idp waiver wire picks – Page 3

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 13

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 13.

The weeks are dwindling, but we hope the W’s are piling up as the fantasy playoffs come into focus. We have six teams on a bye this week, and it will be a crucial one to nail your waiver claims and pounce on those guys who probably shouldn’t have been dropped.

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, Indianapolis Colts

The seventh-year pro has been useful at times in fantasy. He had a stretch early in the year with a sack in four of five games and sprinkled in some four-tackle games as well. He came out of the bye week with four tackles, a forced fumble and two sacks. He has the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals to terrorize the next two weeks.

DE BJ Ojulari, Arizona Cardinals

The second-round pick is starting to cause some havoc. Here are his last five game logs: two tackles, one sack; four tackles; eight tackles, two sacks; one tackle, one sack; and five tackles. He’s getting it done in different ways. He has the Pittsburgh Steelers this week before his bye in Week 14, so it may be a short-term pickup.

Linebackers

LB Krys Barnes, Arizona Cardinals

When healthy, this guy makes a difference. The problem is keeping him healthy. He had two, seven-tackle games early in the year and was injured. He returned two weeks ago with three tackles, an INT and two pass defenses and had seven tackles last week.

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LB Sione Takitaki, Cleveland Browns

The fifth-year pro is on the fringe but has a couple of notable performances recently. Takitaki had five tackles and a pass defense two weeks ago and six tackles last week. The Browns have a few injuries in their linebacking corps, and he looks poised to take advantage.

LB Anfernee Jennings, New England Patriots

The 2020 third-round pick has posted three solid games in a row. He had four tackles three weeks ago, seen tackles two weeks ago and broke off four tackles and 1.5 sacks last week. He’s a fit in deeper leagues if you’re covering a bye.

Defensive backs

S Trenton Thompson, Pittsburgh Steelers

This one may hinge on the health of Minkah Fitzpatrick, but the former UDFA has played well the last two weeks. He had six tackles and two pass defenses in Week 11 and five tackles, an INT and a pass defense in Week 12. He may get a longer look down the stretch.

FS Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints

We featured the “Honey Badger” a couple of weeks ago, and he just keeps performing. He came out of the bye week with four tackles, two INTs and two pass defenses. He had eight tackles in the game before his bye week. If you didn’t bite then, you should now.

CB DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys

Throw out the pick-six record, and when you focus on the more realistic counting numbers, he has been great. He has a pass defense in eight straight games and an INT in three straight. He had 10 tackles last week and at least four in three straight and four of five.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 12

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 12.

How is it Week 12 already? This season has blown by, and we hope you’re doing the same to the competition. We have a few more weeks of byes to cover, and it’s important to nail those sleepers on the wire.

Defensive linemen

EDGE Baron Browning, Denver Broncos

The 2021 third-round pick will have some peaks and valleys, but those peaks have been on point of late. In Week 8, he had four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Browning had a quiet, three-tackle game in Week 10 and had three tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in Week 11. He has the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans the next two weeks to keep feasting.

EDGE Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens

The EDGE rusher has reached the quarterback three weeks in a row and in four of five games. His value will hinge largely on sacks, because he has 13 tackles over the last five games. If your league incentivizes sacks, he’s a good target.

Linebackers

LB Ernest Jones, Los Angeles Rams

He missed a game due to injury and then had a bye week, so Jones could be floating on waivers in shallow or less competitive formats. He shouldn’t be there after 12 tackles and a half-sack in Week 11. He has five 10-tackle games on the season and will provide some upside.

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LB Damone Clark, Dallas Cowboys

Clark was highly effective early in the season with three eight-plus tackle games in the stretch of a month. He has been a little shaky since, but he has six tackles in three of four games.

Defensive backs

SS Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams

He’s dealing with a sore hamstring, so keep an eye on his status this week. Lake had a season-high eight tackles last week and has at least six stops in three of four games. He won’t offer much elsewhere, but the tackle numbers are encouraging.

SS Jordan Battle, Denver Broncos

Battle’s role has increased … as such, his production did as well. He delivered 12 tackles last week. There’s no telling if that was a blip or the start of something, because he didn’t have more than three in any previous game this season.

