Week 5 IDP Waiver Wire: It's a Good Week to Shop for DBs

We're Going DB-Heavy for a Change This Week

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.

It's the best fantasy football waiver wire assistant you'll find.

Week 5 IDP Waiver Wire Targets

First, a couple of D-linemen and a pair of LBs worth mentioning.

Zach Sieler, DL, Miami Dolphins

Sieler followed three quiet weeks with a pair of sacks in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. But he doesn’t look like some underperforming rusher who feasted on a positive matchup.

That second part’s true. Minnesota looks like an offense to target with your pass rushers. But Sieler preceded his 4 pressures against the Vikings with 3 (including a QB hit) against the Chiefs. He has 5 total tackles for loss through four games.

The Dolphins have faced the fourth-fewest pass attempts so far, and that figures to continue thanks largely to an offense sitting last in the league in scoring. But Sieler’s capable of making enough plays behind the line to stay relevant in formats that reward stats such as hits, pressures, and TFLs.

This week’s home date with Cincinnati might boost the dropback volume a bit. And after the Week 6 bye come matchups with the sack-vulnerable Jets and Patriots.

Myles Garrett, Edge, Los Angeles Rams

Perhaps he never got dumped in your league while out recovering from knee surgery. In that case, feel free to move on to the next guy.

But if Garrett sits freely available in your league, now’s the time to stash him.

He landed on IR ahead of Week 2, which means he can’t play this Sunday night against the Bills. But that’s the last game he’s required to miss. It still seems more likely that he’ll also sit out Week 6 and potentially return for a Week 7 visit to the Raiders.

But the closer we get to his return, the more likely your league mates are to grab him. So get ahead of the group now if you have room.

We obviously can’t know until he actually plays just how close Garrett will be to full effectiveness, but the sheer possibility that we get that version of the star pass rusher makes him worth the risk in most cases.

Josiah Trotter, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The rookie should have been held through his Week 3 injury in most places but likely hit a few waiver wires because of that. Overall, his mere 30% rostered rate in Sleeper IDP leagues indicates there’s not enough respect yet.

Trotter returned Sunday against the Packers and supplied a game-high 7 solo tackles among a game-high-tying 9 total stops. He has tallied 9+ total tackles in each of his three appearances this season.

Trotter has played just 83% of snaps the past two games, down from 91% in the opener. That’s a range that could challenge his weekly production, but it hasn’t yet. He preceded the 9-tackle outing with 13 total stops in Week 2.

The second-round pick is looking like a weekly starting option already, and his 17 pass rushes through three contests indicates some untapped sack upside. That might not surface this week against Dallas, but Pittsburgh and Carolina present big-time vulnerability in that area the following two games.

Isaiah McDuffie, LB, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay lost LB Edgerrin Cooper to a torn Achilles’ tendon in Sunday’s win over the Bucs. That thrusts McDuffie into starting duty next to LB Zaire Franklin, who has yet to collect more than 3 solo tackles in a game with the Packers. 

McDuffie has been an efficient tackle collector in previous starting shots. McDuffie has averaged 9.1 total tackles across 12 career games in which he played at least 80% of the snaps. That pace would rank him ninth in the league in tackles this season.

Next comes a matchup with the Bears, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to LBs.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, New York Jets

Fitzpatrick’s offense might have gone quiet in the Week 4 loss to Chicago, but the safety made a loud return from his two-week groin injury.

Fitzpatrick racked up a career-high 16 tackles (8 solo) and snagged an INT against Tyson Bagent, the Jets’ first interception since Week 18 of 2024.

Week 5 finds him and the Jets back home hosting another QB with erratic tendencies, Deshaun Watson. Moreover, Fitzpatrick looks well-positioned to collect enough tackles to start for us regularly.

He’s available in 94% of Sleeper IDP leagues as of this writing.

Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks

We finally got back to full Emmanwori in Sunday’s win over the Chargers. 

He tied for the team high with 8 solo tackles among 9 total. The safety notched a sack, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, and a pass defensed. Even that came at a still slightly limited 79% snap share.

The Week 5 matchup with San Francisco isn’t particularly positive, but Emmanwori becomes a weekly starting option at full strength and full playing time.

Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans

Hooker apparently remains too widely available.

Despite sitting among the top 15 DB scorers through four weeks, the Tennessee safety remains on waivers in 87% of Sleeper IDP leagues. That’s too high for a guy delivering consistent tackle production plus big-play upside.

Hooker hit 6 solos for the second time this season in Sunday’s loss to Baltimore. He has reached 5 solos in three of four games, a solid floor for many scoring formats at a volatile position.

Hooker has added a pair of passes defensed, including a Week 2 INT he nearly took the length of the field for a TD against the Eagles. Hooker supplied 7+ PDs each of the past three years and has NFL seasons with 4 and 5 INTs.

This week brings a Houston matchup that afforded Hooker 9 tackles (8 solo) and a PD in their last meeting. But we’re claiming him now as a weekly lineup candidate, not necessarily for that Week 5 matchup.

Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Broncos

Here’s one potential pickup for the deeper leagues.

Denver lost both starting corners to injury in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. We know Pat Surtain will miss some time. We’re still waiting on Riley Moss’ specific outlook, but he seems likely to miss at least a game.

If they’re both out for a Week 5 date with the Chargers, then this third-year player gets interesting. Abrams-Draine played no defensive snaps before Sunday, then led Broncos corners in solo tackles against the 49ers. Abrams-Draine also racked up 34 passes defensed and 7 INTs over his final three college seasons before arriving as a fifth-round pick in 2024.

The matchup with L.A. would pit Abrams-Draine -- or whomever plays CB for Denver in Week 5 -- against a QB with 6 INTs through the first four games.

Brian Branch, S, Detroit Lions

The Lions say Branch will return to practice this week, a big step in his recovery from the Achilles’ tear he suffered Dec. 4.

That certainly doesn’t mean he’s about to occupy your Week 5 lineup. We’ll need to wait through at least one game of an active Branch before we can re-insert him in fantasy. But you can bet a needy Lions secondary will get him back to full time as soon as he’s ready.

Branch ranked among the top 8 fantasy DBs before going down last year and could be a difference maker over the second half of this season.

Find Out Who Makes Sense for Your Team

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Want some offensive waiver options? Check out this week's video below.