The bye weeks are brutal this week, as we have six teams with the week off in Week 7 (Carolina, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Tennessee, and the New York Jets). I did my best to sift through the snaps and stats to find some potential waiver wire options for your IDP leagues. Please keep in mind there are many fun ways to play this IDP game we love, and if you ever have any league-specific questions, feel free to reach out. Alright, let's get to it.
Defensive Backs
Jamal Adams, Seattle Seahawks
Week 6 Stats: 4 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit
After a concussion shortened his season debut in Week 4, Jamal Adams was able to return to the field after Seattle's Week 5 bye. Adams was back in the starting lineup, playing 46 defensive snaps (85%) against Cincinnati in Week 6. Meanwhile, teammate Julian Love played a season-low 24 snaps (44%) in Week 6.
Adams made it through this week's game unscathed, producing four solo tackles and one tackle for loss on the day. As usual, Adams saw plenty of action uptight, as 34 of his 46 snaps came up in the IDP sweet spot (box, slot, and DL), per PFF. If Adams is sitting on your waiver wire after his injury and bye week, scoop him up.
Josh Metellus, Minnesota Vikings
Week 6 Stats: 8 tackles (5 solos), 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 QB hits, 1 forced fumble
Josh Metellus has found a role in new defensive coordinator Brian Flores' defense. Metellus holds an 87% snap share, averaging 59.8 defensive snaps per game on the year. For IDP purposes, Metellus' alignment is ideal, as he's spent 93.9% of his 360 snaps played up in the IDP sweet spot. Metellus doesn't get quite as much attention as the other Minnesota safeties, but he's been plenty productive in his own right. If you're looking for safety help, Metellus is a fine pickup where available.
JuJu Brents, Indianapolis Colts
Week 6 Stats: 7 tackles (5 solos), 1 interception, 2 passes defended
Rookie JuJu Brents has been a rock-solid IDP cornerback option since he entered the starting lineup for the Colts defense in Week 4. Over his last three games, Brents has compiled 20 tackles (16 solos), three passes defended, and notched his first career interception this past week. In Week 6, Brents was especially busy, as Jacksonville targeted him 10 times in their divisional matchup. Brents is a prime pickup in CB-required leagues, should he still be floating around your waiver wire. He's also someone to consider in deeper DB-grouped formats where you start three to four players.
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Linebackers
Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 6 Stats: 9 tackles (7 solos), 2 passes defended
After missing the past two games due to a thumb injury, Devin Lloyd returned for Week 6 and was inserted right back into the starting lineup. Lloyd played 76 defensive snaps (97%) against Indianapolis, recording 9 tackles (7 solos) and two passes defended on the day. Chad Muma, Lloyd's replacement while he was unavailable, was relegated to special teams duties, as he didn't play a single defensive snap in Week 6.
If Lloyd was dropped while he was out, he makes for a solid waiver wire pickup after what we saw this week. Muma struggled while filling in for Lloyd the past two games and was a complete afterthought in his return. As long as he's healthy, Lloyd looks to have a full-time gig alongside Foye Oluokun going forward.
Dorian Williams, Buffalo Bills
Week 6 Stats: 10 tackles (6 solos), 1 QB hit
We talked about the Buffalo LB2 situation in last week's article and how Tyrel Dodson led the way in snaps after Matt Milano's exit in Week 5. However, in Week 6, things took a very different turn. Rookie Dorian Williams got the start next to Terrel Bernard, playing 65 defensive snaps (84%). Tyrel Dodson, on the other hand, played just four defensive snaps, seeing the field primarily on special teams.
Williams had a solid IDP output in his first career start, producing 10 tackles (6 solos) and a quarterback hit. There will be growing pains as Williams settles into a more prominent role, but it appears Buffalo favors the rookie after what we saw transpire this week. Williams is a worthy waiver wire addition with intriguing potential; just make sure to monitor his snap counts going forward.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Cleveland Browns
Week 6 Stats: 5 tackles (3 solos), 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 pass defended
The Cleveland linebacker unit utilization is anything but ideal for IDP purposes. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Anthony Walker, and Sionne Takitaki have roles, but none hold a weekly full-time snap share. It makes for a messy situation that has been tough to trust for us IDP gamers so far.