SS DeAndre Houston-Carson, Houston Texans

Houston-Carson had a statement game two weeks ago with seven tackles and an INT. He followed it up last week with five tackles and a pass defense. He has the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and New York Jets coming up to get it rolling.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 11

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 11.

Things are getting hot and heavy in Week 11. Four teams are coming off a bye and as many teams are idle. The deeper we get, the more important it is to nail those sleepers on waivers.

Defensive linemen

DE Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders

The 2021 third-round pick has reached the quarterback in two straight weeks. He had four tackles in Week 9 and two tackles and a forced fumble in Week 10 to go with the solo sacks in each game. Rushing opposite of Maxx Crosby is clearly opening things up for him, and Koonce is taking advantage.

DE Dorance Armstrong, Dallas Cowboys

The sixth-year man has at least a half-sack in three straight games. He has only seven tackles in that stretch, so Armstrong will be more useful in a deeper league or one that awards more points for sacks. He has the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders to wreak havoc in the backfield on the next two weeks.

Linebackers

LB Harold Landry, Tennessee Titans

Over the last four games, Landry has three boomers and one bust. He had five tackles and a sack in Week 6, five tackles and two sacks in Week 8, a single assisted tackle in Week 9 and nine tackles and a sack last week. Buyer beware, and he’ll be more valuable in leagues that designate EDGE rushers, but the production is there.

LB Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets

Sherwood had a breakout game in Week 10 with seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defense. He had a seven-tackle game earlier in the year, but he really hasn’t done much, and there’s a risk that this game was a fluke. At this point in the season, though, you take that chance.

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LB Christian Harris, Houston Texans

Harris has had five tackles in each of the last two weeks, which is so-so. But the league suspended starting LB Denzel Perryman three games for personal foul violations. That should bump up Harris’ playing time even more, and he’s worth the pickup.

Defensive backs

SS Jordan Whitehead, New York Jets

Whitehead has returned to fantasy relevance the last three weeks. He opened the season with three big weeks and went into the tank for about a month. He had eight tackles and a deflection in Week 8, four tackles and a pass defensed in Week 9 and nine tackles, an INT and PD in Week 10.

FS Percy Butler, Washington Commanders

The second-year man had his best game as a pro last week with nine tackles and a pass defense. Over the last three weeks, he has 19 tackles and three pass defenses. Give him a look in case this is more coming of age than a blip on the map.

FS Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints

He’s on a bye this week, so keep him on your watch list or give him a look in deeper leagues. But the Honey Badger is playing his best football of the year. He had six tackles and a PD in Week 9 and eight tackles in Week 10. He has the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams coming up, and he could stuff the stat sheet with tackles and picks.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 10

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 10.

We have reached double digits in Week 10. For some, the fantasy playoffs are mere weeks away, and every roster spot becomes increasingly important.

Defensive linemen

DE Za’Darius Smith, Cleveland Browns

Rushing on the edge opposite of Myles Garrett – what a fruitful position that would be! Well, that’s where the 31-year-old Smith is lining up. He has sacks in two of the last three games, but the middle game, he had just a single assisted tackle. So Smith will have peaks and valleys, but you have to love the potential opposite of Garrett.

DE Bryce Huff, New York Jets

He has sacks in four straight games and five total sacks during the stretch. Huff played only 48 percent of the snaps in Week 9, though, and that’s where the potential problem prevents itself. With this kind of production, though, you can’t ignore it over a four-game stretch.

Linebackers

LB Tyrel Dodson, Buffalo Bills

The 25-year-old had a season-high 10 tackles in Week 9. Before that, he had five and seven tackles the previous two weeks. He has the Denver Broncos and New York Jets the next two weeks, and he could continue his hot stretch against those lesser foes.

LB Kyle Van Noy, Baltimore Ravens

This one is strictly an option for leagues that reward sacks more than others. Van Noy has just eight tackles over the last four games. He also has five sacks during that stretch. He has a solid matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10.

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LB Zach Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles

He’s on a bye this week, so keep that in mind when weighing this option. He had his second 10-tackle game of the season in Week 9 with LB Nakobe Dean (foot) suffering another injury. Cunningham made five tackles and two pass defenses two weeks ago, so he’s starting to leave bread crumbs of a viable fantasy option. This late in the game, it’s hard to find 10-tackle guys. Keep him in mind if you have the roster space and Dean isn’t available post-bye.

