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.
DeForest Buckner (Ind, 26%) — After a slow stretch of just 1 solo and 5 assists in Weeks Three and Four, Buckner was dropped in a lot of leagues. Those managers missed out on the 9 tackles (6 solo) and 1 sack he would post in the next two games. Buckner remains an elite talent who plays 80% and provides both tackles and sacks. He has at least 4 tackles in four of his six games, and even his tackle floor is pretty high (around 3). His bye isn’t until Week 14.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Leonard Williams (NYG, 9%) — If you’re sick of seeing him on this list, help me out and roster him. Williams was a backend DL1 last year and is currently DL #9. Since Week Two, Williams has at least 5 tackles in every game. He also has 3 sacks. His 33 tackles are tied for 2nd-most for DLs.
Kenny Clark (GB, 10%) — Green Bay’s revamped defense is much improved this season, and Clark has been thriving as a result. He racked up 2 sacks and 3 solos in Week Six, and now has at least 5 tackles in three of his six games and never fewer than 3 tackles. He won’t have a bye until Week 13 and this week he’ll likely be playing with a substantial lead against a Washington team that averages 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks per game to DLs.
Trey Hendrickson (Cin, 7%) — For big play leagues, Hendrickson is a must-add. He’ll be light on tackles as he averages 2 per game, but his 5.5 sacks through six games can’t be ignored. After breaking out last season in New Orleans, Hendrickson is proving the Bengals smart for signing him to take over as their primary pass rusher.
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.
Jonathan Greenard (Hou, 0%) — After not playing for the first two weeks, Greenard now has three games of over 50% usage and in those three games has 13 tackles (10 solo) and 4 sacks. He’s played so well that the Texans cut Whitney Mercilus. Greenard’s snaps should remain at least 50% if not move up a bit with the absence of Mercilus. He’s the waiver wire droid you’re looking for.
Austin Johnson (NYG, 5%) — Johnson posted another 6 tackles in Week Six, though the stat crew counted them all as assists. While that will happen from time to time, the fact that Johnson now has at least 4 tackles in every game to go along with his 3 sacks is encouraging to say the least. He’s DL #11 and now faces the #1 (Carolina) and #12 (Kansas City) offenses for DL production.
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.
Alex Singleton (Phi, 32%) — It’s a little tough to see Singleton’s snaps remain south of 85% — a number he has yet to surpass — but his tackle rate can’t be ignored. His 21.6% tackle rate seems unsustainable (elite players are in the 15-17% range), but he had a 25% tackle rate on 750 snaps last season. At some point, we can’t leave all that production on the waiver wire for fear that his snap counts are a sign of him not being trusted. So when do we put him in our lineups? During the vicious bye weeks. Singleton’s bye is Week 14 and his 67 tackles are 3rd-most for LBs.
C.J. Mosley (NYJ, 22%) — Mosley is coming off his bye, which explains the lowered rostership. Since playing every snap from Week Two on, Mosley has hit double-digit tackles in every game but one, and that game he had 8. He has a strong floor while playing every snap in the middle of a defense should continue to log tons of snaps.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Anthony Walker, Jr. (Cle, 9%) — Walker racked up 9 tackles (6 solo) on an 80% snap share in his first game off the IR. Pegged this offseason to be their every-down LB, he returned to find that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had blossomed into a complete player. The two were set to be the main LBs in Cleveland, which put a slight damper on Walker’s tackle opportunity but JOK was just placed on IR from the ankle injury he suffered in Week Six. Walker should post backend LB1 production going forward.
Bobby Okereke (Ind, 3%) — Okereke’s LB1 production continues to fly under the radar. After his 14-tackle effort in Week Five, OK now has at least 8 tackles in four straight games. He’s here to stay. He also faces the 3rd and 4th best fantasy options for LBs in Weeks Eight and Nine.
