Fantasy football lineups are won by making tough decisions, including when to move on from big-name wide receivers. Many pass catchers look appealing on the surface but are stuck in low-volume roles or buried behind true alpha options on their teams.
When a player’s weekly usage and scoring ceiling no longer match their perceived value, it becomes a trap to keep starting them out of habit. This is a guide to help fantasy football managers recognize those warning signs and get ahead of the curve before it hurts in the standings.
Cut: Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered: 79%
Fantasy managers can point to the first four weeks of the season as a reason to hold Ricky Pearsall. But those performances must be placed in the proper context.
The only reason Pearsall saw volume over the first month of the season is that there was no one else. George Kittle was on IR with a hamstring strain. Jauan Jennings was in and out of the lineup with several injuries.
Sometimes, lesser players end up producing good numbers because they have to. This is exactly how Kendrick Bourne became a WR1 for two weeks. Where is he now?
The same thing applies to Pearsall, who is not a starting-caliber NFL wide receiver. With Christian McCaffrey, Jennings, and Kittle all healthy, Pearsall is a very distant fourth option on a team that wants to run the ball. That’s why he’s only seen nine targets and caught a total of five passes for 20 yards in his three games back.
Pearsall is not still banged up. He’s practicing in full and is no longer being listed on the injury report. He’s a glorified WR handcuff. Feel free to pick him back up if Jennings or Kittle goes down. Right now, though, he doesn’t even have deep league WR6 fantasy value.
Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons
Rostered: 67%
If you were making a list of the 80 most talented wide receivers in the NFL, I’m not sure Darnell Mooney would be on it. Perhaps his preseason collarbone injury is to blame for his slow start, but what’s the excuse now that we’re through 13 weeks?
Mooney caught a 49-yard touchdown from Kirk Cousins in Week 12. If that never happened, he wouldn’t have a single game of double-digit fantasy points all season.
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Amazingly, Mooney is actually averaging fewer targets per game without Drake London than with him. That’s because London’s presence makes no difference for Mooney’s fantasy value. Good players earn targets. There is a reason Mooney cannot earn targets.
If Mooney cannot succeed as the de facto WR1 with London out, when will he ever be useful?
Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered: 61%
Unfortunately, the move from New Orleans to Seattle has not benefited Rashid Shaheed. Despite the obvious upgrade in caliber of offense, the speed Z receiver just doesn’t have a role.
Shaheed has more carries than receptions since joining the Seahawks. In four games, he’s caught a total of four passes for 37 yards. He’s averaging 2.75 targets per game.
There will probably a game where Sam Darnold takes a deep shot to Shaheed and it connects for a long touchdown. He will be useful that week. Good luck figuring out when that is because it is the only scenario in which Shaheed might be usable in fantasy.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered: 48%
Is Josh Downs a talented player? Probably. Does it matter? Not even a little bit.
Downs has been relegated to exclusively playing in two receiver sets the entire season. He’s on an offense that runs through Jonathan Taylor. And most recently, Downs appears to be being phased out of the offense.
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The slot receiver has not exceeded two receptions in any of his last three games. He now has six games with under 6.5 fantasy points.
The Colts do have mostly favorable matchups the rest of the way, but it doesn’t matter if Downs isn’t on the field. You are never starting him.
Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered: 43%
If you want consistency, Cooper Kupp is your man. He’ll get you 4-5 fantasy points each week. Somehow, the veteran receiver has managed exactly 23 or 24 yards in each of his past three games.
This is simply who Kupp is now. The once elite receiver is on his last legs, while also being part of a low-volume passing attack with the No. 1 alpha WR in the NFL ahead of him.
There have been three instances this season in which fantasy managers were maybe glad they started Kupp. It is unlikely there will be more of them. It’s over.
