Roster management is the single most crucial in-season task for fantasy football players. Just as important as adding the right players is knowing when players need to go. Which players find themselves on our Week 4 fantasy football cut list?
Who should you cut in fantasy football in Week 4?
The Week 4 fantasy football cut list consists of a number of running backs and wide receivers. There are four rookies in total on this week’s cut list, including three RBs who once carried much preseason hype. Note that all roster percentages are from Yahoo.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (52% rostered)
Yes, he’s young. Yes, the Bears lack offensive weapons. No, I don’t care. I’m just about ready to close the book on Justin Fields as an NFL quarterback. I’m certainly ready to do it as a potential QB1 in fantasy this season.
Through three weeks, Fields has completed just 23 passes. To put that into perspective, entering Week 3 (not including it!), 30 quarterbacks had more completions. One of them is Cooper Rush, who played just 1.25 games.
It’s not happening for Fields this season. It may never happen. Either way, there’s no reason to hold out hope for Fields. Cut him loose.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks (54% rostered)
After missing Week 1, Kenneth Walker III returned in Week 2 and played just 25% of the snaps. One week certainly isn’t enough to draw any conclusions. Two probably isn’t either, except things are trending in the wrong direction.
Walker played just nine snaps in Week 3 while Rashaad Penny played 69% of the snaps, and DeeJay Dallas was second at 21%. There’s still value in Walker as a potential handcuff to Penny. However, I say potential because there’s no guarantee he assumes the full workload if something were to happen to Penny.
Walker has no standalone value, and none is imminent. He’s not a must-drop, but Walker is someone you can safely send back to the waiver wire if you need the roster spot.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (40% rostered)
Fantasy managers understandably want Kenneth Gainwell to happen. Unfortunately, we must accept the reality of Gainwell being a fifth-round pick (in the NFL draft) and not an important piece to the Eagles.
Gainwell played 30% of the snaps in Week 1, 26% in Week 2, and 31% in Week 3. That’s his role. He’s just a part-time player who is neither the primary passing-down back nor Miles Sanders’ direct handcuff. Sanders ran two more routes than Gainwell did against the Commanders.
The only way Gainwell would have any fantasy value is if Sanders got hurt. Even then, he would share the work with Boston Scott and possibly a third presently unrostered RB. Fantasy managers do not need to hang onto Gainwell any longer.
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills (40% rostered)
This is not James Cook’s first appearance on the cut list. Simply put, he’s not part of this offense.
For the third week in a row, Cook played firmly behind Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. While Cook did see five targets in Week 3, he ran just seven routes on 10 snaps. Something would need to happen to Singletary or Moss for Cook to be worthy of a spot on fantasy rosters.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30% rostered)
Where I have Rachaad White on my fantasy teams, I’m hanging onto him. I just can’t justify leaving him off the cut list based on the reasoning I used for Walker and Gainwell. After all, White is even less involved in the offense than those two.
White has totaled 4.2 PPR fantasy points on the season. He touched the ball twice in Week 2 and not at all in Week 3. White also doesn’t possess nearly the upside we thought he might because this Bucs offense isn’t nearly as good as we thought.
This is the full Leonard Fournette show unless he gets hurt. However, Fournette has been nothing more than an RB3 through the first three weeks. If White did take over for Fournette, he wouldn’t see anywhere near same the workload. White is not a must-hold anymore.
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (40% rostered)
I love George Pickens. Eventually, he will be a fantasy force…just not yet. Unfortunately, Mitchell Trubisky just isn’t good enough to support any receiver beyond dominant alpha Diontae Johnson.
Pickens is playing starter-level snaps. He did see seven targets on Thursday night, but he has yet to catch more than three balls in a game. He remains the WR3 and is no higher than fourth on the target totem pole.
If Johnson or Chase Claypool were to get hurt, Pickens would be more interesting. Until then, Pickens is just burning a hole in your bench.
Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots (42% rostered)
Through three weeks, Hunter Henry has seen a grand total of five targets. He’s turned them into three receptions for 28 yards.
Henry did play 70% of the snaps against the Ravens and remains ahead of Jonnu Smith. However, there’s just no room in this offense for tight ends. Now, Mac Jones is set to miss multiple weeks with an ankle injury. Tight end is a tough position to fill, but Henry is clearly not the answer.
