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Hope springs eternal at the beginning of each fantasy football season. Regardless of what injuries, failures, and misguided trades might lie ahead, Week 1 is a time when everyone can dream of placing a plastic football trophy that cost $5.95 atop their mantle next to their war medals, photos of their kids, and grandma's ashes. It's a beautiful, hopeful time of year.
Unfortunately, none of your rosters will be the same in December as they are now, not even if you did a reaaaaally good job drafting. Everyone suffers injuries, sees disappointments, executes trades, and nearly every fantasy manager alive will overhaul half of their roster before the season ends. This natural turnover is what some call "roster churn." This churn is as inevitable as gravity, or me being asked to leave Olive Garden because of my uncontrollable flatulence… which is a rude way to treat 'family,' by the way.
Anyways, the point we are trying to make is you will have to make roster moves all season long, no matter how much you like your roster to begin with. Those inevitable tinkers or tear-downs mean you should always keep an eye on who's on your waivers and who shouldn't be. That is why we get ahead of the curve, taking our first stab at an IDP Waiver Wire before the 2021 season even begins. Here we will tell you what players are available in most leagues (at least 80%) who shouldn’t be and how these players may help you survive a long season. So without further ado….
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Alex Highsmith, DL/LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered in 1.6% of IDP leagues
We praised Highsmith’s fantasy upside in April and again in our final Pre-Season IDP Positional Rankings. Despite our gushing over the second-year player out of UNC Charlotte, he remains rostered in less than 2% of IDP leagues. So, you are going to have to listen to us hype him up again.
Highsmith showed potential as a pass rusher and run defender as a rookie, with a 9.3% pressure rate despite a lack of polish. Now Highsmith has had a full offseason to prepare to be a starter, and he inherits a defensive role in which Bud Dupree averaged 11.5 sacks, 58.6 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 4.7 turnovers per 16 games over the past two seasons. Highsmith has the athleticism and opportunity to come close to Dupree’s numbers in this defense, meaning he has the upside of a DL1 with the price tag of expired chicken.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 2%
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 5%
Jordyn Brooks, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered in 13.9% of IDP leagues
Brooks is a well-known name to NFL Draft addicts, but many casual fans won’t know the athletic sophomore who spent most of 2020 playing behind Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. Luckily for Brooks and IDP managers in the know, Wright has moved on and Brooks appears tabbed to take over the every-down role Wright vacated.
At Texas Tech, Brooks popped as a violent downhill tackler with speed to perform in coverage if he could improve his recognition skills. From the flashes we saw of Brooks last season and the reports of him being a “team leader” in camp, all indications are the former Red Raider will deliver on the promise he showed in the Big 12. Brooks is likely to see more fantasy opportunities in 2021 than players like Jaylon Smith, and yet he’s available in over 85% of IDP leagues.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 0%
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 3%
Logan Wilson, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered in 4.3% of IDP leagues
Wilson is a sturdier but less athletic version of Jordyn Brooks. So naturally, we like Wilson for many of the same reasons we like Brooks. The former Wyoming tackle machine came into the league with hopes of leading a mediocre Bengals linebacker corps early. Unfortunately, Wilson was eased in slowly despite his penchant for big plays and Cincy's lack of defensive playmakers. However, Wilson should see more of the field this year, and he will surprise people who don't follow Wyoming or Bengals football. He will often be the last line of defense on a bad defensive unit, which spells tons of tackles and an opportunity for interceptions.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 0%
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 2%
Jason Pierre-Paul, DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rostered in 14.1% of IDP leagues
This may seem like an obvious name, but Pierre-Paul is on waivers in nearly 86% of IDP leagues, so mentioning him here is necessary. The avid fireworks fan was one of the most productive fantasy defensive linemen in 2020, despite a nagging knee injury that went uncorrected until this offseason. With the South Florida product reportedly healthier than he has been in years, he should continue to produce in fantasy.
