Much of fantasy football's in-season team 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 (and finite) resource. Cutting a player - or adding them to a trade - opens a roster spot for a key waiver wire addition or the flexibility to keep a currently injured player through a missed game or two. Here are the key players to cut or trade after Week 5:
*Roster Rate references data collected from myfantasyleague.com leagues*
SHALLOW FORMATS
*15-18 roster spots*
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Why: RB17 in Roster Rate. Stevenson has been one of the bigger disappointments among running backs this season. The Patriots are devolving by the week with Mac Jones being in and out of the lineup (without injury), no WR1 on the roster, and a full-fledged split between Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott. New England is dead-last in goal-line carries for running backs and No.21 in HLO (high-leverage opportunities) for the position overall. Stevenson is RB33 in PPG despite being a starter due to the split with Elliott and the anemic scoring opportunities of the offense. Neither is changing.
WR Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys
Why: WR50 in Roster Rate. Cooks has been invisible in the Dallas offense, averaging 8.1 yards per catch and yet to hit 30 yards in a game. Michael Gallup has ramped up to full health after looking like a fraction of himself to close 2022, and Jake Ferguson has been a pleasant surprise at tight end. Cooks is averaging 0.65 yards per route run, barely half of Michael Gallup's NFL average-ish mark, and CeeDee Lamb in an elite tier with 2.22. Cooks is an injury-away receiver, at best, which has no utility in shallow formats.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, New England Patriots
Why: WR62 in Roster Rate. Smith-Schuster (JJSS) has produced on par with Brandin Cooks this season. Both are getting by on name value for being rostered as much as they are through five weeks. Smith-Schuster is averaging 3.4 yards per target, and the Patriots are a wasteland for fantasy until further notice. Smith-Schuster is still just 26 years old but feels a few years old given the lack of athleticism he had to lose and burning recent seasons, including being marginally productive even with Patrick Mahomes II last season.
TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Why: TE12 in Roster Rate. Cooper Kupp's return rendered Higbee and Van Jefferson irrelevant in the Rams' passing game. Higbee had a season-low three targets and just 20 yards in Week 5. This is a sign of things to come with Kupp and Puka Nacua dominating the market share. There are no auto-start tight end matchups for Higbee coming either by aSOS. Higbee is trending downward, and few ancillary tight ends, beyond the option a fantasy GM is starting in a particular week, are worthy of rostering and holding in stock formats, including Higbee.
MEDIUM DEPTH
*18-22 roster spots*
QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Why: QB21 in Roster Rate. Jones is on the shallow format chopping block as well. Jones has one viable game this season: 380 total yards and three touchdowns against Arizona in Week 2. He has zero total touchdowns in the other four games combined. Jones and the Giants have been dreadful and non-competitive most of the time. Jones is QB27 in PPG and one of the biggest underproducing quarterbacks compared to expected points through five weeks.
RB Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Why: RB36 in Roster Rate. Edwards is on the short end of the route share for the Baltimore backfield and requires a touchdown for a decent fantasy outcome. Edwards has one receiving yard total on the season and is averaging 0.6 targets per game. Add in a Baltimore offense No.29 in HLO and getting healthier at receiver and tight end (Mark Andrews has missed a game, as has Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman) to squeeze running back even more. Edwards is a fantasy road to nowhere, and strong backups should be rostered over Edwards.
RB Melvin Gordon III, Baltimore Ravens
Why: RB45 in Roster Rate. Gordon returned to the practice squad with Justice Hill healthy in Week 5, and Keaton Mitchell is likely to start rotating into the backfield in future weeks. Kenyan Drake might be ahead of Gordon in the macro view of Baltimore running back opportunities this season. Gordon was a speculation pickup if the depth chart tilted his way, but the door slammed shut. Gordon at RB45 in Roster Rate is one of the most overrated players coming out of Week 5.
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Why: TE23 in Roster Rate. Okonkwo has yet to hit even 40 yards in a game, and the entire passing game beyond DeAndre Hopkins has been a question mark. Okonkwo has still not stepped up as the second target in the passing game. Okonkwo is averaging 6.9 yards per catch and is paired with the QB32 in PPG. The upside equation stinks with a bottom-tier quarterback and an entrenched WR1.
DEEP FORMATS
*25+ roster spots, more dynasty-focused*
RB Trey Sermon, Indianapolis Colts
Why: RB95 in Roster Rate. Sermon was in the primary backup role a week ago, but Jonathan Taylor signed an extension and was activated to the roster. Sermon is the distant RB3 and requires multiple injuries to be fantasy-viable now.
RB Gary Brightwell, New York Giants
Why: RB112 in Roster Rate. Eric Gray's rise in Week 5 is a death knell to Brightwell's already fringe roster spot viability. Gray rubbed elbows with Matt Breida in a full committee in Week 5, and Saquon Barkley is close to returning. Gray being firmly over Brightwell on the depth chart crushes Brightwell, who is 'just a guy' by NFL running back standards, to universal waiver wires.
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