Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 6

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 6.

We’re one-third of the way into the season, and bye weeks are upon us. By now, you should have a good idea of your roster construction’s strengths and weaknesses. IDPs are one of the first drops you make to cover byes, which means you need to keep your eyes peeled to the waiver wire for players who shouldn’t have been cut.

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive Linemen

DE Zach Allen, Arizona Cardinals

The 2019 third-round pick has been stuffing the stat sheet the last three weeks. He had 17 total tackles, two sacks and four pass defenses to be one of the top players at the position over the stretch. He had 48 tackles and four sacks last year, which lends us to believe his tackling numbers have some staying power.

DE Montez Sweat, Washington Commanders

Sweat was a big disappointment through the first four weeks of the season, and a lot of impatient owners let him go. He came alive in Week 5 with six tackles and his first two sacks of the year. Clearly, he has struggled without DE Chase Young on the other side, but the team has been happy with Sweat’s run-stopping ability. Young could be back in a matter of weeks, which means Sweat should be owned universally because of last week’s breakout and the future upside.

[listicle id=470298]

Linebackers

LB David Long, Tennessee Titans

Long is on a bye this week – so keep that in mind. He had his best game of the season in Week 5 with 11 tackles and an interception. Yet, fantasy owners have been slow to the trigger to pick him up off waivers. He has at least seven tackles in four of five games, and this bye week should only make him more available. Grab him and stash him for a week if you can.

LB Darius Harris, Kansas City Chiefs

Harris exploded with 10 tackles in Week 3, but he followed it up with a goose egg in Week 4, which caused a surge of people hitting the drop button. He had just 15 tackles in two seasons in his career leading up to this year, which made the performance seem fluky. He responded with 10 tackles and his first career sack Monday night. He has to be part of the picture even when Willie Gay Jr. returns from suspension.

Defensive Backs

CB Cameron Dantzler, Minnesota Vikings

Dantzler had the play that iced the game in Week 5 when he stripped the ball away from a Bears receiver. However it’s what he has done in the tackle category that has made fantasy owners take notice. Dantzler has eight tackles in two of the last three games, and he has five or more in four of the five games. He’s at 30 tackles on the year and well on his way to shattering his career-high of 53 last year.

CB Deommodore Lenoir, San Francisco 49ers

It was really unfortunate that CB Emmanuel Moseley had arguably the best game of his career in Week 5 and left the contest with a torn ACL. Lenoir has been ballin’ out the last three weeks, and he only figures to see more action with Moseley lost for the year. Lenoir has 21 tackles, a sack and a pass defense over the stretch and should start being picked up with more playing time in store.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 5

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 5.

It’s the final week before we have to start covering some bye weeks. So it’s the last chance for some players you drafted that might be lagging behind to show something before roster space becomes a crunch.

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive Linemen

DE Samson Ebukam, San Francisco 49ers

The sixth-year pro has had 4.5 sacks each of the last three years and is close to eclipsing that career high one quarter into the season. He had two sacks in Week 4, and he’s really taking advantage of the extra attention paid opposite of him on a healthy Nick Bosa. Ebukam only has 11 tackles on the year, and he’s a little one-dimensional. Keep that in mind and pursue him in deeper formats.

DT Quinnen Williams, New York Jets  

The former No. 3 overall pick is starting to wreck havoc. He has at least four tackles and a half-sack in three straight games. He has been at 50 tackles and 6-7 sacks each of the last two years, and he projects to soar past those numbers in his fourth season. He should be owned in most leagues.

[listicle id=470003]

Linebackers

LB Tae Crowder, New York Giants

The former seventh-round pick broke out with 130 tackles last year. He went undrafted in a lot of leagues as owners must not have bought into it. Crowder is proving them wrong with 25 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in four games. He should be owned everywhere.

LB Zaven Collins, Arizona Cardinals

The 16th overall pick played sparingly last season, but he’s getting his time to shine in 2022. He has 27 tackles and a forced fumble through four games. He has clearly moved past 2020 No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons and looks to be a fixture in the middle.

