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.
Maxx Crosby (LV, 25%) — Two years ago, Crosby pulled down 10 sacks and 47 tackles on his way to a DL1 season. Last year, he was effective as well (7 sacks, 39 tackles) but was part of a scheme that rotated DLs so his lowered snap share kept him from being a top-20 DL. This year with new DC Gus Bradley at the helm, Crosby is back to being a nearly-full-time player (92%) and is posting DL1 numbers again: 8 tackles, 2 sacks, and 10 pressures. He’s got a good matchup this week as well, as the Dolphins have one of the worst O-lines in the game which has given up 8 sacks in their two games this season.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Cameron Heyward (Pit, 20%) — Heyward is still criminally under-rostered. He’s the #2 DL so far, with 11 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 3 PD, and a FF/FR. Heyward is a staple on this Pittsburgh D and has picked right back up where he left off. There was concern that the loss of DT Stephon Tuitt would hurt his production, but so far it’s been the opposite.
Cameron Jordan (NO, 18%) — After a dud in Week One, Jordan was dropped in many leagues. IDP vets know that a stud DL will have doughnuts from time to time, but Jordan also played fewer snaps in Week One as the Saints were on the right side of a blowout. He popped back up to his normal snap share (84%) and produced 6 tackles (2 solo) and a TFL.
Jonathan Allen (Was, 17%) — Allen had a monster Week Two: 6 tackles (5 solo), 2 sacks, and 3 TFL. He now has 3 sacks on the year and seems to be the primary beneficiary of all the attention paid to Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Allen plays the most snaps at DT over Daron Payne and Matthew Ioannidis and is the guy you’ll want for your DT1 slot. He’s more valuable in tackle-heavy leagues, as his sacks have been nice but his tackles are his bread-and-butter.
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.
Leonard Williams (NYG, 4%) — I’m not sure why Williams — who finished as the #7 DL last season — is so poorly rostered. He posted 5 tackles (3 solo) in Week Two and his 78% snap share over the first two weeks is top-10. His sacks will come, and soon.
Kwity Paye (Ind, 4%) — Paye was dealing with a hamstring tweak, but still played 69% (close to his 76% share in Week One). He’s had two of the toughest matchups of the season to start his career: stud OTs Duane Brown and Andrew Whitworth in back-to-back weeks. He still managed 5 tackles (4 solo) and showed veteran poise in the run game. His sledding gets easier going forward, including matchups against Miami and Houston over the next month.
Trey Flowers (Det, 3%) — Flowers made this list last week, and surprisingly his ownership went DOWN. Those who dropped him (or never picked him up in the first place) missed his 5 tackles (3 solo) and sack. He’s close to a full-time DL and should be on the field a ton as the Lions are in “re-tool” mode (read: losing a lot).
Steven Means (Atl, 0%) — In leagues that start 3-4 DLs, Means is a great backend option. He’s playing 75-80% and has 4 tackles in each of his two games. Atlanta’s defense is on the field a lot and it doesn't seem like people know Means has moved into a starting role during training camp.
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.
Eric Kendricks (Min, 45%) — Kendricks slipped in roster percentage before last week because of a lingering leg issue and late-game start. Hence, he’s out there on more waiver wires than he should be (ya know, because he’s the #2 LB so far). Kendricks posted 11 tackles (9 solo) in Week Two, giving him a ridiculous 26 tackles over two games. Last call for your LB1. His leg is a slight concern, but it’s worth the risk.
Kenneth Murray (LAC, 23%) — After all the uncertainty surrounding this LB rotation last season and training camp, we have a clear winner for the 3-down LB in Chargersville. Murray — their 1st-round pick from 2020 — has firmly grasped this role and is playing like the dominant LB they hoped he would be. His 16.9% tackle efficiency is phenomenal (and unsustainable) but if he settles into the 12-13% range, he’ll be a top tackler this season.
Foye Oluokun (Atl, 23%) — Oluokun is the #13 LB so far, and as we predicted is the main tackle producer in Atlanta. His 17 tackles over the first two weeks are 11th-most. He should move past Nick Vigil (who will go to the bench once Anthony Barr returns this week or next) and Jordyn Brooks (whose Seahawks have played an insane 164 defensive snaps so far) soon and is a backend LB1 if you’ve missed out on the top options.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Demario Davis (NO, 18%) — Davis only played 42 snaps in Week One because the vets were rested in their 38-3 blowout of Green Bay. After falling behind early, the Packers threw it over 70% to try and play catch up, limiting Davis’ opportunities to just 4 tackles in Week One. Week Two was a normal week for Davis: 100% usage and 12 tackles (8 solo), including 1 TFL and 1 PD. You can’t beat his LB1 upside and LB2 floor.
