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Fantasy Football IDP Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 7

Fantasy Football IDP Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 7

It can get harder and harder to find quality IDP players on the waiver wire as the bye weeks continue to deplete the talent pool. Once again this week, there will be four teams on a bye and many top-end players will be out. That’s just part of the game and we press on regardless. There are always hidden gems and we’ve scoured the league to come up with some Week 7 options.

Keep in mind that the owned percentages are from CBS IDP leagues. The teams on a bye this week are Carolina, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay.

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Maxx Crosby (DL – OAK) –  1% owned (2% FAAB)
The rookie defensive end, Maxx Crosby, out of Eastern Michigan University, is a great buy-low option with tremendous upside. He saw an expanded role in Week 5 with fellow rookie defensive end Clelin Ferrell sitting out due to a concussion. He played a season-high 98% of the defensive snaps and notched the first sack of his career.

On the season, he has 11 total tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and two passes defended. He will also benefit from the return of ascending defensive line prospect Ferrell, which will free him up a bit. The Raiders are putting together an impressive group of young edge rushers.

DeMarcus Walker (DL – DEN) – 0% owned (3% FAAB)
With edge rusher Bradley Chubb (ACL) out for the season, the Broncos’ defense has been looking for someone to step up. They appear to have found their man in third-year defensive end DeMarcus Walker, who has been on a roll recently.

After the previous coaching staff tried to convert him to outside linebacker, new head coach Vic Fangio decided to move him back to defensive end. That has paid great dividends so far. In the past three games, he has put up 10 total tackles, four tackles for a loss, and three sacks. Those are top-12 defensive lineman totals in most balanced scoring formats.

John Simon (DL – NE) – 1% owned (2% FAAB)
It’s a bit risky to trust a Patriots defensive lineman since they have a deep rotation, but this matchup is too good to pass up. The veteran, John Simon, did see an uptick in snaps last week, playing 48% of them after playing just 23% in Week 5. He finished with two solo tackles and also added an interception.

Through the first six games, he has put up 15 total tackles, two sacks, four passes defended, and an interception. The Jets, even with Sam Darnold back under center, are a positive matchup for opposing defensive linemen. In the past two games, they have allowed 10 sacks to the defensive line position. In the Week 3 game between these teams, Simon was credited with five total tackles, which is his floor this week.

Troy Reeder (LB – LAR) – 2% owned (4% FAAB)
Surprisingly, it has been the undrafted rookie out of Delaware that has settled in as the starting linebacker next to Cory Littleton. He has burst on the IDP scene while playing 67% of the snaps as a high-volume tackle producer. He has put up double-digit tackles in back-to-back games with 15 solo tackles and 24 in total during that time.

In Week 7, he faces a Falcons offense that is very fantasy-friendly to linebackers. In the last three games, they have allowed 78 total tackles and 3.5 sacks to the linebacker position. Last week, the duo of Haason Reddick and Jordan Hicks had 16 total tackles against Atlanta.

A.J. Johnson (LB – DEN) – 3% owned (4% FAAB)
Early season IDP darling Josey Jewell has apparently been replaced by Johnson as the starting inside linebacker alongside Todd Davis. To be fair, Jewell did have a hamstring issue that kept him out of Week 5. However, he was active this week and it was still Johnson getting the playing time.

Johnson had a very productive Week 6, putting up nine total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a tackle for a loss. In the past two weeks, he has 17 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He is getting it done in all facets of the game. It’s time to scoop him off the wire, even though the Week 7 matchup with Kansas City isn’t a positive one.

David Mayo (LB – NYG) – 1% owned (5% FAAB)
Mayo was forced into action due to a slew of injuries to the Giants’ linebacker corps after mainly being a special teams player, and he has apparently secured a starting role moving forward. It was assumed that he would be replaced as soon as Alec Ogletree (hamstring) and Tae Davis (concussion) were cleared to return. While Ogletree is back and has resumed his starting role, Davis was a healthy scratch last week after clearing the league’s concussion protocol. Mayo has been highly productive over the last three games with 30 total tackles and half a sack. Those are top-12 linebacker numbers in most balanced scoring formats.

Eric Weddle (DB – LAR) – 19% owned (8% FAAB)
In his first season in Los Angeles, the veteran safety has reemerged as an IDP force by putting up huge tackle totals in 2019. Through the first six games, he has 51 total tackles and is putting up top-12 defensive back totals in balanced scoring formats. To put that into a bit of perspective, he had 68 total tackles last season for Baltimore while playing 16 games. He is setting an incredible pace and it’s very likely to continue.

Last week, teammate John Johnson was forced to leave due to a shoulder issue. Should he miss time, Weddle will see even more tackle opportunities. The Falcons’ offense is the most generous in allowing production to opposing defensive backs.

Brian Poole (DB – NYJ) – 1% owned (2% FAAB)
This is the plug-and-play, waiver wire special of the week. He is coming off a big Week 6 in which he had nine total tackles in the upset win over Dallas. In the past three games, he has put up 25 total tackles and a forced fumble.

This under-the-radar cornerback can more than likely be had on the cheap as a viable streamer in a great matchup. Over their last three games, the Patriots’ offense is allowing an average of 28 tackles per game to opposing defensive backs. In the Week 3 game between the teams, he had 12 total tackles and a pass defended. Look for a repeat performance this week.

Justin Simmons (DB – DEN) – 21% owned (5% FAAB)
Over the last two games, Simmons has posted an interception in each game while adding eight total tackles. Those are top-20 defensive back numbers in balanced scoring formats. On the season, he has been putting up solid DB3 production and has played every defensive snap. The matchup this week is a plus one as the Chiefs’ offense is fantasy-friendly for opposing defensive backs. In the last three weeks, they have allowed 93 total tackles and six big plays against the defensive back position. In the two meetings between the teams last season, Simmons was a solid play, putting up 13 total tackles and an interception.

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Walton Spurlin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Walton, check out his archive and follow him @waltonspurlin.

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