IDP Waiver Wire: Week 3 Pickups and Matchup Plays

Sep 19, 2018

Week 2 was a mixed bag, as we've seen injuries take out a few more of our top guys—this past week it was Bobby Wagner. Joey Bosa remains out and his return may not come until October. As always, we look back on Week 2 and ahead to Week 3 and the waiver wire. If you're lucky enough to avoid the injury bug, but looking to make improvements to your roster, below are a few waiver suggestions you can look to, followed by some IDP matchup analysis.

Week 3 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups

Defensive Back

Antoine Bethea, SS, Arizona Cardinals (72 snaps/100%)

This is the week for old man value at the IDP positions. Bethea is playing his familiar SS role and playing near the box, while Budda Baker is manning the slot. Through two weeks, Bethea has notched 16 solo tackles and is producing an efficient 12.1 percent tackle rate thanks to the position he puts himself in to make tackles. As of now, you can roster him as a DB2 in most tackle-heavy formats.

Quandre Diggs, SS, Detroit Lions (64 snaps/100%)

Through two games, Diggs has recorded double-digit fantasy points in both contests thanks to some big plays—including a pick-six on the first play of Monday Night Football game of the season against the Jets. He might not be a high-efficiency tackler, but he's capable of generating turnovers, giving him value in big-play scoring formats. He needs to cut down on the misses, as he's missed a tackle in each of the first two games.

John Johnson, SS, Los Angeles Rams (35 snaps/78%)

Johnson continues to make plays. After producing an interception in Week 1, he recorded seven tackles, including one for a loss in Week 2. He's been on the field for 105 defensive snaps and is recording a 15.2 percent tackle rate. Johnson looks like he should be a solid fantasy producer in Wade Phillips's scheme.

Now that the waiver wire is out of the way, below are some favorable Week 3 IDP matchups I'm targeting. If you have specific matchup questions, feel free to tweet at me. You can always refer to my ranks for start/sit tie-breakers.