It’s that time once again to talk about the IDP waiver wire! How quickly it happens, but two weeks are in the books. As an active IDP manager, attention to detail is critical. It can be the difference maker for stealing a few regular season wins that ultimately get you in the playoffs at the end of the season. Let’s look at a few players from each key position (DL, LB, DB) that can boost your team in Week 3.
High Priority IDP Pickups
Defensive Line (DL)
Clelin Ferrell | Washington Commanders
Clelin Ferrell has been labeled a bust since failing to impress after being drafted no. 4 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. The former Clemson Tiger has played for three teams over his last three seasons and has failed to eclipse the five-sack mark in any of them. Ferrell has started this season red-hot with sacks in back-to-back games. He currently ranks 40th in points per game among all Defensive Lineman. Ferrell led all Commanders’ EDGE players in snaps (37) in Week 2. Clelin Ferrell has a two-game sample size where he has eclipsed 10 fantasy points or more; this will likely be his last week as a free agent in most dynasty leagues.
Linebacker (LB)
Baylon Spector | Buffalo Bills
Stop me when you’ve heard this one before. One of the Buffalo Bills linebackers goes down to injury, and it’s next man up. Terrel Bernard left early in Week 2 with an injury that now looks like it will cost him multiple games. In his absence, Baylon Spector assumes the three-down LB role in Sean McDermott’s defense. Spector played 62 snaps in Week 2, totaling 10 tackles and a tackle for loss (TFL). The reserve LB stepped in when Bernard went down and still managed to play more snaps than starting LB Dorian Williams.
IDP managers should be looking to spend a good amount of their Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) on the Bills LB this week. If Spector continues to produce at a high level, it would be encouraging for the Bills who aren’t inclined to rush back Terrel Bernard with an injury that could hurt his long-term health. Considering the issues with Matt Milano’s health, you would think the Bills would want to be cautious. This is a prime opportunity for more active IDP managers to acquire a productive player at the LB position for extremely cheap.
Defensive Back (DB)
Alontae Taylor | New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have been the talk of the NFL through the first two weeks with back-to-back blowout wins. As we’ve all been made aware, the offense has been scoring every time they touch the ball, but the Saints’ defense has been equally as good. A key contributor to that was the play of cornerback Alontae Taylor, who was the overall DB2 in ppg in the first two games.
Taylor has increased his snaps, tackles, and impact plays in his first two seasons. He’s off to a massive start in year 3, averaging 7.5 tackles a game while, recording 3 sacks and 5 tackles for loss through 2 games. The Saints DB should already be on a roster in CB-required leagues, but his usage with the Saints and production should open the eyes of dynasty managers to have him starting regularly.
Best of the Rest IDP
Defensive Line (DL)
Alex Wright | Cleveland Browns
I’ll let you guys in on a well-known but rarely utilized strategy in IDP leagues. If you can find the opposite EDGE rushers who play with the game’s best, you can often find real value there. In this case, Alex Wright is a third-year player from UAB who has been playing more snaps lately. Wright is coming off of a career-best 21 pressures (according to PFF) and 5 sacks last season despite playing fewer snaps than he did as a rookie.
At this point, Wright is a sack-dependent EDGE rusher who will likely be rotating with veteran Za’Darius Smith to keep him fresh for the end of the season. The tackle floor is too inconsistent; this is a depth move. Wright could be a player who benefits from Myles Garrett being double-teamed regularly.
Linebacker (LB)
Tyrice Knight | Seattle Seahawks
Dynasty IDP managers did not expect much from the Seattle Seahawks’ fourth-round selection, Tyrice Knight. The Jerome Baker injury forced the UTEP product into action, and he notified the IDP community. Knight played 44 snaps and collected 8 tackles while posting an 81.0 tackling grade (PFF). The rookie LB did struggle in coverage, allowing 13.8 yards per reception (Y/REC). Knight’s 10+ point fantasy performance was the most for any rookie LB this season.
There’s no timetable yet for return or news on the extent or severity of the injury to Jerome Baker. Still, at minimum, Tyrice Knight would be worth the stash if either of the two starting linebackers missed an extended time. In last week’s IDP report, we discussed how friendly the Seattle system has been to linebackers for fantasy scoring.
Defensive Back (DB)
Chamarri Conner | Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have found another productive player for our IDP teams. Chamarri Conner is the DB12 in ppg through the first 2 weeks, with at least 15 fantasy points each game. Conner saw a decrease in snaps in Week 2, but his overall efficiency increased. He recorded six tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown.
Conner has been used primarily in the slot or as a box safety; those alignments have accounted for 70 of his 75 snaps this season. He has a long way to go to be an every-down DB for the Chiefs. Bryan Cook and Justin Reid are still firmly ahead of him regarding the depth chart. If Conner’s stellar play continues, it would only make sense for him to see an increase in snaps, a massive help to DB-needy teams this season.
IDP to Monitor
C.J. Mosley | New York Jets (Toe Injury)
The New York Jets lost an essential piece of their defense on Sunday when one of the team captains, linebacker C.J. Mosley, left the game with a toe injury and did not return. Coming into 2024, Mosley had 3 consecutive 150+ tackle seasons for the Jets defense. He has been one of the top fantasy football linebackers in his career with the Ravens and Jets.
Jamien Sherwood, a college DB turned LB drafted in the 5th round of the 2021 NFL draft, stepped in for Mosley. Sherwood had a monster game with 12 tackles, bringing much-needed energy to the defense. Head Coach Robert Saleh has been speaking highly of Sherwood this off-season and has a reputation for building up productive linebackers from his days with San Francisco. Sherwood is coming off of a career-high 46 tackles last season; at minimum, it would make sense for Mosley to miss this week with the Jets, who are playing on Thursday in a short week. In Mosley’s absence, the former Auburn LB will be an instant starter for IDP managers.
IDP Summary
The IDP waiver wire is one of our favorite articles to put out every week. There are so many players to look through, and site projections can sometimes be misleading. A player’s impact can be just as crucial to a contending team as it is for a non-competitive team looking to gain future draft capital from waiver wire acquisitions. I hope you can snag a few of these players for Week 3 to help your chances in your respective leagues.
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