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We’ve got a big IDP waiver wire column for Week 10.
I have highlighted 21 players at linebacker, defensive lineman, and defensive back who will fill holes on your team over the second half of the season and carry you into the playoffs.
It’s getting close. There are just four weeks until the playoffs begin in some leagues. Who is going to be your linebacker?
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Waiver Wire Pickups at Linebacker
Ernest Jones IV, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered in 50% of Sleeper IDP Leagues
Still only rostered in half of Sleeper leagues, Jones made nine tackles in his revenge game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Seahawks have a bye in Week 10, then they continue their divisional campaign against the 49ers and the Cardinals in Weeks 11 and 12 before taking on the Cards again in Week 14.
Nakobe Dean, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered in 40% of Sleeper IDP Leagues
Nakobe Dean only made two tackles in Philadephia’s win over Jacksonville in Week 9, but he played well in pass coverage, and luckily that came through on IDP stat sheets with an interception late in the game.
In each of the past three games, Dean has played over 30 snaps in pass coverage. In that time, he has given up 10 receptions on 14 pass attempts, but he is allowing just 2.5 yards after the catch.
This was his best game, as he allowed just 18 yards on one reception while also breaking up one pass. If not for his interception, it would have been a bad IDP contribution. However, not to fear; he had three straight games with nine or more tackles before Week 9.
Jamien Sherwood, LB, New York Jets
Rostered in 30% of Sleeper IDP Leagues
Sherwood, a fourth-year player out of Auburn, has led the Jets in tackling in recent weeks. He has played over 50 snaps every week since Week 2.
He had his best game yet in the Jets’ win over the Texans, making seven tackles and two sacks. Most of his production has been in games C.J. Mosley has missed with various injuries.
Currently, Mosley is dealing with a neck injury that has kept him out of Weeks 8 and 9. Mosley’s status for Week 10 is up in the air, but given his age (32) and his injury history, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mosley misses more time.
Tyrel Dodson, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered in 32% of Sleeper IDP Leagues
Ernest Jones joined the Seahawks via trade, but that didn’t cut into Dodson’s playing time. Both linebackers played all of Seattle’s defensive snaps in recent weeks. Head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme supported two top-tier IDP LBs last season when he was the coordinator of the Ravens’ defense.
In Week 9, Dodson tied Jones for the team lead with nine tackles.
Daiyan Henley, LB, Los Angeles Chargers
Rostered in 5% of Leagues
In the past two weeks, Daiyan Henley, a 2023 third-round draft pick, has played as one of the Chargers’ two every-down linebackers alongside Denzel Perryman.
In each of the last two games, Henley played at least 67 snaps and made 10 more tackles. One reason for Henley’s increased playing time was the injury to Junior Colson. Colson left the Chargers’ Week 9 victory over the Browns early with an ankle injury.
Colson was spotted in a walking boot, and the injury could linger into Week 10. Additionally, Colson has been playing poorly all year, while Henley has posted a respectable 68.6 PFF grade, so there won’t be much pressure to rush him back.
Christian Rozeboom, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Rostered in 5% of Leagues
Christian Rozeboom is playing over 90% of the defensive snaps now that Troy Reeder is on the IR with a hamstring injury. Last week, he made 11 tackles.
Jack Gibbens, LB, Tennessee Titans
Rostered in 2% of Leagues
Since the Titans traded Ernest Jones to the Seattle Seahawks, Jack Gibbens has stepped in as one of the team’s every-down linebackers and led the Titans in tackles in each of the past two weeks.
He had his best week yet in the Titans’ overtime win over the New England Patriots, making 14 tackles and half a sack.
Is it too late to jump on the Gibbens train? The fear is that Jerome Baker, whom the Titans acquired in the Jones trade, will eventually replace Gibbens after he learns the defense.
Gibbens is making the case for remaining in the lineup: he has missed just a single tackle, and he has earned an 84.2 PFF grade on the season.
Pete Werner, LB, New Orleans Saints
Rostered in 6% of Leagues
While a hamstring injury kept Werner out of Weeks 5 through 7, the Ohio State product has been back for two weeks now and tallied 17 tackles.
While his pass coverage sometimes leaves something to be desired, Werner has always been a good tackler. His career missed tackle rate of 8.7% is on part with Foyesade Oluokun.
K.J. Britt, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rostered in 3% of Leagues
K.J. Britt, a fourth-year linebacker from Auburn, has been playing almost all of the Bucs’ defensive snaps since Week 5. In that time, he has made 31 tackles and half a sack.
Jerome Baker, LB, Tennessee Titans
Rostered in 8% of Leagues
Jerome Baker was the presumed No. 2 starting linebacker in Tennessee after the Seahawks included him in their trade for Ernest Jones. He was active last week, but he had no significant role and made no statistical contributions.
