IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Week 2

Photo of Nate Marcum Nate Marcum Follow on X Send an email September 12, 2022
9 minutes read
IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Week 2 Fantasy In Frames 2022

Welcome to our first IDP Waiver Wire article for the season!

Many people will assume that a fantasy championship is won on draft day, but I am here to tell you that it is most definitely not! While you can set yourself up very well on draft day, the Waiver Wire will be the key ingredient to your championship stew! Each week I will bring you my collection of players that should be available in over 50% of leagues. While the true roster % of IDP leagues is difficult to tabulate, I will do my best to ensure we are ahead of the curve. Let’s get down to our IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Week 2!

Defensive Line/Edge Rusher

Malik Reed (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Call it a premonition or bad luck, but the Steelers didn’t envision or hope that Malik Reed would become a starter for them as early as Week 2. Pittsburgh recently traded a 6th-round pick to Denver for pass-rush specialist Malik Reed. After leading the league in sacks for the past 5 seasons, the Steelers found themselves shallow at the position. With T.J. Watt tearing his pectoral muscle and seemingly missing the rest of the season, they find themselves even more shallow. This is where Malik Reed steps in! In three years with the Broncos, Reed started in 34 games and collected 15 sacks, 124 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 30 QB hits, and 3 Forced Fumbles.

Reed has extremely big shoes to fill in Watt, but Reed is a solid pass-rusher and should have decent upside in deep IDP leagues. The Steelers will host the Patriots in Week 2 and should find themselves in a positive game script, thus leading to plenty of pass-rush snaps.

Rashad Weaver (Tennessee Titans)

When the Titans lost Harold Landry III, it took the wind out of the sails for the Titans’ defense. Rashad Weaver’s performance in Week 1 has resuscitated that D-line for the time being! Weaver, Jeffrey Simmons, and Bud Dupree combined for 5 sacks against the New York Giants.

Weaver’s pre-season has carried over into the regular season, as his pre-season leading 10 pressures have parlayed into 2 sacks in Week 1. While still being in a rotational type of role, the consistency could be a little worrying to fantasy managers, but the relentless nature of his approach is desirable. The Titans play the Bills in Week 2, which is not an ideal matchup, as evidenced by the Rams’ 8 lonely pressures in Wk 1.

George Karlaftis (Kansas City Chiefs)

If there is a better nickname than “Furious George,” I have yet to find one. It is the perfect nickname for Karlaftis’ playing style. His never-ending motor and relentless approach led to the 6 pressures in Week 1. The 6 pressures were the most by any rookie in Week 1, but a lot of that can be attributed to game script, as the Chiefs offense forced the Cardinals to drop back and pass on 44 snaps.

Karlaftis and the Chiefs will have their hands full on Thursday night against the rival Chargers. Karlaftis will have his own hands full of Rayshawn Slater, but greener pastures are most definitely on the horizon. As long as this Chiefs offense can move the ball as they did in Wk 1, there should be plenty of pass-rush opportunities for Furious George and company.

Honorable Mention:

Alex Highsmith (Pittsburgh Steelers)– A little more heavily rostered than Reed but had an incredible Week 1 (9 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FF)

Grady Jarrett (Atlanta Falcons)- Don’t chase sacks, but if you play in a DT league, he gets the Rams in Week 2. The Rams’ offensive line just gave up 27 pressures to Buffalo, but I am not comparing ATL to Buff.

Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts)– Very shallow leagues, check your waivers. He has been a target of mine but could have slipped through the cracks after 2021 when he only had 4 sacks. 4 pressures, 2 sacks, and a 22% Win Rate. Colts face Jacksonville in Wk 2, who just allowed 29 pressures.

Travon Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars)- Most likely rostered, but if he isn’t, Walker truly demonstrated that he looks the part of the #1 draft pick. Walker played 66 of 77 total snaps, which resulted in 4 tackles, an INT, and a sack. If you haven’t seen the INT yet, here, you go!

Linebacker

Kamu Grugier-Hill (Houston Texans)

The last time Kamu Grugier-Hill faced the Indianapolis Colts, he set a Texans’ record with 19 tackles. KGH decided that he would give us an encore performance with 18 tackles in Week 1. While it is not assumed that he will give us 18+ tackle performances going forward, it is a decent indicator that last year’s 108 tackle season isn’t completely a fluke. While it did take a game ending in a tie for him to see 90+ snaps, the 19% tackle rate is still incredible.

What can we expect moving forward for KGH? Considering that the two games against the Colts are the only two games he has seen double-digit solo tackles in his career, I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance..especially considering they don’t play again until Wk.18. While I do recommend picking up KGH, it is worth noting that the majority of his production came as a result of heavy target volume. The Texans play the Broncos in Wk.2, so I wouldn’t expect nearly the volume of work.

Mykal Walker (Atlanta Falcons)

There were plenty of questions surrounding the Falcons’ LB room with the absence of Deion Jones. It didn’t take long to have those questions answered, as Mykal Walker saw 100% of the snaps at MLB. Walker turned those 61 snaps into 6 tackles, 2 pressures, 1 sack and a forced fumble. For the time being, I love the fact that Walker is calling the plays and has a clear path to heavy snap shares. The Falcons play the Rams in Wk 2, which could lead to a really good game for Walker. Last week, the Rams targeted Buffalo MLB, Tremaine Edmunds, a game-high 10 times. I don’t expect that level of targets, but an increase from the 4 he saw in Wk 1 in addition to solid tackle volume and pass-rush snaps could be the recipe for an LB2 finish.