Defensive Backs

FS DeShon Elliott, Detroit Lions

The fourth-year man is in his first season with Detroit, and he has been dependable in the secondary. He has 28 tackles (23 solo) and a fumble recovery thus far. There’s a lot of youth back there, and Elliott figures to be one of the leaders. He’s a solid pickup as depth for his tackling prowess, which should remain steady after Detroit lost Tracy Walker (Achilles) a week ago.

S Malik Hooker, Dallas Cowboys

Hooker has played a ton of snaps the last couple of weeks with Jayron Kearse missing time. Hooker stood out in Week 4 with eight tackles, and he has at least four in three straight games. He has had trouble staying healthy in what could have been a path to stardom in Indy, but he’s carving a role in Dallas that may continue beyond Kearse’s return since Dallas loves to employ the “big nickel” defense that fields three safeties.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 4

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 4.

We roll into Week 4 with a good idea of what our teams are and what it will take to stay above the fray or change that pretender to contender. We lost some key guys on defense last week, and there may be holes to fill.

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive Linemen

DT Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins

In a rare case we make for a tackle, Wilkins has been doing plenty of that. He has at least five total stops in all three games and 18 on the season. He doesn’t have a sack yet, but history shows those are coming. Wilkins had 89 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four pass defenses last season. He’ll provide good depth, and you always love an IDP that piles up tackles in fantasy.

DE Dorance Armstrong Jr., Dallas Cowboys

DE DeMarcus Lawrence stole the headlines with three sacks in Week 3, but Armstrong is creeping up with three sacks in the last two weeks. The more attention Lawrence gets, the more of an opening the 25-year-old from Kansas will receive. The Cowboys face a putrid Washington team in Week 4 that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to DLs. He could have a big game in store.

[listicle id=469655]

Linebackers

LB Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars

The first-round rookie opened eyes with 11 tackles in Week 1, but it’s what he has done in coverage that has been impressive. He has an interception and three pass defenses in each of the last two weeks. He tallied 13 total tackles in the two games as well, which you’d like to see more of, but he is floating around too many waiver wires. Even if his tackle numbers don’t pick up, you can fall back on productivity in coverage numbers.

LB Jacob Phillips, Cleveland Browns

The Browns are absolutely decimated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball with LB Anthony Walker Jr. on IR, and DEs Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and DT Taven Bryan all iffy for Week 4. Phillips stepped up when Walker went down in Week 3 and led the team with 7 tackles, a pass defense and had the only sack. The 23-year-old was a 2020 third-round pick and looks to have a lengthy chance for a breakout.

Defensive Backs

FS Mike Edwards, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The fourth-year man started the season slowly, but he delivered a pick-six in Week 2 before opening up a 13-tackle game in Week 3. SS Antoine Winfield Jr. is a stud beside him, and teams will try to stay away from him. That means Edwards is going to have more INT and tackle opportunities. He figures to be extremely busy against Kansas City in Week 4, and you should get busy scooping him up!

FS John Johnson III, Cleveland Browns

It seems like forever ago, but Johnson was once a top-five DB in fantasy with the Los Angeles Rams. Now 26 and trying to find his way back to fantasy prominence, he has been on my watch list all year. He has at least five tackles in all three games and 18 in total. He also has a half sack, a forced fumble and two PDs. So he’s starting to compile across the board, and now might be the time to secure his services as depth.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 3

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 3.

Two weeks down, and now is the time when you worry less about where you drafted someone and start to plug holes on waivers if that player underperforms.

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive Linemen

DE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions

The No. 2 overall pick started slowly with just one assisted tackle in his first pro game, but he made a statement in Week 2. He had six total tackles and three sacks against the Washington Commanders. That is sure to get Minnesota’s attention as they scheme to block him this week, but he should be picked up in all leagues that require two defensive linemen. He’s owned in many leagues, though someone may have dropped him after the lackluster Week 1 showing.

