Photo: USA Today Sports

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 6:

*Roster Rate references data collected from myfantasyleague.com leagues*

SHALLOW FORMATS

*15-18 roster spots*

RB Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers

Why: RB30 in Roster Rate. Sanders was inactive in Week 6 after monitoring his status all week. Sanders was already losing his grip on the RB1 role in Carolina with a hearty split with Chuba Hubbard in Week 5. Add Sanders' shoulder injury to a Week 7 bye and likely committee when he returns, and the trifecta of shallow league sub-optimization at the running back position is complete for Sanders.

RB Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals

Why: RB43 in Roster Rate. Demercado surged to prominence in all formats for last week's waiver wire adds after 11 touches, 57 yards, and a touchdown in relief of a now-on-IR James Conner. With a strong start rate this week, Demercado flopped with 17 total yards and three touches as Demercado was essentially the passing-down back as Damien Williams (what year is this?) and Keaontay Ingram split the traditional running back work. Demercado is unstartable outside of at least another injury, and James Conner's return looms in a few weeks.

RB Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers

Why: RB52 in Roster Rate. Mitchell finally got healthy himself for Week 6 and stood to benefit from Christian McCaffrey exiting in-game with an oblique injury. However, the hot hand of Jordan Mason was the preferred option instead, as Mason ran hard and well against the Browns. Mitchell may need another injury (Mason) to be a clarified start this season and that operates under the assumption that McCaffrey misses time.

TE Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals

Why: TE12 in Roster Rate. Ertz has started to lose his grip on the starting job in Arizona and his volume-infused fantasy viability. Ertz has just nine targets over the past two weeks, the lowest of any two-game span this season, and just a 4-32-1 stat line. The most concerning aspect is Trey McBride is in his breakout window historically and saw more snaps, nearly equal routes, and more targets than Ertz in Week 6. Ertz was barely above 50% route share and fifth on the team in routes.