Some may want to discount JPP because the Bucs added rookie Joe Tryon in the NFL Draft, and that's valid. Tryon has received rave reviews in camp, and he has earned a rotational role with JPP and Shaquil Barrett on the edges this year. That timeshare has been enough to scare some off of Pierre-Paul, and it's understandable why. However, savvy IDP players won't worry too much about this timeshare because they will expect a veteran Bucs team with a veteran-friendly head coach to lean on guys like JPP. The Florida native should remain a high-end DL2 in most leagues, and he’s available for nothing.
Note: Tryon is an interesting name to remember in IDP leagues that utilize three DL spots or more, even if he won’t hinder JPP too badly this year. The rookie is looking to be a steal for the Bucs, and he may see his name on this list soon.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 2%
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 6%
Richie Grant, DB, Atlanta Falcons
Rostered in 2.1% of IDP leagues
Grant is one of the better bets to be an immediate fantasy contributor in this whole defensive rookie class. Despite playing a high-safety position with some regularity, he led his alma mater in tackles in both 2018 and 2020, and he showed superior recognition skills in the passing game.
Grant has the motor and gumption to punish in the box and enough anticipation to close on balls across the hash marks. That skill set is why the Falcons nabbed Grant to lead their rebuilding defense, and it could be enough to make him a DB2 in his first season as a pro.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 0%
FAAB in Deep Dynasty IDP: 2%
Keanu Neal, LB/DB, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered in 4.0% of leagues
The primary appeal of Neal in most IDP leagues will be his DB eligibility. Players who are linebackers on the field but are DB eligible in fantasy will always get a look from IDP rankers and managers because it's a sign that player will have a sturdy tackle floor.
Neal is currently eligible as a DB on CBS, making him a viable IDP starter on that application. However, he is only eligible as an LB on ESPN, which makes him less enticing on that service. His fantasy viability will depend largely on what app you use and how deep your rosters are.
FAAB: 0% except in deep IDP leagues where he is DB eligible
Troy Reeder, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Rostered in 2.4% of IDP leagues
I’ve talked enough about New Orleans Saints Linebacker Zack Baun, so I will give you a break. Otherwise, he would be on this list.
Setting Baun aside, Troy Reeder is also a terrific waiver value right now. The former Nittany Lion just beat out Micah Kiser for the starting linebacker position behind Aaron Donald. That is a role that has been synonymous with fantasy success in the past. In fact, Reeder himself excelled in this same role when he averaged 10.1 tackles per game across nine starts last year. With the upside of his position and his limited but solid resume, Reeder profiles as a solid LB2 candidate, and yet he's not even rostered in many deep IDP formats.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 0%
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 5%
Kyle Dugger, DB, New England Patriots
Rostered in 1.5% of IDP leagues
Dugger is a familiar name for those who frequent this column. He’s an elite athlete with a linebacker’s build, safety speed, and he was Bill Belichick’s first draft pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Lenoir-Rhyne product isn’t just a big bag of projections either, as his play last season earned several compliments from his mercurial head coach.
So if Dugger is so great, why are people so low on him in fantasy this year? The simple answer to that question is: zero clarity.
Belichick and his crew are famous for rotating players on defense and using players in unique ways, so it’s natural for fantasy managers to worry Dugger could be relegated to a situational role on a deep unit. That said, the Patriots have produced high-end IDP defenders in the past, and Dugger has the physical profile to be one of those outliers. Further, the sophomore has looked good in pre-season work, and Belichick clearly likes his potential to be a mismatch all over the field. That’s why people should consider carrying Dugger on their bench in deep IDP formats.
FAAB in Standard IDP: 0%
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 3%
Talanoa Hufanga, DB, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered in 0.3% of IDP leagues
In April, we told you to keep an eye on Hufanga because he profiled as a promising rotational linebacker with safety versatility. After a very strong offseason that impressed most of the 49ers’ coaching staff, as well as the man most compare Hufanga to (John Lynch), it appears Hufanga may actually become the 49ers’ starting strong safety at some point.
Given his larger and slower build, Hufanga profiles as more of a box safety in the mold of how Keanu Neal played with Atlanta. That kind of role on a talented defense can provide a solid fantasy floor, making him an interesting bench stash in deeper formats.
FAAB in Deeper IDP: 0%
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