NFL

Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 5

Akiem Hicks woke up in Week 4, with two quarterback hits and a sack. Can he do it again?

I’m not good at waking up early.

This is a skill I’ve been working on for years, through many rounds of intense aural stimulation (alarm clocks) and performance-enhancing stimulants (coffee), but there’s nothing like a warm bed on a cold fall morning to convince you that the world can wait an extra 15 -- or 30, heck maybe another hour -- for you to get up.

But unfortunately for those of us early-morning sleepyheads, the world doesn’t wait.

Neither does the waiver wire in Individual Defensive Player (IDP) leagues, where last week’s sack artists and interception machines will cost you a pretty penny. At this juncture in the season, players have started getting waived (Sio Moore, we hardly knew ye) or injured (oh, Ben Heeney), and you cannot punch the snooze button on making smart acquisitions to keep your fantasy lineup out of a waking nightmare. Keep sharp, splash some cold water on your face, and let’s keep the IDP train rolling.

Which IDP players owned in less than 5% of ESPN leagues will be as welcome as a cup of coffee as waiver wire targets for Week 5?