2025 IDP Waiver Wire for Week 8

Welcome to the 2025 IDP Waiver Wire For Week 8!

Nothing like some good action to get the heart pumping, am I right?!

Wait, wrong fantasy article. Let me start over.

Nothing like seeing some good old hitting, sacking of another grown man, and demolishing of an opposing team’s player to get the competitive juices flowing, am I right?!

That’s better. Kind of.

Let me try this one more time.

Sup everyone?!

Jorge here again this week, giving you my recommendations of whom to pick up off of your IDP league’s waiver wire for Week 8. Last week, we had a LOT of hits with players who balled out from the get-go, and those that are continuing to ascend the IDP pecking order for managers in terms of fantasy value.

Remember the “the next few weeks will be Bye Week Hell” comment I made in my waiver article in Week 7?

Well, to quote the late and great Bray Wyatt of the WWE:

However, there’s nothing we cannot accomplish together for your IDP Fantasy Football team this week and in the future. So sit tight, strap on…I MEAN IN, and let the good times roll!

*Rostership Percentages based on REDRAFT leagues ONLY*

Disclaimer: Waiver Wire Rostership Percentages from Sleeper, ESPN, & Yahoo, as well as the Combined Rostership Percentages, will not exceed 35%. Also, fantasy point scoring will be represented from FantasyPros IDP scoring, which can be found here. Base metrics provided by FantasyData and advanced metrics via PFF and NFL Pro.

IDP PICKUP OF THE WEEK

Barrett Carter, Cincinnati Bengals

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (3%), ESPN (2.2%), & Yahoo (3%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 2.7%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 12 Total Tackles (8 solo and 4 assisted) for 15 fpts

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• Posted a Tackle Efficiency of 21.1% in Week 7
• Back-to-back weeks with 100% of snaps played and a Tackle Efficiency average of 19.5%
• Has averaged 13.5 PPG since Week 6 (LB14 during that time span)

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

“Given how Bye Weeks are about to get crazy over the next month, scoop him up now before he heats up and your fellow IDP managers start swooning over him TOO LOUDLY.“

-Jorge Edwards

Did you read last week’s IDP Waiver Wire article where I mentioned getting him BEFORE other IDP managers realized just what an alpha linebacker for fantasy he was, and that you should scoop him up quick?

The Good News: He IS only rostered in 2.7% of leagues after Week 7

The Bad News: IDP managers are probably going to be putting in high-priority claims or FAAB bids for him this week due to Bye Week Hell, let alone stability at the linebacking position on their IDP rosters.

Either way, if you want him, be prepared to pay up!

WEEK 8 IDP WAIVER WIRE TARGETS

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Jacob Martin, Washington Commanders

Jacob Martin again, and Dak Prescott goes down for no gain.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/IyM57Fu26s

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (0%), ESPN (0.1%), & Yahoo (0%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 0.03%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 4 assisted tackles, 3 QB Hits, and 1 Sack
• Using FantasyPros scoring, he only scored five fantasy points. However, in leagues that count QB Hits (like IDP123 scoring), he was considerably better.

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• He’s led Commanders’ EDGE rushers in Total Pressures (13) and Sacks (3) over the past three weeks
• His average pressure rate over this time period has been 17.8% which is well above the league average for EDGE rushers (10.6%)

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

With Dorrance Armstrong on IR for the rest of 2025 due to a season-ending knee injury, Jacob Martin stepped in and stepped up, rushing Dak Prescott for the Commanders and posting a 22.6% Pressure frequency this past Sunday. Remember, the league average is 10.6%. Going forward, he projects to be DL or EDGE 1 for the Commanders, and if Sunday was any indication, look for him to continue getting to the quarterback in that role.

Over the next three games, Jacob Martin and the Commanders will face Kansas City, Seattle, and Detroit, who have allowed the 19th, 9th, and 5th most fantasy points to the position over the past three weeks, giving Martin a pair of VERY favorable matchups.

K’Lavon Chaisson, New England Patriots

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (0%), ESPN (0.3%), & Yahoo (0%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 0.1%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 3 Total Tackles (2 solo and 1 assisted), 2 TFLs, 2 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, a fumble recovery, and 1 TD
• He was the overall DL1 on the week with 26.8 fpts

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• Over the past three weeks, Chaisson has tallied 11 Total Pressures for a pressure frequency of 20.4%
• He’s tied for 10th among all qualified EDGE rushers in the NFL in Pressures during that time span
• On the season, he has been on par with fellow EDGE rusher Harold Landry III on the Patriots’ roster in pressure metrics

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

Chaisson was PFF’s 13th-best-ranked EDGE rusher in Week 7 and for good reason; I mean, look at his basic stats above. That being the case, you shouldn’t be counting on forced fumbles and defensive touchdowns every week. However, there’s no denying how effective one can be when you have another pressure-causing wrecking machine opposite of you along the defensive line.

