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Welcome back, IDP Nerds! Football is finally here, and for the first time, we’re kicking off the Week 1 IDP Waiver Wire before the season even starts. Usually, I like to have at least one week of football to overreact to before telling you where to spend your FAAB, but there’s no reason to wait this year.
Week 1 is all about getting ahead of your league mates. We don’t have regular-season snap counts or fantasy finishes to lean on yet, so let’s look at some budget-friendly adds before the season even starts. Some of these players will hit and some won’t, but that’s the fun of the waiver wire. Let’s see if we can find a few players now that everyone else will be trying to add next week.
🔗 In Case you Missed our Offseason IDP Content
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- ⚔️ 10 IDP Training Camp Battles to Watch
- 📈 15 IDP Dynasty Breakout Candidates
- 🔄 IDP Keep Trade Cut
- 🎯 Best Defenses for DL, LB & DB Production
| Player | Pos | Team | Priority | FAAB | Why We’re Adding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Martin | DL | TEN | Streamer | 0-1% | Career-high in sacks and snap share in 2025. Favorable Week 1 matchup. |
| Jonah Elliss | DL | DEN | Strong Add | 10-15% | Potential opportunity for a significant snap share increase. |
| Ventrell Miller | LB | JAX | Strong Add | 10-15% | Earned a starting role after recording 80 tackles on just 46% of the snaps and 9 starts in 2024. |
| Bobby Okereke | LB | CAR | Strong Add | 10-15% | Steps into the LB2 role after signing with Carolina. Proven veteran production. |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | DB | PIT | Streamer | 0-5% | Increased opportunity with DeShon Elliott on IR and a favorable Week 1 matchup. |
| Xavier Woods | DB | CHI | Streamer | 0-5% | Steps into a starting role after Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker left in free agency. Top-12 DB in 2024. |
Defensive Line Waiver Pickups | Week 1 IDP
Jacob Martin | Tennessee Titans | 0-1% FAAB
Jacob Martin joins his sixth team since 2022, and we know what he is. He’s never been a player IDP managers are tripping over themselves to add, but he’s found a way to be a useful streaming option when the opportunity is there. Martin is coming off career highs with 5.5 sacks and a 62% snap share with Washington last season, and now he gets a fresh start in Tennessee under new head coach Robert Saleh.
The matchup is what really has my attention for Week 1. Martin gets a Jets offense that allowed 60 sacks in 2025, giving him an opportunity to make an immediate impact. Nobody wants to spend much FAAB on a 30-year-old journeyman pass rusher, and that’s exactly what makes Martin appealing. If you’re dealing with a tough matchup or just need a cheap DL streamer to start the season, Martin could be a sneaky option to help get your team off on the right foot.
Jonah Elliss | Denver Broncos | 10-15% FAAB
Jonah Elliss is a player who has earned plenty of praise over his first two seasons but just hasn’t been fortunate enough to earn a starting role. That could change quickly with Jonathon Cooper potentially landing on the commissioner’s exempt list due to off-the-field issues. Elliss has recorded 7.5 sacks over his first 2 seasons despite never playing more than 38% of the defensive snaps. If we finally see that snap share increase, his dynasty value could take a big jump.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Elliss gets to play alongside Nik Bonitto on a Denver defense that led the NFL in sacks last season. The Week 1 matchup against Kansas City isn’t ideal for getting after the quarterback, but the Chiefs did allow over 17 tackles per game to defensive linemen in 2025. I’m much more interested in Elliss as a dynasty add than just a Week 1 streamer. If he’s still sitting on your waiver wire, I’d be looking to add him now before we find out what he can do with a larger role.
Linebacker Waiver Pickups | Week 1 IDP
Ventrell Miller | Jacksonville Jaguars | 10-15% FAAB
Finding starting linebackers on the waiver wire after a long offseason is nearly impossible. This recommendation is more for deeper leagues, as most starting linebackers find their way onto rosters even in leagues without deep benches. Ventrell Miller is one of those players who might still be available and can give you some decent starting value this season. He steps into the LB2 role in Jacksonville alongside veteran Foyesade Oluokun, with very little proven depth behind him.
