IDP Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 5 (2026)

October 6, 2026

Chris G's top IDP waiver wire adds and defensive streamers for Week 5 of the 2026 fantasy football season. Target these individual defensive players on waivers.

After four weeks of sterling fantasy play and zero injuries decimating fantasy rosters (what’s sarcasm?), we've finally reached the point in the season when we start losing players to the voluntary vacation we call “bye weeks.” That’s right, with your fantasy rosters already full of minor and gaping holes, we now say goodbye to even more players because the NFL says so.

Luckily for many, the start of the bye season isn't as bad as usual. While we lost four teams to the first week of byes in 2025, just two teams will be off this week. So, those who roster zero Panthers and Chiefs are still hitting on all cylinders. Of course, if you roster stars like Devin Lloyd, that means you got him back in Week 4 only to lose him again.

For our Weekly IDP Ranking purposes, the losses are also minimal. Only four Carolina defenders regularly make our weekly list of 150 defenders while Kansas City has just two regulars from our list. This is good news in the short term, though the bye losses will compound in the weeks to come.

Defensive Linemen to Add

Elijah Ponder, New England Patriots

Rostered in 2.7% of IDP leagues

Despite seeing a downturn in his snap rate against the Bills, Ponder still registered 8.5 Standard IDP Scoring points against a Buffalo squad that has historically been stingy against pass rushers. While he is just the 59^th most rostered DL in fantasy, Ponder is averaging a whopping 8.8 fantasy points over his past three games and is averaging a solid 76.8% snap share.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 2%

Zaven Collins, Arizona Cardinals

Rostered in 1.3% of IDP leagues

While his current run of production appears fluky, with big plays accounting for over 60% of his production, Collins has put together three straight games of quality fantasy production with a high snap total because Arizona is frequently involved in high-volume shootouts. Collins is not one to trust, but he is DL11 in total scoring despite being the 70^th most rostered.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 0%

Princely Umanmielen, Carolina Panthers

Rostered in 0.1% of IDP leagues

While he is just the 193^rd most rostered DL in fantasy, this Ole Miss alum is DL36 in total points scored and ties for sixth in Pass Rush Win Rate this season. Better yet, the Panthers are about to go on their bye, so there should be zero competition for this sophomore on waivers. Expect Umanmielen to remain a sneaky free addition into next week, even in some deep IDP formats.

GOFF BROUGHT DOWN BY PRINCELY UMANMIELEN

#NFL #Lions #OnePride #Panthers #KeepPounding #DETvsCAR
https://t.co/pruNsNpVTX

— Dom (@ZeroChillSports) October 5, 2026

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 0%

Linebackers to Add

Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rostered in 6.7% of IDP leagues

Wilson’s usage continues to perplex, as all reports indicated he would see a steadier usage rate this year… only for his snap rate to dip significantly in Weeks 2 and 3 before spiking back up in Week 4. With that said, he remains a big play threat with a relatively safe LB3 floor.

The North Carolina State alum is averaging 4.7 more fantasy points than 10 different LBs who are rostered in more leagues than him. That means that there is value to be had with this player on waivers.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 3%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 10%

Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers

Rostered in 4.1% of IDP leagues

Greenlaw’s snap share and production have increased each of the first four weeks of the season, culminating in a double-digit tackle showing against his former team this week. While his Week 4 spike could have been due to the “revenge game” rush, that usage and production are consistent with how the 49ers used him during their previous stint together in 2023.

Dre Greenlaw just destroys the Broncos center💀. https://t.co/LCVPmDrimM

— 49erscast (@49erscast1) October 4, 2026

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 4%

Isaiah McDuffie, Green Bay Packers

Rostered in 0.2% of IDP leagues

With Edgerrin Cooper's unfortunate season-ending injury, McDuffie becomes a readily available waiver-wire candidate. McDuffie stepped in and took on Cooper’s snaps when the star went down on Sunday, and we can expect that to continue.

McDuffie was also the top reserve linebacker for the Packers last year. As a starter in 2025, McDuffie averaged a steady 5.9 points per game. That pace would make McDuffie LB48 this season, so his floor is likely as an LB4 most weeks. Thus, he is a worthwhile stash in deeper IDP formats.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 3%

Defensive Backs to Add

Mansoor Delane, Kansas City Chiefs

Rostered in 2.8% of IDP leagues

While Delane is heading into his bye week and has a limited resume, his short stint of fantasy production is incredibly encouraging. The Chiefs are using Delane as a run defender routinely, consistent with how they’ve used their top corners in the past, and it’s resulted in double-digit tackles in each of his past two games.

Mansoor Delane with one of the GREATEST two-play sequences you’ll see from a rook.

Registers a TFL on Ashton Jeanty, and follows it up with CLAMPING Brock Bowers.

The Chiefs rookie CB NEUTRALIZING some of the NFL’s top weapons 😳🔒 https://t.co/oHzd3YU6qM

— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) October 4, 2026

While the sample size is small, Delane is also playing nearly every single down when healthy and averaging the fourth-highest target rate of any cornerback in the NFL. His run-game usage only supplements that heavy target share, which is why the rookie leads all fantasy DBs in fantasy points per snap this season.

Based on his small sample size, Delane may be the best waiver-wire defender available over the next two weeks.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 2%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 10%

Amik Robertson, Washington Commanders

Rostered in 9.6% of IDP leagues

Robertson is a pleasant surprise on a disappointing Commanders team this season. He currently sits fourth at his position in total scoring but is just DB38 in roster rate. His production feels sustainable, too, as Washington faces the seventh-most plays per game and Robertson is averaging multiple PDs and 6.7 tackles per game over his past three starts.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 2%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 6%

Reed Blankenship, Houston Texans

Rostered in 1.7% of IDP leagues

Blankenship has a 91.8% defensive snap share this season, and his team is facing the eighth-most plays per game. While he doesn't historically offer big-play production or high tackle totals, Blankenship can usually be counted on for a safe floor and a steady tackle total most weeks. That is an underrated quality, especially since he's the 75^th most rostered DB in fantasy.

FAAB in Standard IDP Leagues: 0%

FAAB in Deep IDP Leagues: 3%

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