IDP Waiver Wire: Week 18 (And Beyond)

Jeff Pomazal gives you the week’s best waiver targets + some stashes for 2024.

If you’re reading this, you’re either playing in a league where some or all of your championship is in Week 18, or you’re looking for some names to stash before your rosters lock this offseason. Either way, thank you for taking the time to check this article out. Looking at players for Week 18 and beyond is all about predicting volume. This week, we will look at players who are trending at playing not just more snaps, but meaningful snaps in prime positions. I hope you can find a few names here to help improve your squad — either for your final game or for next season. 

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Defensive Linemen

Previous Weeks: Carl Granderson, Drake Jackson, Harrison Phillips, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Jonathan Cooper, Jarran Reed, David Onyemata, Nik Bonitto, Josh Uche, Tuli Tuipulotu, Yetur Gross-Matos, Zach Allen, Justin Madubuike, Darrell Taylor, Mike Hoecht, George Karlaftis, Jermaine Johnson, Kyle Van Noy, Kentavius Street, BJ Ojulari, Mike Hoecht, Leonard Floyd, YaYa Diaby, Andrew Van Ginkel, Samson Ebukam, Jadeveon Clowney, Kobie Turner, Jonathan Greenard, DJ Wonnum, Bryan Bresee, Charles Omenihu, Christian Barmore, Zach Harrison

Alex Wright, Cleveland Browns

Alex Wright makes for a great play in Week 18 and is also a dynasty stash. Any time you play alongside Myles Garrett, your job becomes a lot easier. Wright is currently on a 3 game streak of recording a sack and also seeing his playing time more than double compared to previous weeks. The Browns have nothing to play for in Week 18, which makes Wright a strong play if you need someone. With Za’Darius Smith hobbling off the field late, I’m not sure he will suit up, especially after watching Bradley Chubb being carted off the field when the game was already over for Miami. Wright is more than likely available since he is rostered in less than 6% of leagues at the moment.

Jermaine Johnson, New York Jets

The fact that Jermaine Johnson is only rostered in 26% of leagues is a little absurd. Johnson had a phenomenal season for the Jets and he’ll only improve with more time training at an NFL level and honing his technique as a player (like shedding blocks or adding new pass rush moves). This past weekend, we saw Johnson perform at an elite level, not only making tackles but also returning an interception for a touchdown and later recovering a fumble which should have been another touchdown for him (but the refs blew the play dead — freaking refs). Johnson is a great building block for any IDP team and one to claim off waivers or to deal for this offseason. 

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Defensive Backs

Previous Weeks: Reed Blankenship, Christian Gonzalez, Camryn Bynum, Jason Pinnock, K’Von Wallace, Jordan Whitehead, Daxton Hill, Rudy Ford, Juju Brents, Devon Witherspoon, Marcus Maye, Darious Williams, Sam Franklin Jr., Jaylon Johnson, Cam Taylor-Britt, Sydney Brown, Xavier Woods, Nate Hobbs, Johnathan Owens, Keanu Neal, Paulson Adebo, Jordan Battle, Ji’Ayir Brown, PJ Locke, Trenton Thompson, Mike Hilton, John Johnson III, Jordan Howden, Geno Stone/Marcus Williams, Ifteatu Melifonwu, Taylor Rapp, Eric Rowe, Nick Cross

Ronnie Hickman, Cleveland Browns

Ronnie Hickman, the rookie out of Ohio State, has been making plays for the last several weeks since he became a full-time player for the Browns. He has 4 or more tackles in each of the last 3 games and had a pick-six on Thursday night against the Jets. Over the last 4 games, Hickman has graded out as the best safety among all players the Browns have on their roster according to PFF.

As a result of his great play, Hickman has seen his snaps share increase in each of the last 4 weeks, and like I mentioned earlier, the Browns have little to gain by rolling their veterans out in Week 18, so he just may be asked to do a little more against the Bengals. We have seen the Bengals with Jake Browning under center and they love to put the ball up and create plays and opportunities for opposing secondaries.  

Sydney Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

It is no secret that Sydney Brown was my favorite IDP player coming out of last season’s draft class and on Sunday we got to see just why. He is a hard-hitting safety who plays well in all phases and levels of an NFL safety. Brown had 4 tackles and an interception which he housed for a touchdown. Brown was easily the best defensive player for the Eagles on Sunday against the Cardinals, playing 20 of his 28 snaps in the slot corner position. Brown finished the week as the DB3 with his 29-point performance. With the Eagles more than likely not having anything to play for unless the Cowboys lose to the Commanders, we could see some of the veterans getting a week off before the Eagles would host a game the following week, which means an increased role and valuable snaps for Brown’s progression as a player.