Welcome to the Week 10 IDP Fantasy waiver wire! As the fantasy season pushes deeper into the stretch run, each move becomes crucial, especially in IDP leagues where a single standout defensive player can swing a matchup. Let’s dive into the top defensive pickups to help you solidify your lineup and make that final playoff push.
High-Priority Week 10 IDP Fantasy Pickups
Defensive Line (DL)
Tavius Robinson | Baltimore Ravens
Tavius Robinson has emerged as an ascending pass rusher for the Baltimore Ravens. The former Ole Miss Rebel was drafted in the 4th round in the 2023 NFL draft, totaling 25 tackles and 1 sack as a rookie. Robinson has 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks through 9 games this season.
The Baltimore Ravens rank 6th in the NFL in sacks at 3.1 per game. Robinson’s snaps have increased from 24% to 44% over the past month. He has created 8 pressures, resulting in 2.5 sacks over the past 2 games. The Ravens EDGE rusher is still available in over 90% of IDP leagues.
Linebacker (LB)
Owen Pappoe | Arizona Cardinals
There’s no sugarcoating it: the available options at the linebacker position are ugly. It doesn’t help that most of the best options we have already recommended to grab over the last couple of weeks so they are most likely not available in your leagues. Owen Pappoe is a player to keep an eye on this week. The 2nd year LB has already set a career-high in tackles, and if he can stay healthy, he looks poised to see an increase in playing time. Owen Pappoe played 50% of the snaps in Week 9 and finished as LB32—the best game of his young career.
Defensive Back (DB)
Jaylen McCollough | Los Angeles Rams
Jaylen McCollough had the season’s highest defensive snap share (70%) in Week 9. The former Tennessee Volunteer is tied for 2nd in the NFL with 4 interceptions despite not playing significant snaps. McCollough has finished with at least 20 fantasy points in 2 of his last 3 games.
We have covered how weak and inefficient the Rams’ linebackers are this season. The Los Angeles secondary has been rotating more to help out, create advantageous matchups, and give the defense more options to create confusion for opposing offenses. It’s undetermined if McCollough’s snaps will increase or if they are a product of the injury to Kam Curl, which has kept him out of practice over the past few weeks. Regardless, this is a sneaky addition for Week 10 IDP fantasy managers looking for depth in the defensive back position.
Best of the Rest Week 10 IDP Fantasy Players
Defensive Line (DL)
Charles Harris | Carolina Panthers
Charles Harris is a journeyman defensive lineman who has played for four teams. Harris has been a rotational player for most of his career. His lone standout season was with the Detroit Lions in 2021, during which he totaled 65 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Harris has found a home this season, with the Panthers playing 68% of the defensive snaps. He has 3 sacks this season and is coming off the best game since Week 15 of the 2021 season. The Panthers EDGE defender is purely a depth addition for IDP fantasy managers. Harris will likely be a bye-week replacement or matchup-dependent player for your team.
Linebacker (LB)
J.J. Russell | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As we get this deep into the season, finding a genuine diamond in the rough takes a significant injury. That has yet to be the case at the LB position this season. We have been forced to find a few players earning snaps but have yet to see a full-time role.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still reeling from the SirVocea Dennis injury, who was splitting snaps with veteran LB K.J. Britt. In his absence, the Bucs have turned to 3rd-year LB J.J. Russell. Russell saw his highest defensive snap share (31%) of the season last week and figures to earn more playing time. An injury to Britt would allow a clear path to playing J.J. Russell, so there’s nothing wrong with trying to get ahead of it before that potentially happens.
Defensive Back (DB)
Beanie Bishop | Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers always find underrated players who surprise throughout the draft process. They appear to have found another one in Beanie Bishop. The former West Virginia product has been spectacular over the past 2 games, collecting 11 tackles and 2 interceptions. He’s the CB2 and the DB4 in fantasy points per game over that span.
Beanie Bishop has played 70% of defensive snaps in 5-straight games. Bishop’s increase in productivity is due to his playing more out of the slot as of late. Over his last 2 games, he’s played 99.07% of his snaps either as the slot CB or as a box player. As long as this continues,Week 10 IDP fantasy managers might have a real weapon on their hands, especially in CB-required formats.
Week 10 IDP Fantasy Players to Monitor
Montez Sweat | Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears come into Week 10 averaging 2.9 sacks per game, which ranks 9th in the NFL. The Bears top EDGE rusher is Montez Sweat who they acquired in a trade last season from the Washington Commanders. While Sweat isn’t having the best season, he’s still a major reason why the Chicago defense is playing so well. Sweat suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of action in Week 9 and he remains questionable for this week.
The Chicago Bears have used a rotation while Sweat has been out. The player that will be a key beneficiary if Sweat misses another game is Austin Booker. The 5th round selection of the Chicago Bears had a 45% defensive snap share in Week 9 which was his highest of the season. He’s recorded 3 tackles in each of his past 3 games and should be a key role player as the Bears defense looks to replace Montez Sweat.
Week 10 IDP Fantasy Summary
As we wrap up the Week 10 IDP fantasy waiver wire recommendations, I hope you found some valuable options to help strengthen your lineup. Defensive depth can make all the difference, and these pickups could be just the edge you need. Good luck this week, and as always, feel free to reach out on Twitter (x) @Glosser13 if you have any questions or need advice. Here’s to a strong finish and some big defensive performances—let’s get those wins!
