Tag: Week 5 IDP waiver wire

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 5

Check your waiver wire for these IDP Week 5 pickups.

We’re through four weeks, and bye weeks begin to rear their heads. The Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tennessee Titans are first up, and the roster crunch is about to become very real. Keep an eye out for guys who should not be dropped and act on their availability.

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 Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers

The probable future Hall of Famer has made his presence felt the last two weeks as he reached the quarterback. He had four tackles and a sack in Week 3 and six tackles and a sack in Week 4. He’ll be chasing Dak Prescott in Week 5.

DT Maliek Collins, San Francisco 49ers

Collins is the rare tackle entry, but he is benefiting from one of the top EDGE rushers in the game in Nick Bosa on the other side. That has opened things up for him to reach the QB in two straight weeks. He had four tackles in Week 2, a tackle and a sack in Week 3, adding three tackles, a fumble recovery, and 1 1/2 sacks in Week 4.

Linebackers

LB Ventrell Miller, Jacksonville Jaguars

He took over the weakside linebacker spot when Foyesade Oluokun went on IR. Miller had 11 tackles in his first game since doing so. There’s really nothing more to consider here, and he should be rostered.

LB Raekwon McMillan, New England Patriots

The eight-year vet has played well after a goose egg in Week 1. He had seven tackles and a pass defense in Week 2, 10 tackles in Week 3, and seven tackles last week. He’s a good depth piece to mix and match in your flex spot.

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LB Tyrice Knight, Seattle Seahawks

The fourth-round rookie has had a similar ascension as McMillan. He had a goose egg in Week 1, and seven, six, and nine tackles in the last three weeks, respectively. The Seahawks have a slew of injuries on defense that should give him some runway, and he could be a budding starter in the making.

Defensive backs

SS DeShon Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers

The 27-year-old had a couple of solid seasons with the Lions and Miami Dolphins the last couple of years. He is off to a pretty good start thus far in Pittsburgh. He had four tackles, a pick, and two pass defenses in Week 1, nine tackles in Week 2, and five tackles in Week 3.  Elliott posted 12 tackles and a forced fumble last week. Scoop and stream him.

S P.J. Locke, Denver Broncos

Locke came on with five tackles in Week 3 before he busted out for 10 tackles and a sack in Week 4. Was this Locke’s ceiling or a mirage? Time will tell, but he’ll be a back-end option to mix and match at flex.

CB Dee Alford, Atlanta Falcons 

The 26-year-old nickel back has been busy the last couple of weeks. He had 10 tackles in Week 3 and nine tackles, a sack and a pass defense in Week 4. You can’t deny those numbers or the notion he could replicate them against Tampa Bay in Week 5.

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.

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 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.