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. The players listed are in waiver wire order based on balanced scoring.
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 Heyward (Pit, 32%) — I’m leaving Heyward on here in case the COVID list contains your DL1. For the second week in a row, Heyward’s roster % (on Yahoo!) didn’t budge. And now he’ll finish as a top-12 DL for the fourth time in five weeks. He racked up 6 tackles and a half-sack.
DeForest Buckner (Ind, 23%) — Buckner hasn’t had the top-5 DL season that he’s capable of having. Hence, he’s fallen off some rosters. But he’s DL #12 on the season and is consistently producing. Buckner has at least 4 tackles in eight games (including four games with 6 tackles) and 6.5 sacks, including one in Week 15.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Demarcus Lawrence (Dal, 20%) — Hopefully you picked up Lawrence last week, as he posted 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 TDL, 1 PD, and 1 forced fumble. D-law has appeared in four games this season and has 14 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL, 5 QB hits, and 2 forced fumbles in those games. He’s playing like a DL1, so you should use him as one.
Charles Harris (Det, 11%) — It’s not just his blow-up Week 15 game of 12 tackles (7 solo) and 1.5 sacks that puts Harris on this list. It’s his sudden consistency. Harris was a first-round pick for Miami back in 2017, but after posting 3 or fewer sacks and 23 or fewer tackles in each season and moving to his third team, Harris has inexplicably found that first-round talent. Since Week 10, Harris has been an anchor on the Detroit D-line, playing 70-90% and producing about 3-6 tackles per game. He’s also found his big play button lately, with 3.5 sacks, 5 TFL, and a forced fumble over his last three games.
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 most give you a 1A option.
Akiem Hicks (Chi, 1%) — Hicks has had issues staying healthy this season. He’s completed just seven games. But those seven games have been DT1/DL2-worthy. Hicks has had between 3 and 5 tackles in all but one of those games while adding 3.5 sacks. If he can stay healthy, the veteran can add the one thing to your roster he struggled with early this season: stability.
D.J. Wonnum (Min, 1%) — The Vikings continue to lead the league in sacks, even without Danielle Hunter (IR). A big part of that is Wonnum, whose 3 sacks in Week 15 now give 5 in the last four games. Ignore his 8 tackles (7 solo), as he normally pulls down about 2-4 per game.
Davon Godchaux (NE, 2%) — Godchaux has moved from a solid 3-5 tackle option to a potential DL1 in tackle-heavy leagues and DT1 in DT-required leagues. After playing between 40-60% through the first 11 games, Godchaux’s snap shares have been 78%, 78%, and 85% over his last three games. Godchaux’s tackles in those games have been 7, 10, and 5, respectively. He’s not much for big plays (just 1 sack and 1 forced fumble on the season), but he was brought in to run-stuff, and run-stuff he does.
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.
De’Vondre Campbell (GB, 52%) — Campbell’s Week 10 (5 tackles), Week 12 (4 tackles), and Week 13 (bye) pulled his roster % back from the LB1 he was before that stretch. However, Week 10 was against Seattle whose offense couldn’t stay on the field as they were shut out, and Week 12 came against a Rams offense that ranks dead last in FPG to LBs. Since then, Campbell has 26 tackles in his last two games, solidifying his place as an LB1. Even with those slow games, Campbell is LB #4.
Kyzir White (LAC, 34%) — White’s 9 tackles (all solo) in Week 15 give him at least 9 tackles in each game since Week 10. Going further back, White has at least 8 tackles in nine straight games. That’s an LB1-worthy tackle floor as you head into the playoffs. He’s been a top-5 LB since Week Seven when he got the starting job.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Quincy Williams (NYJ, 13%) — The Jets were ecstatic when they were able to claim Wiliams off waivers when the Jaguars cut him [insert Jaguars joke here]. Robert Saleh has been using Williams next to C.J. Mosley and both LBs have been tackle machines on this defense. Since he’s worked his way back to starter status, he’s had three double-digit tackle efforts in his last five games. He’s LB #11 since then.
