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 3:

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

Shallow Formats

*15-18 roster spots*

QB Justin Herbert, LA Chargers

Why: Herbert is a high-end name to include, considering his QB18 Roster Rate. However, he is working through a new ankle injury after already being a game-time decision for his foot in Week 3. Herbert has been minimally active on the ground with 11-24-0 rushing through nearly three games of action and yet to hit 150 yards through the air. The Chargers are performing well NFL-wise with their improved defense and avoiding mistakes offense, but the signs are clear Herbert is a low-upside fantasy option. Seek upside elsewhere, as Herbert is unlikely the best fantasy quarterback on the team roster, and using a shallow format roster spot on a QB2 like Herbert is a sub-optimal decision. A Week 5 bye looming also pressurizes the roster decision on Herbert.

RB Rachaad White, Tampa Bay

Why: White's 31 carries on the season have produced just 66 yards, and he is steadily losing his grip on a strong RB1 role by the week to rookie Bucky Irving. White is RB33 in PPG on the season and Irving has a rushing stat line of 25-154-0 on the season. White is still holding on to his route share edge over Irving, but that could be fleeting. At a minimum, do not consider White an auto-start lineup option and there still might be teams willing to trade for White like he is a top-24 running back.

RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh

Why: RB34 in Roster Rate, Warren eroded to being in a split with Cordarrelle Patterson for the RB2/3 rotation in Week 3. Remember when Warren was in a full-blown split with Najee Harris as the projection in the preseason? Three weeks into the season, we are seeing Warren declining to being a non-flex consideration and questioning his elite upside if Harris were to miss time in future weeks.

RB Trey Benson, Arizona

Why: The Round 3 rookie has been slow-played out of the gate to the point where he essentially comes into the game to get a carry and little else. This is concerning for a world in a future week with James Conner out. Expect Emari Demercado to siphon much of the passing work and Benson to mandate a touchdown for a decent fantasy performance.

WR Michael Pittman Jr, Indianapolis

Why: Despite being WR24 in Roster Rate, Pittman has yet to have even 40 yards in a game this season. Anthony Richardson has struggled with accuracy, especially on the intermediate routes where Pittman has thrived in the past. Use Pittman to acquire an injured but higher upside option for later in the season or pivot to another position.

Medium Depth

*18-22 roster spots*

QB Will Levis, Tennesee

Why: The turnover machine known as Will Levis continued in Week 3 with another three giveaways. Levis has multiple turnovers in every game this season. For a Tennessee team that added Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and Tony Pollard to an aging DeAndre Hopkins, the offense was expected to be far improved from 2023. The leash is growing short on Levis with a veteran in Mason Rudolph in the QB2 spot and a Week 5 bye on the horizon. At Miami in Week 4 feels like a make-or-break game for Levis to shed the mistakes and post a (relatively) clean performance.

RB Eric Gray, NY Giants

Why: Tyrone Tracy Jr. is the clear RB2 on a subpar offense outside of Malik Nabers. Rostering interesting RB3 profiles, or those requiring two injuries to be relevant, is reserved for deep leagues only.

TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans

Why: Zero targets for two straight weeks and Johnson still being TE20 in Roster Rate show the weakness of the position to start the season. The Saints' low-volume passing game and Johnson's route share make it shaky to project any predictable upside.

DEEP FORMATS

*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*

RB Jacoby Brissett, New England

Why: The Patriots have devolved since their Week 1 stunner over the Bengals. Brissett has 247 passing yards and just six rushing yards over the past two games with one total touchdown. Brissett offers little on the ground, and no New England wide receiver has yet stepped up into the vacant WR1 role. Brissett is one of the select few starting quarterbacks who are not worthy of starting into a fantasy Superflex lineup spot over the best non-quarterback at your disposal.

RB Dare Ogunbowale, Houston

Why: Even with Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce out in Week 3 and a negative game script, Ogunbowale was still not relevant. Houston will get healthier at the position in the coming weeks, and Ogunbowale has built the profile of being the bridesmaid on a depth chart and never the bride in terms of usage.

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