Defensive backs

CB Kenny Moore II, Indianapolis Colts

Moore is one of the highest-scoring DBs in fantasy over the last three weeks. He tallied 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the last three games, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns and two PDs in Week 9 alone. Obviously, you can’t count on the TDs, but his other counting numbers have been great.

SS Keanu Neal, Pittsburgh Steelers

FS Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) is likely out again this week, which will put more pressure on Neal on the strong side. He has had seven tackles in two straight games and seems to be thriving without Fitzpatrick. He has the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns the next two weeks to prove it.

FS Jonathan Owens, Green Bay Packers

Owens took over when Darnell Savage went on IR a couple of weeks ago. It took two games, but he had his breakout with eight tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack in Week 9. He’ll have some run over the next few weeks to build on it with Savage out.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 9

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 8.

Tuesday is the NFL trade deadline, and we’ve already have one spot on the defense open up. Bye weeks resume in Week 9, and the roster crunch will begin to apply pressure as we charge toward the stretch run.

Defensive linemen

DE George Karlaftis, Kansas City Chiefs

The 2022 first-round pick is coming of age in his second season. He has tied his rookie season total with six sacks in half the games, and he has four sacks in the last three games. Karlaftis had seven tackles, a forced fumble, and 2 1/2 sacks last week against the Denver Broncos.

DE James Smith-Williams, Washington Commanders

The Commanders traded DE Montez Sweat to Chicago and are working to trade DE Chase Young. This will open a spot for Smith-Williams to slide in and start. He had three sacks in 14 games of limited action last year, and is probably an option only in deeper leagues, but he did have three tackles two games ago against the New York Giants.

Linebackers

LB David Mayo, Washington Commanders

The 30-year-old veteran opened eyes with 11 tackles in Week 7. He followed it up with nine tackles against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Mayo doesn’t have much competition at middle linebacker, though, they could opt to go younger later. For now, he’s a banger of a pickup.

LB Leo Chenal, Kansas City Chiefs

With Nick Bolton on IR, the 2022 third-round pick delivered 10 tackles and a sack in Week 8. He has the Miami Dolphins before a bye week, which means Chenal may be a one-week flier if you don’t have room to roster him through the off-week. However, he’s worth the pickup for the potential.

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LB Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles

Dean was hurt in Week 1 and missed a month with a foot injury. Upon returning, he didn’t do much with four tackles and three tackles. And then Week 8 happened, and Dean had 12 tackles. Weeks like those are probably not going to be the norm, but he is in the middle of a talented defense and is a flex consideration.

Defensive backs

FS Quandre Diggs, Seattle Seahawks

The 31-year-old safety is one that fantasy owners are familiar with as he’s usually on the periphery of a pickup or a one-week play. Three weeks ago, he had eight tackles and fell back to three tackles and a pass defense in Week 7. Diggs delivered nine tackles last week, so expect peaks and valleys.

FS Juan Thornhill, Cleveland Browns

Thornhill, a 27-year-old second-round pick in 2019, has delivered 32 tackles in six games this season. He had seven, five, seven and seven tackles in the last four weeks. There’s nothing glamorous about it, but a seven-tackle player is hard to find on waivers.

CB Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A cornerback pops up in this week’s list, and he’s performing like a safety. He had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery two weeks ago and delivered eight tackles and two pass defenses last week. Dean has a soft part of the schedule coming up with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, so he may have a nice window here.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 8

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 8.

We’re nearing the halfway point of the NFL season, and we hope you’re looking back at the competition in the rearview. It’ll be a high-octane week because no teams are on a bye in Week 8.

Defensive linemen

DE Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles

He’s a bit feast-or-famine, because if Sweat is not reaching the quarterback, he won’t add a lot. He’s reaching the quarterback often right now. He had two sacks in Week 7 and has at least a half-sack in five of seven games this season. He has only 19 tackles in seven games but has seven forced fumbles and an INT. He could have a field day against Washington this week.

DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

He was the last pick in the first round of the 2021 draft, and if he qualifies at DL in your league, he’s on a tear the last two weeks. JTS had four tackles and a sack two weeks ago and six tackles last week. The 24-year-old EDGE recorded four sacks in each of his first two seasons, and he has three thus far in 2023.

