IDP Waiver Wire Report Week 2: T.J. Watt Replacement
Although we are heading into Week 2, this is my first IDP waiver wire report of the 2022 NFL season. So I want to first lay bare my outlook for this league format before we begin.
For a full deep dive into IDP strategy, you should start with my IDP 101 article, which is a couple years old but still applicable. I'll give you the highlights:
A tackle-focused scoring system is the key to any quality IDP league. They are the most consistent stat. Big-play leagues, which award more points for sacks, interceptions, fumbles, etc., are notoriously inconsistent since very few players reliably make big plays on defense. Plus, more dependable scoring adds value to the position. For example, if your league's best running backs and wide receivers are scoring 200-plus points, what good is an IDP if the best defenders only score 100? So be sure to not handicap the IDP positions by allowing them to score points at a similar clip to your league's RBs and WRs. Lastly, I recommend having 10 IDP starters (3 DL, 3 LB, 3 DB and 1 D-FLEX). If you want to go above and beyond, I really like 1 DT, 2 DE, 3 LB, 1 CB, 2 S and 1 D-FLEX.
I'm going to go a little deeper this week since there's always that tendency to want to jump on the hot Week 1 player or cut-and-run from a guy after a disappointing start. With that foundation in mind, let's get into this week's IDP waiver wire pickups. Please note that the variety of IDP leagues makes it difficult to pinpoint roster percentages, so not every recommendation may be a good fit for your league. For specifics, it's always best to consume a lot of IDP content to get a feel for the landscape from multiple points of view. At the end of each writeup, I will rate each player with a positional rank and grade. For example, Derwin James would be a S1+, meaning a high-end top 12 safety.
IDP Waiver Wire Pickups
Defensive Linemen
Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
As of early Monday morning, we still don't yet know the full extent of the injury to T.J. Watt. The rampant speculation is that he tore his pec and depending on the severity, that could lead to him missing the rest of the season, as it would require surgery. Although, even with surgery, it's possible he could return. Back in the 2019 season, his brother J.J. suffered the same injury in late October, went under the knife soon after yet was still able to return to practice in late December. Highsmith had an excellent Week 1. The 2020 third-round pick tallied six solos, three assists, three sacks, one FF, two TFL and four QB hits. Highsmith has exponentially more value if he can be slotted in the DL position. He played in 83% of snaps after coming out of the game with about six minutes left in the fourth quarter although he did return. Just a few minutes later, Watt was injured. Highsmith should be ready to go in Week 2. The Bengals offensive line and Joe Burrow made it easy for this defense to tee off for big points so I'd like to see some consistency in Highsmith's upcoming games. Most of his value is derived from the big boost in playing time he'll have with Watt out. DE3+ / LB5+
Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts
I think it's always best to pump the brakes on any big game from a pass rusher. Like the aforementioned Highsmith, Paye had an excellent game but we need to keep seeing it before we make dramatic changes to our rankings. Paye finished with six solos, one assist, two sacks, two TFLs and two QB hits. I don't mind giving him speculative add status, but I just need to see him do it again and the snap count to hold firm around 79%, his Week 1 rate vs. the Texans. DE3- / LB6+
More Defensive Linemen
• Bradley Chubb, DEN, DE4+, 84%
• Travon Walker, JAC, DE4+, 83% snaps
• Uchenna Nwosu, SEA, DE4, 89%
• Deatrich Wise, NE, DE5, 83%
• Dominique Robinson, CHI, DE6+, 41%
• Rashad Weaver, TEN, DE6-, 48%
• Carlos Basham, BUF, DE7+, 39%
• Melvin Ingram, MIA, Pass, 56%
Linebackers
Tae Crowder, New York Giants
The big recent IDP story heading into the season was when the Giants opted to cut LB Blake Martinez, a mostly dependable LB1 when healthy. Then he got cut! That is just another example of how volatile IDP leagues can be. There's really no fantasy equivalent on the offensive side of the ball. Martinez remains a free agent and in his place, Crowder saw 100% of the Giants' snaps against the Titans in Week 1. Crowder's numbers weren't all that great (four solos and three assists) and you'd expect to see more tackles in a game against the run-first Titans. Crowder was likely picked up in your league right after Martinez was cut. If you added rookie LB Micah McFadden, I think he's a cut outside of dynasty leagues. He only played in 17% of snaps. LB2-
