This list of IDP waiver wire pickups is sorted by position, and then by priority.
Of course, IDP leagues vary widely in terms of depth, scoring rules, and lineup settings. So to get the best gauge of who to recruit in your league, check out your Free Agent Finder.
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Week 5 IDP Waiver Wire Target
First, a couple of D-linemen and a couple of LBs worth mentioning.
Zach Sieler, DL, Miami Dolphins
Sieler followed three quiet weeks with a pair of sacks in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. But he didn’t look like an inefficient rusher who feasted on a positive matchup.
The second part is true. Minnesota looks like an offense to target with your pass rushers. But Sieler followed his 4 pressures against the Vikings with 3 (including a QB hit) against the Chiefs. He has 5 total tackles for loss in four games.
The Dolphins have faced the fourth-fewest pass attempts so far, and those numbers will continue thanks to an offense that sits last in the league in scoring. But Sieler’s ability to make enough plays behind the line to stay relevant in formats that reward stats like hits, pressures, and TFLs.
This week’s home date with Cincinnati could increase the dropback volume a bit. And after the Week 6 bye come matchups with the sack-vulnerable Jets and Patriots.
Myles Garrett, Edge, Los Angeles Rams
Maybe he was thrown out of your league while recovering from knee surgery. In that case, feel free to move on to the next guy.
But if Garrett is freely available in your league, now is the time to keep him.
He landed on IR before Week 2, which means he won’t be able to play this Sunday night against the Bills. But that was his last game required miss out It seems more likely that he will also sit out Week 6 and potentially return for a Week 7 visit to the Raiders.
But the closer we get to his return, the more likely it is that your league mates will grab him. So get ahead of the pack if you have room.
Obviously we won’t know until he actually plays how close Garrett is to being fully effective, but the sheer likelihood that we get that version of the star pass rusher makes him worth the risk in most cases.
Josiah Trotter, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The rookie should have been held back by his Week 3 injury in most areas but likely hit some waiver wires because of that. Overall, his mere 30% rostered rate in Sleeper IDP leagues indicates that there isn’t enough respect yet.
Trotter returned on Sunday against the Packers and posted a game-high 7 solo tackles on a game-high-tying 9 total stops. He has recorded 9+ total tackles in each of his three appearances this season.
Trotter has played just 83% of the snaps over the past two games, down from 91% in the opener. That’s a range that could challenge his weekly production, but it hasn’t yet. He had a 9-tackle outing with 13 total stops in Week 2.
The second-round pick already looks like a weekly starting option, and his 17 pass rushes in three contests indicate some untapped sack upside. That might not show up this week against Dallas, but Pittsburgh and Carolina are showing big-time weaknesses in that area over the next two games.
Isaiah McDuffie, LB, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay lost LB Edgerrin Cooper with a torn Achilles tendon in Sunday’s win over the Bucs. That pushed McDuffie into a starting role next to LB Zaire Franklin, who had yet to collect more than 3 solo tackles in a game with the Packers.
McDuffie has been a great tackle collector on past starting shots. McDuffie averaged 9.1 total tackles in 12 career games in which he played at least 80% of the snaps. That pace would rank him ninth in the league in tackles this season.
Next up is a matchup with the Bears, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to LBs.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, New York Jets
Fitzpatrick’s offense may have been quiet in the Week 4 loss at Chicago, but the safety came back strong from his two-week groin injury.
Fitzpatrick had a career-high 16 tackles (8 solo) and snagged an INT against Tyson Bagent, the Jets’ first interception since Week 18 of 2024.
Week 5 finds him and the Jets at home hosting another QB with erratic tendencies, Deshaun Watson. Additionally, Fitzpatrick looks well positioned to collect enough tackles to start regularly for us.
He is available in 94% of Sleeper IDP leagues as of this writing.
Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks
We finally got back to full Emmanwori in Sunday’s win over the Chargers.
He tied for the team high with 8 solo tackles out of 9 total. The safety racked up a sack, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, and a pass defensed. Even if that comes at a slightly limited 79% snap share.
The Week 5 matchup with San Francisco wasn’t particularly positive, but Emmanwori is becoming a weekly starting option at full strength and full playing time.
Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans
Hooker seems to remain too widely available.
Despite sitting among the top 15 DB scorers through four weeks, Tennessee safeties remain on waivers in 87% of Sleeper IDP leagues. That’s too high for a guy who delivers consistent tackle production and big-play upside.
Hooker hit 6 solo for the second time this season in Sunday’s loss at Baltimore. He hit 5 solo in three of four games, a solid floor for multiple scoring formats at a volatile position.
Hooker added a pair of passes defensed, including a Week 2 INT that he nearly took the length of the field for a TD against the Eagles. Hooker has given up 7+ PD each of the past three years and has NFL seasons with 4 and 5 INTs.
This week brings the Houston matchup which gave Hooker 9 tackles (8 solo) and a PD in their last meeting. But we’re claiming him now as a weekly lineup candidate, not necessarily for that Week 5 matchup.
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Broncos
Here’s a potential pickup for the deeper leagues.
Denver lost both starting cornerbacks to injury in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. We know Pat Surtain will miss time. We’re still waiting on Riley Moss’ definitive outlook, but it seems unlikely he’ll miss a single game.
If they’re both out for a Week 5 date with the Chargers, this third-year player will be interesting. Abrams-Draine had played no defensive snaps before Sunday, then led the Broncos corners in solo tackles against the 49ers. Abrams-Draine also had 34 passes defensed and 7 INTs over his last three college seasons before arriving as a fifth-round pick in 2024.
The LA matchup pits Abrams-Draine — or whoever plays CB for Denver in Week 5 — against a QB with 6 INTs in the first four games.
Brian Branch, S, Detroit Lions
The Lions said Branch will return to practice this week, a big step in his recovery from the Achilles tear he suffered on Dec. 4.
That certainly doesn’t mean he’s going to make your Week 5 lineup. We’ll have to wait for at least one game of an active Branch before we can get him back into fantasy. But you can bet a needy Lions secondary will bring him back full-time as soon as he’s ready.
Branch was ranked in the top 8 fantasy DBs before dropping last year and could be a turnaround in the second half of this season.
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Want some offensive options on waivers? Check out this week’s video below.