IDP Waiver Wire Week 5: Top Pickups & Adds

Oct 05, 2026

USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

We're already in Week 5, with bye weeks beginning, with Kansas City and Carolina off this weekend. This is when your depth gets tested, and those stale cross-your-fingers-and-hope-they-figure-it-out assets need to be looked at through a different lens.

I always advise being aggressive on the waiver wire early in the year, and that gets tested more in the next few weeks. Anchoring to priors instead of seeing what actually happened is even more dangerous.

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My intention here is to cater to a wide variety of leagues every week. IDP leagues are like snowflakes, so if you have specific questions, jump into our subscriber Discord, find the IDP channel, and tag me with any questions you have. Some of you play in leagues where all of these players are already owned, and some of you play in IDP leagues where only 3-4 players are rostered on each team, so the players listed below might not even be on your radar; don't be afraid to reach out with specific questions. For now, expect at least one recommendation for shallow, medium, and deep leagues.

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Shallow League Drop Candidates

It's a light week for waiver suggestions, so I wanted to add a few thoughts on players who I think we can cut ties with. Now, the caveat here is that this is a list that's for shallow leagues, where you start and roster very few IDPs. To reiterate an important point: if you want specifics for your league, tag me in the IDP channel on Discord, and we can go through them there.

Cedric Gray (LB) - Tennessee Titans

It's coaching malpractice to start Cody Barton over Cedric Gray, but here we are. Cedric Gray's ill-timed injury, especially given that this is a new coaching staff in Tennessee, has been enough to cost him his job. What felt like a potential path to being eased back in after returning has stalled, with Gray hovering around 45-50% of the snap share each week.

Travis Hunter (CB) - Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Hunter's IDP appeal is tied to his potential as an offensive asset, and while that's been a slow drip in 2026, the well completely dried up in Week 4. Hunter didn't have an offensive snap in Week 4, playing exclusively at cornerback against the Bengals, likely due to Montaric Brown's absence for Jacksonville. Still, his offensive upside is quite limited and would likely require cluster injuries to the Jaguars' pass-catching core to change at this point.

CJ Allen (LB) - Indianapolis Colts

The bull case for CJ Allen this summer was pretty straightforward. The Colts used early Day 2 draft capital on Allen, adding him to an underwhelming linebacker room in a zone-heavy Lou Anarumo defense. But like Cedric Gray, Allen's momentum was killed by a poorly timed injury during training camp, and he's been unable to gain ground a month into the season.

T.J. Edwards (LB) - Chicago Bears

It feels like we're light-years removed from T.J. Edwards being a trustworthy IDP asset. Injuries have sapped Edwards' lateral quickness, and Dennis Allen's man-heavy system is also not IDP-friendly, at least from a consistent tackling standpoint. His tackle rate has plummeted, and while it's tough to give up a player who still carries an every-down role, there are likely better options on the waiver wire than Edwards at this point.

Week 5 - IDP Waiver Wire

Defensive Line

Chop Robinson - Miami Dolphins

After flashing as a rookie in 2024, Chop Robinson's 2025 was a bit of a letdown. He seems to have found his footing again, and Week 4 against the Vikings was his best week of the season. Per NGS, Robinson led the league with 10 pressures in Week 4, recording 1 sack, while also playing on nearly 70% of Miami's snaps. Robinson faces Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 5, and even though they're more than a touchdown underdog, we know he'll get plenty of pass rush reps given how often the Bengals like to throw.

Nnamdi Madubuike - Baltimore Ravens

Neck injuries are scary, and Nnamdi Madubuike's cost him the entire 2025 season. It's great to see him recover fully, and he's back to filling up the stat sheet for us IDP'ers. His snap rate is up where we want to see it (north of 70%), and he's contributing against the run (four tackles) and pass (six pressures in Week 4). He's viable in all formats, but he's a priority in DT-required leagues.