Much of fantasy football in-season owner 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 resource. Cutting a player - or adding them to a trade - opens a roster spot for a key waiver wire addition or flexibility to keep a currently injured player through a missed game or two. Here are the key players to cut or trade after Week 6:
SHALLOW FORMATS
*15-18 roster spots*
Why: Harris enjoyed a career day back in Week 4 in his young career with 100 yards on the ground. However, the schedule is less rosy going forward plus, the biggest piece to the equation is Cam Newton's return siphons much of his touchdown upside. Harris will not see strong passing game usage with James White and Rex Burkhead sharing the backfield and with Newton back, Harris is now blocked from strong goal-line opportunities as well.
Why: Still on 76% of MFL rosters, Jones has a single game this season of 10+ PPR points (12.3 in Week 2). With Kenny Golladay back, T.J. Hockenson, and D'Andre Swift, Jones will have a tough time seeing enough volume for anything predictable in fantasy lineups. Also, after Week 7 against Atlanta, the passing efficiency schedule turns sour for the Lions with a brutal stretch all the way until the fantasy playoffs.
Why: While a former Round 2 pick and a notable name in fantasy, Miller has been forgettable over the past three games and Darnell Mooney has been flat-out better this season of the non-Allen Robinson receivers in Chicago. The schedule is not great until Week 16 for passing efficiency matchups for the Bears and Miller is at best a WR2/3 within a middling pass offense. His 65% roster rate should be at least 10-20% lower.
Why: Hurst was a preseason fantasy breakout prediction and has largely disappointed despite a Falcons team seeing plenty of negative game script and Julio Jones missing a chunk of early-season time. Hurst has posted only two games of 10+ points through six games and Atlanta's next two games are the toughest on their tight end matchup slate (Detroit, Carolina) of the entire season. Hurst is in the streamer bucket, but is not a quality streaming option the next two weeks, making him droppable in shallow redraft formats where a backup tight end through the bye week gauntlet is a tough hold beyond elite options.
MEDIUM DEPTH
*18-22 roster spots*
Why: Foles is knee-deep in a rough stretch of the schedule with the Rams and Saints up next. Foles' best game of the season-to-date and his lone performance with multiple touchdowns through the air was back in Week 3 against Atlanta when their defense was a shell of its Week 6 iteration. Expect Foles to be a middling QB2 option for superflex formats and a poor streaming candidate in 1QB leagues until specific matchups later in the season.
Why: Unless specifically IR-eligible in a specific league to stash for later in the season, Evans is firmly on the cut line for other potential (or obvious) injury-away running backs. Evans showed little in two games active before a hamstring injury sent him to the shelf. Meanwhile, Jeremy McNichols has looked outstanding as the now injury-away back to Derrick Henry. There is no guarantee Evans will even get the RB2 job back when he ideally returns in a few weeks.
Why: DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, and Jalen Reagor are all back soon (projected) for the Eagles and Ward has been outplayed by newly-added Travis Fulgham over the past three games to squeeze Ward's viability window to nil. Ward is at best a middling streamer needing strong volume to hit anything to positively impact a matchup. Ward is still in the WR70s for MFL roster rate post-Week 6.
Why: Herndon's 45% roster rate remains quizzical after Week 6 as the third-year tight end has yet to hit 40 yards in a game this season, is averaging a mere 7.6 yards-per-reception, and resides on a struggling Jets offense with wide receivers returning to the lineup and clearly higher in the pecking order. Herndon is a hold in 2-TE formats or dynasty leagues with more than 30 roster spots, but a cut everywhere else.
DEEP FORMATS
*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*
Why: Boone sparsely played in Week 6 even with Dalvin Cook out of the lineup. Alexander Mattison was the clear RB1 but Ameer Abdullah played meaningful snaps when the game was in clear comeback mode. The Vikings have a Week 7 bye, plus Dalvin Cook is projected back (or close) for Week 8, and Boone was an ancillary part of the backfield even without Cook.
Why: Zaccheaus was the flavor of Weeks 3-4 with a 12-127-0 cumulative stat line with Julio Jones on the mend. Zaccheaus has turned back into a pumpkin, however, with six targets and a single reception over the past two weeks as Julio Jones returned to the lineup in Week 6. Zaccheaus is likely multiple injuries away on the depth chart from being anything predictable for WR3 or flex fantasy utility.
Why: Like Zaccheaus, Smith was the flavor of the moment for the Jets when injuries were taking hold of their own depth chart. However, Jamison Crowder is back and so is Breshad Perriman. Denzel Mims is likely back soon. Smith's 17% roster rate was paired with a 16% start rate in Week 6 as fantasy GMs viewed him as a viable streamer but not a longer-term play. Smith is a fish worth throwing back into the pond even in deeper redraft and dynasty formats.
Why: Chris Godwin is back in the Tampa Bay lineup and Watson is also behind Mike Evans, Scott Miller, and Tyler Johnson on the depth chart. Watson, a Day 3 metric marvel, has yet to play up to his measured athleticism and a buried Day 3 pedigree wide receiver should not elicit a long dynasty roster leash if optimizing hit rates, trade value, or spot start potential.