Plugging the Gaps: IDP Waiver Wire for Week 6

Dashon Goldson, Free Safety

Dashon Goldson has been flipped from strong safety to free safety a few times in his career. It seems that Washington is more comfortable using him in the free safety role than it is with the rest of the shoddiest safety depth chart in the NFL playing in coverage. Maybe something about veteran awareness, I don’t know. Regardless, he’s not playing as much in the box as he usually does, but he’s still a hit-‘em-hard type of player who loves flying to the play on the field. He’s not a true coverage player –- as his zero passes defensed or interceptions indicate -– but with Washington’s leaky pass defense, he’s called on often to seal up a play.

He may be called on this week to stop Ryan Fitzpatrick and the surprisingly surging New York Jets. What Goldson will like to see is that Fitzpatrick has thrown six interceptions in four games, meaning he may get his first elusive pick here. Washington has also given up the eighth-most rushing big plays (runs of 10 or more yards), meaning Goldson may be in line for a decent amount of tackles even if he’s not in the box; 12 missed tackles so far from inside linebackers means more feasting for the safeties. Add in that free safeties are averaging just over 8 points against the Jets this year, and this is a solid matchup.

Goldson is available in 98.3% of ESPN IDP leagues, and we project him for around 5.0 tackles, a good chance for an interception, a great chance for a pass defensed, and a total score of 7.24 balanced fantasy points in Week 6.