Week 7 is now in the books. There are numerous storylines to track, but perhaps the most significant is the overlooked IDP players who showed out in Week 7. There were a lot of defensive fireworks in Week 7, so there are more than a few intriguing names on the waiver wire in leagues of all sizes. Let’s take a look at some of the names that may be worth some of your free agent budget.

Week 8 IDP Waiver Wire

Linebacker

Cody Barton (LB – DEN): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Barton exploded on Thursday Night Football, going off for six solos, two assists, one sack, one pass defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Barton has been inconsistent but has now recorded six or more solos in two of his last three games. This monster performance ensures that he will remain locked in as a starter for the remainder of the season and highlights some of the upside the Broncos thought they were getting when they added him this offseason. Barton is an LB3 with LB2 upside for Week 8 but will be an LB2 option when the byes resume. Add Barton wherever available.

Nakobe Dean (LB – PHI): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Dean was elite in Week 7, racking up six solos, five assists, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. Dean now has five or more solos in three straight games and has bullied his way into the top-20 conversation. Treat him as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dean should be rostered in all competitive leagues.

Grant Stuard (LB – IND): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Stuard went bonkers in Week 7, racking up 11 solos, eight assists, and one tackle for loss. He was awesome in relief of the injured E.J. Speed (knee) and will undoubtedly get another start if Speed misses any more time. He is an automatic LB2 play if he gets another start, but FAAB bids should be tempered accordingly, as there is an all-or-nothing proposition as to whether he has any value for Week 8 or beyond. When Speed returns, he will play an everydown role alongside Zaire Franklin, regardless of how well Stuard does in the interim. Add Stuard wherever needed.

Neville Hewitt (LB – HOU): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Hewitt impressed again in Week 7, tallying six solos, three assists, one interception, and two passes defended. Hewitt has been producing at an LB2 level with Azeez Al-Shaair sidelined and is worth a look as an LB3 option if Azeez misses more time as expected. Add and start Hewitt as an LB3 with LB2 upside in deeper formats.

Justin Strnad (LB – DEN): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Strnad was at it again in Week 7, racking up six solos, three assists, and one sack. Strnad has been an impact IDP producer since Alex Singleton went down and has recorded five or more solos in three straight games while adding a sack in three of his last four. Strnad should be rostered in all competitive leagues and can be counted as an LB2 option for a tasty Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Add him everywhere.

Defensive Line

Dante Fowler (DE/LB – WAS): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Dante Fowler went off on against the Panthers, tallying two solos, one sack, one tackle for loss, one interception, one pass defended, and one touchdown. Fowler now has 4.5 sacks on the season, but four of them have come in his last three contests. He can now safely be counted as a DL2 option and should be treated as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Add Fowler wherever available.

Jonathan Greenard (DE/LB – MIN): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Greenard showed up in Week 7, tallying two solos, two assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Greenard has four sacks on the season, but this was his first since back in Week 3. Greenard has legit DL1 upside but should be treated as more of a low-end DL2 option until he starts to heat back up. Treat him as a top-25 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Add Greenard wherever available.

Brian Burns (DE/LB – NYG): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Burns was at it again in Week 7, racking up three solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended. Burns is up to four sacks on the season and has a sack in three straight and in four of his last five. It is well past time for Burns to be rostered in all competitive formats, regardless of league provider. Burns is a DL1 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Add Burns everywhere.

Derick Hall (DE/LB – SEA): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Hall was at it again in Week 7, notching one solo, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Hall has been held off the sack sheet in two straight games after his three game streak but made up for it with the defensive score. The sack outage drops him to DL3 territory, but he is still someone to plug into lineups where possible. Add him where needed.

A.J. Epenesa (DE – BUF): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Epenesa is heating up for the Bills, most recently racking up two solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended. Epenesa now has at least one sack and a forced fumble in back-to-back games and should be treated as a DL3 with DL2 upside for Week 8 against Seattle and beyond. Add Epenesa where needed.

Defensive Back

Kam Curl (S – LAR): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Curl went off in Week 7, tallying seven solos, two passes defended, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Curl has been overshadowed by tackle magnet Quentin Lake but has still been a solid DB3 option. He has been a disappointment relative to expectations but still provides start-worthy DB3 numbers. Add Curl where needed ahead of a plus Week 8 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kyle Dugger (S – NE): 6% rostered on Yahoo
Dugger was excellent in Week 7, racking up nine solos, two assists, and one pass defended. Dugger has been inconsistent at best this season and is now more low-end DB2 than the DB1 many drafted him to be. Still, he has tremendous weekly upside, as his two outings with eight or more solos prove. Tap him as a top-25 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the New York Jets. Add Dugger in all competitive leagues.

Malik Mustapha (S – SF): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Mustapha is starting for the injured Talanoa Hufanga and responded with six solos and six assists against the Chiefs. He has more upside than George Odum and could provide DB2 value while Talanoa is sidelined. Deep leaguers should pay special attention here, as Malik is a solid DB3 option as long as he is drawing starts. Add Mustapha wherever needed.

Geno Stone (S – CIN): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Stone was excellent in Week 7, tallying three solos, four assists, one interception, and one pass defended. The pick was Stone’s first of the season after placing second in the league with seven interceptions last season, so hopefully, this is a sign of things to come. Stone has been inconsistent on the season as a whole but remains a strong DB3 option week in and week out. Treat him as such for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Add Stone where needed.

Damar Hamlin (S – BUF): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Hamlin continues to impress for the Bills, most recently notching three solos, two assists, one interception, and one pass defended. Hamlin has now strung together five DB2 level outings in his seven starts, putting him in the top-25 mix going forward. Damar should be rostered in all competitive leagues. Add and start Hamlin as a DB2 option for a tasty Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.