Roster management is the single most crucial in-season task for fantasy football managers. Knowing which players to let go is as important as adding the right guys. Which players find themselves on our Week 4 fantasy football cut list?
Players You Should Cut in Fantasy Football
All roster percentages are taken from Yahoo.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (55%)
In another timeline, Matthew Stafford was a viable high-end quarterback this season. That timeline would be one where he didn’t lose half his offensive line and his top two wide receivers two weeks into the season.
It’s not entirely Stafford’s fault, but he has no chance to really produce big fantasy games. Through three weeks, he has two passing touchdowns and one interception. He’s thrown for 221 and 216 yards in each of his past two games, respectively.
The Rams have two tough matchups coming up against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers before going on bye.
After that, Los Angeles may get one or both of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp back. But that’s a long time to hold a non-difference-making quarterback.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (55%)
Sometimes, the fantasy community gets it right. Justin Herbert is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but fantasy managers faded him hard in drafts because of the belief that Jim Harbaugh would run, run, and run some more.
And that’s exactly what has happened.
Herbert’s 144 passing yards in Week 1 are his season high. In Week 3, he attempted to play through a high ankle sprain but couldn’t finish the game.
Taylor Heinicke is almost certain to start Week 4. Then, the Chargers go on bye in Week 5. Herbert isn’t worth hanging onto hoping he can figure something out in Week 6 or later.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys (67%)
The Cowboys still aren’t fully clicking yet on offense. Perhaps Ezekiel Elliott could improve later in the season, but I’m not optimistic. He looks finished.
Elliott has now seen his opportunities decrease every week. He had 12 in Week 1, nine in Week 2, and just five this past week. He turned his five chances into 12 total yards.
Feel free to drop the once elite back who no longer has it.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams (34%)
This, my friends, is the prime argument against handcuffing. We are not nearly as good as we think at predicting who the handcuff will be.
Rest assured, if Kyren Williams goes down, Blake Corum is not going to be the guy on the field. It will be Ronnie Rivers. Yet, we all drafted Corum as if he was not only the clear handcuff but likely to take over at some point.
Through three weeks, Corum has played exactly zero relevant snaps. All eight of his carries in Week 2 came in garbage time.
Corum is a special teamer with absolutely no path to fantasy value; feel free to drop him.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts (44%)
Despite his back-to-back WR1-level performances to start the season, I never bought Alec Pierce, and Week 3 showed exactly why.
Pierce caught one pass for 44 yards. He saw two total targets.
This is what we’re going to get from him. He will get a couple of deep targets a game, and maybe he catches one.
With Josh Downs back, Pierce’s competition for targets is increasing. Even in games where Anthony Richardson plays better, I don’t ever see Pierce as a reliable starting option.
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens (99%)
It’s important to not fall into the sunk cost trap. Mark Andrews cost you a fourth or fifth-round pick. He’s been a top tight end for the past half-decade, but it’s time to accept that he’s done.
Andrews didn’t catch a pass against the Cowboys in a game where the Ravens scored 28 points. His lone target came in the fourth quarter, and he dropped it.
Of course, I would never recommend dropping Andrews based on one bad game. This is not a blip. Andrews saw two targets in Week 1 and five in Week 2. He’s simply not part of the offense.
Andrews played just 33% of snaps last week and was thoroughly out-snapped by both Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. While I would hesitate to call Andrews Baltimore’s TE3, he is undoubtedly not the TE1.
Fantasy football owners don't like that Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely combined for 1 catch for 4 yards on 2 targets.
But I'm gonna guess Ravens coaches loved their perimeter blocking versus the Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/F414aPgPgu
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) September 23, 2024
I have no idea who you can pick up. However, you absolutely cannot start Andrews anymore, and I have no problem with you dropping him.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans (72%)
With the addition of Stefon Diggs, it was very predictable that Dalton Schultz wouldn’t be a usable fantasy tight end. After three weeks, all he’s done is confirm that pre-draft suspicion.
Schultz has now posted games of 4.6, 4.1, and 3.1 this season and has seen a total of 11 targets. There’s no reason for him to be so heavily rostered.