We have at least seen Miller produce when given the chance. He earned 9 starts in 2024 due to injuries ahead of him and still managed 80 tackles and an LB49 finish while playing just 46% of the defensive snaps. I’m not expecting Miller to suddenly become an elite fantasy linebacker, but he doesn’t need to be at this price. Sometimes a starting linebacker with a clear path to snaps is enough. Miller has spent most of his career waiting for this opportunity, and I’m willing to see what he can do with it before someone else in my league does.
Bobby Okereke | Carolina Panthers | 10-15% FAAB
Bobby Okereke spent nearly the entire offseason as a free agent before Carolina finally signed him ahead of its final preseason game. It was a bit surprising to see the veteran linebacker sit unsigned for that long after another productive season. Okereke has topped 90 tackles in 5 straight seasons, including 4 seasons with at least 130. He’s coming off an LB14 finish in 2025 and now steps into the LB2 role alongside Devin Lloyd in Carolina.
This is another recommendation aimed more at IDP leagues with fewer roster spots. Speaking from experience, I’ve seen dynasty managers hold Okereke all offseason, hoping he would eventually land somewhere. Not everyone had that luxury with limited roster space. If he was dropped in your league, now is the time to take advantage. He’s been one of the more consistent tackle-producing linebackers in the league, and I’m willing to add the veteran depth before Week 1 to see if that production follows him to Carolina.
Defensive Back Waiver Pickups | Week 1 IDP
Rayshawn Jenkins | Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-5% FAAB
I won’t lie, this one is a little surprising to me. Rayshawn Jenkins hasn’t been much more than a borderline streaming option since recording back-to-back 100-tackle seasons in 2022 and 2023. His defensive snap share has fallen off significantly over the past two seasons, and at this point in his career, I wasn’t expecting to be recommending him as a Week 1 waiver add.
Opportunity changes things, though. Starting safety DeShon Elliott landed on IR after aggravating an injury during Pittsburgh’s second preseason game, which should put Jenkins in line for a significant number of snaps. I’m not expecting him to suddenly become an impact IDP again, but sometimes volume and minimal competition are enough to get the job done. He also draws an Atlanta offense that allowed double-digit tackles per game to safeties last season. There are likely better long-term options on your waiver wire, but if you need a cheap DB streamer for Week 1, you can certainly do worse than Jenkins.
Xavier Woods | Chicago Bears | 0-5% FAAB
I’m a believer in Dennis Allen and his ability to produce fantasy-relevant defensive backs. The Chicago defense has some big holes to fill after losing both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker this offseason, and veteran Xavier Woods is a player I’m intrigued by heading into Week 1. Woods finished as the DB9 overall in 2024 before injuries limited him to just 11 games with Tennessee last season.
Woods will start opposite dynamic rookie Dillon Thieneman in a defense that produced 3 top-54 defensive backs last season. The Week 1 matchup also gives us an early revenge-game narrative against Carolina. The Panthers were a top-10 tackle-friendly matchup for opposing safeties last season, and Woods spent 3 seasons in Carolina, including the best season of his career. I’m not expecting another DB9 finish, but the role and matchup are both there. If Woods is still sitting on your waiver wire, I like him as a sneaky Week 1 streaming option.
Final Thoughts
Week 1 always comes with a little more guessing than we would like. We don’t have snap counts or fantasy production to overreact to just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to get ahead of our league mates. If even one of these players earns a bigger role than expected, you might save yourself some FAAB and a headache this time next week.
Enjoy Week 1, IDP Nerds! I’ll be back next week when we finally have some real football to break down and, I’m sure, plenty of Week 1 overreactions. As always, you can find me on X @Glosser13 with any IDP questions.
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