Fantasy football managers face tough decisions every week about which players to keep and which to drop from their rosters. The waiver wire presents both opportunities and traps, making it crucial to evaluate players based on realistic expectations rather than name recognition or draft capital.
Some quarterbacks currently sitting on benches across leagues may seem like valuable assets, but their situations suggest otherwise. Smart roster management means recognizing when it’s time to move on from underperforming players, even if they carry significant name value.
Cut: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered: 70%
This one is a carryover from last week. Typically, I will include players for multiple weeks until their roster percentage declines enough. That has yet to happen with Joe Burrow, as fantasy managers may be holding on to hope that he can return late in the season. There are two reasons not to do that.
First, we’re talking about a three-month recovery timeline in the best-case scenario. Burrow might be able to return in Week 15 or 16. That’s the fantasy playoffs. Presumably, if you’re still playing, you made it with someone else at quarterback. Are you really about to throw an ice-cold Burrow into your lineup when it matters most?
Second, there is exactly a 0% chance Burrow returns this season unless the Cincinnati Bengals are still in the playoff hunt. Forgive me for being highly skeptical that this team, led by Jake Browning, won’t be mathematically eliminated multiple weeks before Burrow might be able to play.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Rostered: 42%
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1. Yet, it’s increasingly clear that Trevor Lawrence should not be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He certainly shouldn’t be one in fantasy.
Lawrence has now topped 12 fantasy points once in his first four games, and it came against the hapless Cincinnati Bengals in the game Burrow got hurt. Against the San Francisco 49ers, the Jaguars scored 26 points. Lawrence threw for 174 yards and one touchdown.
The Jaguars legitimately do not have a single bottom-10 defense on the schedule for the rest of the season, at least based on current data. He is barely even a desperation streamer.
Fantasy QB Busts: Why Burrow and Lawrence Should Be Dropped
Fantasy managers must prioritize roster flexibility over sentimental attachments when evaluating struggling quarterbacks. The evidence against both Burrow and Lawrence presents compelling cases for immediate roster cuts.
Burrow’s situation remains unchanged from previous weeks, with his lengthy recovery timeline making him a luxury most teams cannot afford. Even in the unlikely scenario where Cincinnati remains competitive, inserting a rusty quarterback during playoff weeks represents an unnecessary gamble. His current roster percentage suggests many managers are clinging to past performance rather than accepting present reality.
Lawrence’s struggles appear more fundamental than situational. His inability to consistently produce fantasy-relevant numbers, even with Jacksonville’s surprising success, indicates deeper performance issues that upcoming defensive matchups will likely exploit. The Jaguars’ remaining schedule offers no relief for Lawrence’s fantasy prospects, making him droppable in most formats regardless of team record.
