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 11:
SHALLOW FORMATS
*15-18 roster spots*
Why: Off a bye, the Giants have a tough tandem of opponents in Weeks 12-13 with the Bears and Packers by aSOS (Adjusted Strength of Schedule) for quarterbacks. Jones' three impact games on the season have come against the worst defenses on his schedule, and he has been pedestrian at best otherwise. In the streaming and tough-to-hold-a-second-quarterback land of shallow leagues, circle back to Jones for the Dolphins in Week 15 if still in the race and needing a boost.
Why: Houston does not have a positive aSOS running back matchup left on their schedule and their shoddy defense points to more shoot outs via the passing game than grind-it-out overt second-half leads. Hyde escaped in Week 11 with a chunk touchdown run amidst a blowout loss, tough to count on game script-wise going forward for an already boxed-in option with minimal receiving upside.
Why: After two impressive showings (10-221-2 total), Cobb is set to turn back into a shadow, which has been all but Week 1 previously this season. The aSOS for the Cowboys turns difficult until Week 16, featuring the Patriots, Bills, and Bears of note the next three weeks. Outside of Amari Cooper or Michael Gallup missing time, Cobb is a shallow format cut.
Why: Houston has to wait until Week 16 for a strong aSOS matchup for their tight ends. Fells is a touchdown-or-bust option who has only three games (of 10) this season with more than three targets. Fells is not a big part of Houston's offense. Considering all that, Fells' MFL ownership rate as TE16 is far too high entering the final month of the fantasy season.
MEDIUM DEPTH
*18-22 roster spots*
Why: Derrius Guice debuted for Washington in Week 11 and immediately impacted the game with multiple strong plays, including a touchdown reception. Peterson is a volume play and is on arguably the league's worst offense. Add Guice to the mix and, eventually Chris Thompson, and Peterson's upside is a capped ceiling with minimal chance for a high-impact performance. Peterson has one game of more than 15 PPR points on the season and has not found the end zone since Week 1.
Why: After being a trendy pickup over Atlanta's bye week, Hill has mired to 35-91-0 as a rusher, surviving with a rogue receiving score over his two weeks of extended work. Qadree Ollison split red zone work with Hill in Week 11 to boot. The aSOS turns salty on Hill and the Falcons run game as well with Tampa Bay and New Orleans up the next two weeks.
Why: Slayton had a career game in Week 10 for 10-121-2 on 14 targets. After the bye in Week 11, the schedule is tough for the next two weeks and his market value is at an all-time high especially in dynasty formats, capable of use as a stepping stone to a future Round 1 pick or more core-level wide receiver.
Why: Herndon caught a single catch in Week 10 before landing on injured reserve and ending his season, which started by suspension, just as it began. Herndon is a Day 3 pick with minimal allegiance to survive what is likely a big change-over for the Jets in the offseason for their offensive roster.
DEEP FORMATS
*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*
Why: Detroit has looked for every avenue to not give Johnson a relevant workload since Kerryon Johnson moved to injured reserve. Johnson's high-water mark is 10 carries in a game and he has more than 13 yards receiving in just one contest. Bo Scarbrough was the most recent example in Week 11, surging to the 1A role and Johnson losing substantial time to J.D. McKissic for any PPR value. Johnson is a cut in all but the deepest of dynasty formats.
Why: Since Kareem Hunt has returned from suspension, Hilliard has seen zero touches in two games. Even with an injury to Nick Chubb or Hunt, the other would be the workhorse with Hilliard still fighting for scraps and minimal relevancy.
Why: Goodwin has fallen out of favor for the 49ers depth chart and has six targets and a barely-there 1-5-0 stat line over his last three games. Goodwin is only a marginal hold for dynasty teams in deep leagues looking towards the offseason and some glimmer of a changing opportunity in the future for the oft-injured and now 29-year-old receiver.
Why: The soon-to-be 36-year-old has missed much of the season with injury and even returning has a rookie quarterback struggling on possibly the worst offense in the NFL this season. Davis is a marginal hold in 2TE formats for a sparse chance to stream in the closing weeks, if healthy. Otherwise, Davis is a roster clogger.