Meanwhile, Jack Gibbens has played excellently for two straight weeks. Baker is a speculative add only in deep leagues.
Waiver Wire Pickups at Defensive Line
Sam Hubbard, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered in 22% of Leagues
Sam Hubbard has always been better at defending the run than getting after the quarterback. Over his three-season NFL career, Hubbard has achieved a PFF grade of 70 or above in run defense, but he has never surpassed a 65 pass rush grade.
This year is no different. Hubbard has just two sacks through nine games, but he has made 33 tackles, including 20 that stopped the offense from executing a successful play. Hubbard ranks second in the league in terms of stops on running plays.
Dante Fowler Jr., EDGE, Washington Commanders
Rostered in 14% of Leagues
Fowler has been the DL5 from Week 5 through Week 8 according to FantasyPros, and that’s not including his two sacks against the Giants in Week 9. He won’t have the same favorable matchup in Week 10, as the Steelers have a top 10 offensive line, but he’s still worth keeping on the fantasy radar.
Chauncey Golston, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered in 5% of Leagues
Golston continues to be a monster in tackle-friendly scoring formats. For the fourth game in a row, Golston made five tackles. Sometimes it is comforting knowing you have approximately five points (depending on format) coming from a position that sometimes scores zero.
Tavius Robinson, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens
Rostered in 4% of Leagues
Tavius Robinson is having a growing role in the Ravens’ defense. A situational pass rusher, Robinson has played over 20 snaps in each of the last three games and has made six tackles and 2.5 sacks in the past two.
Going back to Week 5, he has made three tackles and a sack in three of his past five games.
Broderick Washington, DT, Baltimore Ravens
Rostered in 3% of Leagues
Broderick Washington has the versatility to line up as an end, but, at 315 pounds, he is more suited for the interior. He and Tavius Robinson saw increased playing time with Brent Urban (concussion) missing Week 9.
Washington made six tackles, a career-high. In his normal role, he usually makes one or two tackles, but he has value in deep leagues if Urban misses any more time or if the Ravens suffer other injuries on the defensive line.
Waiver Wire Pickups at Cornerback and Safety
Julian Blackmon, S, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered in 37% of Leagues
Blackmon is one of the most consistent high-volume tackling safeties on the wavier wire. He has been on the field for over 70 snaps in five games, and he has made seven or more tackles in five games.
Against Minnesota, he put up a solid seven tackles. There was fear in some corners that the change to Joe Flacco would cause the Colts’ defense to face fewer plays, as the Colts would hold the ball for longer, but that didn’t come to pass in Week 9. The Vikings held the ball for over 36 minutes and ran 71 plays.
Jaylon Jones, CB, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered in 14% of Leagues
In his second year, Jaylon Jones has made 52 tackles, which ranks 10th among defensive backs. He also ranks in the top 5 for passes defended.
Jones is also doing well on the traditional and analytical coverage numbers. His PFF coverage grade is 72.7. He has yet to allow a touchdown in coverage and has made two interceptions, leading to a meager passer rating of 68.3 when targeted, which is lower than that of 143 other cornerbacks.
Tre'von Moehrig, S, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered in 27% of Leagues
Tre'von Moehrig, a second-round draft pick in 2021, is having a breakout season. The former TCU Horned Frog just made a career-high 13 tackles and half a sack in the Raiders’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
With 52 tackles through nine games, he is poised to surpass 100 on the season. He has 37 tackles in just the past four games. It helps that the Raiders are so bad their defense is routinely on the field for 65 or more plays a game.
Deommodore Lenoir, CB, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered in 6% of Leagues
Since becoming a regular starter for the 49ers in 2023, Deommodore Lenoir has finished as the DB60 and the DB49 over the past two years, per FantasyPros. He fits in a basket of replaceable defensive backs who could fill in on any given week and provide a stable tackle floor.
This season, he has 46 total tackles. If he continues at this pace, he will set a career-high and could break the triple-digit barrier. He has been extremely strong in the past four games, with 30 tackles, which would project to 127.5 over a full season.
Darnay Holmes, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered in 3% of Leagues
Darnay Holmes took over as the Raiders’ nickelback after Nate Hobbs was carted off the field in Vegas’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Hobbs hurt his ankle and was unable to return to the game.
Holmes made five tackles. Holmes, a former fourth-round pick from UCLA, has been a depth piece for the Giants for the past four seasons. In his limited playing time, he has shown a knack for picking off passes. He made two interceptions last season in just 77 coverage snaps and has made four picks in his career.
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