IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Week 8

Photo of Nate Marcum Nate Marcum Follow on X Send an email October 25, 2022
7 minutes read
Week 8 2022 IDP Waiver Wire Adds Fantasy Football Fantasy In Frames

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 8.

Defensive Line/Edge Rusher

Sam Williams (Dallas Cowboys)

This is the first chance you will have to stash Sam Williams while the Cowboys figure out their defensive line rotation. Coming off of the best game of his short career, Williams is still a risky addition due to his limited playing time. While only seeing 14 snaps, Williams turned those snaps into three tackles, two sacks, two QB hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Williams and the Cowboys will turn their attention to the Chicago Bears in Week 8. In short, the Bears are the team you can feel comfortable playing your pass-rushing DL, even on limited snaps. Before their game on Monday night, the Bears have allowed the 3rd most sacks, as well as the highest pressure rate allowed (31%). This production explains their Top 3 scoring allowed to the DE position!

After the Bears in Week 8, the Cowboys will go on their BYE in Week 9. Feel free to observe usage in Week 8 and look to attack during his BYE week.

Nik Bonitto (Denver Broncos)

Bonitto, like Sam Williams listed above, hasn’t exactly had the opportunity to spread his wings! That could all change over the next couple of weeks while Baron Browning is recovering from the hip injury he suffered in Week 7.

Bonitto, when given the opportunity, has demonstrated above-average pass-rush skills. Among rookies, his 12.9% pass-rush win rate ranks 5th. Bonitto was credited with the first sack of his career in Week 7 and could have a big role against the Jags in Week 8.

As with Williams, Bonitto and the Broncos have their BYE in Week 9, so be cognizant of that when making your waiver wire claims.

Honorable Mention or Previously Mentioned:

Denico Autry(Tennessee Titans)– A matchup against the Texans and Tytus Howard could be advantageous. Derrick Henry should dominate and force the Texans to air it out. With Bud Dupree back, attention should be lessened. Autry also has four sacks over his past three games.

Yannick Ngakoue (Indianapolis Colts)- Potentially forgotten due to his sack-or-bust nature. The Colts will host the Commanders in Week 8, who just allowed the Packers to generate 29 pressures. This is a matchup to exploit if you are needing a sack.

Matthew Judon (New England Patriots)- I can’t believe he isn’t a heavily rostered player. He will get the Jets in Week 8, who just got the devastating news that Alijah Vera-Tucker is out for the season. Look for Judon to exploit a huge hole in the Jets O-Line.

Linebackers

Willie Gay Jr (Kansas City Chiefs)

Coming off of his suspension, I was intrigued to see what his usage would look like. I was pleasantly surprised to see a 56% snap share and solid production. Gay was 3rd on the team in tackles (8), recorded a QB hit, and even got his first sack of the season, albeit a 1/2 sack.

Before his suspension, Gay received 80% of the snaps and was heavily involved in the defense for his coverage ability. In the first two weeks of the season, Gay was 2nd among LB in targets and 4th in pass-play tackles. The Chiefs are on a BYE in Week 8, so there is a great opportunity to snag him for cheap. The Chiefs will play the Jaguars, Chargers, Rams, and Bengals over the next five weeks. Each of these matchups is ideal, considering that three of the four are in the Top 10 among points allowed to opposing LBs.

Deion Jones (Cleveland Browns)

The Browns traded for Deion Jones, and there was much speculation about when he would see significant playing time. With news that he would wear the coveted “green dot,” I was under the impression that it would be sooner rather than later. Now with the news that Jacob Phillips is out for the season with a torn pec, it would appear that Jones is in line for the full workload as soon as Week 8!

If there is a week to see 100% of the snaps, a matchup against the Bengals is as good as it gets. The Bengals are allowing the 2nd most points to the LB position, and just last saw Rashaan Evans of the Falcons tally 13 tackles. While I won’t go as far as to predict 13 tackles, I do believe that double-digit tackles and an every-down role is well within reach.

Honorable Mentions or Previously Mentioned

Germaine Pratt (Cincinnati Bengals)- Filled in for the injured Logan Wilson and will need to step up in Week 8. After leading the Bengals in run-play tackles, he will have his hands full with the Cleveland Browns. It is this type of matchup that screams safe tackle floor.

Divine Deablo (Las Vegas Raiders)– Despite the Raiders having their full complement of linebackers, Deablo still was on the field for 100% of the snaps. His 11 tackles mark the 3rd time this season with double-digit, and he has yet to finish with less than 7 in any game.

Defensive Back

Eric Rowe (Miami Dolphins)

Another waiver wire addition on the heels of a devastating loss due to injury. Brandon Jones suffered an apparent knee injury in Week 7 that is likely to place him on the IL, which could mean that NFL veteran Eric Rowe is the next man up.

Rowe, who is in his 8th year in the NFL, should be the recipient of valuable playing time with the loss of Brandon Jones. He has played sparingly on the season (136 snaps) but has a solid 15% tackle rate. I really want to see if his usage mirrors Brandon Jones’s and if Josh Boyer will let him rush the passer. Before Jones’ injury, he was 3rd among S with 29 pass-rush snaps.

I like Rowe in Week 8. The Dolphins will face the Lions, the 5th most generous team to opposing safeties. It will be a good test to see the usage/role of Rowe in this defense.

Ryan Neal (Seattle Seahawks)

Usage is a very important metric when it comes to fantasy output. Some may believe the correlation is weak, but I can’t ignore the obvious. If you are on the field, you have a chance to score points. Over the past three weeks, Ryan Neal has played the 2nd most snaps of any Safety in the NFL. Neal isn’t simply just present, he is also making plays. During that span, he is Top 10 in tackles among DB and has the 2nd most Passes defended.

The Seahawks will get the Giants in Week 8, who have allowed a double-digit score to the S position in six of the first seven weeks. Look for Neal and the Seahawks to remain on the field for heavy snaps, leading to another Top 10 finish. Finally, look at the play below, and know that he required IV fluid before this game. The man is a baller!

Honorable Mention or Previously Mentioned:

Keanu Neal (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)- With Antoine Winfield Jr suffering a concussion and unlikely for Thursday’s game vs. Baltimore, it would be Keanu Neal in line for the uptick in playing time. The Ravens ran the ball 65% of the time in Week 7, and will most likely replicate the run-heavy approach. While the linebackers will do their share of tackling, don’t be shocked to see Neal have a double-digit tackle upside.

Sauce Gardner (New York Jets)- It’s extremely hard to trust a CB in your DB spot, but Gardner is making it hard to ignore. Gardner put on a show in Week 7, recording ten tackles and breaking up three passes. This makes the 2nd week in a row with three pass breakups. The Jets will face the Patriots in Week 8, which is less than ideal, but aim for a Week 9 battle with the Bills!

Geno Stone (Baltimore Ravens)- Stone has recently been a revelation for the Ravens and has seen his snaps increase as a result. After being on the field for 75% in Week 6, Stone played 100% of the snaps in Week 7. In exchange for the increase in playing time, he tallied 7 solo tackles. In addition to the tackles, he forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and was disruptive in the pass rush. Over the past two weeks, he and fellow Raven Chuck Clark are 1st and 2nd in pressures from the S position.

Thanks for reading our IDP Waiver Wire Adds for Week 8!

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 October 25, 2022
7 minutes read
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