Linebackers

LB Blake Cashman, Houston Texans

He’s coming off a bye week, which could have kept him floating on waivers after a monstrous game in Week 6. Cashman had 15 tackles and two pass defenses. He had nine tackles in Week 5 as well. If available, he has the most upside of our linebacker pecking order this week.

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LB Kyle Van Noy, Baltimore Ravens

The 32-year-old veteran wreaked havoc in Week 7 with five tackles and two sacks. Van Noy has three sacks over the last two weeks and is forcing the team’s hand into giving him a bigger role. In deeper leagues, or leagues that rely heavier on sacks, he’s a sneaky option.

LB Anfernee Jennings, New England Patriots

The 2020 third-round pick has played in four games and has at least five tackles in each of them. He had six tackles in each of the last two games and could provide a low-ceiling, reasonable-floor option if you’re dealing with injuries at the position.

Defensive backs

CB Darious Williams, Jacksonville Jaguars

Five, seven, three, five – those are the tackle numbers the 30-year-old has produced the last four games. He also has a forced fumble, an INT and eight pass defenses in that stretch. Corners are combustible, but Williams has been great for the last month.

S Dean Marlowe, Los Angeles Chargers

Marlowe had 11 tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs last week and had six in the game before that. The 31-year-old journeyman will need S Alohi Gilman (heel) to remain sidelined to remain a factor, but you can’t ignore the output the last two weeks.

SS Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills

It has been a quiet season for 32-year-old vet, but he busted out in Week 7 with 10 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Before that game, he had a ho-hum 24 tackles on the year and nothing else. So you run the risk of that game being an aberration, but he has had at least five tackles in three straight games.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 7

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 7.

Six weeks down, and two-thirds of the season to go. We’re through two weeks of byes, and we’re entering the point where you need to make real decisions on guys you have drafted or have been waiting to awaken. Keep an eye out for owners feeling the roster crunch who may drop a player they normally wouldn’t cut in order to cover an IDP bye.

Defensive linemen

DE Samson Ebukam, Indianapolis Colts

The 28-year-old has sacks in four of the last five games. He has had at least two tackles in all six games thus far, too. Ebukam has been a consistent performer the last four years with 4 1/2, 4 1/2, 4 1/2 and five sacks. He’s at four now and is poised to blow past his career high of five.

DE Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

The former 2020 third-round pick has emerged the last three weeks with at least a half-sack in each game. Madubuike has totaled 12 total tackles and 3 1/2 sacks during the stretch. He’s a big, 305-pound run-stuffer who has shifted to the end, and he’s making the most of his opportunity.

Linebackers

LB Jahlani Tavai, New England Patriots

The 27-year-old, former second-round pick is having a breakout season. Over the last three weeks, he has 21 tackles, an INT, a sack, and two pass defenses. Tavai is exactly the kind of high-motor guy Bill Belichick loves, and he could be a mainstay in the middle for a while.

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LB Jack Gibbens, Tennessee Titans

The Titans are on a bye this week, so this will be a move if you have the roster space. Gibbens has earned it. He has had eight, 10, 10 and nine tackles over the last four weeks. He has one pass defense on the season and nothing else, so this will be for a league that values tackles.

LB Oren Burks, San Francisco 49ers

Burks is a depth piece to pick up, and he’s coming off his best two games of the season. He had five tackles and an INT in Week 5, and he followed that up with eight tackles in Week 6.

Defensive backs

SS Justin Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

Reid had a strong start to the season and fell off a cliff in Weeks 3 and 4. He has resurfaced the last two weeks with eight tackles, a forced fumble, and pass defense in Week 5, adding five tackles, an INT, and a sack in Week 6. He’ll be busy against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins the next three weeks.

SS Josh Metellus, Minnesota Vikings

The 2020 sixth-round pick’s numbers the last few weeks will give you some pause. He has at least six tackles in each game, and he stood out in Week 6 with a strip sack and eight tackles. You simply can’t ignore these numbers any longer.

SS Tracy Walker, Detroit Lions

Walker is a target for deeper leagues where you’re looking for some low-hanging fruit. Over the last four weeks, he has six, five, four and six tackles to go with two pass defenses overall. He’s not going to jump off the page, but he adds some baseline numbers.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 6

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

We’re through five weeks and just completed the first round of byes. Keep an eye out for owners feeling the roster crunch who may drop a player they normally wouldn’t drop in order to cover an IDP bye.