T.J. Edwards (Phi, 22%) — Here’s some COVID list craziness: this article will be published before Edwards plays his Week 15 game, so check his Week 15 production Tuesday night before finalizing your waivers if you can. Or consider adding him before his game tonight if you have the room. Edwards returns from his bye this week to the primary LB role he inherited in Week Eight. He’s carrying with him a high tackle floor (7 tackles in every game) and double-digit tackle upside (10+ tackles in four of his last six games). Assuming all goes in this similar fashion in Week 15, Edwards and his LB2+ production is incredibly valuable.
Germaine Pratt (Cin, 6%) — TheAthletic’s Jay Morrison reported that HC Zac Taylor doesn’t anticipate Logan Wilson returning this week. If that holds, Pratt remains an LB2+ candidate. Pratt racked up 15 tackles (9 solo) in Week 15. He posted 9 tackles in each of his other two starts for Wilson so far. While Wilson should be back soon, it’s win-or-go-home time in the fantasy universe, so use Pratt on a week-by-week basis until Wilson comes back.
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.
Baron Browning (Den, 6%) — Since earning the every-down role, Browning has been mostly a 6-8 tackle player for Denver. He did have one low output game against Detroit, and he had 10 tackles (6 solo) last week, flashing a little LB2+ upside. Normally he’s a backend LB2, but every down LBs are hard to find on the wire these days.
Ernest Jones (LAR, 2%) — Jones should be a 6-9 tackle option going forward. Troy Reeder hasn’t been a threat to Jones for weeks now, regardless of Reeder’s COVID list status. Jones posted 7 tackles (5 solo) and an INT in Week 14. He hasn’t played his Week 15 game yet, so similar to T.J. Edwards, check his box score and snaps tonight before you settle down for your long winter’s nap.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (Det, 0%) — Reeves-Maybin is the new every-down LB in Detroit, as Alex Anzalone is headed to Injured Reserve. He’ll inherit a decent tackle floor, but keep in mind that Anzalone wasn’t a formidable fantasy asset in that role. Reeves-Maybin had 5 tackles while playing 96% in Week 15. He’s a cushion for the back end of your roster, but he’s hard to trust in leagues where you start just 2 LBs.
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.
Jeremy Chinn (Car, 38%) — Chinn added another 7 tackles (5 solo), 1 INT, and 1 PD in Week 15. After three slow games to start the season, Chinn is now DB #5. He’s hit double-digit tackles in three of his last five games.
Jalen Thompson (Ari, 24%) — Thompson is the #4 DB this season. But he’s certainly not rostered like a DB1. He’s had between 6 and 10 tackles in every game since Week Two. Perhaps people are waiting for Budda Baker to return to his DB1 days but under this new scheme, that role has fallen to Thompson.
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, 7%) — Willis posted 9 tackles (5 solo) in Week 15, giving him at least 6 tackles in six of his eight games. He missed multiple weeks due to injury but returned in Week 13. He’s been banged up in multiple games but has had between 6 and 9 tackles in every full game.
Jayron Kearse (Dal, 25%) — Kearse has been a backend DB1 all season. Even in his one low-tackle game (3 tackles), he had a PD and a fumble recovery. He’s a 6-9 tackle option most weeks. Last week, he had 6 tackles (4 solo), with two games of double-digit tackles and three games of 5 tackles. He’s been producing big plays as well, with 2 INTs, 9 PD, and 8 TFL.
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.
A.J. Terrell (Atl, 6%) — Terrell has started to blossom. Last year’s 6th overall pick has been playing more confidently and aggressively as of late. After having 0 INTs and just 3 PD through Week Eight, Terrell now has 2 INTs and 10 PD in his last seven games. That pairs nicely with his 4-6 tackle range in CB-required leagues.
Jourdan Lewis (Dal, 1%) — Lewis was featured here last week and on my SiriusXM Fantasy IDP spot as someone who was in a great spot due to his role. If you picked him up, you enjoyed his INT and 4 PD. He’s going to continue to get targeted often as the slot CB between Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown. He’s got juicy matchups against Washington and Arizona for the fantasy playoffs.
