Dynasty Nerds 
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NerdHerd 
Welcome Back, IDP Nerds! The first two weeks of the NFL season are officially in the books, and we’re already getting a much clearer picture of which early-season performances we can trust. The Week 3 IDP Waiver Wire is all about finding those players whose opportunities are growing before the rest of your league catches on. Snap counts are starting to mean more, injuries are opening doors across the league, and some unexpected names are quickly becoming players we can trust in our IDP lineups.
This week brings us another dynamic group of waiver targets, including a rookie making waves, young players finally earning consistent snaps, and veterans making the most of their opportunities. The goal remains the same every week. Use the data to find players who can help your dynasty team in the short term, and hopefully, stick around for the long term as well. Let’s get into the best IDP waiver wire targets ahead of Week 3.
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Best Defensive Line Waiver Pickups | Week 3 IDP
Kingsley Enagbare | New York Jets | 5-10% FAAB
Kingsley Enagbare has quietly put together a strong start to the season with his new team. The former Green Bay Packers edge rusher has recorded a sack in back-to-back games while playing over 66% of the defensive snaps in each contest. Enagbare finished as a top-20 defensive lineman in Week 2 and has made the most of his increased opportunity with the New York Jets.
The production has been nice, but it’s the upcoming schedule that makes Enagbare one of my favorite defensive line additions this week. The Jets face the Lions, Bears, and Browns over their next three games, and all three have already allowed at least five sacks through the first two weeks. There’s some dynasty value here as well. Enagbare is still just 26 years old and is seeing the most consistent playing time of his career. If that continues, we could be looking at more than just a player to stream over the next few weeks. The favorable schedule makes Enagbare an immediate option, while his age and increased opportunity give him some staying power for dynasty managers.
Gabe Jacas | New England Patriots | 3-5% FAAB
Rookie Gabe Jacas hasn’t taken long to make his presence felt in New England. The 2nd Round pick has 6 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception through his first two NFL games, good enough to rank as the DL19 on the season. The production is exciting, but the biggest takeaway for IDP managers was his jump from a 38% snap share in Week 1 to 70% in Week 2. Jacas is making impact plays when he’s on the field, and the Patriots already seem more comfortable giving their rookie more work.
This shouldn’t be all that surprising when you look back at what Jacas did at Illinois, where he totaled 19 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over his final 2 seasons. He also has an opportunity to earn a significant role in New England. K’Lavon Chaisson left in free agency after recording 7.5 sacks last season, while Harold Landry remains sidelined after leading the team with 8.5. That’s 16 sacks from last year’s defense currently missing from the lineup. Jacas has already shown he can fill that void, and if the rookie keeps earning snaps, this could quickly become one of those early-season waiver moves that pays off for dynasty managers well beyond the next few weeks.
Best Linebacker Waiver Pickups | Week 3 IDP
Trenton Simpson | Baltimore Ravens | 3-5% FAAB
We knew coming into this season that finding help at linebacker on the waiver wire would be difficult, and we’re already seeing that after two weeks. IDP managers are scooping up nearly any linebacker playing significant snaps, which brings us back to Trenton Simpson. The former Clemson linebacker finished as the LB29 in Week 2 and has played 61% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps this season, the highest snap share of his NFL career.
Simpson has never really developed into the player many dynasty managers hoped for when Baltimore selected him in the 3rd Round of the 2023 NFL Draft. At this point, that’s okay. We don’t need him to suddenly become a reliable dynasty LB2 to help our teams. He’s producing respectable numbers alongside Roquan Smith while Teddye Buchanan continues working his way back. Simpson could lose snaps once Buchanan is fully healthy, but linebacker is already too thin to ignore a player producing when given the opportunity. Ride the hot hand while you can and worry about replacing him when that time comes.
Troy Dye | Los Angeles Chargers | 0-3% FAAB
Troy Dye is not a player I expected to be talking about this early in the season, but here we are. The veteran linebacker has 5 tackles in each of his first two games and has delivered double-digit fantasy points in both despite playing a limited role. Dye has actually outproduced Daiyan Henley and Del’Shawn Phillips through two weeks despite both players seeing more consistent snaps.
