Bye weeks are upon us in the NFL, and this week fantasy managers will be without any Falcons, Saints, Jets, or 49ers. Over the next several weeks, depth becomes critical, and navigating the waiver wire appropriately is a necessity. Finding plug and play options can keep your team as close to full strength as possible, even when your typical starters are out. Read on to see my favorite waiver add at each position for IDP heading into Week 6.
*To qualify for this article, player must be under 50% rostered on Fantrax.
Defensive Line/EDGE
Harold Landry, Tennessee Titans
Harold Landry is in the midst of a breakout season that nobody seems to be talking about. Landry has been a key cog in the Titans machine since being drafted in 2018, but we’ve seen an overall uptick in his production so far this year.
One of the first things I look at when evaluating IDPs is the snap rate. Landry passes that test with flying colors. Having played on 92% of the Titans snaps this season, he is about as close to an every down players as you can find for a pass rusher. Of course, those snaps on their own mean very little for IDP, if they don’t lead to statistics, a.k.a. fantasy points. Landry is passing that test as well. He already has 4.5 sacks on the season, halfway to his career high of 9 sacks back in 2019. Another positive is the consistency he’s shown, as he’s registered at least a half sack in 4 of 5 games thus far. I’d much rather have these kinds of level performances than a huge 5 sack week and then quiet for 4 games (looking at you Chandler Jones…).
I addition to the pass rushing success, Landry has also increased his tackle numbers thus far. He is averaging 5.6 tackles per game, logging 28 combined through 5 games. This is 1.3 tackles per game higher than last year, when he posted a career best 69 tackles…nice. He’s been fairly consistent there as well, logging at least 7 tackles in 3 of 5 games.
He’s still available in 60% of leagues, but with the bye weeks, this number is likely to shoot up quickly. Don’t miss out!
Linebacker
David Long, Tennessee Titans
We move from a Titans outside linebacker to a Titans inside linebacker for this entry. The IDP community has been a little slow to pick up on David Long this season, myself included. This has much to do with his teammate Jayon Brown, who has been a starter there for the past 3 seasons. When Brown re-signed with Tennessee to a one-year deal during the offseason, it was presumed that he would be back in the starting lineup, wearing the green dot, and leading the Titans’ linebackers in snaps.
After Week 1, this appeared to be the case, as Brown played 93% of the snaps. David Long happened to be out that week, but as a presumed backup, this didn’t get much attention. It was Jayon Brown, however, you missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury, and Long stepped in to play 98% of the snaps, while taking over the green dot. Most assumed this was a one week thing due to Brown’s injury. Ahead of Week 3, Jayon suffered a setback late in the week, which earned him a “questionable” tag for the contest. A game time decision, he tested his hamstring pre-game and would ultimately be active. Instead of stepping back into the starting role, however, Brown played only 10 snaps (16%), while Long played all 61. “Maybe they’re just easing him back in because of the hamstring,” many thought. Week 4, there was a slight uptick, as Brown played 31% to Long’s 98%. This is when questions about his role really started to pick up. There were no definitive answer’s to be had on Brown’s decrease in snaps, and there likely won’t be, as he was placed on Injured Reserve with a knee injury prior to Week 5. As expected, Long play 100% of snaps yet again, and with Brown no longer in the picture, there is absolutely no question about Long’s role moving forward.
He’s played 99% of snaps in his 4 active games, notching 29 combined tackles, and 3 tackles for loss. He should be considered an LB2 for the remainder of the season, even if/when Jayon returns. Because of the slow reaction to what was happening, Long is still available in 90% of leagues. He needs to be rostered in every IDP format at this point, sans leagues where you only start 1 defensive player.
Defensive Back
Nasir Adderley, Los Angeles Chargers
For the first time in his career, Nasir Adderley entered this season as an unquestioned starter at the safety position. While Derwin James was poised to take one of the spots upon returning from injury, another spot was left open when Rayshawn Jenkins signed with Jacksonville.
A 2019 2nd Round draft pick, Adderley had been considered a bit of a disappointment over his first 2 seasons. His rookie season was forgettable, as he was limited primarily to special teams duties. He was able to break into the starting lineup last season, though, when he managed a nice, but not really, 69 tackles. Through 5 games this season, he’s already over halfway to that number. He’s averaging 7 combined tackles per game thus far, which is a full 2.4 per game higher than his output a season ago, and he’s reached 8 tackles in a single game three times already. This puts him at a pace of 119 tackles over a 17 game season. As far as playing time, he’s played 100% of the Chargers defensive snaps in 4 of the 5 games, so his role is locked in. He’s only rostered in 32% of leagues at the moment, and he can absolutely provide a boost at your DB position during the byes.
Thanks for checking in, and as always you can find me on Twitter @CantALoupe_FF. Good luck in Week 6!