DE Trevis Gipson, Chicago Bears

This one is strictly for deep leagues or to put on the watch list elsewhere. Gipson broke through for two sacks against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. He had three tackles in Week 1, and he’s doing all of this in limited time. He has played in just 36 percent of the snaps thus far, but that’s about to change. He really utilized the attention placed on DE Robert Quinn opposite of him to his advantage.

[listicle id=469326]

Linebackers

LB Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts

Franklin has been gobbling up the tackles in MLB Shaquille Leonard’s (back) absence through two weeks. He had eight tackles in Week 1 and 10 in Week 2. Leonard should be week-to-week at this point, which will nerf Franklin’s stock a little bit, but he is still good depth to have.

LB Frankie Luvu, Carolina Panthers

Showing shades of Luke Kuechly, Luvu followed up a strong Week 1 with 10 solo tackles in Week 2. Luvu, 26, had a career-high 43 tackles last season, and he could eclipse that mark in the first month as he has 16 total tackles in the early going.

Defensive Backs

SS Kamren Curl, Washington Commanders

Curl missed the first two weeks with a thumb injury, which allowed second-year man Darrick Forrest to amass 15 tackles. Curl has been cleared to return this week, and he needs to be owned in all formats. Since he was banged up, he was dropped or undrafted in a lot of shallow leagues. He averaged 93.5 tackles in his first two seasons and should come close to that again with the extra game in the schedule.

CB Nate Hobbs, Las Vegas Raiders

Hobbs has filled the stat sheet in the first two weeks. In the opener, he had nine tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defense. In Week 2, he racked up 11 total tackles. Can he continue to tackle at this rate as a corner? Probably not. However, he makes for great depth or potential trade bait.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 2

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 2.

After one of the more entertaining Week 1’s in recent memory, we flip the page to our first inseason waiver session. Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive Linemen

DE Jerry Hughes, Houston Texans

The 34-year-old Hughes turned back the clock with a game-breaking performance in Week 1. He had three tackles, two sacks, an INT, a forced fumble and a pass defense to become one of the top point scorers at the position. Temper expectations, because he hasn’t made 40 tackles since 2017 and has just 13 sacks over the last four years combined.

DE Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts

The first-round pick disappointed in his rookie season with 32 tackles and four sacks. He generated a big chunk of those stats last week with seven tackles and two sacks against the Houston Texans. Can he be an under-the-radar sophomore breakout? He’ll have the opportunity to prove it against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 and will be a flex or DL2 candidate.

[listicle id=468903]

Linebackers

LB Pete Werner, New Orleans Saints

The second-year man finished tied for 98th among LBs in fantasy points last season with 62 total tackles and nothing else. He busted out with 13 tackles and a forced fumble in Week 1. He was a second-round pick in ’21, and he very well could be coming of age.

LB Jayon Brown, Las Vegas Raiders

Brown was an LB1 as recent as 2020, but injuries really took the wind from his fantasy sails. He’s still just 27 and getting his legs back under him after two 10-game campaigns in a row. In 2019, he had 105 tackles, a sack, an INT and eight pass defenses. He posted five total tackles in Week 1, and he’s still well within his physical prime. He’s worth picking up in deeper leagues and watching universally to see if he can return to LB1 status.

Defensive Backs

FS Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers

Another second-year man from USC made a big impact in Week 1 with 11 total tackles and an INT. He totaled just 32 total tackles and two PDs in his rookie season. He plays with his hair on fire like a linebacker and has drawn comparisons to Troy Polamalu. This could have been his first of several 10-tackle games to come.

S Josh Jones, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has likely lost star safety Jamal Adams to a torn quadriceps for the season, and Jones is the next man up. He held his own with seven tackles in Week 1 and should continue to have opportunities to chase his career-high 83 tackles set in 2020 with Jacksonville.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 1

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 1.

