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 10:
*Roster Rate referencing the percentage of myfantasyleague.com fantasy leagues where the player is rostered*
SHALLOW FORMATS
*15-18 roster spots*
Why: The window is closing for Kelley to benefit from Austin Ekeler being out and Justin Jackson has also missed recent time. Kelley still cannot sniff quality touches, however, with Kalen Ballage being the biggest benefactor of late. Kelley is the bridesmaid but never the bride scenario and far too ambiguous for his 65% Roster Rate or shallow league viability.
Why: Still RB52 in Roster Rate, this is the week to shed shares like a falling knife stock on the exchange floor. Dallas saw just four touches in Week 10 and this was without Chris Carson or Carlos Hyde returning to the lineup. Alex Collins was the flavor of the week, and Travis Homer was also involved. Dallas' 23-touch and two-touchdown breakout in Week 8 is firmly in the rearview mirror and Dallas will struggle to see such a clarified opportunity again this season.
Why: Jeffery returned to action in Week 10, his first game of the season. He was firmly lost on the depth chart for snaps (27%, WR4) and targets (one). It is difficult to see Jeffery rising ahead of Jalen Reagor and Travis Fulgham over the next few weeks to make for a more confident and predictable fantasy start and the Eagles' two best-remaining aSOS receiver matchups are the next two games (Browns, Seahawks) where, at a minimum, Jeffery will still be ramping up his integration.
Why: Hooper is TE15 in Roster Rate and returned to a crowded tight end depth chart with Harrison Bryant and David Njoku each seeing at least 35% of the snaps in Week 10. Hooper is TE28 in PPR PPG for the season and has finished inside of TE10 just one week this season. With Nick Chubb back and a run-centric offense, Hooper will have a tough time seeing enough targets to be an impact and auto-start player to close the season.
MEDIUM DEPTH
*18-22 roster spots*
Why: Hyde has been a weekly proposition since Week 7 with when he will return to the lineup. Chris Carson may very well beat Hyde back to play, which would squander this window of potential spot starts entirely. Seattle's defense promotes a pass-centric offense to keep up with opponents well. The Seahawks only have one quality running back matchup (Jets, Week 14) left on their aSOS slate to temper the upside for Hyde even if the perfect storm of opportunity transpires.
Why: Amendola missed part of Week 10 with a hip injury but was also on his way toa dud game (3-10-0). This is without Kenny Golladay in the lineup as well. Detroit's aSOS for wide receivers is among the toughest closing stretch in the NFL with only Tennessee in Week 15 as a notable exploitable matchup. Unless dying on the vine at wide receiver, find a streamer elsewhere, or stash a running back or even a tight end instead.
Scott Miller
Why: Miller's 81 PPR points on the season is a robust total to relegate to the waiver wire, but Miller was producing on a different depth chart weeks ago. With Chris Godwin back from injury and Antonio Brown added, Miller is firmly WR4+ in the receiver pecking order alone, not to mention Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate at tight end. Miller has 10 targets and 49 yards over the past three games with nothing projected to change in the coming weeks.
Why: Burton has been out-snapped by Mo Alie-Cox in back-to-back weeks and Burton put up a dud game in Week 10 despite Jack Doyle being inactive. Add the wide receiver group healthy outside of Parris Campbell and Nyheim Hines seeing a robust 41 targets on the season and Burton is fighting for opportunity scraps even on the tight end streaming landscape. The Colts also have one of the toughest closing stretches for tight end aSOS in the NFL, including Week 11 against the Packers.
DEEP FORMATS
*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*
Why: Mullens has been pedestrian at best with his newfound starting opportunity for the 49ers. Mullens offers nothing as a runner (ONE yard on the ground spanning six games) and has multiple passing touchdowns in a single game - it took the historically poor Seattle pass defense to fuel 238 yards and two scores out of Mullens. Add the 49ers are on bye in Week 11 plus the Rams and Bills are tough matchups out of the bye and Mullens is an easy cut outside of Superflex formats.
Why: The Week 8 darling with 95 total yards on 15 touches missed Week 9 and was a shadow in Week 10 as Kalen Ballage is the new flash running back for the Chargers with Justin Jackson and Austin Ekeler notably out. Pope is third in the pecking order, also behind Joshua Kelley, and this is without Jackson or Ekeler back in the coming weeks. Pope has turned back into a fantasy pumpkin with the clock striking midnight.
Why: Byrd has been left in the dust by Jakobi Meyers in the Patriots passing game pecking order. Plus, the DNA of the offense is their running game with Cam Newton and sustaining back Damien Harris. Byrd was a usage play for fantasy more than anything talent-based, and Byrd has 19 targets over the past five games. Willie Snead and Jakeem Grant have lower Roster Rates as potential pivots.
Why: Dwelley shrunk behind Jordan Reed with Dwelley seeing a mere two targets in Week 10. Reed's moniker is 'when healthy' which he is at present. Dwelley has not benefitted, or the tight end position in general, with George Kittle out over the past two games as Dwelley has a mere five targets. Unless in a 2TE format, Dwelley is not a must-hold as essentially an injury-away (and still a middle-of-the-road streamer) option.