Defensive linemen

DE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions

Last year’s No. 2 overall pick has had three straight good games after a so-so first two weeks. Hutchinson has nine tackles, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, an INT, four pass defenses and 4 1/2 sacks over the last three weeks. Hutchinson is likely owned in most deeper and competitive formats, but if he’s still somehow on waivers, you should change that.

DT Ed Oliver, Buffalo Bills

The big, 287-pound tackle has been a force in the middle thus far. He has at least three tackles per game, but Oliver has at least one sack per game over the last three games. He added nine tackles and a sack in Week 5. Defensive tackles are risky, but he’s producing enough to warrant the pickup if you need to cover a bye.

Linebackers

LB Nathan Landman, Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons lost Troy Andersen in the middle to a torn pectoral muscle, and the undrafted Landman has stepped in nicely. He had nine tackles in Week 4 and seven in Week 5. He’ll face the Washington Commanders in Week 6, and they run the ball and use short routes a lot, which could be another big tackle day.

LB Henry To’oTo’o, Houston Texans

Injuries have catapulted the fifth-round pick into a spot on the strong side, and he has answered the bell. He has at least seven tackles in four straight games and had at least 10 stops in two of them. To’oTo’o doesn’t offer much else, but it’s hard to find someone to land around eight tackles a game on waivers.

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LB Christian Rozeboom, Los Angeles Rams

Six, five, five, six and five. That’s what the fourth-year, undrafted linebacker from South Dakota State has delivered in tackles each week. Rozeboom has offered nothing else, but he has set a baseline that can be useful in deeper formats if you’re trying to cover a bye at a premium position.

Defensive backs

SS Jimmie Ward, Houston Texans

It has been three good weeks in a row for the 10-year vet. He had eight tackles in Week 3, four tackles, and a forced fumble in Week 4, plus six tackles and a pass defense in Week 5. He has the New Orleans Saints this week and then a bye, which may mean he’s a short-term option. However, if he has another solid game this week, we could see keeping him around through the bye.

FS Micah Hyde, Buffalo Bills

From a fantasy perspective, the 32-year-old is a very unsexy option. His six tackles in Week 5 were a season high. He has two INTs, but he doesn’t really do much to stand out from a statistical standpoint. He has the New England Patriots, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers the next three weeks, and he could see more INT windows.

S Sam Franklin, Carolina Panthers

Franklin could be a one-week play against the Miami Dolphins this week. The Panthers are on a bye in Week 7, and Franklin would probably be expendable that week. He has stepped in for Xavier Woods, who is out four-to-six weeks with a hamstring injury. He had a Pick-6 in Week 4 and eight tackles last week.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 5

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

Four weeks down, and we hope you’re sitting atop the standings. Bye weeks enter the fold this week, which means we’re going to have to dig deeper for gems and use our roster flexibility. Keep an eye out for owners feeling the roster crunch who may drop a player they normally wouldn’t drop in order to cover an IDP bye.

Defensive linemen

DE Chase Young, Washington Commanders

Now in his fourth year, Young is trying to find his way back into Defensive Rookie of the Year form after two lost years due to injuries. He had three tackles and 1.5 sacks in Week 2 and three tackles and a sack in Week 4. He’ll be highly dependent on sacks for fantasy value, but he looks to be regaining his rookie form.

DE Jonathan Greenard, Houston Texans

Greenard has had some peaks and valleys already this season, and Week 4 was another peak. He had five tackles and two sacks, and he also had five tackles and one sack in Week 1. He had three tackles in each of the two games between, so you know that you’re going to have to deal with the ebbs and flows with him.

Linebackers

LB Jahlani Tavai, New England Patriots

Tavai has quietly had three solid weeks in a row. The culmination was six tackles, a sack and a pass defense in Week 4. He has at least five tackles in three straight games. The team lost EDGE Matt Judon, possibly for the season, and Tavai could be asked to rush more as a result.

LB Nicholas Morrow, Philadelphia Eagles

Eleven tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble is how Morrow opened eyes in the fantasy world in Week 4. The problem? He had five tackles and a fumble recovery in the two previous games combined. Morrow had 116 tackles with the Chicago Bears last season and no sacks. In fact, the three sacks last week tied his career high in a season. So temper expectations and hope this breakout is a sign of things to come instead of fool’s gold.