Welcome to the 2022 fantasy football season! Each week, we’ll highlight some diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive Linemen

DE James Smith-Williams, Washington Commanders

Star DE Chase Young is on the PUP and may miss close to half the season recovering from a torn ACL. Smith-Williams, a third-year end, had 40 tackles and three sacks in his first two seasons combined. He’ll have an opportunity in Week 1 to create havoc against a Jacksonville Jaguars O-line that has some gelling to do. They retained LT Cam Robinson in the offseason on the franchise tag and signed OG Brandon Scherff, but they don’t have much else. JSW is worth picking up in case he breaks out in a good matchup.

DE Tashawn Bower, Las Vegas Raiders

Bower is one to keep on your watch list or snatch in deeper leagues. He’ll be a rotational player behind Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones, but he’ll get the chance to rush the passer. He led the league with four sacks this preseason, and he was all over the place with 12 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

[listicle id=468592]

Linebackers

LB Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos

Chubb and Von Miller were supposed to be a lethal pass-rush duo, but they couldn’t stay on the field together. Now Chubb will have Randy Gregory on the weak side, and they have a great matchup against a hapless Seattle Seahawks offensive line. Look for Chubb to start quickly in his quest to surpass his career-high 12 sacks from his rookie season. Bonus points aplenty if he qualifies as a DE in your league.

LB Myjai Sanders, Arizona Cardinals

Starting strongside LB Markus Golden (undisclosed) is questionable for Week 1, which opens the door for the rookie. Sanders had a solid 14.1 pressure percentage last year as a senior at Cincinnati. He converted that into only 2.5 sacks. The Cards thought enough of him to spend a third-round pick on him, and he could earn more reps with a big debut.

Defensive Backs

FS Andre Cisco, Jacksonville Jaguars

Cisco is the type of high-motor guy you like to see in a potential breakout at safety. QB Trevor Lawrence said that Cisco takes calculated risks in practice, and more times than not – they pan out. Cisco had 26 tackles, two forced fumbles, and two pass defenses in 17 games last year. He’ll be in the starting lineup and could compile enough tackles to make an early splash.

CB Jeff Okudah, Detroit Lions

If you want to talk about post-hype prospects, you can’t get much more post-hype than the 2020 No. 3 overall pick. He had 47 tackles, one pick and two pass defenses in nine games during his rookie season and was only able to suit up for one game last year. He’s still just 23 and in line to start opposite Amani Oruwariye. He’s big and quick enough to compete with anyone, and now he may be hungry to erase that “bust” label.

IDP fantasy football sleepers for 2022

Late-round fantasy picks for those playing in IDP leagues.

Fantasy football individual defensive player (IDP) leagues aren’t for everyone, but if a new experience is in your 2022 wheelhouse (because, why not?), having a few sleepers and breakouts in your back pocket is a great place to start.

IDP leagues tend to work counterintuitively, especially in the secondary. Star defensive backs, like Jalen Ramsey or Darius Slay, often don’t get thrown at enough to rack up the necessary counting stats to comparatively shine in fantasy. Ramsey, for example, is arguably the best corner in the game and rates as a low-end No. 2 fantasy defensive back — playable, but hardly the superstar impact we see in real life.

Identifying players that will get picked on by offensive coordinators is a good place to start, and understanding matchups is imperative, particularly once we start setting lineups.

Linebackers are the engine powering an IDP lineup. Aside from a handful of linemen and safeties, few defensive players will score anywhere close to even midrange ‘backers. As a result, many leagues are moving away from the old-fashioned tackle-heavy scoring standard and implementing bonus points for sack specialists and ball hawks to more closely align the positions.

As with non-IDP leagues, knowing your scoring system is essential in recognizing which players to target. We will focus on the classic scoring design, unless otherwise noted.

Fantasy football IDP player rankings

Defensive linemen | Linebackers | Defensive backs

Fantasy football IDP rookie dynasty rankings

Rookie rankings for IDP dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Drafting in a dynasty format that includes individual defensive players (IDP)? Here’s how the 2022 rookie class stacks up for long-term fantasy football value.

Also see fantasy football IDP rankings DL | LB | DB | Overall

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 18

The best one-week plays in Week 18 IDP leagues.

In what has been a trying, wacky season, it all comes down to this. Welcome to the first of its kind – Week 18. Here are some one-week plays to bank on when you’re scouring the waiver wire.

