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 10:
Roster Rate references data collected from myfantasyleague.com leagues
Shallow Formats
*15-18 roster spots*
QB Bryce Young, Carolina
Why: Young's upside has drained from his profile this season as only three of nine games have produced multiple touchdowns. Also, Young's rushing upside was pronounced late in 2024. Since Week 1's 40-yard rushing explosion, Young has 44 rushing yards in eight games.
RB Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City
Why: Kareem Hunt consolidated the starting role in Week 9 with Pacheco out of the lineup. Once Pacheco returns, the Chiefs' running back rotation makes all parties unstartable in fantasy, including Pacheco in the weak 1A role. Pacheco has two games this season with more than nine fantasy points, with a high-water mark of 12.7 points, which included a rare touchdown.
WR Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville
Why: WR41 in Roster Rate, Meyers' new team has plenty of opportunities for market share in the next week or two, but Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter will be back, in that order, in the coming weeks, plus Brenton Strange is set to return. Meyers' appeal diminishes by the week, and he is still incorporating into the offense to squeeze the front end of the timetable.
WR Rashid Shaheed, Seattle
Why: The recent trade from New Orleans to Seattle has fueled optimism for Shaheed. However, the passing game is more crowded for Seattle with Jaxon Smith-Njigba a more dominant WR1 than Chris Olave, and Cooper Kupp more of a factor than any other New Orleans wide receiver. Shaheed's WR39 Roster Rate is far too high considering his risk of not being a quality lineup option for the rest of the season.
