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 14:
*aSOS references Footballguys.com's adjusted strength of schedule by position data available here*
Redraft Leagues
With the fantasy semifinals and championship weeks only remaining in redraft seasons, the focus is to optimize upside for the final two weeks. This means avoiding tough matchups and trimming bench fat to only those players who can be potential championship streamers and spot starters in Week 16.
Why: Jones played through a noticeably-limiting hamstring injury in Week 14, ultimately being benched late in the game after 127 empty yards, zero touchdowns, and zero rushing production. jones was an immobile target for Arizona in the pocket. The early Week 15 news is Jones will start if healthy. However, without rushing upside, Jones is a middling play at best at Cleveland this week before Baltimore in Week 16. Jones should be nowhere near lineups to finish in 2020.
Why: Minshew is back under center for the Jaguars, but his quality relief appearance in Week 14 was against the easy Tennessee defense, producing 200 total yards and a touchdown. The Week 15-16 schedule for Minshew, assuming he starts in Week 16, consists of two touch matchups (Baltimore, Chicago). Minshew is one of only five quarterbacks to have below-average matchups for both of the closing fantasy weeks on tap.
Why: Gurley is a touchdown-or-bust back who enjoyed much of his production earlier in the season due to plush matchups. The matchups have dried up and Atlanta is running a committee approach where the negative game script has pointed towards Ito Smith being the preferred option later in games. With Tampa Bay and Kansas City up next, Gurley still might be a fantasy starter disappointment even if he sees a point-blank touchdown.
D.J. Chark
Why: Chark looked completely disinterested in Week 14, a blowout loss where Chark was was out-muscled on multiple targets and logged a drop. The remaining aSOS for the Jaguars' wide receivers is arguably the worst in the NFL (Baltimore, Chicago) and Chark has similar target volume to Keelan Cole and Laviska Shenault in recent weeks.
Why: Knox saw a by-far season-high seven targets in Week 14, producing a mere 34 yards in the process. Knox is still firmly behind Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, and (usually) Gabriel Davis in the Buffalo passing game pecking order. The combination of Denver and New England in the finishing weeks also marks one of the most difficult tight end aSOS slates in the NFL with only Travis Kelce producing more than 13 points against either team all season.
Dynasty Leagues
With dynasty bench spots there are two types of offseason hold players. First, those with situational upside over the first four months of the offseason, the potential to avoid free agent and NFL Draft competition on the depth chart to boost their stock. Second, talent holds where their situation is still murky but prudent to hold for 2021 development to earn-force a future opportunity expansion. The listed names offer neither incentive to hold into the offseason.
Why: Perine is back on the marginal map as the RB2 in Cincinnati for a cross-section of this season. However, Joe Mixon will be back next year, Giovani Bernard is the slated RB2, and Perine is a ho-hum talent to expect anything more than an RB3/4 depth chart spot for Week 1 next season.
Why: Wilkins is a free agent in the offseason. As a middling talent in the NFL hierarchy, Wilkins enjoyed cameo injury-away work this season for the Colts, but when Jonathan Taylor missed a late-season game, it was Nyheim Hines getting the clear RB1 role. Wilkins is, at best, a low-rung RB2 on a depth chart. However, heavy odds are Wilkins will get lost in the shuffle of NFL free agency and be fortunate for an RB3 role in 2021.
Why: Morris returned to the NFL map this year with Saquon Barkley out for the season. Reshuffle the NFL running back depth and Morris is in a low tier of backs fighting for RB2/3 roles and, if Morris were back for the Giants, the clear RB3+ in the rotation.
Why: Barber turned into a goal-line and short-yardage back this year for Washington. With Antonio Gibson rising into the RB1 role with Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson from the offseason gone to clear the depth chart, Barber is at best the RB3 in Washington in 2021 which would be an optimistic view if venturing into the 'other 31 teams' landscape for a new opportunity.
Why: The late-season flash in Houston followed falling off the NFL and dynasty radar entirely. A benefactor of Will Fuller and Randall Cobb being out of the lineup, Hansen is only worthy of a roster spot for Week 16 potential lineup streaming for WR-needy teams. If that narrow focus does not describe the team, move on.
Why: Like Hansen above, Johnson benefitted - at his peak - this season due to depth chart injuries in Indianapolis. With Michael Pittman and Parris Campbell the young build-around receivers for the Colts, Johnson is the middling veteran unlikely to see such an opportunity in 2021 and beyond.
Why: Byrd has had a career year, but it's amounted to a middling 518 yards with two games to go. The Patriots did not have Julian Edelman for most of the season and changes are coming for the wide receiver and (potentially) the tight end position for the passing-stunted Patriots in the offseason.
Why: Doyle is a low-upside veteran with already middling lineup potential. There is no reason to hold Doyle over the offseason months. If Doyle happens to be the unquestioned Week 1 starter, then a dynasty team can circle back to Doyle in 9-10 months. Controlling the roster spot, outside of deeper 2TE formats, for that duration is a lack of optimization.
Dynasty Stashes
Instead of the example cuts like the above list, stash these dynasty players instead:
- Eno Benjamin
- Devine Ozigbo
- Darrynton Evans
- Tyler Johnson
- Collin Johnson
- Cam Sims
- Jace Sternberger
- Brycen Hopkins (2TE)
- Donald Parham
- Dalton Keene
- Foster Moreau (2TE)
Season Farewell
Thank you for following this series for the 2020 fantasy season! If interested in my content during the NFL Draft season, check out my dynasty website or follow me at the Twitter handle below: