We're now past the midpoint of the 2022 season, so welcome to the Week 9 IDP Waiver Wire Report. I like to talk strategy at the top of the article and this week's offering focuses on your league competition. Sometimes, it's best to move on, meaning, we can outgrow our league. For example, if you're in an IDP league with multiple starters at DL, LB and DB and yet there are 20 scoring players at those positions still on the waiver wire, the league may not be competitive enough for your time. If multiple managers are rostering RB150 and beyond and there are a few top 30 backs on the waiver wire, is this really a serious league? The same applies for IDP. Maybe this league is with your buddies from high school, college or work, so it's more about the camaraderie than the competition. That's fine—there's no wrong way to play. It's fine to be in a casual league. But you should also seek out a more competitive league and challenge yourself as well.
Update (11/1): The Bears traded LB Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for LB A.J. Klein and 2023 second- and fifth-round picks. The Bears linebacker that will most benefit from this move is Nicholas Morrow, and he should be owned across the board in every league format if he isn't already. The Bears use a heavy rotation across their defensive line and may opt to use more five-DB, nickel formations rather than give Klein or another linebacker a ton of playing time. Smith remains an elite IDP and it'll be interesting to see how the Ravens opt to rotate their pass rushers as both Smith and Patrick Queen figure to maintain a near 100% snap share.
If you have any IDP waiver or lineup questions, I'm happy to help and you can contact me directly on Twitter @mattkdelima. Before I offer the latest IDP information, please do go back and check the names on the Week 8 IDP waiver wire list.
The wide variety of IDP leagues makes it difficult to pinpoint roster percentages, so not every recommendation may be a good fit for your league. Generally, if you play in a shallow format with a total of 24 or fewer IDP starters across the league (two per team), these recommendations are at least a layer too deep for you. For specifics, it's always best to consume a lot of IDP content to get a feel for the landscape from multiple points of view.
Note: For each player, I provide a rest of season (ROS) ranking and list their percentage of defensive snaps played in their most recent game. For example, Derwin James would be a DB1+, meaning a defensive back ranked 1 to 12 (DB1) and the plus sign meaning on the high-end (1 to 4). DL3- would be a defensive lineman ranked 25 to 36 (DL3) and the minus means on the low-end, specifically 33 to 36.
NFL Game Books (PDF): BAL VS. TB | DEN VS. JAC | CAR VS. ATL | CHI VS. DAL | MIA VS. DET | ARI VS. MIN | LV VS. NO | NE VS. NYJ | PIT VS. PHI | TEN VS. HOU | WAS VS. IND | SF VS. LAR | NYG VS. SEA | GB VS. BUF
Notable IDP injuries
• Bills DB1 Jordan Poyer (elbow)
• Cowboys DB2+ Donovan Wilson
• Packers LB2 De'Vondre Campbell (knee)
• Seahawks DB2 Ryan Neal (cramps)
• Bucs DE2- Shaq Barrett (Achilles)
• Vikings DE2- Za'Darius Smith
• Packers DE3+ Preston Smith
• Cowboys DB4+ Jayron Kearse
• Packers LB4 Quay Walker (ejected)
• Jaguars DB4 Rayshawn Jenkins
• Titans DB4- Amani Hooker
• Seahawks DL5- Darrell Taylor (hip)
• 49ers DB5- Charvarius Ward
• Cowboys LB8- Anthony Barr (hamstring)
More IDP Injuries: Lions CB A.J. Parker (hip), Giants DL Nick Williams (biceps), Eagles CB Josiah Scott (ankle), Falcons CB Mike Ford, Falcons CB Cornell Armstrong, Dolphins DT Raekwon Davis, Steelers CB James Pierre, Titans DT Teair Tart, Ravens S Kyle Hamilton, Panthers DB Myles Hartsfield, Panthers DB Donte Jackson, Vikings DT Dalvin Tomlinson (calf), Colts DT Tyquan Lewis, Eagles DT Jordan Davis (ankle)