Chaisson’s 20.4% pressure rate has him listed as the DL2 over the past three weeks. With matchups in terms of fantasy points allowed to the position being favorable to Chaisson over the next three weeks, he projects to be a solid Bye Week fill-in at the very least for Week 8 and beyond.

Linebackers

Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (16%), ESPN (3.1%), & Yahoo (7.0%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 8.7%

Base Statistics of The Week:

• 6 Total Tackles (3 solo and 3 assisted) and 1 TFL
• Tallied 9.5 fpts (LB38 on the week)

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• He posted a tackle efficiency of 19.4% in his first game back playing in an Inside Linebacker role (ILB) in Week 7.

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

Against the New York Giants in Week 6, Dean was relegated to special teams work; however, in Week 7, we saw him return to the defensive side of the ball, playing 97% of his snaps at off-ball linebacker. As such, the Eagles shifted Jihaad Campbell to playing closer to the line of scrimmage in more of an EDGE rusher role.

To me, this means that the Eagles organization and coaching staff feel strongly enough about Nakobe Dean’s recovery from a patella tendon rupture from last season and practice performances that he is ready to team back up with Zach Baun again as one of the most dominant off-ball linebacking tandems IDP fantasy managers have seen in quite some time, as they were last year.

While his next three games versus the Giants, Packers, and Lions are difficult matchups in terms of fantasy points allowed to the position, at least they have been over the past three weeks, Dean is competent and HAS SHOWN he can play at a high level as an efficient run stopper and therefore is someone you should end up picking up now and then reap the rewards with down the road.

Sirvocea Dennis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

via GIPHY

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (26%), ESPN (6.4%), & Yahoo (37%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 23%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 12 Total Tackles (8 solo and 4 assisted), 1 TFL, 1 OB Hit, and 1 sack.
• Finished Week 7 as the LB4 in scoring with 21.5 points

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• He’s posted a Tackle Efficiency of 12.9%, slightly below the league average over the past three weeks for linebackers (13%)
• He’s had over the same time span a pressure rate of 40%, albeit on five pass-rushing snaps, but he has at least tallied one sack.
• In terms of fantasy points per game over the past three weeks, he’s averaged 14.3 (LB14)

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

I swear he’s up there for having one of the best pun-able names in the league. Anyhow, with back-to-back games with a minimum of seven tackles and an average of 16.9 fppg, Dennis has been as serviceable as one can be at the linebacker position.

Against New Orleans (3rd most fantasy points allowed to LBs), New England (10th most fantasy points allowed to LBs), and Buffalo (25th most fantasy points allowed to LBs) over the Bucs’ next three games played, you are at the very least getting two weeks of solid matchups for Dennis in which he will most certainly exceed his base floor, advanced, and fantasy metrics for fantasy managers during Bye Week Hell.

JD Bertrand, Atlanta Falcons

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (0%), ESPN (0.1%), & Yahoo (0%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 0.03%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 10 Total Tackles (4 solo and 6 assisted)
• 10.5 fantasy points scored

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• He posted a 17.5% Tackle Efficiency in Week 7

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

With Divine Deablo on the shelf for a few weeks, Bertrand is the next man up at linebacker for Atlanta. Playing 87.7% of snaps at off-ball linebacker, aka in the box, Betrand will take up Deablo’s role on this Falcons’ defense. If he can come close to replicating that efficiency over the next few weeks, he would become the ULTIMATE EXAMPLE of a proper Bye Week fill-in.

Shemar James, Dallas Cowboys

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (4%), ESPN (3.3%), & Yahoo (4%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 3.8%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 7 Total Tackles (3 solo and 4 assisted), 2 QB Hits, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, and 1 Forced Fumble.
• He scored 18 fantasy points on the week (LB11)

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• PFF’s best-rated tackling linebacker for the Cowboys over the past three weeks, and the 5th-best-rated tackling linebacker among all qualified linebackers in the NFL.
• He’s averaged a 15.8% tackle efficiency over the past three weeks
• He’s been the LB4 in fantasy points per game since Week 5, with an average of 16.8 points

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

This is back-to-back weeks for Shemar James playing close to 100% of snaps ( 90% in Week 6 and 99% in Week 7). With the entire linebacking corps healthy for this past week’s game versus Washington, James, who played a majority of his snaps in the box and at slot corner, solidified his role as the LB2 on this Cowboys’ team and should be considered the same for fantasy managers.

