IDP Waiver Wire: Week 7

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

What a crazy Week 6 that was, packed with high-profile players laying some massively disappointing scores, players getting ejected, and of course, the dreaded reality of players getting injured. As we look ahead to next week, we get the added joy of having 6 teams on a bye. Managers may have to dig a little deeper than normal into the waiver wire this week looking for a player or two to start.

Be on the lookout for managers who might make a difficult decision and drop someone who they shouldn’t. With the Bengals, Cowboys, Titans, Jets, Panthers, and the Texans all on a bye, there is plenty of potential for higher-end players that could be dropped. With that said, let’s get after the Week 7 waiver wire adds.

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Defensive Line

Previous Weeks: Carl Granderson, Drake Jackson, Harrison Phillips, Joe Tryon-Shoynka, Jonathan Cooper, Jarran Reed, David Onyemata, Nik Bonitto, Josh Uche, Tuli Tuipulotu, Yetur Gross-Matos

Zach Allen, Denver Broncos

Coming into the season, Zach Allen and his fantasy managers were feeling good. After a rocky start for Allen, it’s reassuring to see him finally get his season back on track and do what many expected him to do. The Broncos are a dumpster fire, and numerous rumors are swirling about various players being traded or cut. Regardless of what happens, someone has to make sacks and tackles, and that someone has been Allen, who has sacks in 3 straight games, while also racking up 10 combined tackles over that stretch. The trio of Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, and Allen seems like the foundation upfront the Broncos appear to be building around and they are surely going to be needed if the Broncos have any hope of salvaging their season. 

Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

Speaking of players on a hot three-game sack stretch, Justin Madubuike of the Ravens has been playing lights out all season, but especially over the last 3 games. Madubuike has 3.5 sacks and 12 tackles in the last 3 games. He leads the Ravens defensive linemen in tackles on the season with 20, which provides a little insurance bump to starting him every week. Madubuike has been playing a healthy number of snaps on the season; his lowest snap percentage came in Week 4 where he still played 57% of all defensive snaps. The Ravens have a Week 13 bye, which also makes Madubuike a nice pickup that you do not have to worry about replacing in a week or so, like many other players coming up on their bye. The Ravens defense gets a matchup with Detroit at home next week and surprisingly Detroit is a top 10 team for points allowed to defensive linemen. Maybe Madubuike makes it a 4-game sack streak?

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Defensive Back

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, Jacksonville Jaguars

There probably isn’t a hotter cornerback on the planet than Devon Witherspoon, but Jaguars corner Darious Williams is right there with him. Since Week 2, Williams has 22 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions. Playing opposite Tyson Campbell has its advantages when playing IDP. Campbell is playing some great football right now, and while teams are not totally avoiding throwing to his side, it’s influencing their game planning. Either way, Williams and his IDP managers are reaping the benefits of it. The positive game script is also helping the Jags secondary continue to pile up points. Williams and the Jags travel to the Big Easy to play the Saints, which looks like a nice matchup once again for Williams to continue his hot play. 

Sam Franklin Jr., Carolina Panthers

The Panthers secondary has been ravaged by injuries and lackluster play by some highly touted players this season. With starters Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods on the shelf on Sunday against the Dolphins, it looked like an absolute smash week for Sam Franklin Jr. Franklin had been playing very solid over the previous 3 weeks and did good, not great, in this one. He finished the day with 4 tackles and a PD. Franklin has 21 tackles and an INT while playing nearly every snap over the last 4 weeks. Franklin and the Panthers go into their bye this week, which will scare some managers away from rostering him. If you have a spot and need a solid option going forward, Franklin makes a ton of sense. He might be a player to add after your waivers run so you do not lose your waiver claim spot if you play in a league that operates that way.