The loss of Jesse Minter has left us with more questions than answers when it comes to this Chargers defense. New defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary has already shown he’s willing to mix things up, and I’m watching the linebacker rotation closely. Dye is still a part-time player, so there’s plenty of risk here, but linebacker is thin enough that we can’t ignore production. He’s a solid depth add who could become much more useful as the season progresses if his role grows.
| Player | Pos | Team | Priority | FAAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsley Enagbare | DL | NYJ | Strong Add | 5-10% |
| Gabe Jacas | DL | NE | Strong Add | 3-5% |
| Trenton Simpson | LB | BAL | Value Add | 3-5% |
| Troy Dye | LB | LAC | Streamer | 0-3% |
| Jaden Hicks | DB | KC | Must Add | 3-5% |
| Cam Lewis | DB | CHI | Strong Add | 1-5% |
Best Defensive Back Waiver Pickups | Week 3 IDP
Glosser’s No. 1 Add: Jaden Hicks
Jaden Hicks | Kansas City Chiefs | 3-5% FAAB
If you’ve followed my IDP content over the years, you probably already know how I feel about Jaden Hicks. I was a big fan of his coming out of Washington State and covered him in my 2024 IDP Rookie Profile. I loved Hicks on film because of his size, instincts, and ability to play all over the field. The problem through his first two NFL seasons was simply getting enough opportunities. He played just 31% of the defensive snaps as a rookie before increasing that to 43% last season.
That wait might finally be paying off for dynasty managers. Hicks has been an every-down player to start 2026 and has taken advantage of the opportunity. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting to see from him. The talent has always been there, and now we’re finally getting the snaps to go along with it. Defensive back remains the easiest IDP position to find production on the waiver wire, so I’m rarely going to tell you to chase one aggressively. Hicks is different for me because he’s still 24, and there’s legitimate long-term dynasty upside if this role sticks. He’s my No. 1 add this week and a player I want rostered everywhere I need defensive back help.
Cam Lewis | Chicago Bears | 1-5% FAAB
Cam Lewis might be one of the more overlooked defensive backs to start the season. The former Buffalo Bill has 11 tackles through two games while playing a significant role in the Chicago secondary. Lewis has never been a full-time player for an entire season, but we’ve seen him produce when given the opportunity. He finished with a career-high 68 tackles in 2024 despite starting just six games.
As I mentioned this offseason, the Chicago secondary had a ton of opportunity after losing Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in free agency. The two safeties combined for 186 tackles last season, leaving plenty of production up for grabs in Dennis Allen’s defense. Lewis has taken advantage early, averaging 5.5 tackles per game while seeing the most consistent defensive role of his career. There isn’t much long-term dynasty value here for a 29-year-old defensive back, but there doesn’t have to be. Lewis is still available in some of my deeper leagues and is exactly the type of player I’m willing to add when I need help at defensive back.
Just Missed
- Jordan Burch, DL, Arizona Cardinals: Burch has quietly put together a productive start with 7 tackles and a sack through two games. His playing time increased from Week 1 to Week 2, and while the role isn’t big enough to make him a priority add yet, he’s a young pass rusher worth watching in deeper dynasty leagues.
- Jaden Dugger, LB, San Francisco 49ers: Dugger has played just 43% of the defensive snaps through two weeks while working behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. The rookie is more of a dynasty stash right now. Still, with both veterans dealing with injuries in recent seasons, he could quickly become a valuable waiver add if an opportunity opens up.
- Michael Taaffe, DB, Miami Dolphins: Taaffe has been hard to ignore with 13 tackles and an interception over his first two NFL games. His 79% snap share is a little concerning since he isn’t locked into an every-down role yet, but the rookie is already making the most of his opportunities and belongs on the radar in deeper dynasty leagues.
Final Thoughts
The waiver wire is one of the best tools dynasty managers have at their disposal, so make sure you’re using it. Not every player you add will become a long-term starter or the move that puts your roster over the top. That’s okay. Sometimes it’s about finding a few weeks of production, getting ahead of a role change, or taking a chance on a young player before his value increases.
The dynasty season is long, and plenty of opportunities will come up along the way. Keep grinding the waiver wire, watch for changing roles around the league, and keep looking for ways to improve your roster. Not every move will make the difference, but you never know which one will.
As always, feel free to reach out to me on X @Glosser13 with any dynasty or IDP questions.
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