Welcome back for another IDP Waiver Wire article!
If you are reading this, there is a good chance that you fall into 1 of 2 categories. You are either in the “I am in contention, and I understand that the Waiver Wire is my best friend during this time”, or you are in the “I just need to find the right piece to turn my season around”. While I hope you are in the first grouping, if you happen to be a member of the latter, let me be the first to say that you are what makes fantasy football great. It’s easy to want to throw in the towel after a 2-5 start, but let me be the first to tell you that fortune favors the prepared! Hell, even if you aren’t lucky enough to make it to the playoffs, playing the role of the spoiler can be very rewarding.
So far to date in 2020, it has been interesting, needless to say. I am going to use this weeks’ waiver wire article to highlight some under-rostered players, players potentially on the move, and some gems coming off of the IR. Grab your prospector tools and let’s find some waiver wire GOLD!
Defensive Line
Romeo Okwara
- 0.6% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 18.5 Week 7 Points
- 9.16 Fantasy Points per Game
Romeo Okwara has been trending in the right direction since Week 4 when he started receiving 70% of the snaps opposite Trey Flowers. Speaking of Trey Flowers, as long as offensive lines want to focus on Flowers, Romeo is going to be that light through which yonder window breaks. Last week, Okwara recorded 3 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble, for a season high 18.5 points! The Lions face the Colts in Week 8, which isn’t the best matchup for DE’s, but Rivers had been sacked in each of the last 3 games. Looking ahead, the Lions will face the Vikings, the Football Team, and the Texans over the next 4 weeks, which are prime opportunities for QB pressures!
Jeffrey Simmons
- 5.7% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 4.5 Week 7 Points
- 8.5 Fantasy Points per Game
Jeffrey Simmons is a beast in the middle of that Titans’ defensive line! While only recording 4.5 points in Week 7, his presence in the backfield was obvious. Recording a TFL, 2 QB and a pass defense, Simmons was disruptive, but it might not show up in the form of fantasy points. In Week 8, the Titans face the Bengals, who allow the most points to the opposing defensive tackles. Look for Simmons to be in Burrow’s back pocket all game long!
Carlos Dunlap
- 10% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 0 Week 7 points
- 5 Fantasy Points per Game
If you are wondering why Dunlap is on this list, it definitely is not to do with his production on the season. Dunlap has been nearly fazed out of the defensive line rotation, evident by his 23% snap share in Week 7. No, this mention is about the potential trade that needs to happen to return Dunlap to IDP relevance. Even with Sam Hubbard moving to the IR, Dunlaps’ playing time has taken a hit, and one has to wonder if there is a competitive team out there that is looking to bolster their pass rush. At this point in the season, it is a safe idea to go after the high upside play and pick up Dunlap in case he goes to a team that will allow him to do what he does best, pin his ears back and attack the opposing QB.
Linebacker
Christian Kirksey
- 8% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- Currently on IR
- 10.25 Fantasy Points per Game
Christian Kirksey is the perfect Waiver Wire grab! Placed on the IR in week 4 with a pectoral injury, Kirksey is able to return in Week 8! Prior to being placed on the IR, Kirksey had back-to-back 12 tackle performances. While the Packers had gotten by with Ty Summers and Krys Barnes, it is evident that Kirksey would slot right back into the starting lineup upon his return. While many leagues have IR spots for this type of situation, there are plenty of situations this year where an impatient manager just kicked him to the curb. Go scour your waiver wire and hopefully uncover this hidden gem. The Packers face the Vikings in Week 8, who have given up the 7th most points to opposing teams’ linebacker, and then they face the 49ers, who have given up the 2nd most!
Willie Gay Jr
- 1.3% rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 10.25 Week 7 Points
- 7.025 Fantasy Points per Game
Willie Gay Jr. is definitely a speculative add that is one that might be a big one for future weeks. One of the Chiefs’ most glaring need is an every-down linebacker, capable of big plays. Currently, the Linebacker by Committee approach is one that is way too much of a headache for fantasy managers to even try and decipher. I compare this LB core to trying to figure out which RB the Patriots or 49ers are going to go with on a week in, week out basis. That leads me to the positives tho! Willie Gay Jr has seen his snap share increase from 33% in week 4 to 56% in week 7, a game in which he got the starting nod and recorded a tackle for loss on the first play! If you play in a league that is deep enough to play a sit and wait approach, this next week vs the Jets might be an opportunity for Spagnuolo to see what he has in Gay.
Avery Williamson
- 9.5% rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 12.75 Week 7 points
- 11.7 Fantasy Points per game
For the 4th time in 5 games, Williamson has produced double-digit fantasy points. For the 2nd game in a row, he has tallied double-digit tackles! The decision to pick up the ILB from the Jets isn’t as much a token of his raw ability, as much as it is an opportunity in Week 8. The Jets will face a Kansas City team that will most likely conquer the time of possession game and give him an ability to rack up the tackles. I will be the first to say that I can see Leveon Bell getting his fair share of touches as well as CEH, giving Williamson a double-digit tackle floor. Last, but not least, keep an eye on his name being mentioned in trade rumors also. A proper landing spot could destroy or help his future value.
Defensive Back
Kamren Curl
- 0% rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 4.5 Week 7 points
- 3.75 Fantasy Points per Game
Landon Collins tore his Achilles in Week 7. That is the sole reason why Kamren Curl is being mentioned in this article. Curl stepped in and played every snap in replacement. Curl, a hybrid safety-linebacker at Arkansas, Curl was playing all over the field and seems like he will play the role that Collins’ occupied. He had multiple blitz attempts and even shut down Dalton Schultz (2 rec for 22 yards). The Football Team is on a bye in Week 8, so it might not be terribly urgent to pick him up this week, I do think the early bird gets the worm, and WFT will play against the turnover-prone Giants in Week 9.
Rashad Fenton
- 0% rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 3.0 Week 7 Points
- 5.6 Fantasy Points per game
This is one of those absolute deep-league ceiling plays! The Chiefs will go up against the New York Jets in what should be a heavy slot usage game for the Jets. I expect Jamison Crowder to suit up in Week 8 and this recommendation is based on Crowder’s availability. If Crowder plays, it is apparent that Darnold will pelt him with targets, evident by his 31.5% target share. Couple that with Fenton’s increased slot coverage, and you have the recipe for a solid fantasy day. Fenton also does the single most important thing when it comes to IDP production from CB’s, he allows them to catch the ball, and then tackles them. It will be a very deep league that will see a Fenton start in Week 8, but if in a pinch, it could pay off. Very low floor, potentially high ceiling!
Carlton Davis
- 17.3% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus)
- 6.0 Week 7 points
- 11.35 Fantasy Points per Game
I believe that I have had a discussion, conversation, or even a recommendation for Carlton Davis since week 1. The conversations started with his reluctance to be able to cover any of the WR1 competition but have ended with him being a legit shutdown corner. Despite the ability to shut down the opposing WR 1, he is the 8th most targeted CB in the NFL. What has he done with those targets? Well, he is 2nd in INT (3) and leads the NFL in passes defended (11). This week he gets the New York Giants and Daniel Jones, who has thrown an INT in all but 1 game so far this season. With Sterling Shephard back, I expect Davis to be all over him. Expect a fair amount of tackles, passes defended, and possibly the INT. Let us not forget….he is the 7th highest scoring DB and still un-rostered in nearly 85% of leagues. Pick him up and dance your way to a Week 8 victory!
