Week 4 of football is almost officially in the books, and it’s time to look ahead for our fantasy football leagues. The IDP report will provide an early look at several waiver wire priorities of varying league sizes and preliminary Week 5 IDP rankings.
Since all leagues are different sizes and have different IDP requirements, the weekly rankings might be more beneficial than the waiver list for even setting waivers. If you have any specific questions, hop into our Discord and ask me a question! Hope the waivers go in your favor.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Top Week 5 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups
Ed Oliver, DT, Buffalo Bills
Ed Oliver may be on a roster in any DT-required format, but if you’re playing DL-type leagues, he’s possibly out there. He probably shouldn’t be at this point. He’s playing 60-70% of the Bills’ snaps and has posted three or more tackles in each game. Oliver also has three sacks on the year. Looks like he might finally be making the leap this year.
Ed Oliver. That’s the notes for this tweet #Bills #BillsMafia #GoBills
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) October 2, 2023
Nik Bonitto, DE, Denver Broncos
Nik Bonitto is a fantastic young talent for a defense in need of a few of them. As such, he’s been trending up from 25% of snaps in Week 1 to 67% in Week 4. The production has followed as well, as he posted four tackles and two and a half sacks with a forced fumble in Week 4. In this division, he’ll have plenty of pass-rush opportunities to add to his sack total.
Nate Landman, LB, Atlanta Falcons
Pour one out for second-year LB Troy Andersen and add his replacement in Nate Landman. In his two games as a full-time LB, all Landman has done is post 14 combined tackles, including 10 in Week 4. Hosting Houston in Week 5, Landman has every opportunity to continue his tackling ways.
Jack Gibbens, LB, Tennessee Titans
The Titans have historically been able to support multiple viable IDP LBs. Jack Gibbens might just be that Robin to Azeez Al-Shaair’s Batman. He’s posted five or more tackles in every game, including 10 in Week 4. His playing time is continuing to tick up, too, going from roughly two-thirds of snaps in Weeks 1-2 to 75-80% in Weeks 3-4.
Rudy Ford, S, Green Bay Packers
For the second time this year, let’s discuss a Packers safety. Rudy Ford won the starting job next to Darnell Savage and has been solid for IDP managers.
He’s hit seven or more tackles in three straight weeks. Week 5 sees the pass-happy Raiders take on the Packers, so Ford is likely to keep up his tackling ways.
Ezekiel Turner, S/LB, Arizona Cardinals
This one is a bit of a cheat, as not all formats have Ezekiel Turner as a safety. In some spots, he’s an LB, but even there, he might be worth rostering. Turner is the latest LB to play next to Kyzir White, and he shined in Week 4.
Despite falling just shy of 70% of snaps, Turner posted nine tackles, likely keeping the job for a bit, and is worth a deep shot. Starting LBs at the DB spot in leagues is a cheat code; don’t let someone else do it to you!
Early Week 5 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings
1) Foyesade Oluokun | JAX, LB | (@ BUF)
2) Roquan Smith | BAL, LB | (@ PIT)
3) Zaire Franklin | IND, LB | (vs. TEN)
4) T.J. Watt | PIT, LB | (vs. BAL)
5) Micah Parsons | DAL, LB | (@ SF)
6) Nick Bosa | SF, DE | (vs. DAL)
7) Nick Bolton | KC, LB | (@ MIN)
8) C.J. Mosley | NYJ, LB | (@ DEN)
9) Quay Walker | GB, LB | (@ LV)
10) Ernest Jones | LAR, LB | (vs. PHI)
11) Frankie Luvu | CAR, LB | (@ DET)
12) Logan Wilson | CIN, LB | (@ ARI)
13) Maxx Crosby | LV, DE | (vs. GB)
14) Azeez Al-Shaair | TEN, LB | (@ IND)
15) Dre Greenlaw | SF, LB | (vs. DAL)
16) T.J. Edwards | CHI, LB | (@ WAS)
17) Tremaine Edmunds | CHI, LB | (@ WAS)
18) Danielle Hunter | MIN, DE | (vs. KC)
19) Fred Warner | SF, LB | (vs. DAL)
20) Pete Werner | NO, LB | (@ NE)
21) Aidan Hutchinson | DET, DE | (vs. CAR)
22) Kamren Curl | WAS, S | (vs. CHI)
23) Montez Sweat | WAS, DE | (vs. CHI)
24) Josh Allen | JAX, DE | (@ BUF)
25) Quincy Williams | NYJ, LB | (@ DEN)
26) Terrel Bernard | BUF, LB | (vs. JAX)
27) Kyle Hamilton | BAL, S | (@ PIT)
28) Kyzir White | ARI, LB | (vs. CIN)
29) Jordan Hicks | MIN, LB | (vs. KC)
30) Micah McFadden | NYG, LB | (@ MIA)
31) Dax Hill | CIN, S | (@ ARI)
32) Matt Milano | BUF, LB | (vs. JAX)
33) Germaine Pratt | CIN, LB | (@ ARI)
34) Robert Spillane | LV, LB | (vs. GB)
35) Divine Deablo | LV, LB | (vs. GB)
36) Jessie Bates III | ATL, S | (vs. HOU)
37) Alex Highsmith | PIT, LB | (vs. BAL)
38) E.J. Speed | IND, LB | (vs. TEN)
39) Cole Holcomb | PIT, LB | (vs. BAL)
40) Bobby Okereke | NYG, LB | (@ MIA)
41) Zach Cunningham | PHI, LB | (@ LAR)
42) Alex Singleton | DEN, LB | (vs. NYJ)
43) Camryn Bynum | MIN, S | (vs. KC)
44) Demario Davis | NO, LB | (@ NE)
45) Henry To’oTo’o | HOU, LB | (@ ATL)
46) Nicholas Morrow | PHI, LB | (@ LAR)
47) Brian Branch | DET, S | (vs. CAR)
48) Jamin Davis | WAS, LB | (vs. CHI)
49) Kyle Dugger | NE, S | (vs. NO)
50) David Long Jr. | LV, CB | (vs. GB)
The Top IDP Players To Start in Week 5
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Tennessee Titans
After a slow couple of weeks, Azeez Al-Shaair is blooming into the high-level LB for IDP managers. Heading into Monday Night Football, Al-Shaair has been a top-seven LB for the last two weeks. This week, the Titans play the Colts, so Al-Shaair will have opportunities to rack up tackles again in Week 5; fire him up everywhere.
Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
Did you know Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby are tied for first in pressures through four weeks with 27? Not a shock. Aidan Hutchinson also has 27 and looks to be ascending toward that type of player. This week, he gets a struggling Panthers OL and is likely to post more than a sack for the third straight week — Hutchinson is a lineup lock.