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Week 7 IDP Waiver Wire: Who's That New Guy in Charge in Cincinnati?

LB Upheaval Presents New Options

This list of IDP waiver wire pickups is sorted by position, and then by priorty.

Of course, IDP leagues vary widely by depth, scoring rules, and lineup settings. So to get the best measure of who to pick up in your league, check your Free Agent Finder.

Week 7 IDP Waiver Wire Targets

K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, New England Patriots

I have been skeptical of this guy since he was an overrated first-round prospect in the 2020 draft. But it’s time to stop allowing that to cloud my 2025 treatment.

Chaisson has claimed a starting role for these Patriots, and he ranks second only to Harold Landry in pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Chaisson most recently returned from a Week 5 lost to injury, played 82% of the snaps against the Saints, and delivered a season-high 8 pressures. That has included at least 1 QB hit in every game.

The biggest reason I need to overcome my Chaisson block right now, though, is that he gets the Titans in Week 7. Tennessee sits tied with the Jets for most total sacks allowed and has already yielded 4+ in four games.

If Chaisson works out for us here, then another upside matchup with the Browns follows. And both meetings with the Jets still lie ahead (first in Week 11).

Moro Ojomo, DL, Philadelphia Eagles

This one’s for the deep leagues, especially if you need to start a DT.

Ojomo has a pair of sacks through the first six weeks, but no big numbers likely to make him stand out for IDP purposes. He has, however, delivered 5+ pressures in two of the past three games, according to PFF, and in three of six contests.

This week brings a matchup with the Vikings, who have allowed a league-high 4.2 sacks per game so far.

Ojomo has also gotten a playing-time boost in each game Jalen Carter sat out. He has played 90% of the snaps in each of those two games so far. The Eagles expect Carter back from a heel injury that kept him out of the Thursday night loss. But if the star DT remains limited at all, that could mean more snaps for Ojomo again.

And, of course, having Carter all the way back means more blocking attention focused on him, leaving potential opportunities for others on the line.

If Ojomo works out for you in Week 7, you might want to keep him around for a Week 8 rematch with the Giants. That’s a better scoring matchup than Philly made it seem in Week 6.

Cedric Gray, LB, Tennessee Titans

Gray has gotten attention in our IDP articles multiple times already, but he remained available in 98% of Sleeper IDP leagues as of Sunday night. That should change after his third straight week of double-digit tackles. 

Gray registered 11 of them against the Raiders, following weeks of 17 and 12. He also added his first two passes defensed of the year.

Expect to see Gray inside our top 30 LBs for a Week 7 matchup with the Patriots -- and in most weeks going forward.

Germaine Pratt, LB, Indianapolis Colts

Pratt moved on to a better place this week. 

He didn’t die; he got picked up by the Colts after the Raiders released him. 

Pratt immediately took over the starting spot next to Zaire Franklin and delivered a team-high 11 tackles (8 solos) in the win over the Cardinals. He also played 79.5% of the snaps, a larger share than any Indy No. 2 LB got over the first five games. 

That quick acclimation gets less surprising when you realize that Indy’s DC is Lou Anarumo, who spent the previous six years coordinating Cincinnati’s defense. His first year with the Bengals (2019) was also the year they drafted Pratt in Round 3.

Pratt looks like a good bet to keep this role going forward, and might even see a further boost in playing time. This position in Indy’s defense has been good for tackle production across multiple inhabitants. And Franklin’s lag in 2025 tackle collection helps the available opportunity.

Barrett Carter, LB, Cincinnati Bengals

I pointed to Carter’s playing-time rise in last week’s IDP Hits, but I thought he was merely challenging fellow rookie Demetrius Knight’s role.

Instead, Carter took over Logan Wilson’s starting gig in Sunday’s loss to the Packers, playing every snap and shoving the 29-year-old vet all the way to the kick-coverage team.

HC Zac Taylor reportedly said afterward that the move came because Carter had earned the larger role. That certainly points to the fourth-round pick continuing to get opportunities, and he turned Sunday’s into a team-high 10 tackles (7 solo).

Three of Carter’s next four matchups look poor for LB scoring, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed. But Cincinnati’s sluggish offense makes it easier for opponents to run the ball more. And that’s something Pittsburgh (this week’s opponent) would generally like to do.

Tatum Bethune, LB, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers lost not only their defensive leader when Fred Warner went down for the season in Sunday’s game. They also lost one of the league’s best LBs.

That not only leaves a large hole, but it’ll likely motivate opponents to test that area of San Francisco’s defense -- especially in the immediate wake of the Warner injury.

Bethune took over Warner’s spot in the loss to the Bucs and finished with a game-high 10 tackles (six more than starting LB Dee WInters).

Bethune posted modest tackle totals over two seasons at Florida State (after three at Central Florida). But his 28 career tackles for loss show an ability to make plays coming forward. And Bethune added 10 passes defensed and 4 INTs.

He’ll get tested right away by a matchup with the Falcons.

DeShon Elliott, S, Pittsburgh Steelers

Elliott racked up a season-high 12 tackles in Sunday’s win over the Browns. It’s less difficult to achieve a high when you’re playing in just your second full game of the season, but that factor also makes Elliott more readily available in fantasy leagues right now (86% of them on Sleeper).

Elliott preceded that contest with 6 tackles (4 solos, 1 TFL), a sack, an INT, and 2 passes defensed in the Week 4 win over the Vikings. And, of course, he finished last season among the top 15 fantasy DBs.

Elliott’s a weekly starter in most IDP leagues that require DBs, and he gets an upside matchup at Cincinnati in Week 7.

Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks

Emmanwori notched a team-high-tying 9 tackles in Sunday’s win over the Jaguars, including 6 solos and a tackle for loss. 

He played 70 of the team’s 74 snaps (95%) for the game, undoubtedly helped by injuries to other Seattle DBs. Emmanwori specifically lined up in the slot most of the time, a role vacated by Devon Witherspoon’s knee injury. 

That makes Emmanwori just a deeper-league option for now, while we see what his role looks like in a healthier secondary. But Emmanwori could become startable for a Week 7 date with Houston if Witherspoon isn’t ready to return.

There’s also room for the Seahawks to potentially keep Emmanwori’s snaps up even after the DB starters return. Seattle could opt for more three-safety alignments at the expense of a No. 2 LB. That option only looks more realistic after the Seahawks benched LB Tyrice Knight (for Drake Thomas) in Week 6.

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Week 6 IDP Hits: You Need to Know About These LB Changes

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Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.