Much of fantasy football in-season owner strategy centers around which players to pick up from the waiver wire or to target in the trade market. However, roster spots are a premium resource. Cutting a player - or adding them to a trade - opens a roster spot for a key waiver wire addition or flexibility to keep a currently injured player through a missed game or two. Here are the key players to cut or trade after Week 12:
SHALLOW FORMATS
*15-18 roster spots*
Why: Allen has been a high-floor producer due to his rushing ability this season. However, his three toughest aSOS (Adjusted Strength of Schedule) quarterback matchups on the season (Patriots, Browns, Broncos) to-date have resulted in just 604 passing yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions total. Over the final month of the fantasy season, Allen has three matchups of said difficulty, including the Patriots again, who stifled Allen in Week 4 outside of a rushing touchdown. The lone reason to hold Allen in stock shallow roster redraft would be if using him specifically in Week 14 against Baltimore.
Why: The Steelers have looked for other options than Samuels as an early-down option almost exclusively with James Conner out, including Benny Snell in Week 12 when healthy. Samuels is not even a Conner handcuff at this stage and a roster clogger outside of deeper dynasty rosters.
Why: Watkins' season-long points and per-game averages are still anchored to his Week 1 explosion of 9-198-3. Since then, Watkins has a high-water mark of 13 PPR points. Outside of Oakland in Week 13, the finishing month in aSOS is brutal for Kansas City receivers. If using Watkins (assuming Tyreek Hill misses Week 13) then holding Watkins in shallow formats through this week is prudent, but otherwise, optimize rosters with a better equation of matchups and higher food chain plays than at best the third option in Kansas City when at full strength.
Why: With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin vacuuming targets for Tampa Bay, Howard has underwhelmed this season. Howard has a single touchdown and one game of more than five targets or 50 yards. Howard has three targets over the past two games and his closing aSOS is among the most difficult on the tight end landscape to boot.
MEDIUM DEPTH
*18-22 roster spots*
Why: Rudolph has devolved into a liability as the Steelers starting quarterback in recent weeks and was benched for the second half in Week 12 as Devlin Hodges led the team to a win. Rudolph has three touchdowns and six interceptions over the past month and the schedule is brutal with Cleveland, Buffalo, and the Jets surrounding their lone target matchup (Arizona) in Week 14.
Why: Derrius Guice is healthy, and Washington has a firm committee backfield - and this is before Chris Thompson returns to the rotation. Peterson was a flimsy streamer even with a dominant market share of the backfield considering the low-level upside of Washington's offense overall. Even toilet bowl-bound teams are likely to have better lineup options than Peterson for the stretch run. The lone reason for holding Peterson in redraft is if Derrius Guice misses time and Peterson returns to a clear run of snaps and touches, which he *exploited* for middling games of 10-15 PPR points at his best this season.
Why: Pascal was a trendy streamer mid-season and especially with T.Y. Hilton out of the lineup, but Pascal has devolved into a non-factor with 4-43-0 on 14 targets over the last three games including an empty single target in Week 12. Week 14 (Tampa Bay) is earmarked as a stong aSOS matchup left for the Colts' receivers, but there is little utility or optimism without at least another Hilton absence.
Why: Darren Fells is the preferred red zone option of the tight end depth chart in Houston and Akins relies on breaking a big gain for a passable streaming result. Akins has played more than 70% of the snaps just twice this season and once since Week 1. Akins' season-high is five targets in a game and he has surpassed 40 receiving yards just once. Akins is owned like a viable streamer and yet is one of the least optimal bets as a streamer down the stretch considering his usage and dependence on a Fells injury for a predictable uptick.
DEEP FORMATS
*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*
Why: Wilkins was effectively a healthy scratch in Week 12, seeing a single snap as Jonathan Williams and Nyheim Hines dominated the backfield. Even without Marlon Mack active, Wilkins was a shadow in terms of offensive presence. Wilkins is a middling NFL talent when looking at the macro and his likely future opportunities and even with Mack out, Wilkins is clearly third in line for work projecting the rest of this season.
Why: With Derrius Guice back and Chris Thompson likely to follow, Smallwood is a relic on the Washington depth chart for impact. Smallwood has not seen a carry the past two games with just 26 touches on the season. Smallwood is already in 'bounce around' mode for his NFL opportunities and beyond his rookie contract and at least two injuries away from being lineup relevant in the short term.
Why: Coutee has been a healthy scratch more times than scoring more than 10 PPR points this season. Coutee is clearly fourth in the wide receiver rotation with solid veteran Kenny Stills being added and Coutee has surpassed 40 receiving yards in a game just once. Coutee requires at least two injuries to consider for lineups and even then it is betting on a baseline talent.
Why: Wilson injured his ribs in Week 12 as the cherry on top of what has been a lost season. Despite Miami searching for anything beyond DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki in the passing game of a constantly-behind offense, Wilson is averaging a running back-like sub-6.0 yards-per-catch and yet to hit even 35 yards in a game. Wilson is an ancillary receiver propped up by the level of his offense as a best case in his career and Wilson is floundering in Miami, monopolizing a fantasy roster spot, in the meantime.
