Welcome to my 2022 Fantasy Football Week 3 IDP Waiver Wire!
Another week of NFL football is in the books! While there were some great offensive performances from the usual suspects and some surprising breakouts, we are going to focus on the defensive side of the ball today.
With injuries starting to become more prevalent and players settling into their roles, there are still plenty of viable IDP players wasting away on your league’s waiver wire. From high usage linebackers to playmakers in the secondary these players are primed to help your defensive unit into week three and beyond.
I will be using Fantasy Pros default IDP scoring format when calculating fantasy points scored by a player and Yahoo when discussing a player’s rostered percentage.
2022 Fantasy Football Week 3 IDP Waiver Wire
Talanoa Hufanga, S, San Francisco 49ers: 18% Rostered
Week 2 Stats: 6 TOT Tackles, 1.5 TFL, 2 PD
Hufanga burst onto the IDP scene after a monster week one where he dominated both in pass coverage and along the line of scrimmage. Given the poor weather in the 49ers' week one loss to Chicago I was hesitant to buy into Hufanga’s big game. But, after another strong outing that highlighted his versatility, Hufanga is starting to look like a viable addition to your roster.
Against the Bears, Talanoa Hufanga showed he can play in the box. Against the Seahawks, he showed he can be successful in space.
Donte Whitner says the 49ers should sign the safety to an extension "sooner than later" 💰 pic.twitter.com/23fhXvHqHs
— KNBR (@KNBR) September 19, 2022
While the tackle numbers are nice it is Hufanga ability to play anywhere on the field that is most exciting. In coverage he defended two passes, one of which could easily have been an interception in the first half.
He also has no problem getting into opposing backfields and causing chaos for running backs or quarterbacks. His 4.5 tackles for loss are currently more than star pass rushers like Maxx Crosby or Cameron Jordan.
What makes defensive backs like Derwin James Jr. so valuable is their ability to do a bit of everything.
While it is still early, Hufanga has begun to make his mark on the 49ers defense. Already eclipsing his rookie totals in interceptions, tackles for loss and passes defended is a good start.
Myles Jack, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers: 13% Rostered
Week 2 Stats: 13 TOT tackles, 0.5 TFL
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be relying on their defense quite a bit this year.
While this doesn’t bode well for some of the Steelers offensive weapons, it does mean their defensive players are going to have plenty of opportunities to rack up fantasy points.
While Myles Jack is a one-dimensional IDP player, who doesn’t offer a ton of upside in rushing the quarterback or dropping into coverage, but he can rack up the ever-all-important tackles especially with T.J. Watt out.
Having played 87% of all defensive snaps across two games and with Pittsburgh’s struggling offense Jack should be one the field quite a bit during the year. In fantasy sometimes volume outweighs talent.
Cody Barton, LB, Seattle Seahawks: 8% Rostered
Week 2 Stats: 11 TOT
Cody Barton’s week two performance is going to be remembered for unfortunately knocking Trey Lance out for the remainder of the season. Yet, for IDP purposes Barton has now put together two consecutive solid outings.
Besides sharing my last name (should be a must add for that alone) Barton has played no fewer than 94% of his team’s snaps. Similar to Myles Jack’s situation in Pittsburgh, Barton is going to see plenty of opportunities because of how bad we believe the Seahawks will be the duration of the season. Simply racking up double digit tackles could make him worth a look.
Admittedly, Barton is someone I would only look to add in deeper IDP leagues were you must roster multiple linebackers. Given how he has never eclipsed 37 tackles in a season or been a factor as a pass rusher he is best viewed as a low celling player who could reach over 100 tackles.
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