No matter how poorly your weekend went, you didn’t have one nearly as bad as the Denver Broncos or Chicago Bears. But, much like the Bears and the Dolphins, it’s time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on. Whether you want to spend all your FAB on De’Von Achane or hope that your #5 waiver priority is enough to snag Jordan Addison off of waivers, you can’t get those guys on your squad without removing someone else from your roster. That’s where I come in! Every week, I take a look at players rostered in at least 50% of Yahoo! leagues to let you know if you need to be the change we need to see in the world to rectify that inflated roster rate.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones, N.Y. Giants (72% rostered)
The 49ers obliterated Daniel Jones to the tune of 4.98 fantasy points, which is very bad. Very, very bad. This came on the heels of blasting the (very bad) Arizona Cardinals defense, which made us think that he might not be very bad, himself. Unfortunately, with Saquon Barkley out for the foreseeable future and Parris Campbell and Darren Waller as his top targets without any cupcake matchups on the horizon, it’s tough to see a near future where you want to use Daniel Jones in a 1QB league.
Wide Receivers
Mike Williams, L.A. Chargers (95% rostered)
The Chargers wide receiver left the field with a non-contact knee injury and is out for the season after tearing his ACL.
Jahan Dotson, Washington (82% rostered)
Dotson pulled in two of his four targets for 21 yards in the week three contest against the Bills. Granted, it’s the Bills, but they also boat-raced the Commanders, so you expected more than four targets to Dotson. Dotson is now 3/3 in getting 40 or fewer receiving yards in 2023, and his targets (and the Commanders’ offense) are trending sharply downward.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle (72% rostered)
To be clear, if you’re in a league that’s 12 teams or deeper, do not drop JSN. Dropping him in a twelve-team league is iffy, but if you’re in a ten or eight-team league, then pull the ripcord. He’s the clear #3 target in Seattle after getting fewer snaps than Jake “Honkin’ on” Bobo, and the 2023 Geno Smith Experience cannot support three wide receivers. In deeper leagues, you want to hang onto him because he is the most talented receiver from the 2023 class.
Brandin Cooks, Dallas (62% rostered)
Cooks is a complete afterthought in the Cowboys’ offense, with 2 catches for 17 yards after finishing week one with two catches for 22 yards on four targets.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, New England (57% rostered)
Through three games, JuJu has 16 targets. That’s great, as well as his 10 catches. Unfortunately, the Patriots’ offense is so lackluster and constipated that he has only 66 yards across his three games, as he finished week three with only 5 yards.
Running Backs
Khalil Herbert, Chicago (84% rostered)
I’m writing this before the Bears game is over, because, let’s be clear, it’s over. Blaine Gabbert just threw a pick and nobody cared. Herbert started off the season with 12 touches for 64 yards, and things have gone downhill from there. He had 8 touches for 58 yards in week two, and before the Blaine Gabbert pick, he had 8 touches for 34 yards, and a costly fumble. Roschon Johnson looms, but that might not even matter, as the Bears are this year’s designated dumpster fire.
A.J. Dillon, Green Bay (83% rostered)
Quadzilla sat on fantasy rosters for years because he “has standalone appeal and massive upside if Aaron Jones misses time.” Well, Aaron Jones missed each of the last two games with an injury, and Dillon has 27 touches for 96 yards across those two contests. It’s possible that maybe Dillon is best suited as a part-time, change-of-pace back.
Cam Akers, Minnesota (81% rostered)
Akers was bad in Los Angeles, and he won’t be much better splitting time with Alexander Mattison in Minnesota. I understand wanting to hold on, but I’m not holding out hope. He has 22 carries for 29 yards on the season.
Samaje Perine, Denver (61% rostered).
I counted on Perine spelling Javonte Williams & finding value. He’s spelling Williams, but the Broncos offense is a disaster, and he’s not getting enough touches to matter. He had 12 in week one, which was encouraging, but he has 9 in the two games since then.
Antonio Gibson, Washington (59% rostered)
The Commanders’ offense is circling the drain and it’s taking Antonio Gibson with it. He has taken a clear back seat to Brian Robinson and has 4, 5, and 5 touches in the first three games of the year.
Jamaal Williams, New Orleans (57% rostered)
The Saints put Williams on IR without any real information about his timeline. With Alvin Kamara returning and Tony Jones & Kendre Miller being competent behind him, it’s possible that he comes back without a role, even if you hold onto him.
Tight Ends
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo (74% rostered)
Through three games, Kincaid has 12 targets, 11 catches, and 72 yards, for a cool, cool 6.1 PPR points per game (rounded up). He’s in a near 50/50 split with Dawson Knox, as Knox has one more route run on the year, but Kincaid has one more target on the year. Knox has also out-snapped Kincaid in all three games this season. They’re sharing a role, making neither worth a roster spot right now.
