Much of fantasy football's in-season team 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 (and finite) resource. Cutting a player - or adding them to a trade - opens a roster spot for a key waiver wire addition or the flexibility to keep a currently injured player through a missed game or two. Here are the key players to cut or trade after Week 11:
*Roster Rate references data collected from myfantasyleague.com leagues*
SHALLOW FORMATS
*15-18 roster spots*
QB Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
Why: QB18 in Roster Rate. Dobbs has been one of the most fortunate quarterbacks in the entire NFL this season. His six rushing touchdowns are more than double his expectation (2.8), and his TD-INT ratio of 2.0 is 4x that of his big-time throw ratio, which is a massive outlier when historically projecting ahead. Dobbs has a streak of five straight games with a touchdown on the ground, which has propped up his fantasy production over the span, along with just six passing touchdowns.
RB Dalvin Cook, New York Jets
Why: RB50 in Roster Rate. Michael Carter's departure created a false sense of optimism for Cook. Israel Abanikanda should see more time as the season wears on, and the rookie had nine routes to Cook's seven against Buffalo. Also, as more of a two-down option, the Jets are dead-last in the NFL in goal-line carries for running backs. Breece Hall is surviving and thriving from receiving work alone. In a Hall-less world, fantasy teams want the back catching passes in this offense, and Abanikanda is the answer, not Cook.
RB Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams
Why: RB51 in Roster Rate. Henderson already has lost the battle with Royce Freeman (five fewer routes, 11 fewer rushes), and Kyren Williams has been confirmed for his Week 12 return. Ronnie Rivers is not far behind, either. Henderson is an easy cut in shallow (and moderate) formats as the now RB3 on the depth chart and trending towards RB4 (or worse) soon.
RB Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens
Why: RB56 in Roster Rate. Hill has been ceding ground to Keaton Mitchell in recent weeks, and both are still behind Gus Edwards in the pecking order. Hill was out-rushed 9-to-1 on the ground by Mitchell, and the pair was roughly even in routes. This is on a Baltimore offense, which is already 30th in running back targets per game. The running back you want in this offense is not the one splitting routes and barely getting any rushing opportunities.
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