Volume is everything in fantasy football, whether it be on offense or defense, and given the nature of how the Cowboys have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game to the running back position, as well as the 2nd most rushing yards allowed in the NFL, James is in line for beyond-solid fantasy point production going forward.

Defensive Backs

Grant Delpit, Cleveland Browns

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (15%), ESPN (12.5%), & Yahoo (9.0%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 12.2%

Base Statistics of The Week:

• 2 Total Tackles (2 solo), 1 TFL, 1 QB Hit, and 1 Sack
• He posted 14.5 fantasy points in Week 7 (DB10); FantasyPros’ website has not updated his metrics to reflect this as of now.

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• He’s played the majority of snaps in the box for the Cleveland Browns over the past three weeks, playing 37.4% there.

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

FINALLY! For weeks, we’ve been discussing how Delpit has been in the best position, literally, for fantasy success on this roster, but it’s been Ronnie Hickman outperforming Delpit.

Well, not this week!

That being the case, rostering Delpit as a bye week fill-in on paper might seem like a no-brainer, but beware; he is more like a DESPERATE DB play where you’ll be hoping for upside. Then again, these are desperate times; therefore, desperate measures are necessary.

Marcus Jones, New England Patriots

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (11%), ESPN (12.6%), & Yahoo (48%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 23.4%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 3 Total Tackles (2 solo and 1 assisted), 1 TFL, 1 PD, and 1 INT
• Tallied 12.8 fantasy points on the week.

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• Has posted a 10.4% tackle efficiency over the past three weeks, just three percentage points below the average for LINEBACKERS

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

He has still maintained a secondary-leading tackle number in this Patriots secondary while playing a majority of his snaps at slot corner. As I said last week, there are only three Slot Cornerbacks I would slide into my DB-only roster spot in leagues. Marcus Jones is one. Roster him now if you haven’t already.

*Yes, I know I broke the rostership percentage rule for Yahoo. Sue me.*

Ashtyn Davis, Miami Dolphins

Highest-graded #Dolphins in Week 7:

ED, Bradley Chubb – 80.4
S, Ashtyn Davis – 75.8
LB, Jordyn Brooks – 72.7

*Only 3 players above 70.0 who played more than 20 snaps#PhinsUp

— Ryan Smith (@PFF_RyanSmith) October 20, 2025

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (3%), ESPN (0.5%), & Yahoo (17%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 6.8%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 7 Total Tackles (6 solo and 1 assisted) and 1 TFL

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• Over the past three weeks, Davis has led safeties in box snaps with a total of 64 on the Dolphins
• He’s posted a 9.5% tackle efficiency during the same time period
• Davis has posted DB4 numbers in fppg with an average of 9.5

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

With back-to-back weeks with at least five Total Tackles, Davis is the prime example of a defensive back who provides a stable floor. In Week 9, he has a favorable matchup with Baltimore, which allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to the safety position over the past three weeks. Therefore, scoop him up now and save yourself the trouble next week.

Brandon Stephens, New York Jets

Percent Rostered on Sleeper (0%), ESPN (2.0%), & Yahoo (0%):

Combined Consensus Rostership Percentage: 0.7%

Base Statistics from Week 7:

• 5 Total Tackles (5 solo) and 2 PDs
• He tallied 10.5 fantasy points in Week 7

Notes and/or Advanced Statistics Over Past Three Weeks:

• Since Week THREE: 8, 8, 8, 6, 3, & 5. Those are his total tackle numbers during THAT time period
• PFF’s best-rated cornerback on the Jets over the past three weeks
• He’s been the most targeted cornerback on the Jets over the past three weeks
• Among all qualified Cornerbacks in the NFL, Stephens is rated as the 10th best over the past three weeks

IDP Waiver Wire Analysis:

Man, playing opposite Sauce Gardner has its advantages. Opposing QBs target you more, the potential for pass deflections and interceptions increases, tackle floors are elevated, as well as fantasy point floors.

Stephens is the CB16 in terms of fantasy points per game over the past three weeks, and with his tackle floor being what it has been, he is a VERY solid CB2 for managers in cornerback-specific leagues.

Thanks for checking out my recommendations for your league’s 2025 IDP Waiver Wire for Week 8. You can find all of our IDP Waiver Wire articles for 2025 by clicking here!

Jorge B. Edwards is an FSWA member, FantasyPros ECR ranker & award winner, and creator of FANTASY IN FRAMES, specializing in IDP, Redraft, and Dynasty Fantasy Football. Follow him on Twitter/X at @JorgeBEdwards.