It’s week nine, and we are about to hit the thick of the Byes. That means that cutting players to get the new hotness off of the waiver wire will become increasingly tougher. So, every week, I come by and point out the guys rostered in over 50% of Yahoo! leagues that probably should see a drop in their roster rate. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all, after all, an eight-team league has different standards of rostership than a sixteen-team league. These are like the Pirate’s Code, more like guidelines than actual rules.
Quarterbacks
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis (72% rostered)
Richardson took advantage of a nice matchup against the Texans, and scored a season-high… 12.5 fantasy points. He’s one of the league’s most inaccurate quarterbacks and finds himself constantly on the verge of disaster. Minnesota is his only matchup for the rest of the fantasy regular season that is in the top half of the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, with five of his last seven opponents ranking 20th or worse in fantasy points allowed to QBs.
Geno Smith, Seattle (60% rostered)
Geno had one of his worst performances of the season on Sunday, finishing under ten fantasy points. While he’s had a shockingly high floor, he predictably struggles with bad matchups. He has the Rams (18th in fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs), the bye, and the 49ers (19th) coming up. With D.K. Metcalf week-to-week, and Kenneth Walker emerging as a force, the Seahawks simply don’t need him to do so much, so he doesn’t.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville (50% rostered)
Christian Kirk is out for the season, Gabe Davis is dealing with a shoulder injury, and a chest injury might cost him 2-4 weeks. I’m not particularly enthused to see Trevor Lawrence try to make it work with Brenton Strange as his #2 target for the next few weeks.
Wide Receivers
Stefon Diggs, Houston (98% rostered)
Check the injury news with Diggs first, as he suffered a non-contact knee injury in Sunday’s game and was quickly ruled out. Those two things make me worry that he is out for the season. If the Texans have announced that by the time you check waivers, then pull the trigger.
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville (68% rostered)
Kirk broke his collarbone and will be out for the remainder of the season.
Rome Odunze, Chicago (65% rostered)
While Rome led the Bears in receiving yards sin week eight, it was only 41 such yards. Odunze has one game this season with double-digit PPR points, and that was back in September; the next game he plays will be in November.
Running Backs
Zack Moss, Cincinnati (77% rostered)
Moss is the clear 1B in Cincinnati, getting fewer than ten opportunities for his third-straight game. He started the season well, posting three top-24 weeks in the first four games, but he hasn’t finished higher than 35th at running back since then. He isn’t a difference-maker.
Devin Singletary, N.Y. Giants (74% rostered)
Rest in Peace, sweet prince. Singletary lost his job to Tyrone Tracy, finishing with 10 touches for 44 yards in the last two games combined. Tracy has 31 touches for 182 yards in the same timeframe.
Tight Ends
In honor of National Tight End Day, Tight Ends had themselves a day. 18 different tight ends finished with double-digit PPR points on Sunday. It’s fitting that the one tight end to make this list did not play on National Tight End Day:
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh (71% rostered)
Russell Wilson is the new sheriff in town, and Russ doesn’t lean on his tight end as Justin Fields did (or rather, Russ leans on the bigger one, Darnell Washington). Freiermuth has 5 targets, 4 catches, and 70 yards since Russ took over two games ago. You can’t trust him.
