Week 3 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups (2025 Fantasy Football)

Week 2 is now in the books. There are numerous storylines to track, but perhaps the most significant is the overlooked IDP players who showed out in Week 2. There were a lot of defensive fireworks in Week 2, so there are more than a few intriguing names on the waiver wire in leagues of all sizes. Let’s take a look at some of the names that may be worth some of your free agent budget. 

Week 3 IDP Waiver Wire

Linebacker

Nate Landman (LB – LAR): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Landman was excellent in Week 2, reeling off four solos, four assists, and one fumble recovery. Landman has cemented himself as an LB2 option and should be treated as such for what should be a busy day at the office against the Philadelphia Eagles. Add Landman wherever possible.

Demario Davis (LB – NO): 8% rostered on Yahoo
Demario Davis continues to turn back the clock for IDP managers, tallying five solos, six assists, and one fumble recovery in Week 2. He needs to be taken seriously as an LB2 option as long as he is cooking and should be treated as one for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Add Davis wherever available.

Kenneth Murray (LB – TEN): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Kenneth Murray looked good again in Week 2, tallying five solos, two assists, and two tackles for loss. Murray is an easy LB2 play for Week 3, thanks to a plus matchup against the Chicago Bears. If Murray is somehow available in your league, add him immediately. Murray has LB1 upside.

Dee Winters (LB – SF): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Winters was excellent in Week 2, racking up six solos and two assists. Winters has made a name for himself through the first two weeks of the season and has positioned himself as an LB2 option for IDP purposes. Start him with confidence for Week 3, thanks to a plus matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

Payton Wilson (LB – PIT): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Payton Wilson showed up in a big way in Week 2, racking up eight solos, two assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss. He will be inconsistent, making him more of a flex option during the non byes, but he has the upside to plug in as an LB3 when needed. Treat him as such for a plus Week 3 matchup against the New England Patriots. Make the add where needed.

Devin Bush (LB – CLE): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Bush showed up again in Week 2, tallying four solos, four assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and two passes defended. Bush is playing at a high level for IDP managers and can be counted as an LB2 option until he slows down. Add him as an LB3 option where possible.

Ivan Pace (LB – MIN): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Pace was excellent on Sunday night, reeling off seven solos, two assists, and one tackle for loss. Pace was quiet in Week 1, so it is nice to see him sniff his upside in Week 2. Pace remains more LB3 than LB2 for now, but has LB2 upside for Week 3, thanks to a plus matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jack Sanborn (LB – DAL): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Sanborn dominated snaps beside Kenneth Murray in Week 2, pushing both Damone Clark and Marist Liufau to drop territory. Sanborn racked up a solid four solos and four assists against the New York Giants and should continue to provide LB3 numbers for fantasy managers. He has LB2 upside and could sit in that realm for an extended period, but he will need to show that he can produce in Dallas before we can start trusting him as a top-25 option outside of the byes. Add and start Sanborn where needed.

Defensive Line

Byron Young (DE/LB – LAR): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Young went off against the Titans, reeling off four solos, one assist, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Now up to three sacks on the season, Young looks set for a career year. The matchup will not be as good this week against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, but he will stack three plus matchups in the four following games. Add and start Young as a DL2 option who becomes an elite DL2 play in plus matchups.

Josh Sweat (DE/LB – ARI): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Josh Sweat was excellent in Week 2, racking up three solos, one sack, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Sweat is a solid DL3 option and should be treated as such for a plus matchup against a banged up San Francisco 49ers offense. Make the add where needed.

Brian Burns (DE/LB – NYG): 7% rostered on Yahoo
Burns continues to produce, most recently reeling off three solos, one sack, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended. Burns should be rostered in all competitive leagues, regardless of provider and positional designation. Treat Burns as a DL1/LB2 option for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Make the add wherever available.

Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE/LB – NYG): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Kayvon was excellent in Week 2, racking up four solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Thibodeaux played 70 percent of the snaps for the second week in a row and saw plenty of time with both Brian Burns and Abdul Carter (54.1 percent). There is no reason for a proven DL2 to be on the wire in any format when they are playing 70 percent of the snaps. Add and start Kayvon everywhere for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Joey Bosa (DE – BUF): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Bosa was at it again in Week 2, notching one solo, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and two forced fumbles. Bosa now has three forced fumbles in three games and should be treated seriously as a DL3/4 option as long as he is cooking. His upside is capped due to the rotation on the edge, but he played more snaps than Greg Rosseau (55 percent to 53 percent) and should continue to figure prominently in the rotation as long as he is making an impact on the field. Add Bosa where needed.

Dallas Turner (DE/LB – MIN): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Dallas Turner was a workhorse with Andrew Van Ginkel sidelined, playing a whopping 91 percent of the snaps and responding with three solos, two assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Turner will likely go back to a reserve role when AVG returns from concussion protocol, but his performance this past weekend should have earned him a larger role going forward, regardless. Make the stash where roster size permits.

Bradley Chubb (DE/LB – MIA): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Chubb was excellent in Week 2, racking up three solos, two assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Chubb has a sack in each of the first two games of the season and is firmly on the DL2 radar for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. Add and start Chubb where possible.

Baron Browning (DE/LB – ARI): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Baron Browning showed up in Week 2, notching two solos, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended on 48 percent of the snaps. Browning looks to be back to his pre-injury form, and after a strong Week 1 that saw him tally one solo, three assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss, Browning is knocking on the DL2 door. He should see an expanded role going forward, so treat him as a sneaky top-25 option for a plus Week 3 matchup against Mac Jones and the San Francisco 49ers.

Defensive Back

Kam Curl (S – LAR): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Kam Curl was excellent in Week 3, racking up five solos, two assists, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Putting together a performance like this on the heels of an eight solo, two assist Week 1 puts Curl back in the DB1 mix going forward. Treat him as such for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Make the add wherever possible.

Dax Hill (CB/S – CIN): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Dax Hill shone in Week 2, racking up nine solos, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. Hill is proving to be a valuable IDP play in the nickel role and has worked his way into the DB2 conversation with his strong start (five solos, four assists in Week 1). Start him everywhere for Week 2. He is a priority add.

Andrew Mukuba (S – PHI): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Mukuba continues to start over Sydney Brown and is rewarding IDP managers, most recently tallying five solos, one assist, 0.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. He was quiet in Week 1, and we should expect some peaks and valleys, so treat him as more of a DB3 than a DB2 for Week 3. Add and start Mukuba where needed.

Cole Bishop (S – BUF): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Bishop showed up in Week 2, reeling off four solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Cole has four solos in back-to-back games and makes for a solid DB3 option. He should work his way into the DB2 mix eventually, but IDP managers should be patient. Add and start Bishop as a strong DB3 option for Week 3, thanks to a plus matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Dru Phillips (CB – NYG): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Dru Hill went off in Week 2, reeling off eight solos, three assists, one tackle for loss, one interception, and two passes defended. Dru is on the CB1 radar and also makes for a strong DB3/4 option for Week 3. Add and start Phillips where needed.

Amani Hooker (S – TEN): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Amani Hooker continues his strong play for the Titans, most recently notching five solos, three assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss against the Los Angeles Rams. Hooker has worked his way into the top-end DB2 conversation and should be starting in competitive leagues. Tap him as a top-25 option for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Jourdan Lewis (CB – JAC): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Jourdan was excellent in Week 2, racking up five solos, three assists, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended. Lewis has been elite to start the season and should be counted as a potential DB2 option as long as he is cooking. Treat him as a CB1/DB3 where possible, but tap him as a DB2 if you find yourself in a bind. Start Lewis with confidence for Week 3, thanks to a plus matchup against the struggling Houston Texans.

Nate Wiggins (CB – BAL): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Wiggins has put himself on the DB3 radar with another strong outing, recording two solos, one assist, one tackle for loss, one interception, and three passes defended. Treat him as such for a plus Week 3 matchup against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. Make the add where needed.

Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.