Divine Deablo (Las Vegas Raiders)

If you are reading my work for the first time, than there is a chance that you don’t already have Deablo on your roster. If you are back for more, than we can celebrate the 96% snap share that Deablo had in Week 1. We can also celebrate the fact that he wore the green dot, and totaled 7 tackles in a game. What we have to be cautious about the usage as a result of the Denzel Perryman ankle injury. While it is still not determined to what degree of severity, it is worth noting. While many of us felt like it would eventually become Deablo’s role, if all 3 (Perryman, Deablo, Jayon Brown) are healthy, there could be a reduction in snaps. Stay tuned, but I am optimistic!

Pete Werner (New Orleans Saints)

Pete Werner doesn’t get the love that he deserves. Last year, we kept waiting for the Saints to utilize the dynamic rookie, which only happened on rare occasions. But when he did play, he was highly productive. Regardless of the small sample size, he was PFFs 6th highest graded LB with at least 300 snaps. His only double-digit tackle weeks came in Wk5 & Wk16, where he played nearly 100% of the snaps. It was these glimpses of opportunity that have us wanting more. Luckily for us, we may be getting closer to a full-time role. In Wk1, Werner played 81% of the snaps and led the Saints in tackles (12). While the near 20% tackle rate is not sustainable, it is an indicator that there could be something special with significant snaps. At 33 years old, Demario Davis isn’t exactly a spring chicken, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Werner continue with heavy usage, but therein lies the concern. What if the Saints don’t see it the same way? You should invest now because the return is worth the investment.

Honorable Mention

Frankie Luvu (Carolina Panthers)– Wore the dot. Was PFF #2 graded LB, but extremely small sample (249 snaps). Played 85% of snaps in Wk1. Recorded 6 tackles. 42% missed tackle rate on run plays has me concerned as they face Saquon and the Giants in Wk 2.

Zaire Franklin (Indianapolis Colts)- If Leonard misses another game, Franklin is the LB to roster. Played 100% of the snaps in Wk1 and had 8 tackles.

Defensive Back

Nick Cross (Indianapolis Colts)

It may have been Nick Cross’ birthday just a few days ago, but I feel like we are the ones opening the presents. Cross has been a favorite of Fantasy In Frames leading up to the season, and seeing him get 100% of the snaps in Wk 1 was one hell of a gift! While the gift (fantasy production) may not have been as exciting as we had hoped, the alignment was all we could have asked for! Of the 70 snaps he played, 33 of them were played in the box. From a SS perspective, I am all about seeing plenty of snaps in the box! I encourage you to put aside the 4 tackles and look beyond the boxscore!

Jalen Pitre (Houston Texans)

After 92 snaps (100%) in his first regular season NFL game, Jalen Pitre has proven that he has it! From enormous hits on Alec Pierce to 11 tackles on the evening, Pitre has caught our attention. I, for one, am tempering expectations a little bit, considering 92 snaps in a game is absurd. That being said, his 53 snaps near the line of scrimmage or in the slot tells me all I need to hear about his upside moving forward. The Texans are not going to possess the ball a ton on offense, which could lead to a lot of heavy snap games.

Talanoa Hufanga (SF 49ers)

If you don’t know the name Talanoa Hufanga, practice saying it a few times because there is going to be a lot of chatter about him this upcoming waiver wire period! Don’t take my word for it, look at that PFF grade (90.8)! Seemingly out of nowhere, Hufanga made an appearance, and doesn’t look like he wants to leave anytime soon. His 30 box snaps were the most in his short career, and he responded with the production to support them! In what was one of the sloppiest weather conditions you could play in, he didn’t let it get in the way. His 11 tackles paced the 49ers, not to mention his 6 tackles alone on run plays. This is relevant because the 49ers will host the Seahawks in a game that I assume Seattle will want to keep on the ground. In addition to the excellent tackling, he also picked off a pass and played excellent in coverage (2.8 Passer Rating when targeted). This could be a huge season, with incredible IDP upside!

Honorable Mention

L’Jarius Snead (Kansas City Chiefs)- Targeted a team-high 6 times in Wk 1, but was limited to 73.6 passer rating. If you start a CB or play in CB-rewarded leagues, I highly encourage you to grab Snead. Plays in the slot and is one of the best tackling CB I have watched. 8 tackles and a sack in Wk 1.

Brandon Jones (Miami Dolphins)– I am only stashing him down here because he shouldn’t be available on waivers, but if he is….he is a priority.

Grant Delpit (Cleveland Browns)- Biggest concern for me was alignment. After playing 100% of the snaps in Wk 1 and 66% of which were in the box or in the slot, I am buying into Delpit!

Thanks for reading our IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Week 2!

Now go put in those waiver claims ASAP!

Also, don’t forget to check out our Weekly IDP Rankings for the upcoming week by clicking here!

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Photo of Nate Marcum Nate Marcum Follow on X Send an email September 12, 2022
9 minutes read
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