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*
WR Matthew Golden, Green Bay
Why: The golden opportunity for a breakout game for Matthew Golden was Week 4 against Dallas. The result? 5-58-0 on six targets against THE target matchup for wide receivers. Christian Watson is nearing a return, and Jayden Reed will also return later in the season. Green Bay's tiger stripes are a spread-it-around passing game, and Golden has shown no signs of changing that with his Round 1 pedigree and early sample size.
WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati
Why: Ja'Marr Chase has been the lone survivor in Cincinnati with their offensive line woes and Joe Burrow's absence. Tee Higgins, like Chase Brown, has been a massive disappointment. Higgins has one game with more than 35 yards (56) on the season, and three receptions is his high-water mark. Higgins' per-route utilization is half of Chase's despite a balmy 34 routes per game and constant catch-up mode for Cincinnati.
TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans
Why: Taysom Hill returned to the Saints' offense in Week 5. While Hill played only nine snaps, it was a notable debut for Hill as the movable chess piece for the offense and beyond to expand by the week. Johnson has already waned from his Week 1 surge to prominence with 11 targets with five receptions over the past two games.