2025 IDP Waiver Wire: Week 15
Who are the IDPs you should target on the waiver wire in your league?
Week 15 is here, which means the fantasy playoffs have started for most leagues. If you are in the playoffs, congratulations! It’s not the time to be cute; start your best players with the best matchups. If you missed the playoffs, and your league allows you to continue to use the waiver wire, there are a couple of players here you may want to stash for next year.
We all play in leagues of varying depth—with different IDPs on the waiver wire—so I’m going to identify IDP waiver targets at each position for shallow, average, and deep leagues. I’m using data from PFF and NFL Pro. Rostership percentage (in parentheses) is from Sleeper dynasty leagues. Any reference to fantasy points per game is based on Big 3 Scoring.
Let’s dive into this week’s targets.
Defensive Back
Shallow: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Chicago Bears (28%)
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has played 89% or more of snaps in five straight weeks and played 100% of snaps in Week 14. The Packers made him part of their game plan, targeting him seven times despite his 32 snaps in the box or on the defensive line and only 21 snaps in the slot. Gardner-Johnson allowed six receptions, which can be a positive for IDP managers because it often leads to tackles. He finished with 10 tackles and added an interception.
The Bears have favorable matchups over the next few weeks, so I’d be comfortable starting Gardner-Johnson throughout the fantasy playoffs. It’s interesting that the worst matchup for opposing safeties in that span is Green Bay, but as long as Gordon is out and Gardner Johnson has to play slot, expect the Packers to target him again.
Average: Will Harris, S, Washington Commanders (8%)
Will Harris returned from injury in Week 13 and split snaps with Jeremy Reaves, but in Week 14 he played 100% of snaps. Since returning, Harris has played 64% of his snaps in the defensive back sweet spot (box, slot, and defensive line), with most coming in the box.
Washington faced Minnesota this past week, a team that allows fewer than 10 tackles per game to safeties, so Harris’ 2-tackle performance should not be alarming. He had 6 tackles in his first game back against Denver, which is more indicative of his role. The Commanders do not have a top-tier playoff schedule, but the matchups are solid enough given Harris’ usage. He is worth adding and is startable in average-sized leagues.