Every week throughout the NFL season I will bring you an IDP article talking about anything and everything that consists of IDP. I will talk about IDP Breakout players, keep tabs on possible waiver-wire additions and some IDP Sleeper plays during the year. It should be fun. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite Breakout IDP Performances and Waiver-Wire Moves headed into Week 5 of the NFL Season.
Week 5 Breakouts and IDP Waiver Wire
Devon Witherspoon, CB Seattle Seahawks
When Devon Witherspoon was taken as the fifth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, there were a few people who questioned a former zero-star recruit out of Illinois going that high in the draft.
Witherspoon missed the early part of training camp with an injury and was slowly brought into the fold. But he had his coming out party on Monday night, with a game for the ages against the New York Giants. Witherspoon, who has played on the outside and as the nickel corner, has excelled wherever he has played.
Witherspoon had his first career interception, that he returned 97 yards for a touchdown against the Giants. He also added seven tackles, two sacks, and a pass defensed. This is after he had 11 tackles and two passes defended the week before against the Carolina Panthers.
The talent is showing. Witherspoon is worth a pickup in redraft leagues that start a cornerback, and he is still worth picking up in DB-only leagues as his play in the slot is putting him right in the action. He is on a bye week, so this might be a sneaky time to grab him before someone else does. He is likely owned in dynasty leagues, but if not, snatch him up immediately.
Emmanuel Forbes, CB Washington Commanders
If you are like me and need to pick up a CB off the waiver wire to play this week, I’m going with Emmanuel Forbes. The rookie out of Mississippi State was a pick-six beast in college. There were questions about his size and whether he was stout enough to play in the league, but the Commanders weren’t worried as they selected him 16th in the first round of the 2023 Draft.
Forbes is a little bit of a feast or famine at cornerback. He had just three tackles in each of his first three games but had nine tackles and two passes defensed last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. He has one interception this season, but a pick-six of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields on Thursday night seems like a real opportunity and possibility.
Rudy Ford, S Green Bay Packers
If you are looking for Safety help, Rudy Ford could be your guy. The Green Bay Packers S has been playing 100% of snaps the last couple of weeks and has at least seven tackles in each of the past three games.
Ford has three passes defensed and one interception this season. If the Las Vegas Raiders get behind early, the Packers’ secondary could be seeing a lot of action on Monday night.
Nik Bonitto, Edge Denver Broncos
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto is starting to see the field and it is showing in his production for the Denver Broncos. In the last three weeks, he has seen around a 66% snap share and has three sacks in that span.
Bonitto was drafted in the second round out of Oklahoma in 2022 to be an edge rusher, but he just hasn’t seen much playing time on the field before this season. But with teams dropping back and passing at a high rate against the Broncos, Bonitto is getting plenty of pass rush opportunities.
Bonitto has already surpassed all of his statistics from his rookie season and now has 13 tackles, six tackles for a loss, five QB Hits, and 3.5 sacks in four games this season.
Injuries are starting to pile up among edge rushers and with Bonitto’s dual eligibility at DL/LB in certain leagues, he could be a good fill-in during the bye weeks coming up. In dynasty leagues, he is worth stashing in case the breakout continues for this young and talented player.
Byron Young, Edge Los Angeles Rams
If you can’t get Bonitto off the waiver wire, another good young option at edge rusher is Bryon Young. The Los Angeles Rams rookie has been very consistent this season. A third-round pick in 2023 out of Tennessee, Young has gotten consistent playing time on the edge.
Young has 16 total tackles, 11 solo stops with two sacks, and eight QB Hits. His numbers aren’t eye-popping, but they are solid for a player four games into his career on a defense that needs playmakers outside of Aaron Donald.
Chad Muma, LB Jacksonville Jaguars
Chad Muma is a player I have liked since watching his college game film at Wyoming. The guy has a nose for the football and always plays extremely hard. Muma played outstanding during his rookie season when given the chance to start. But this season he has been buried behind Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd, who was drafted in the first round in the same draft class as Muma, who was taken in the third round.
If you are in a redraft league, he has probably been sitting on the waiver wire all season. He is a great play with Lloyd out due to a thumb injury. Whether Muma can convince the coaches to give him more time when Lloyd comes back from the injury will be the question. Play him now while you can, he is a great streaming candidate.
In dynasty leagues, I’m holding onto Muma if I have space on my roster. While he is currently only playable with Lloyd out, I still think he has value down the line. He could become a legit IDP player if he finds the right opportunity in the future.
Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty