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.
Javon Hargrave (Phi, 26%) — Hargrave added to his lead as the #1 overall DL, racking up another sack, 3 tackles, and 2 QB hits. This is not some lucky stretch, Hargrave is playing dominant football and it doesn’t seem to matter whether or not the Eagles are winning or losing, Hargrave has the Jack. He’s got 28 tackles (13 solo), 6 sacks, 7 TFL, and a forced fumble. His sack chances are lower than usual this week as he faces the Bucs, but he’s been producing each week and you’re going to want to roll with him until that Week 14 bye.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Sam Hubbard (Cin, 20%) — Don’t let that uncharacteristic 1-assist dud scare you; Hubbard is playing 80%+ and has four good matchups ahead in either sack opps (Lions and Jets) or tackle opps (Ravens and Browns). Hubbard remains a DL1 even after his dud.
Leonard Williams (NYG, 7%) — Williams added another 6 tackles (2 solo) and a sack in Week Five while playing 73%. He has at least 5 tackles in four straight games and his 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2 TFL make him DL #15. Not bad for your DL2 slot.
Sebastian Joseph-Day (LAR, 7%) — Joseph-Day has at least 8 tackles in three of his last four games. Read that again. His 30 tackles (19 solo) are the most of a DL and he has 2 sacks in his last three games. He’s DL #6 but no one seems to have noticed. We’ve been waiting for another DL who plays next to Aaron Donald to blossom while Donald gets all the double and triple teams. Well, it seems that (Joseph) Day has come. I’ll see myself out.
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.
Austin Johnson (NYG, 3%) — Johnson added another 4 tackles in Week Five, giving him at least 4 tackles in every game this season. That kind of tackle floor from a DT is Madden-sent. But Johnson isn’t just a tackle-soaker. He has 3 sacks and 4 TFL to go along with his 24 tackles. Johnson is posting top-10 DL production.
Al-Quadin Muhammad (Ind, 1%) — Muhammad flashed last season, but has turned that talent into steady production next to DeForest Buckner this season. His 20 tackles (14 solo) and 2 sacks make him the #14 DL in fantasy. He’s got a great matchup this week against a Texans O-line that was already mediocre, but now LT Laremy Tunsil has a torn ligament in the thumb.
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, 41%) — Campbell continues to thrive on this Packers defense. Green Bay has longed for a play-making LB and Campbell has delivered the goods. He has 48 tackles (31 solo) and that big-play upside is pretty evenly spread throughout his stat sheet: 1 TFL, 3 PD, 2 INTs, and a fumble recovery. Campbell doesn’t seem to be remotely in danger of ceding snaps to newly signed Jaylon Smith, so you should be safe to scoop up the #5 overall 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.
Alex Singleton (Phi, 18%) — Singleton has been posting tackles, but far too many of them have been assists. He’s finally turned that around, as evidenced by his 14-tackle (10 solo) effort in Week Five. He’s not playing every down, but he’s staying in the 75-85% range and that will get it done for your LB2. Singleton has 52 tackles (29 solo) and is currently a top-10 LB.
Christian Kirksey (Hou, 6%) — Kirksey has been the clear beneficiary of whatever issue Houston is having with Zach Cunningham. He’s hit double-digit tackles in two of his last three games and is the clear lead dog now over Cunningham (52% in Week Five). Kirskey’s 41 tackles, 4 PD, and 1 INT make him an LB1.
Alexander Johnson (Den, 6%) — After a slow start to the season — just 3 solos and 4 assists through two games and not playing every down — Johnson has righted the ship with his LB2-like production as of late. He’s posted 8 tackles in back-to-back games, but he also has 2 sacks, 2 PD, and a fumble recovery in his last three games. Since Week Three when he returned to being an every-down player, AJ is LB #14. That’s more like it. He should be a solid LB2 going forward.
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.
Bobby Okereke (Ind, 3%) — Okereke has been rock-solid so far this season. He has at least 8 tackles in each of his last three games and at least 7 tackles in four of five games. He played well enough last season that the Colts were able to let Anthony Walker, Jr. hit free agency. Okereke has played every snap and is LB #25.
David Long, Jr. (Ten, 1%) — Long began to supplant Jayon Brown in Week Three. First by injury, but then it became clear that Brown wasn’t getting his job back, and Long seems to be their new every-down LB. In that role, Long had an 8-tackle and 12-tackle game with a 3-tackle dud in between. His on-field play is as inconsistent as his fantasy production, but it seems the Titans are committed to this, so let’s not let that every-down production die on the waiver wire.
Drue Tranquill (Ind, 1%) — Tranquill’s bye is Week Seven, so he would be a solid bye week fill-in for this week. He’s hit double-digit FP in two of his last three weeks now that Kenneth Murray is on IR. The Ravens produce 23.2 tackles per game to LBs, which is top-10 production.
Reggie Ragland (NYG, 0%) — While waiver wire adds blew up for Tae Crowder, Ragland (87%) has quietly been an LB2/LB3 since Blake Martinez went down. Ragland has 8 and 7 tackles respectively now that he’s in the starting lineup. Ragland is currently unrostered in most leagues.
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.
Logan Ryan (NYG, 30%) — Ryan is on here again because his rostership is just way too low. His 43 tackles leads all DBs, and if it weren’t for Derwin James’ hammer drop in Week Five, Ryan would still be the #1 DB. Fellow safeties Xavier McKinney and Jabrill Peppers aren’t chipping away at his production.
Adrian Amos (GB, 39%) — Amos has been the epitome of DB1-productive under new DC Joe Barry. He has at least 5 tackles in each game and has at least 8 tackles in three of his five games. His 37 tackles (30 solo) and 1 INT give him the 6th-most FPG for DBs.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Quandre Diggs (Sea, 12%) — On a defense that can’t get off the field, Diggs has a nice tackle floor. He’s had at least 5 tackles in every game so far, but his big play upside — 2 INTs and 3 PD — have him as the 7th-best DB. He should continue that mix of tackles and big plays (though don’t expect 2 INTs per four games going forward) and be a solid DB2.
Kyle Dugger (NE, 2%) — OK, I’m convinced. After much bouncing back and forth between Dugger and Adrian Phillips, Dugger’s production is just too good to worry about the occasional Phillips game that steals his production. Dugger has at least 7 tackles in three of his five games, including a 10-tackle game last week. That kind of production is worth the volatility for your DB2/DB3 slot.
Anthony Brown (Dal, 12%) — One of the advantages of playing across from Trevon Diggs with an offense that forces teams to throw early and often is that you get tons of opportunity. Brown has turned all those targets into the 8th-most FPG for DBs so far (and the #1 CB for those of you in CB-required leagues). Brown has 28 tackles (23 solo), 6 PD (!), and 2 INTs. This kind of production is likely to continue given his role and situation.
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.
Nasir Adderley (LAC, 7%) — Adderley is a bye week fill-in, as his bye in Week Seven, but he’s a helluva substitute. Adderley’s 32 tackles since Week Two are 2nd-most. Since then he’s DB #5.
Jalen Thompson (Ari, 4%) — Thompson has been a steady producer on the back end of this Cardinals defense. He has at least 7 tackles in three of his last four games, and at least 6 tackles in four straight contests. His bye isn’t until Week 12 and he has some DB-friendly matchups ahead (Hou, GB, SF, Sea).
