It’s never too early to talk IDP fantasy football. This week we look to give you two of the best options at the three biggest positions in your IDP leagues. The emphasis on attacking the waiver wire early in IDP leagues is crucial. Hopefully, we can find a few waiver-wire players this week to help contribute to your team’s season-long success.
High Priority Pickups
Defensive Line (DL)
Darrell Taylor | Chicago Bears
Darrell Taylor makes a big impression in Week 1 for the Chicago Bears defense. Taylor was traded this off-season to Chicago after the former 2nd-round pick had 21.5 sacks with 5 forced fumbles for the Seattle Seahawks. He rotates with DeMarcus Walker and Austin Booker opposite Montez Sweat. Taylor was a beast in Week 1 with 38 snaps played resulting in 2 sacks and a forced fumble. This week, he finished with the 2nd-highest fantasy point total (Greg Rousseau) among all IDPs. IDP managers should expect another solid performance this week as the Bears defense will play a Houston offensive line that just surrendered four sacks in Week 1.
Linebacker (LB)
Zack Baun | Philadelphia Eagles
There will be no surprises here, Zack Baun should be the highest priority for all IDP managers this week. Baun cemented himself as the top LB for the Eagles early in the season. The former Wisconsin Badger had a huge week as the top-scoring LB in week 1. Zack Baun had 11 solo tackles and two sacks as the Eagles pulled out a huge win. He posted a 76.2 overall PFF grade while playing 100% of the defensive snaps. The ability for an IDP manager to acquire a player this valuable early in the season could pay huge dividends.
Defensive Back (DB)
Antonio Johnson | Jacksonville Jaguars
Antonio Johnson was one of my favorite DBs in last year’s class. You can check out his IDP rookie profile HERE. Johnson is taking over the strong safety spot for the Jaguars defense. This is a role that Rayshawn Jenkins posted back-to-back 100+ tackle seasons in.
The Texas A&M product didn’t grade well with PFF overall (48.2) but I chalk a lot of that up to playing the high-powered Miami Dolphins offense. He graded extremely well with an 80.8 run defense grade. Johnson played 48 of his 71 snaps in coverage, but IDP managers can expect him to see him play closer to the line of scrimmage in better matchups. This is a high-quality addition at DB this early in the season.
Best of the Rest
Defensive Line (DL)
Patrick Jones | Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Jones had a nice opening week performance with two tackles and two sacks. As most IDP managers know all too well at some point during the season you will be streaming DL or doing your best to find depth. There’s not a more perfect time to start, Jones is in a crowded rotation on the Vikings front so seeing him be this effective early is promising. He played just one less snap than first-round pick Dallas Turner. While he isn’t a plug-and-play if you’re able to acquire him this week he has some high potential especially if an injury happens in front of him.
Linebacker (LB)
SirVocea Dennis | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SirVocea Dennis is one of my favorite stash linebackers in all of IDP fantasy football. The former Pittsburgh Panther played just 21 snaps in a reserve role in week 1 finishing with 5 solo tackles and a sack. It’s not going to be very long before Dennis is a starting LB, because he’s far too talented. K.J. Britt is a solid veteran but I do expect him to at minimum see his snaps cut into by the emergence of Dennis this season. This is a chance I’m willing to take early in the season if I have an available roster spot.
Defensive Back (DB)
Quentin Lake | Los Angeles Rams
Quentin Lake had a big start to his season with a 10-tackle performance on Sunday Night Football. Lake played 506 snaps and had 47 tackles last season. The Los Angeles Rams LB unit is thin after trading Ernest Jones before the season. I expect the young Rams DB to see a high volume of opportunities playing as the nickel back. The DB position is so deep this could be a fantastic streaming option, Lake was the DB16 overall in week 1.
Player to Monitor
Taron Johnson | Buffalo Bills (Forearm Injury)
The Buffalo Bills suffered a brutal injury when Taron Johnson went out early in week 1. Johnson has had 90+ tackles in three of his last four seasons. He is a top-five option at CB in those leagues that require it.
Cam Lewis stepped in flawlessly for the struggling Buffalo defense. He finished with 10 total tackles. Lewis is not the same caliber player as Johnson but with him ruled out on a short week this could be another big spot for the veteran DB. Lewis and the Buffalo secondary figure to be busy with the Dolphins offense and that could lead to another high-volume tackling performance.
Conclusion
IDP dynasty fantasy football is not for the weak. The best players find a way to make sure they can acquire some of these early-season targets who could play a big role in helping them make the playoffs. I hope that you all enjoy and we will be back later this season with some more waiver wire content. Keep grinding and let’s continue to build those strong IDP dynasty-contending teams.
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