Demario Davis (NO, 18%) — Davis is a steady 7-9 tackle option and is fresh off his bye. But it’s not just his high tackle floor we like. The Saints have been using him to attack the backfield more often this season. Davis has 1 sack, 3 QB hits, 4 TFL, and 3 PD through five games. He was LB #15 before his bye.
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.
David Long, Jr. (Ten, 4%) — Since taking over for Jayon Brown, Long has at least 8 tackles in three of four games. Over the last two games, Long has 26 tackles. He’s seemingly cemented himself as the every-down LB in Tennessee and is loved by the coaching staff. He’s LB #13 since Week Three when he took the reins. The team did just sign former Titan Avery WIlliamson, but that should just be as a bench role or part-time player.
Pete Werner (NO, 2%) — Werner’s ascent has been as literal as it has been figurative. The rookie’s snaps have gone as follows: 0, 35, 40, 82. His tackle production followed suit: 0, 2, 10, 13. Coming off the bye, Werner is in position to be an every-down player next to Demario Davis. Kwon Alexander is coming back soon, but beat writers believe it’s now Werner’s job to lose. There’s a little risk due to Alexander’s presence, but you won’t find many double-digit tacklers at 2% rostership.
Jarrad Davis (NYJ, 0%) — Davis is coming off IR soon, and HC Robert Saleh said Davis will get his job back next to C.J. Mosley when he returns. Is that an every-down role? It could very well be. Assume Davis plays 60-80% and is an LB3 for you and you should be happy with the results.
Reggie Ragland (NYG, 0%) — Ragland continues to post 7-8 tackles per game as a starter, but no one seems to notice. He has just 5 fewer tackles than Tae Crowder, but Ragland’s LB3+ production is going to waste. Since moving into a starting role, Ragland is LB #23.
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.
Khari Willis (Ind, 15%) — Willis (ankle, groin) injured himself in Week Three and played limited snaps in Week Five because he was not fully healthy. His three healthy games? 7, 8, and 9 tackles along with 2 sacks, 2 PD, and a fumble recovery. His 14.6% tackle rate is ahead of Derwin James and Logan Ryan. He’s a DB1 when healthy. And he’s finally healthy.
Top Targets
In leagues with 2-3 IDPs per position, these could be league-winners. We’re going decent floor, but mostly upside here.
Kyle Dugger (NE, 4%) — I mentioned last week that I was finally convinced Dugger was going to be a major factor for New England. He added 8 more solos and an INT to his resume last week, giving him 35 tackles in his last three games. While fellow safety Adrian Phillips is still heavily involved, it’s not chipping away at Dugger’s production. Fire Dugger up through your bye weeks. You might just decide to leave him in your lineups.
D.J. Reed (Sea, 5%) — In the turnstile secondary that is Seattle over the last few years, Reed has seemingly gained his balance. He’s been playing well not only in coverage but also as a sure tackler and run defender. He and Tre Brown have apparently locked in their jobs as the starting corners, and Reed’s production has become reliable. He has at least 5 tackles in all but one game and had 9 tackles in two games already this season. He also has stepped up his plays on the ball. He has 3 PD in his last two games, something the Seattle beat writers have been waiting for and have finally seen come to light. He’s a must-start in CB-required leagues and in non-CB leagues, he’s DB3 with DB1 upside when those 9-tackle/2-PD games come around.
Jalen Thompson (Ari, 6%) — Thompson has at least 6 tackles in five straight games and hit the double-digit mark two weeks ago. As mentioned last week: his bye isn’t until Week 12 and still has some DB-friendly matchups ahead (Hou, GB, SF, Sea).
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.
Amani Oruwariye (Det, 0%) — Oruwariye’s play and subsequent production took a huge leap forward starting in Week Three. Since then, he has 20 tackles and 3 INTs. CBs are notorious for up-and-down production, but it appears offenses are choosing to challenge Oruwariye more and more. That’s music to our fantasy lineups. He also has a few DB-friendly matchups in front of him (@LAR, Phi) before his Week Nine bye. Get him while he’s hot.
