Week 7 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups (2025 Fantasy Football)

Week 6 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 6. There were a lot of defensive fireworks in Week 6, 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 7 IDP Waiver Wire

Linebacker

Barrett Carter (LB – CIN): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Barrett Carter got the start in Week 6 over Logan Wilson and responded with seven solos and three assists. Carter saw additional snaps in Week 5 due to Logan Wilson’s consistent issues in coverage, and the 100 percent snap share and Zac Taylor’s comments in Week 6 suggest that this move may be permanent. Consider Carter a priority add and an LB3 with LB2 upside. Add and start Barrett where needed for a plus Week 7 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Shemar James (LB – DAL): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Shemar was excellent in Week 6, racking up six solos and five assists. Shemar got the start with Jack Sanborn sidelined with a concussion, and likely wrestled the starting job away in the process. As discussed elsewhere, Sanborn has been a liability in coverage, and Shemar has shown enough to deserve an extended look. Treat James as an LB3 with LB2 upside for Week 7 against Washington. Add and start Shemar wherever possible.

Mack Wilson (LB – ARI): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Mack was excellent in Week 6, racking up six solos, three assists, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. Wilson has tallied four or more solos in every game this season and has recorded a pass defended in five of six. Tap Mack as a top-25 option for a plus Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Germaine Pratt (LB – LV): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Pratt was excellent in Week 6, tallying eight solos and three assists. Pratt disappointed with the Las Vegas Raiders but managed his best fantasy output of the season in his first game with the Indianapolis Colts. Consider Germaine back in the LB2 mix until further notice. Treat him as such for a plus Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Add and start Pratt everywhere.

Drake Thomas (LB – SEA): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Drake was excellent in Week 6, racking up two solos, seven assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended on 97 percent of the snaps. Thomas has registered four solos in three of his past four and at least one sack in two of his last three. He has been trending upwards for the last three weeks and looks like he has finally wrestled the starting gig from Tyrice Knight. Start Drake as an LB2 option for a plus Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Tatum Bethune (LB – SF): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Bethune flashed in Week 6, racking up five solos and five assists in relief of Fred Warner. Tatum should see heavy snaps for the foreseeable future, if not the entire season. Treat Bethune as a priority add for deep league managers, while those in standard size leagues should make the add where roster space allows. Treat him as an LB3 with LB2 upside for what should be a busy game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7.

Defensive Line

Nick Herbig (DE/LB – PIT): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Herbig stayed hot in Week 6, racking up two solos, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended on 61 percent of the snaps. Herbig is now up to 4.5 sacks on the season, with all of them coming in his last three games. Alex Highsmith has returned, but Herbig has been playing too well for Highsmith to reclaim his regular role and snap share. There is an obvious risk here with Highsmith pushing Nick back to a rotational role, but Herbig played more snaps in Week 6 and should continue to see a significant role as long as he is cooking. Tap Herbig as a DL3 with DL2 upside for Week 7, thanks to a plus matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jonathan Cooper (DE/LB – DEN): 7% rostered on Yahoo
Cooper was excellent in Week 6, tallying two solos, three assists, two sacks, and one tackle for loss. Cooper is up to 4.5 sacks on the season, with at least one sack in three of his six games and a half sack or more in four of six. Treat Cooper as an upside DL2 play for Week 7, thanks to a tasty matchup against Jaxon Dart and the New York Giants Week 7. Add and start the Broncos’ edge rusher everywhere.

Jermaine Johnson (DE/LB – NYJ): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Johnson flashed in Week 6, racking up four solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss on 63 percent of the snaps. Jermaine missed the last three weeks after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 and was able to notch his first sack of the season against the Denver Broncos. Johnson is a high-level talent who should be treated as a top-25 option for Week 7, thanks to a plus matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Add and start Johnson where needed.

Ed Oliver (DT – BUF): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Ed Oliver returned to action in Week 6, racking up two solos, one assist, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Oliver has tallied two sacks and five tackles for loss in his two contests so far this year, and makes for an excellent DL2/DT1 option when he is healthy. Tap him as a DL2 option as long as he is cooking. Treat him as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Buffalo Bills have a bye week, so plan your FAAB bids and roster space accordingly.

Kwity Paye (DE – IND): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Kwity showed up in Week 6, reeling off three solos, four assists, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. Paye has been a boom or bust proposition this season, with all three of his sacks coming in two of his six contests. Paye played his highest snap share since Week 2 at 58 percent and is a strong DL3 option for Week 7, thanks to a plus matchup against a Los Angeles Chargers team missing both of its starting offensive tackles.

Mykel Williams (DE – SF): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Mykel notched his first sack of the season in Week 6, finishing the afternoon with two solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss on 72 percent of the snaps. Tap Mykel as a DL4 option for Week 8, thanks to a plus matchup against the Houston Texans. Add and start Mykel where needed.

Defensive Back

Geno Stone (S – CIN): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Geno Stone showed up in Week 6, tallying three solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. Stone has recorded four or more solos in three of his six games and has registered two spike weeks on the season. His Week 6 line accentuates his upside, but he remains more DB3 than DB2 for Week 7, despite the plus matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Add and start Stone where needed.

Donovan Wilson (S – DAL): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Donovan Wilson is starting to heat up for the Cowboys, most recently tallying five solos, one assist, one interception, and one pass defended. The former DB1 has recorded five solos in two of his last three games and should be treated as a potential top-25 option while he is hot. Treat him as such for a plus Week 7 matchup against Washington.

Mekhi Blackmon (CB – IND): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Mekhi was back at it in Week 6, racking up four solos, one assist, one interception, and one pass defended. Blackmon has been turning it on as of late, stringing three spike weeks together thanks to a sack or an interception in each of his last three games. Roll with Blackmon as a DB3 option while he’s cooking. Treat him as such for a plus Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Nick Emmanwori (S – SEA): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Emmanawori was excellent in Week 6, racking up six solos, three assists, and one tackle for loss. Emmanwori saw extra snaps in Week 6 due to injuries in the secondary and could become a permanent starter if Riq Woolen is traded before the deadline. Stash Nick where possible with an eye on starting him if one of Julian Love, Coby Bryant, Riq, or Devon Witherspoon miss Week 7’s plus matchup against the Houston Texans. Add Emmanwori where possible.

Tyler Nubin (S – NYG): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Nubin was excellent in Week 6, racking up six solos and three assists. Nubin has tallied four or more solos in four of his last five contests, with this being his strongest fantasy output of the season. Rock with Nubin as a DB3 with DB2 upside for Week 7, thanks to a plus matchup against the Denver Broncos.

DeShon Elliott (S – PIT): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Elliott kept up the strong play in Week 6, reeling off four solos and eight assists. DeShon has tallied four or more solos in each of his starts this season and should be counted as a DB2 option for a plus Week 7 matchup against Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals. Add and start Elliott where possible.

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