Mykal Walker, Atlanta Falcons
Hopefully Walker was already on your fantasy radar, because he certainly should be now. He saw 100% of the snaps in Sunday's game against the Saints and finished with four solos, two assists, one sack, two TFLs, one QB hit and a forced fumble. He should be rostered in every league after this week. LB2+
Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports
Kamu Grugier-Hill, Houston Texans
KGH flirted with fantasy-relevance in 2021 with a few strong weeks in the second half of the season. Given 100% snaps is promising and while I don't expect him to frequently reproduce his Week 1 totals (14 solos, four assists, one TFL and one PD), he proved he can thrive with volume snaps. LB3+
More Linebackers
• David Long Jr., TEN, LB2+, 100% snaps
• Devin Lloyd, JAC, LB2, 90%
• Jordan Hicks, MIN, LB2-, 97%
• T.J. Edwards, PHI, LB2-, 100%
• Nicholas Morrow, CHI, LB3+, 100%
• Leighton Vander Esch, DAL, LB3, 85%
• Pete Werner, NO, LB3, 81%
• Ja'Whaun Bentley, NE, LB4, 72%
• Zaire Franklin, IND, LB5-, 100%
Defensive Backs
Marcus Williams, Baltimore Ravens
Usually I'd dismiss a leading scorer at safety if they snagged an interception but what's notable is Williams also accumulated 10 solos, two assists and a pass defended. Couple those numbers with 100% snaps and I'll take it for now. Rookie Kyle Hamilton only played in 50% of snaps but I expect that number to track up all season long. If the snap count holds, Williams is worth holding on your roster. DB3-
Jonathan Owens, Houston Texans
It probably helps a lot of the Texans players that the game had an extra quarter, since it finished in a tie after the overtime period. Regardless, Owens saw 100% of the snaps at free safety while tallying 11 solos, four assists and one PD. We were expecting rookie Jalen Pitre to emerge out of this secondary, and he did have a solid contest with 100% snaps and 11 combined tackles. Things just broke Owens's way this week. DB5
Marcus Epps, Philadelphia Eagles
I love a good emerging safety story. A sixth-rounder in 2019 who popped a couple decent games last year, Epps is getting a shot to start after putting in his dues for a few years in Philly. I do worry that the rotation could go against him at some point as the Eagles tend to rotate heavily upfront. So be mindful of that moving forward. In Week 1, Epps played in 100% of snaps so we're off to an ideal start. DB5
More Defensive Backs
• Brandon Jones, MIA, DB2, 100% snaps
• Jonathan Abram, LV, DB3+, 100%
• Talanoa Hufanga, SF, DB4, 100%
• Amani Hooker, TEN, DB5+, 93%
• Richie Grant, ATL, DB5, 98%
• Chuck Clark, BAL, DB5-, 100%
• Nick Scott, LAR, DB6-, 88%
More IDP Thoughts
This was supposed to be a coming out party for Texans DE Jonathan Greenard, but Jerry Hughes stole the show with three solos, two sacks, one TFL, two QB hits, one INT, one PD and one FF. Hughes is 34 years old and if you're an IDP veteran, you know this is basically a season's worth of production in one game. Hughes hasn't been a viable, startable IDP in at least five years. DE4 / LB6+
Unless you're in a league with a DT starter, there's only a small handful of DTs worth consideration in a standard IDP league that starts two or three DL . I was skeptical Titans DT Jeffery Simmons was going to be good enough again to be startable at DL, but he's proving 2021 was the rule, not the exception. Playing in 87% of the Titans' snaps is a great sign that Simmons should continue to be a dominant inside force for this defense and a productive player in all IDP formats. DT1+ / DL2-
Chargers DE/OLB Khalil Mack had a monster game against the Raiders with five solos, one assist, three sacks and a forced fumble, but I believe he will only be consistently productive enough if you can start him at the DE position. Relying on big play linebackers is a risk, especially those who are well past their prime. Mack is great on the field, not so much for what we need. DE2+ / LB5-
Colts DE/OLB E.J. Speed produced a nice game, but he only played in 54% of snaps. Once Shaquille Leonard returns, the rotation will be even less in his favor. It's hard for me to see Speed carving out a role with Kwity Paye and Yannick Ngakoue entrenched as starters and LBs Zaire Franklin and Bobby Okereke likely given preference on early downs. DE5+ / LB10-
Did I miss any notable IDP updates or injuries? Let me know on Twitter @mattkdelima
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