Defensive Linemen

DE Leonard Williams, New York Giants (vs. WAS)

The Washington Football Team has been decimated up front with injuries, and it shows. They have allowed the most fantasy points to defensive linemen the last five weeks and coughed up 11 sacks to boot. Williams has been a bright spot for the G-Men and had eight total tackles last week. He hasn’t recorded a sack since Week 8, but that could change in the season finale.

DE Jadeveon Clowney, Cleveland Browns (vs. CIN)

Welcome back to the fantasysphere, Clowney! He showed up and showed out for six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. The Cincinnati Bengals are tied for the most sacks allowed to D-linemen the last five weeks, and Clowney is looking to land a gig for next season. The Bengals will come ready, though, as they still have a shot at the top seed in the AFC if KC loses on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=463446]

Linebackers

LB Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BAL)

The Baltimore Ravens have allowed the second-most sacks to linebackers the last five weeks, and their quarterback situation is still in flux with Lamar Jackson (ankle) iffy. They also have very slim odds of making the playoffs. Enter Highsmith, who has rattled off 12 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble the last two weeks.

LB Alec Ogletree, Chicago Bears (vs. MIN)

The Minnesota Vikings have pretty much mailed it in after losing to Green Bay last week. Ogletree, has not, as he scooped up eight tackles in each of the last three games. He can give you tackles and pass-coverage numbers in this one.

Defensive Backs

S Marcell Harris, San Francisco 49ers (vs. LAR)

The aerial barrage of the Los Angeles Rams yields a ton of tackles to DBs. Over the last five weeks, opposing secondaries have 159 tackles. Harris was a standout in Week 17, picking up 10 tackles of his own. He picked off his first pass of the year, too. Give him a look in the season finale.

CB M.J. Stewart, Cleveland Browns (vs. CIN)

His name doesn’t jump off the page, but, man, his stats do. Over the last three weeks, he has 27 tackles, three pass defenses and a forced fumble. The Cincinnati Bengals, as previously mentioned, have something to play for if KC wins on Saturday and will look to gun it downfield. Stewart has been up to the task of late without a lot of fanfare.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 17

Forecasting the free-agent IDPs you should target in fantasy leagues.

It’s championship week for most fantasy football leagues and the second-to-last week of the long grind for others. Let’s see what kind of gems we can pluck from the waiver wire in Week 17.

Defensive Linemen

DE Carlos Dunlap, Seattle Seahawks

The 32-year-old former Pro Bowler has reignited the last couple of weeks. He has sacks in three of four games, and he has five sacks in the last two weeks. Dunlap put up nine tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defense in the two slates as well as he is looking to get a new contract in the offseason.

DE William Gholston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Gholston opened up for 2.5 sacks in Week 16 to double his yearly output. The 30-year-old has made his case to replace the injured LB Shaq Barrett (knee) off the edge. He has a tasty matchup against the New York Jets this week to add to it.

[lawrence-related id=463276]

Linebackers

LB Jonas Griffith, Denver Broncos

If his nine tackles in Week 15 didn’t catch your attention, his 13 total stops last week should have. Griffith is an undrafted rookie who has taken his chance and run with it. Pick him up for depth in most formats.

LB Markus Bailey, Cincinnati Bengals

The second-year man is another unknown looking to become known. The former seventh-rounder had eight total tackles in Week 16 after he made a splash in Week 15. He had five tackles, a half-sack and a pass defense. He’ll chase around the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns in the last two games.

Defensive Backs

SS Jeremy Reaves, Washington Football Team

The South Alabama product has emerged onto the scene in the last two weeks with 22 tackles in the last two games. It’s pretty hard to find 10-tackle players at this point in the season, and you should rush to the wire to add him at least as depth.

FS Darnell Savage, Green Bay Packers

The 2019 first-round pick has been slow to develop, but after he picked off his second pass of the season last week – now may be the time. He averaged seven tackles the last two weeks to pad his roster viability even more. Savage has the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions the last two weeks.