Welcome, IDP nerds, to the first edition of the 2022 Bottom of the Barrel waiver wire series.
IDP Dynasty fantasy football has made its long-awaited return, and the staff at dynasty nerds is thrilled to bring you some of our top waiver priorities for week 2. We had big performances on the opening weekend, including a league-leading 45.1 fantasy points from Pittsburgh Steelers DB Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Steelers, as a whole, dominated the IDP world. Pittsburgh had three players score 37 points or more in week 1.
We will use the Dynasty Nerds IDP default scoring for this article all season long. Let’s look at a few players from each position you can add to your rosters this week. The importance of waiver wire additions during the year can’t be overstated. It’s even more critical on the IDP side. The ability to play matchups and stream a position you are weak at can be a proven winning strategy even in deeper dynasty leagues.
Defensive Line
If you’re looking to replace T.J. Watt or the late off-season loss of Harold Landry, it’s likely not going to happen through the waiver wire. These are elite scorers in IDP fantasy football; no single player can step in to make up that production. What you can do is look for players who have a stretch of good matchups coming up and pick and choose who to play every week. I found three players who are strong candidates to do that starting this week.
Alex Highsmith, PIT
If you’re looking for an option to replace Watt, look no further than the player who has the most to gain from Watt’s absence. Highsmith had a huge Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, scoring 44 fantasy points. Highsmith had nine tackles, including six solo tackles, two tackles for loss, and three sacks. The Steelers pass rusher also registered four QB hits and forced one fumble. According to Sleeper, Highsmith is only rostered or started in 1% of leagues across the platform. His dual position eligibility should be enough for him to earn a spot on your roster regardless of Watt’s injury. Dynasty IDP managers can count on a massive year for Highsmith if this week is a sign of things to come.
Rashad Weaver, TEN
I have to start off being honest with you all; I acquired Weaver everywhere possible as soon as I was aware of the injury to Landry. The Titans pass rusher had at least 6.5 sacks in his last two college seasons before playing in only two games as a rookie for the Titans. Weaver registered 25 fantasy points with four tackles and two sacks despite only playing 29 defensive snaps. Weaver is available everywhere except in leagues with me and has a roster percentage of less than 1% across multiple dynasty platforms. This is a crucial addition to your dynasty rosters that can potentially be a plug-and-play starter for a good part of the season.
Jerry Hughes, HOU
This one feels gross and unnecessary, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Hughes is a veteran defensive lineman who has been an inconsistent fantasy scorer for much of his career. The veteran pass rusher finished with the fourth most fantasy points (35) of any DL in week 1. Hughes had a massive week, including two sacks and an interception for the Texans’ defense. There’s no secret here that if you’re acquiring Hughes, you will be fully aware you are playing a dangerous game with a boom or bust player who carries zero dynasty value. I would advise proceeding with caution and lowering your expectations for a repeat performance like again this season.
Linebackers
Dru Tranquill, LAC
The LB position in IDP fantasy football is one of the toughest to stream in dynasty leagues. I’ve found this position to be much more painful to piece together fantasy production from. Tranquill had a very nice week in the Chargers’ opening game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Tranquill played just 35 snaps but made the most of those with six tackles and an interception while scoring 22 fantasy points. I have little to no faith in the LB position in this current Chargers’ defense. If I were to believe in a player for fantasy production, it would not be Tranquil, as I see him as more of a special teams player and rotational LB. This is a desperation add and could lead to more aggravation than anything for dynasty managers.
Zaire Franklin, IND
Franklin should be added by the manager who has Shaq Leonard on their roster. If he is available and Leonard remains out for some time, he can be an excellent start at the LB position. Franklin had eight stops after playing 70 snaps in week 1. The Colts linebackers have treated IDP managers well over the years. We must understand that Leonard is not a replaceable talent but having a player who can reach double-digit points consistently is worth some blind bid waiver dollars. A savvy dynasty manager would make an open spot on their roster to stash Franklin even if they had no intentions of playing him. You can potentially use him as a handcuff to the Leonard manager and gain future draft capital or add him to trade to get a player you desire.
Tae Crowder, NYG
The New York Giants surely are hurting since the loss of Blake Martinez last season. Crowder has been forced to learn quickly and hasn’t been that bad; he registered 122 fantasy points last season. The Giants LB played 65 snaps (100%) and recorded seven tackles. Even when Martinez returns, he has an excellent chance to be a highly productive player. Crowder recorded double-digit points in 12 games last season and continues to assert himself as a leader on the Giants’ defense. I prefer Crowder the most of the three LBs in this week’s article, but he doesn’t excite me enough to spend a high percentage of my blind bid dollars on him.
Defensive Backs
The first week of NFL football hit the IDP community hard. Jamal Adams was the second highly touted player to go down with a serious injury. Adams has been battling injuries off and on for most of his career, but his upside still allowed drafters to invest highly in him. While Adams is a bit easier to replace from a fantasy production standpoint than Watt, it’s still not ideal for those managers who were counting on him this season.
Talanoa Hufanga, SF
Does the 49ers DB position finally have value? The former USC Trojan has made a huge impact in just one week for the San Francisco 49ers. I was a bit higher than most of him coming out of USC as a rookie. Hufanga managed just 65 points last season, recording just 30 tackles. He is looking to change that this season. After earning a starting role in the secondary, he collected 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception on his way to the fourth most fantasy points (33) among DBs in week 1. Hufanga is a dynamic player with a nose for the football and always seems to be around the ball. He would be my top DB add this week, and I wouldn’t be afraid to spend some of your blind-bid cash to get him on your rosters.
Grant Delpit, CLE
The former LSU Tiger and 2019 Jim Thorpe award winner looked like his old self in week one against the Carolina Panthers. Delpit did not post huge numbers, but he did play 100% of the defensive snaps (53) and recorded an interception on his way to finishing with 14 fantasy points. The Browns safety trio of John Johnson, Ronnie Harrison, and Delpit still worries me from week to week, but Delpit has the most upside of the three. He collected 66 tackles as a rookie and has already matched his career-high for interceptions (one) in the first game of the 2022 season. If he’s available in your leagues, he’s a must-target with this week’s players.
Nick Scott, LAR
Scott had an excellent week performance with 16 points. He played all but seven defensive snaps and recorded seven tackles and a forced fumble. I’ll be honest I’m not sure what to expect from Scott as the season goes on, but he’s being penciled in as the starting free safety is good news for his value. The Rams still have Taylor Rapp and Jordan Fuller in the secondary, but it’s hard to discredit a player who dominated the snaps against one of the league’s best offenses and held his own. There’s a chance Scott may be a one-and-done performer, but it’s just tough to ignore his potential as a contributor to your IDP roster.
The Wrap-Up
That will conclude this week’s waiver wire adds for IDP dynasty football. I encourage all dynasty managers to ensure they stay active in the season with the waivers each week. In IDP leagues, it may seem like more work because there are far more players to filter out, but that also allows players to fly under the radar and will enable you to acquire them for cheaper. I hope you guys can add a few players from this week’s list, and I look forward to seeing what these players can do for the rest of the season.
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