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 7:
Roster Rate references data collected from myfantasyleague.com leagues
Shallow Formats
*15-18 roster spots*
RB Devin Singletary, NY Giants
Why: RB31 in Roster Rate, Singletary returned from injury, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. remained the clear starter for the Giants. Singletary was one of the most uninspired projected starters through the offseason, and Tracy ran with his opportunity in Weeks 5-6. With upside paramount to shallow league roster spots, Singletary falls into the modest zone of backup running backs and is not an assumed player to retain with the Steelers up in Week 9.
RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland
Why: With Nick Chubb back in the lineup, Ford is the projected RB2 once back on the active roster. The Browns struggle to maintain offense, and Amari Cooper's departure also adds to the hurdles for Cleveland to stick with the run game in any matchup. Pierre Strong Jr is a plus receiver and would squeeze the valuable catch-up mode receptions from Ford even if Chubb missed time in future weeks. Ford, like Singletary, is more of a moderate league stash than shallower redraft formats.
RB Dameon Pierce, Houston
Why: The projected split if Joe Mixon were to miss time would be pronounced between Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale. Pierce would need a touchdown for a decent fantasy performance as Ogunbowale would siphon away much of the passing game work. Cam Akers' departure aids Pierce's role clarity, but Ogunbowale is the bigger threat to Pierce's three-down upside.
WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee
Why: Compared to the contract given in the offseason, Ridley has been the most disappointing wide receiver this season. While Will Levis has been a factor, Ridley mired in a 3-42-0 stat line on nine targets in Week 7 with Mason Rudolph. Tyler Boyd, DeAndre Hopkins, and even Nick Westbrook-Ihkine all have had more moments or relevance than Ridley, who has 12 catches over six games. Ridley's catches versus targets is the wide receiver equivalent of Anthony Richardson.
Medium Depth
*18-22 roster spots*
RB Jamaal Williams, New Orleans
Why: KenDre Miller returned to the lineup in Week 7 and was the second running back into the game behind Alvin Kamara. Williams is a ho-hum veteran in terms of upside and now is sitting on a struggling Saints offense (at a minimum until Derek Carr returns), and Kendre Miller might be ahead of him going forward. Williams and Miller, at best for Williams, would be splitting the backfield work if Alvin Kamara were to miss a future game. Williams was a fringe roster player with Miller out with an injury but is now a straight-forward cut player.
WR Tre Tucker, Las Vegas
Why: Davante Adams was traded, and Jakobi Meyers' injury absence paved the way for a glorious streaming opportunity for Tucker in Week 7 against the Rams. The result? 3-36-0 on eight targets for Tucker. The Raiders are a trainwreck outside Brock Bowers and potentially Meyers when he returns. Tucker is already seeing a high level of routes per game, yet is averaging 10 yards per catch and three receptions per game.
TE Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati
Why: Gesicki's role has waned recently, and rookie Erick All Jr. is sneakily rising in prominence. Tee Higgins' return has also affected Gesicki's probability for upside as Gesicki has four targets over the past four games combined. Gesicki is living off of one quality game (Week 2). He is a mandatory hold in premium formats or deeper formats, but fewer than 25 roster spots profile Gesicki as a roster clogger.
Deep Formats
*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*
RB Jeremy McNichols, Washington
Why: The test case with Brian Robinson Jr out recently resulted in Austin Ekeler as the clear starter over McNichols. In a future scenario, McNichols would require two injuries to provide clarity for a fantasy start. That puts McNichols on the spectrum of Craig Reynolds as opposed to any true RB2 on the landscape. McNichols is a tough cut due to multiple intriguing box scores on his ledger, but he is unable to draw anything tangible in trading and is drawing dead even if there is a single injury ahead of him.
RB D'Onta Foreman, Cleveland
Why: Nick Chubb's return to more than 70% of the rushing attempts for the backfield derails the low odds of Foreman finding a clarified situation in the short term. Jerome Ford will be back soon, and Pierre Strong Jr has his niche with receiving work. The Browns are also one of the struggling teams in the NFL on offense. In short, it is a mess for Foreman, who is already a nomadic player searching for a starting rob or clarified pathway.
RB Ronnie Rivers, LA Rams
Why: Blake Corum confirmed again in Week 7 that he is the RB2 behind Kyren Williams, marooning Rivers to the RB3 spot. Rivers was a player valued for his role alone, but ultimately never benefitted from the starter injury over the span. Rivers' injury last year aligned with Williams' time missed.
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