C.J. Mosley (NYG, 18%) — There’s the player the Jets signed a few years ago! After an injury and a COVID opt-out in back-to-back seasons, Mosley produced 10 tackles (7 solo) in Week Two and through two games has a 12% tackle rate (13-15% is elite, for reference). Mosley should be soaking up tackles for the Jets going forward now that he’s shaken off the rust from a slow Week One (something we cautioned about before Week One).
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.
De’Vondre Campbell (GB, 4%) — After a mediocre Week One (6 tackles; 5 solo), Campbell bounced back with 13 tackles (10 solo) as the entire Green Bay team found its legs in Week Two after a forgettable Week One on both sides of the ball. Campbell seems to be the primary LB here, taking more snaps and producing more than Krys Barnes (78%). We’ve just seen Campbell’s floor and ceiling in back-to-back weeks, proving he’s an LB2 but is off the radar in most leagues.
Logan Wilson (Cin, 5%) — Wilson’s 16 tackles and virtually-every-down role have solidified him as a solid LB2. If you had him last week, you would have benefitted from his 9 tackles, but also his INT. You also would have been hopping mad that he almost had a fumble recovery and TD but he couldn’t corral the football in time before Justin Fields fell on it. But that's the advantage of rostering a full-time player who sits in the middle of the field. His floor is solid tackles, and you get the upside of always being around the ball for turnovers. Wilson remains undervalued.
Justin Strnad (Den, 0%) — Strnad is set to move into a larger role, as Josey Jewell — the LB he was rotating with — tore his pec and is out for the season. Strnad has played well in limited action (6 tackles in just 23 snaps in Week Two) and should be a solid LB3 going forward.
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.
Adrian Amos (GB, 16%) — Amos is an enforcer in this new defensive scheme in Green Bay. He’s had back-to-back games of 9 tackles and his 18 total tackles are 1 shy of the lead for DBs. His high tackle floor and big-play upside playing on a defense that should be defending their fair share of leads this season make him a high-floor DB1.
Johnathan Abram (LV, 17%) — Abram followed his 10-tackle Week One with an 8-tackle (6 solo - including a TFL) performance. He’s the prototypical fantasy DB: plays near the line of scrimmage for the majority of the game and is a strong tackler. If you’re frustrated at DB, Abram is your guy. His role in Gus Bradley’s defense has been a productive one for fantasy for years.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Daniel Sorensen (KC, 6%) — Sorensen continues to be ignored as top-20 DB. He racked up 10 tackles (7 solo) and a sack in Week Two. After helping cover for an absent Tyrann Mathieu in Week One, he moved back into his more productive role with Mathieu back in the lineup. Sorensen is always poorly rostered but was a top-20 DB last season and is a top-20 DB through two games this season.
Khari Willis (Ind, 15%) — Willis posted another 7 tackles (all solo) Week Two, adding an INT and a PD for good measure. He’s the #5 scoring DB two weeks in and has a solid weekly tackle floor on this defense. As mentioned last week, he’s in a similar role that made him a top-25 DB last season — a place he seems ticketed for again this season.
Taylor Rapp (LAR, 5%) — Rapp’s 19 tackles through two games are the most for a DB. After a 10-tackle Week One, the Rams safety posted 9 tackles (7 solo) and a sack in Week Two. Rapp and fellow safety Jordan Fuller are set up to be the leading tacklers for the Rams, and both should be rostered more heavily.
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.
Quandre Diggs (Sea, 2%) — Diggs has been putting up monster numbers so far for Seattle. He’s tied with Taylor Rapp for most DB tackles with 19. Granted, the Seahawks have played 164 defensive snaps so far, so we’re not expecting 10 tackles from Diggs each week, but it’s clear he’ll be busy there and should be a solid DB2.
Rayshawn Jenkins (Jax, 1%) — Jenkins remains a high-floor/high-ceiling DB3 after his second week in a row of 6 solos. Did I mention his high ceiling? He also has a sack and 2 PD and is currently the #22 DB for fantasy. This Jags D is going to be on the field a ton this season and Jenkins can just fall down and pick up 4-5 tackles a week.
James Pierre (Pit, 0%) — Pierre is getting picked on a lot since the rookie CB earned his way into a starting role for the Steelers. All that attention has produced 14 tackles (12 solo) in two games. He’s the #26 DB for fantasy, which isn’t bad considering NO ONE has him on their squad.
