2025 IDP Waiver Wire: Week 9
Who are the IDPs you should target on the waiver wire in your league?
With the injuries piling up, it’s time to squeeze the remaining juice out of some old safeties. Maybe “squeeze” isn’t the best way to say it… We don’t need more injuries, after all! Anyway, we’ve got a good mix of vets and youngsters in this edition.
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.
Let’s dive into this week’s targets.
Defensive Back
Shallow: Harrison Smith, S, Minnesota Vikings (24%)
After dealing with a personal health issue earlier in the year, Harrison Smith has reclaimed his starting role and is back to producing like a reliable safety option. He’s played full-time snaps in each of the past two weeks, averaging 15 fantasy points and tallying 13 total tackles during that span.
Week 9 brings a matchup with Detroit, a team that ranks in the top ten for tackles allowed to safeties. The schedule isn’t as favorable in the following couple of weeks (Baltimore and Chicago are bottom-third matchups), but Smith is a strong one-week play in shallower formats and a solid depth piece in deeper ones.
Average: Chuck Clark, S, Pittsburgh Steelers (5%)
DeShon Elliott was helped off the field with a knee injury and then carted from the tent to the locker room. Jeremy Fowler reported that the Steelers are bracing for the possibility that Elliott misses the rest of the season.
Chuck Clark finds himself in a fantastic spot for production over the next two weeks and beyond. The Steelers face Indianapolis, which allows nearly 17 tackles per game to safeties, followed by a top-ten matchup against the Chargers.
He never hit 90% of snaps in his 3 starts this year, but he still averaged 6 tackles in those games. If you need immediate safety help with the potential for long-term usefulness, Clark is another great option.