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LB Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

The 32-year-old possible future Hall of Famer had a game for the ages in Week 4. He had 10 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defense. He also did this without Joey Bosa rushing opposite of him. He doesn’t nearly have the fantasy value he used to unless he’s eligible for DL in your league, and the Chargers are on a bye this week. So his viability will depend largely on the size of your league, but he needs to be on your watch list or stashed for Week 6.

Defensive backs

SS Rudy Ford, Green Bay Packers

The seven-year vet has had three good weeks in a row. He had seven tackles in Week 2, seven tackles plus two pass defenses in Week 3, and eight tackles, a pick and a pass defense last week. Keep in mind, though, he may be a one-week pickup as he has a bye in Week 6.

FS Tre’Von Moehrig, Las Vegas Raiders

The 2021 second-round pick is an attractive option on waivers because he has been pretty steady all four weeks. Six tackles in Week 1, five tackles and a pass defense in Week 2, four tackles in Week 3 and six tackles, a pick and two pass defenses in Week 4. He looks to be budding into a possible DB2 and should be scooped up.

CB Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks

This one is more of a watch list or deeper-league dive because Witherspoon and the Seahawks are on a bye in Week 5. He had 11 tackles and two pass defenses in Week 3 before a monstrous Week 4. The No. 5 overall pick had seven tackles, two sacks, a pass defense, and a pick-6 Monday night. The tackling and playmaking numbers put him on the radar for a pickup despite the bye.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 4

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

We enter Week 4, and this will be the last one for a while where we won’t have any bye weeks. Byes in IDP leagues are huge because of roster restraints, so keep an eye out for owners feeling the roster crunch who may drop a player they normally wouldn’t drop in order to cover an IDP bye.

Defensive linemen

DE Denico Autry, Tennessee Titans

The 33-year-old veteran is always someone hovering on waivers who you keep in the back of your mind. It’s for good reason, too, he has had at least 7.5 sacks in the three seasons before 2023. Autry has had three good games in a row, and you simply just can’t ignore it any longer. He has at least one sack in each game and has 10 total tackles and a forced fumble. He’ll serve as quality depth.

DE Leonard Floyd, Buffalo Bills

The former No. 9 overall pick is a boom-or-bust option that is booming like a firecracker right now. He was quiet in Week 2, but in the other two games, Floyd has six tackles and 3.5 sacks. He won’t produce a whole lot other than sacks, though, so keep that in mind.

Linebackers

LB Terrel Bernard, Buffalo Bills

Bernard has a chance to be a breakout performer at season’s end and should be picked up everywhere. While not a household name, he went undrafted in most leagues. He had 11 total tackles in Week 1; 6 tackles and an INT in Week 2 and seven tackles, a forced fumble, an INT and two sacks in Week 3. Put Bernard high on the waiver priority list as he’ll be a popular pickup.

LB Krys Barnes, Arizona Cardinals

Barnes is a useful player in fantasy, but his biggest problem is staying healthy. He left the Week 3 game with a hand injury, but it’s not expected to be a long-term issue. After a quiet Week 1, he has had seven tackles in each game and three total pass defenses.

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LB David Long, Miami Dolphins

Long had just one tackle in Week 1, but he had eight stops in each of the following two games and pitched in a sack in Week 2. Long had a career-high 86 tackles in 12 games last year, and he could push that with good health. The problem is, he doesn’t do much beyond tackles.

Defensive backs

SS Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

This one is for shallower formats: The No. 14 overall pick in 2022 had a monstrous game in Week 3. He had nine tackles, a forced fumble, three sacks and a pass defense. Awesome line, but he had just seven tackles combined and nothing else in the first two games. This could be a catalyst to a breakout, though, as he was a highly touted defender out of Notre Dame. Just take Week 3 with a grain of salt and see how he develops.

SS Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis Colts

After a so-so, five-tackle performance in Week 1, Blackmon has been all over the field. He had 10 tackles in Week 2 and 12 tackles in Week 3. He hasn’t delivered stats anywhere else, but you’ll take those tackles to the bank even if he falls back to seven or eight a week.