If you’re reading this, congratulations! Week eight is in the books, which means that it’s week nine, and we are over halfway done with the fantasy football season. It feels like just yesterday we were wondering if D’Andre Swift killed a guy. But no, that was the kickoff of the NFL season. And what a season it’s been! If you’re here, you know the drill. It’s time to see who we need to give up on to make room for new players in our fantasy football lives. As always, Waleed Ismail has you covered for your fantasy football additions with the waiver wire cheat sheet.
To make this list, a player must be on rosters in at least 50% of leagues. There’s no point in me telling you to cut Harrison Bryant, after all.
Week 9 Quarterback Cut List:
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (68% rostered)
Matt Ryan looked lost on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. He ended up throwing 20-for-27 (that’s good) but he threw at 5.4 yards per attempt (that’s bad) and they threw three picks. With Calvin Ridley dealing with his mental health issues for an indeterminate amount of time, his WR1 is… Russell Gage? Tajae Sharpe? Or a rookie tight end? Or a running back, who is a wide receiver, who is a running back? Sheesh. Matt Ryan has just two games above 20 fantasy points this season, the same number of times he has scored in single digits. Now he has New Orleans, Dallas and New England on the horizon, all without Calvin Ridley. Pull the ripcord.
Week 9 Wide Receiver Cut List:
Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons (99% rostered)
Calvin Ridley announced Sunday that he is stepping away from football to handle his mental health. At this point, we are unsure if this is a Lane Johnson situation or a retirement. Lane Johnson ended up missing three weeks. We should hang onto Calvin Ridley in the vast majority of leagues, but some of us have extremely shallow rosters without the luxury of hanging onto a Calvin Ridley. I hate to say it but he’s on the chopping block in shallow leagues. I just hope he comes back better than ever.
Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears (85% rostered)
The Bears have let Justin Fields throw the ball the last few games, getting him between 27 and 32 pass attempts per game in each of the last three. That meant 7, 4, and 4 targets for Allen Robinson over the las three games, and ultimately, a lower target share. He isn’t getting targets and his air yards (60 per game) aren’t anything to write home about, either. Neither are his red zone targets (outside the top-30 among wide receivers). I’m not sure what the upside is for Allen Robinson on this Chicago Bears’ offense at this point.
Odell Beckham Jr, Cleveland Browns (74% rostered)
I’ve been banging this drum for weeks. One target, one catch, six yards. This marks the fourth time in six games that Beckham has failed to garner even 30 receiving yards in a game.
Laviska Shenault Jr, Jacksonville Jaguars (57% rostered)
Viska has fallen apart since his 50-yard catch on Thursday Night Football back in week four. Since then, he has had 17 targets for 9 catches and 125 yards in three games. That makes him a prime cut candidate. The Jaguars have no identity, no clue, and no plan. Just move on from Viska while Urban Meyer does his best George Costanza impression.
Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers (53% rostered)
If Robby Anderson had caught his targets at a league-average rate, while averaging a league-average yards per reception this season and a league-average touchdown rate, he would have 25 catches for 321 yards and 2 touchdowns over the last 5 games. He had 13 receptions for 101 yards and a score. He’s half as productive as a league-average wide receiver.
Week 9 Running Back Cut List:
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (100% rostered)
He is getting foot surgery for a Jones fracture and is expected back in week fifteen, at the earliest. If you aren’t in prime playoff position, you might not have that kind of time.
Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills (69% rostered)
There’s just no room left for Devin Singletary in the Bills’ offensive scheme. He has seven or fewer carries in each of his last three games and hasn’t surpassed 50 total yards in three of his last four games. He’s a handcuff-only player who has quickly fallen out of favor in Orchard Park.
Kenny Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles (64% rostered)
We spent all our FAB on him and he had one touch outside of the fourth quarter when the Eagles were already getting spanked. Personally, I would hang onto him, but the man was used up the middle to burn the clock this week… the worst way to use him. Nick Sirianni has to go.
D’Ernest Johnson, Cleveland Browns (62% rostered)
He had five touches in Nick Chubb’s return. Luckily one went for a touchdown. Try to move him to a Nick Chubb manager, but his marginal role will evaporate entirely when Kareem Hunt returns.
Week 9 Tight End Cut List:
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers (61% rostered)
He tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the year.
Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers (59% rostered)
Jared Cook had two catches for 25 yards, marking his third-straight game with fewer than 30 yards, and his fifth time in seven games. He also has just two touchdowns on the year.
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