Week 8 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups (2025 Fantasy Football)

Week 7 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 7. There were a lot of defensive fireworks in Week 7, 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 8 IDP Waiver Wire

Linebacker

Barrett Carter (LB – CIN): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Carter was excellent in Week 7, tallying eight solos and four assists on 100 percent of the snaps. Logan Wilson left the bench during Week 7, but did not eat into Carter’s snaps at all. Barrett has now recorded seven or more solos in both of his starts since taking the starting job from Wilson and needs to be viewed as a top-20 option. He has shown enough that he can become a top-15 option with another strong week or two. Add and start him everywhere ahead of a saliva-inducing Week 8 matchup against the mess known as the New York Jets.

Tatum Bethune (LB – SF): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Bethune shone on Sunday Night Football, finishing the night with four solos, six assists, and one tackle for loss. He did an admirable job filling in for the injured Fred Warner and will see his role and comfort in the defense will grow as the season progresses. Tatum has tallied four or more solos in back-to-back games and makes for a strong LB2 option for Week 8 and beyond. Treat him as such for a tasty Week 8 matchup against the Houston Texans. Make the add wherever possible.

Shemar James (LB – DAL): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Shermar was excellent in Week 7, tallying four solos, five assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. James has registered four or more solos in each of his starts and managed to make his lowest solo output of the season his best fantasy game, thanks to the sack. Tap the ascending off-ball linebacker as a strong LB2 play for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Make the add where possible.

Teddye Buchanan (LB – BAL): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Teddye showed up in Week 6, reeling off three solos, six assists, 0.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. Buchanan has strung together back-to-back noteworthy fantasy outings and should be viewed as an LB3 option as long as he remains a starter in Baltimore. Treat him as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Make the add where needed.

Eric Wilson (LB – MIN): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Eric Wilson was rescued from the scrap heap in Week 7, racking up one solo, five assists, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. The sack was his first of the season and a likely thank you to DC Brian Flores for giving him the starting job over Ivan Pace, who played zero defensive snaps. The prevailing thought was that Pace would continue to start with Brian Cashman back, but Pace’s issues with missed tackles, coupled with the fact that Wilson is better in coverage, is keeping the veteran on the field. Treat him as an LB3 with LB2 upside going forward. Make the add where possible.

Defensive Line

Donovan Ezeiruaku (DE – DAL): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Ezeiruaku was excellent in Week 7, notching the first sack of his season and finishing the afternoon with three solos, one assist, one sack, and two tackles for loss. As mentioned, this was Donovan’s first sack of the season, but the rookie has managed an impressive 13 pressures on the season (for context, this is more than Rashan Gary (11), Trey Hendrickson (12), and Dorance Armstrong (10)). The Cowboys’ edge rusher played 55 percent of the snaps in Week 7, marking the third week in a row he’s seen more than 50 percent. The Cowboys like what they have seen from Ezeiruaku as he continues to play more snaps than others, like team sack leader James Houston (33 percent). Add Donovan where possible as a bye week filler type who can become a DL2/3 option within a few weeks. Make the add where needed.

K’Lavon Chaisson (DE/LB – NE): 0% rostered on Yahoo
K’Lavon went off against the ‘get right’ Titans, exploding with two solos, one assist, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Suddenly up to 4.5 sacks on the season, Chaisson has played himself back into the IDP mix. He is more boom or bust than most DL3 options, as he has registered zero solos twice, and just one once in his six games thus far. However, he has emerged as a solid matchup play and should be strongly considered for Week 8, thanks to a plus matchup against Dillon Gabriel and the Cleveland Browns. Add and start Chaisson as needed.

Bryce Huff (DE – SF): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Huff was at it again in Week 7, racking up two solos, three assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Huff is now up to a solid four sacks on the season, with one sack in four of his last six games. Tap Huff as a DL2 option for a tasty Week 8 matchup against a turnstile Houston Texans offensive line. Make the add where needed.

Rashan Gary (DE/LB – GB): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Gary was excellent in Week 7, reeling off two solos, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Gary has upped his sack count to 5.5, with at least one sack in four of his six contests. Gary is a premier pass rusher who should be rostered in all competitive leagues. Start Gary as a DL2 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Make the add everywhere.

Jonathan Cooper (DE/LB – DEN): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Cooper stayed hot in Week 7, tallying one solo, two assists, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. The Broncos’ edge rusher is up to six sacks on the season, with 3.5 of those sacks coming in his last two games. Cooper has registered at least a full sack in four of his seven contests, and at least a half sack in five of those seven. Fire him up as a borderline DL1 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Make the add wherever still available.

Defensive Back

Grant Delpit (S – CLE): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Delpit showed up in Week 7, racking up three solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Delpit has slipped to the DB3 realm this season, registering three or fewer solos in five of his seven contests. He has now put together two splash weeks, so he remains a fantasy option for those in deeper leagues. Add Delpit as a bye week filler where needed for a plus Week 8 matchup against the New England Patriots.

DeShon Elliott (S – PIT): 7% rostered on Yahoo
Elliott was at it again in Week 7, notching six solos and three assists. Elliott has registered four or more solos in all four of his starts, producing at a high-end DB2 level thus far. Treat him as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Make the add where possible.

Evan Williams (S – GB): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Williams was excellent in Week 7, tallying three solos, five assists, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended. Evan has been inconsistent in the solo department, managing more than three solos just three times in six games, with four or more in just two. Still, he has put together some solid fantasy outings due to some peripheral contributions, keeping him in the DB3 mix. Treat him as a top-25 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football.

Jaquan Brisker (S – CHI): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Brisker showed up in Week 7, racking up four solos, two assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss. This was Jaquan’s first game with more than two solos since Week 2, but Brisker has recorded a sack and a pick in the last two weeks. Tap Brisker as a matchup-based DB2 option, who is normally a DB3. Treat him as a top-25 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Make the add where needed.

Brandon Stephens (CB – NYJ): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Stephens showed up in Week 7, racking up five solos and two passes defended. Stephens has recorded five or more solos in four of his last five contests and is a strong CB1/DB3 option while he’s cooking. Treat him as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Make the add where possible.

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