The first of two byepocalypse weeks are behind us, with six teams taking a well-needed break from playing in week nine. So, that means that it’s time for some roster bloodletting as we don’t need desperation streamers any longer. Never fear, as always, we are here to help you decide who you can move on from in your fantasy football leagues, at least for now. To make the list, a player must be on rosters in at least 50% of leagues, as players on less than that… well, the decision’s already been made for you. Let’s dive into week ten’s cut candidates!
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady , Tampa Bay (92% rostered)
Tom Brady has had one game over 20 fantasy points this season, and that came all the way back in week four against the Chiefs. That was also the last time he had multiple touchdowns, marking the fourth-straight game with just one touchdown for Tom Brady. He now has 10 touchdowns in 9 games. For reference, nobody thinks Jimmy Garoppolo is anything special, and he has 11 touchdowns in 7 games. Brady gets the Seahawks in Germany this week before his bye. You can count out Touchdown Tom.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay (88% rostered)
Rodgers was on this list last week, and the week before, and the week before. He has just one game inside the top twelve at the position this year and gave up three interceptions while scoring just 13.64 fantasy points against the Lions, who allow the most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and who had just two interceptions in their previous seven games this year. If Rodgers can’t do it against the Lions, then I doubt his motley crew of Amari Rodgers and Marcedes Lewis can do it against real NFL-level defenses.
Matthew Stafford, L.A. Rams (68% rostered)
Stafford finished Sunday with 10.5 points, finishing 13/27 for 165 yards and a touchdown. That marked the sixth time in eight games this season that Stafford failed to surpass 12 fantasy points in a game. Stafford was drafted as a second QB in a two-quarterback committee, and it might be time to make that committee a one-player commitment.
Wide Receivers
Drake London, Atlanta (68% rostered)
Drake London finally made it over five targets for the first time since week five. Unfortunately, it didn’t really matter. The Falcons took on the Chargers, and Drake London turned his seven targets into 3 catches and 23 yards. This marks the third time in the last four games that he had three or fewer catches, and the sixth-straight game that he failed to pass 40 receiving yards. London gets the suddenly-frisky Panthers next week, then the Bears. If you can’t bring yourself to drop him, then at least bench him for now.
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay (67% rostered)
Doubs suffered an ankle injury and was seen on crutches and in a walking boot following week ten’s action; on Monday, the Packers announced that it was a high-ankle sprain. This one is looking like a multi-week injury with the week fourteen bye looming large on his potential return date. From a fantasy football perspective, the Packers’ rookie passed 6.1 PPR points just once in the last five weeks. It’s likely that we don’t see him again until week fifteen, and he’s not the type of player you hang onto at the end of your roster in a ten-team league.
Running Backs
Deon Jackson, Indianapolis (67% rostered)
Deon Jackson was always a Hines-and-Taylorless Colts streaming option. Unfortunately, with Sam Mehlinger under center and Jonathan Taylor set to return next week, there might not be much left for Jackson to do.
Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta (97% rostered)
I’m not going to tell you anything you don’t already know. Pitts is sitting at two games inside the top ten this season, with three games inside the top twelve. The Atlanta passing game is a complete mess, and they don’t seem to want to realize that Kyle Pitts getting targets could potentially fix it.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville (69% rostered)
I can’t blame Engram for face-planting in this one. He hurt his back early in the game and was in and out of the lineup en route to finishing with one catch for eight yards. He was always a streamer candidate, and if this back issue lingers, you can just move on from him next week against the Chiefs before Engram goes on his bye.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay (61% rostered)
Tonyan was targeted in the end zone on one of Aaron Rodgers’ interceptions, but of what use is a tight end who is getting 3-5 catches for 30 yards per week? It’s not great, especially when you consider that he has one touchdown on the season, and that was all the way back in week four.
Mike Gesicki, Miami (57% rostered)
Gesicki crashed back to earth after the return of “Mike Gridsicki” last week. He’s completely touchdown-or-bust and the Dolphins get one of the stingiest defenses next week (the Browns give up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends) before going on their bye.
