IDP Waiver Wire: Week 4

Jeff Pomazal gives you the week’s best waiver targets.

After another crazy week of games and another round of injuries on both sides of the ball, it’s time to look at some ascending players who could help your team stay in the win column. Injuries are really starting to mount for many NFL clubs and those injuries are really being felt in the fantasy football circles. This week, we are focused on some players who are in store for some high-volume snaps. And with IDP, those who play the most reign supreme. Let’s get after it with this week’s names.

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Defensive Line

Previous Weeks: Carl Granderson, Drake Jackson, Harrison Phillips, Joe Tryon-Shoynka 

Jonathon Cooper, Denver Broncos

There were not many bright spots for the Denver Broncos on Sunday as the team allowed 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, but Jonathon Cooper shined yet again. Cooper has back-to-back weeks of playing more than 50 snaps and also having 6 or more tackles. This high snap count and high tackle floor are great for managers who are getting zeros out of their DL spots. Not only has Cooper racked up 14 tackles in the past 2 weeks, he also has 2 sacks and a forced fumble.

The news gets even better for Cooper next week. Why? He gets to play the Chicago Bears. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have another 6-tackle performance and maybe even another sack added to his season total by this time next week. 

Jarran Reed, Seattle Seahawks

Jarran Reed is back with the Seattle Seahawks for the second time in his career, and boy, is he making the most of it. Reed has been a one-man wrecking crew from his interior line position to start the season. He has posted at least 2 QB hurries in each of the first 3 games while also compiling 11 combined tackles and 2 sacks. Reed is a must-start in leagues that start a DT and is becoming a hard player to sit in all other leagues with his recent play. Reed’s value is also pretty insulated with his high snap share to start the season; Reed has yet to play less than 42 snaps in a game. Seattle plays the Giants and their 31st-ranked pass-blocking offensive line this week.

I’d say Reed and company will say hello to Mr. Daniel Jones on numerous occasions. 

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Defensive Back

Previous Weeks: Reed Blankenship, Christian Gonzalez, Camryn Bynum, Jason Pinnock, K’Von Wallace

Jordan Whitehead, New York Jets

Not a lot of great things can be said for the way the Jets have started the season. The hopes and dreams that were there at the start of the season have quickly become nightmares by Week 3. The offense may be in need of some changes, but the defense is and has been everything we all expected it to be. One surprise stud this season has been safety Jordan Whitehead. Whitehead has played 225 snaps for the Jets through the first 3 weeks and has been the only consistent starter at the position after the loss of Chuck Clark earlier this preseason. Whitehead picked off Josh Allen 3 times in Week 1 and has 19 tackles combined in Weeks 2 and 3.

Not only is Whitehead playing a ton of snaps, but he is also playing very effectively. Whitehead is rated as a top 15 safety among those who have played at least 100 snaps in overall defense, run defense, tackling, and in coverage.

Not bad for a safety who is still available in a vast majority of leagues. 

Dax Hill, Cincinnati Bengals 

After a slow rookie season and after being drafted in the first round, Dax Hill is finally getting his chance to show why he was a first-round pick. After the departures of Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates, it wasn’t a question of when Hill would play; it was what role he would be playing. Before playing on Monday night, Hill has played 147 snaps, only 3 snaps less than he played all of last season. Of those 147 snaps, 60 have come as an in-the-box safety or slot corner position. Playing at or near the line of scrimmage has been huge for his tackle numbers so far this season: 18 combined with 3 QB hurries. Clearly, he is being asked to do a little of everything so far this season.

Hill is by far the Bengals’ best safety at the moment and looks to be growing into the replacement player the Bengals needed him to be when they drafted him last season.