While the situation may be tricky to navigate, Owusu-Koramoah has been the most productive of the bunch. Over his last two games, Owusu-Koramoah has produced 13 tackles (9 solos), adding plenty of splash plays behind the line with five tackles for loss and a sack. While Owusu-Koramoah has a 73% snap share on the year, he has hit the 79% mark now in back-to-back games (Week 4 and Week 6). It is also important to note Anthony Walker exited this week's game with a concussion, as he could potentially miss time.
Owusu-Koramoah's role might not have ideal full-time volume, but it seems to be steady. He's also been producing solid stat lines of late. If you're looking for a bye week or injury fill-in off the waiver wire, Owusu-Koramoah is worth a look, as he has a solid matchup against Indianapolis in Week 7.
Oren Burks, San Francisco 49ers
Week 6 Stats: 8 tackles (4 solos)
With Dre Greenlaw (hamstring) out this week, San Francisco turned to Oren Burks to fill the void next to Fred Warner. Burks got the start, playing all 76 defensive snaps against Cleveland in Week 6. Burks produced an admirable eight tackles (4 solos) in relief of Greenlaw and would likely draw another start in his absence in Week 7. If you grab Burks off the waiver wire, make sure you monitor Greenlaw's status throughout the week, as he's only in consideration if he's unable to go again.
Defensive Line/Edge Rusher
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 6 Stats: 4 tackles (3 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defended
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka had been relatively quiet since his two-sack outing back in Week 2 against Chicago. However, Tryon-Shoyinka was able to get back in the sack column in Week 6 against a tough Detriot offensive line. It was also Tryon-Shoyinka's heftiest workload of the year, as he played a season-high 51 defensive snaps (73%). On the season, Tryon-Shoyinka holds a 64% snap share.
In Week 7, Tryon-Shoyinka has a solid matchup against Atlanta's offensive line, who have surrendered 19 sacks on the year. Hopefully, his positive Week 6 outing generated some momentum heading into this week. If you're looking for edge rusher help off the waiver wire, Tryon-Shoyinka is worth a look.
Bryce Huff, New York Jets
Week 6 Stats: 3 tackles (2 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits
We see you, Bryce Huff. Huff has been a menace off the edge of late, compiling two and a half sacks and four quarterback hits over his past two games. Huff's pressure numbers have also been impressive. Going into Monday night football, Huff's 34 pressures rank third overall in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Huff boasts an impressive 29.8% pressure rate on the year, generating 23 pressures over his past three games, per PFF. Talk about making your presence felt.
The issue with Huff is his limited role, as he holds just a 34% snap share on the year. However, over the past two games, Huff has seen an uptick in usage, playing 28 snaps (45%) in Week 5 and a season-high 35 snaps (50%) in Week 6. Huff has certainly made his case to continue seeing added snaps, and hopefully, the Jets feel the same way.
Unfortunately, Huff will be on a bye in Week 7. However, coming out of the bye, he draws a spicy matchup against the Swiss cheese New York Giants offensive line in Week 8. In deeper redraft leagues, Huff is a preemptive streaming pickup for the week ahead if you have the room. In dynasty leagues, Huff is someone with legitimate appeal this year and beyond, as he's set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
Dre'Mont Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Week 6 Stats: 3 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 QB hit
It's been a pretty quiet beginning to the season so far for Dre'Mont Jones. He has dealt with a hip injury, but either way, his production hasn't quite been what we had hoped. However, Jones was able to get back in the sack column this week for the first time since back in Week 2. In Week 7, Jones has a decent matchup against Arizona's offensive line, who rank 21st in Footballguy Matt Bitonti's offensive line rankings. If you're looking for defensive tackle options in true-position or DT-required leagues, Jones is worth considering if available.
Final Thoughts
As usual, this article was written before the conclusion of Monday night football as the Cowboys and Chargers go to battle. If you have any questions regarding Monday night's game or anything else IDP-related, don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you all back next week.