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 1:

*Roster Rate references data collected from myfantasyleague.com leagues*

Shallow Formats

*15-18 roster spots*

QB Caleb Williams, Chicago

Why: Williams is QB16 in Roster Rate and was dreadful in Week 1. 3.2 yards per attempt is tough to take away any positives, and his rushing upside is less than most projections evaluating Williams as a prospect. On the road against the Texans in Week 2 is hardly a reason to double down on Williams in lineups. Seek an option like Geno Smith and shop Caleb Williams on the trade market. 

RB Khalil Herbert, Chicago

Why: As expected, D'Andre Swift was the starter in Week 1, but Travis Homer squeezed Herbert in the RB2/3 rotation significantly in the passing game. The appeal of backup running backs in shallow formats includes some combination of an elite expected workload if the starter is out and/or an elite offense to raise the tide for all boats. Chicago struggled and Herbert does not even look like a strong market share if Swift were to miss time.

WR Michael Pittman Jr, Indianapolis

Why: At WR22, Pittman is a high-level cord-cutting recommendation. Anthony Richardson's bold downfield throws, rushing volume, and high-variance accuracy are the worst combination of traits for Pittman to be the chain-moving short-to-intermediate target vacuum at his best. In a competitive game with a comeback game script, Richardson threw only 19 passes. Outside of best ball moments, question the predictable upside of any pass-catcher in the Colts' offense.

TE Dalton Schultz, Houston

Why: TE12 in Roster Rate, Schultz is fighting a losing battle with three strong wide receivers in Houston. Schultz also is poised to play a career-low route rate from the slot. In Houston last year, Schultz ran 33% of his routes in the slot. Week 1 saw Schultz barely half of that at 17%. Schultz needs the passing game to clear out for viability, as he was a situation-volume play previously and has never been more than an average-adjacent talent.

TE Cole Kmet, Chicago

Why: The tea leaves from the preseason turned into reality in Week 1. Cole Kmet ran nine fewer routes than Gerald Everett, in addition to the Bears' passing game looking middling at best. Kmet is fourth or fifth on the list of Chicago skill positions likely to get right if Caleb Williams improves significantly in a future week. Kmet's limited routes make him a questionable play/hold even in premium formats, let alone stock redraft leagues.

Medium Depth

*18-22 roster spots*

QB Kirk Cousins, Atlanta

Why: Cousins had shades of late-career Matt Ryan this week, struggling to navigate a muddy pocket and his arm could not overcome the shoddy footwork on display post-Achilles injury. Atlanta has an in-house replacement should Cousins' poor play continue, and the Eagles and Chiefs in the next two weeks offer minimal reprieve for a get-right matchup.

RB Cam Akers, Houston

Why: While patience in deeper leagues is valid, in typical depths, holding Akers is a luxury most teams do not have in September. Akers was inactive in Week 1 as Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale were the RB2/3 roles to Joe Mixon's workhorse status in Houston. Akers would need to surpass Pierce in the next week or two to validate holding beyond this week's waiver cycle in leagues of moderate roster size. Ty Johnson, Jeffery Wilson, and Emanuel Wilson are examples of much lower-rostered running backs who are much closer to being relevant than Cam Akers.

TE Luke Musgrave, Green Bay

Why: Musgrave was a house of horrors in Week 1. Jordan Love is likely out in the near term to shrink the upside of the entire offense. Tucker Kraft was the clear starter with 77% of the routes compared to Musgrave's 21%. Musgrave's Roster Rate (currently TE16) should plummet for plenty of actual starters and streaming options heading into Week 2 with lower Roster Rates like Cade Otton, Noah Fant, Zach Ertz, teammate Tucker Kraft, and even Colby Parkinson and Mike Gesicki. There is no reason to stick with Musgrave if streaming the position.

DEEP FORMATS

*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*

QB Bryce Young, Carolina

Why: Carolina looked like the biggest trainwreck team of the week. Young's accuracy was dead last in the NFL among starters and only salvaged a bad fantasy performance instead of a horrific one with a late rushing touchdown in the blowout loss to New Orleans. Carolina's defense will create consistent negative game scripts and Young has shown no early improvement from his forgettable rookie season.

WR Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh

Why: Austin was the distant WR3 in the Pittsburgh passing game in Week 1. While Van Jefferson was horrific as well, both Jefferson and Austin were invisible and clearly behind George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth in the passing game hierarchy. Roman Wilson offers the potential to be a viable target once he returns, but Austin failed to offer any reason for optimism from an ancillary wide receiver spot in the near term for the Steelers.

WR Treylon Burks, Tennessee

Why: DeAndre Hopkins played limited snaps, fueling Burks as the clear WR3 of the Titans' rotation. Burks was essentially running wind sprints, however, with his 7% target-per-route-run performance and producing a paltry two yards. Burks was already on the cut line for most fantasy leagues with the addition of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason. Not producing a sniff of a highlight in Week 1 closes the door on Burks' roster viability.

TE Kylen Granson, Indianapolis

Why: Granson was the de facto TE1 for the Colts in Week 1. However, his route share was one of the lowest among all starters in the NFL, plus the Colts' anemic passing volume is likely to continue with high-variance Anthony Richardson at the helm. 

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