’s turning in consistent LB2+ numbers so far, and this should continue, as rookie Isaiah Simmons is so far no threat to the former Falcon. He’s the #13 LB and has been around that range each week.
Eric Wilson (Min, 4%) — I’ve been touting Wilson for a few weeks, ever since Anthony Barr was lost for the season. The team is high on him, and he did well in spot starts last season. Since he took over for Barr in Week 2, Wilson is the #10 LB. He’s a big play monster with a solid tackle floor. Wilson has 30 tackles in four weeks, but also has 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PD, and 2 INTs.
Foyesade Oluokun (Atl, 2%) — Oluokun was on fire in Week 2 against Dallas. He had a few forced fumbles and 6 tackles early before he was injured. He missed Week 3, but over the last two weeks he has 22 tackles (17 solo) and a TFL. That’s top-10 production, and while we can’t expect that kind of production each week, he’s certainly capable of 7-9 tackles a 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.
Tyrell Adams (Hou, 0%) — Those who had Benardrick McKinney rostered knew what a fantasy asset he has been in this Houston D. McKinney’s season-ending shoulder injury has created an opportunity for Adams, who posted a McKinney-like 13 tackles (7 solo) in Week 5. There was concern that Dylan Cole would split snaps or even start over Adams, but Cole was relegated to just 12 special teams snaps. Considering how well Adams played, this is likely the case going forward.
Avery Williamson (NYJ, 1%) — Are we doing this again? I think we are. Williamson was supposed to have a big role once fully healthy, and in Week 3 that’s what we saw. He posted 9 tackles (5 solo). But in Week 4, he had 6 tackles through 3 quarters, then was replaced by Alec Ogletree (who now moves like Alec Oaktree). Week 5 brought Williamson back to life, as the veteran produced 8 tackles (6 solo), 2 PD, and an INT. If Gregg Williams will stop tinkering with his defense and leave his playmakers on the field, Williamson could have sneaky value.
Willie Gay, Jr. (KC, 5%) — By now you’re likely familiar with my rant on LB rotations such as the one in Kansas City. In those rants, I’ve referred to the opening it has created for the rookie. Over the last two weeks, Gay’s snaps have risen from the single-digits to 47% in Week 5. Gay posted 6 tackles (5 solo) and 1 sack, and although he’s still behind Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson, this smells of a rising star at a position of dire need. If you’ve got room, Gay could be worth stashing to get in front of the crowd if his snaps keep rising. We’ll keep you posted.
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.
Mike Hilton (Pit, 40%) — Hilton continues to play a hybrid CB/S role, which creates a glorious mix of solo tackles and PD/INT/sack upside. Hilton had another 8 solos and a sack in Week 5. His 27 solos are second only to Budda Baker, but his 3 sacks lead all DBs. He also has 5 TFL, 3 PD, 1 INT, and 1 FF. Needless to say, Hilton is the #1 DB.
Jessie Bates III (Cin, 25%) — Bates burst on the scene in 2018, and although he had a rough sophomore 2019, he still managed to post back-to-back 100+ tackles to start his career. This season, Bates is having a rebound year, and so far has 39 tackles (22 solo), and already has as many PD (7) as he had all of 2018 (he had 9 in 2019). He’s the #6 DB through 5 games.
Justin Simmons (Den, 16%) — Simmons remains a top-10 DB despite his poor matchup in Week 4. The Jets give up the lowest tackles to DBs in the league - 22.1 per game - which can happen with anemic offenses. Still, Simmons came through with 5 solos, demonstrating his reliable tackle floor. This week, his matchup is much improved. In a game that was meant for Week 5, he’ll face New England in Week 6. The Patriots are the #2 team for opposing DB production, averaging over 28 tackles per game to DBs. Oh, and Simmons will likely be facing Jarrett Stidham.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Jeremy Chinn (Car, 16%) — Chinn continues churning. The standout rookie posted 9 tackles (6 solo) in Week 5, giving him at least 8 tackles in each game. His 44 tackles lead all DBs. He has 1 PD and 1 TFL, but I think that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Chinn’s big plays should be on the rise soon. And if that happens, the #5 overall DB might be the #1 overall DB.
Tracy Walker (Det, 13%) — I’d like to thank Aaron Jones for exposing the Lions brain trust and their idea of Walker’s dynamic tackling ability not being valuable enough to keep on the field despite his coverage issues. Jones tore through the Lions safeties in Week 3, including a highlight-producing 75-yard TD where both safeties took poor angles. Since then, we’ve seen more of Walker, and that’s been great for fantasy. He’s posted a 9-tackle and 12-tackle game, along with 6 tackles in Week 4. We see the 6 tackles as his floor and the 12 tackles as his tackle ceiling as long as they don’t get cute and bench him again. Walker’s bye was Week 5, so he’s under-owned.
Chuck Clark (Bal, 12%) — Clark’s 9 tackles and 1 sack in Week 5 was his best game of the year. Clark brings a solid tackle floor (at least 6 tackles in each game) and a dynamic big-play upside that comes with being in the secondary of a Don Martindale defense. Clark’s 37 tackles are 5th-most for a DB, and he also has 1.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He’s the #4 DB through 5 weeks.
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.
{(Taylor Rapp|DB|LAR}} (LAR, 1%) — We were high on Rapp heading into the season, but while he was out with an injury during Training Camp, rookie Jordan Fuller took over as the starter. When Fuller missed time this season with an injury, Rapp filled in and posted 8 tackles (6 solo) in Week 3 and 8 tackles (7 solo) in Week 4. Fuller returned in Week 5, but re-injured his shoulder and is now on IR. Rapp will now see tons of starting time and is a plug-and-play DB2.
{(Rodney McLeod|DB|PHI}} (Phi, 1%) — The Philly defense has adjusted since last season, including getting McLeod closer to the action. Traditionally a deep safety, the Eagles are utilizing McLeod’s tackling ability more, resulting in fantasy relevance. McLeod has 33 tackles (25 solo), including 7 in Week 5 and 9 in Week 4. He also has 4 PD and an INT, showing off his ball-hawking deep safety skills to pad those tackle stats. McLeod is quietly a top-20 DB. Shh, don’t tell your leaguemates.
Adrian Phillips (NE, 5%) — Yes, I have warned about Phillips and his volatile role. But there are times to embrace volatility, and at 5% rostered, now is that time. Phillips was dropped in many leagues due to a poor Week 4 and a surprise Week 5 bye. Phillps posted just 2 tackles (1 solo) in Week 4, which highlights the low end of his volatility. But the other side of his volatility has produced weeks of 8 and 9 tackles. His volatility also comes with big plays: 1 sack, 1 PD, and 1 INT. Phillips can be a DB1 on any given Sunday, and has been so a few times already this season. He’s also past his bye now.
Isaiah Oliver (Atl, 1%) — Oliver is being steadily attacked in this Falcons secondary, and it’s produced dividends for those in CB-required leagues. He had 6 solos in Week 5, and has been a steady 4-7 tackle guy. Though it’s more 7 tackles (twice this season) than 4 tackles (once this season). His 29 tackles, 2 TFL, and 4 PD make him a DB3 and a top-10 CB.
