It’s time to look in the mirror. We’re now a full month through the NFL Fantasy Football Season, so that means we’re starting to get the full picture of who’s who. We know tendencies, we know snap counts, but most of all, we know who we were right about, and who we were wrong about. At the end of the day, you can only roster so many players, so it’s time to discuss three players you can drop at this point in the season. We know winning your leagues takes a lot of work. But don’t fear! FantraxHQ is doing the work for you. Whether it’s matchups to exploit, injury replacements, or flat-out hot takes, we’ve got your fix. In this article, we’ll highlight four potential players you can drop from your roster to give way to new talent.
Week 5 Drop Candidates
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
You’re not a fool for making this mistake. I had Mark Andrews as a top three tight end by the end of the season, in my preseason tight end rankings. In fact, most people predicted Mark Andrews’ resurgence, as he’d finally be healthy for the first time in a season. For context, in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, Mark Andrews finished in the top five for tight ends via fantasy points per game. However, in 2023 he only played ten games, and the Ravens saw Isaiah Likely come out of nowhere to look like one of the most athletic, receiver-type tight ends in the league.
Now we’re four games into the 2024 season, and Mark Andrews looks like a shell of the receiving beast he once was. Unfortunately, we don’t get fantasy points for blocking, because he still does that incredibly well. In those four games, he has a total of eight targets, six catches, 65 yards, and zero touchdowns. He currently ranks 31st in Tight End points per game with 4.2. On top of that, let’s take a look at his snap share over the past four weeks:
Week 1: 59 snaps
Week 2: 41 snaps
Week 3: 23 snaps
Week 4: 26 snaps
Not only is Mark Andrews’ playing time trending in the wrong direction, but it seems as though he’s plateaued at about 50% of the snaps possible for his offense. He’s officially in a timeshare with Isaiah Likely, and it appears, Andrews is only out there to block. It’s time to give up on Mark Andrews and use his roster spot for a player that will help your fantasy team.
DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
DeAndre Hopkins almost needs no introduction. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler. He’s a three-time All-Pro. He has just under 1,000 career catches, over 12,000 yards receiving, and 79 career TDs. However, on July 31st, news broke that he had a “knee injury” and it would take him up until the season opener to recover. No big deal. However, as I write this article, the Titans are preparing for their Monday Night Football Matchup, and it’s occurred to me that I’m wasting my time expecting Hopkins to return to form. From 2017-2020, Hopkins was top five at his position in fantasy points per week. In 2021, he only played ten games. In 2022, he played nine games but was top 10 in fantasy points per week at WR. In 2023, he was a 1,000-yard receiver and played the entire season, but his role had reduced to more of a possession receiver.
This year, I thought he would be a safety blanket for Will Levis, but I’m not sure Will Levis wants safety. He’s doing Will Levis things (both good and bad). Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins sounds great on paper, but in actuality, DeAndre Hopkins is either not healthy, or he’s being used sparingly to preserve his body over the course of the season. He’s only 32, but 12 years of NFL football will make any mortal man’s body slow down. Here’s his snap count over the past three games:
Week 1: 17 snaps
Week 2: 29 snaps
Week 3: 25 snaps
Over those three games, he’s got eight catches on ten targets, for 80 yards, and a TD. Great production for such meager playing time, but there’s no indication that his playing time will increase. Frankly, there’s no indication that quarterback play will improve. I’m not sure that you can get anything in a trade for him, so it’s fair to drop DeAndre Hopkins.
Gabe Davis, Jacksonville Jaguars
I almost started to write Trevor Lawrence, instead of Gabe Davis, but there’s likely someone in your league who still believes in Trevor Lawrence and would trade for him (for cheap). But make no mistake, I’m choosing Gabe Davis as a result of the play by Trevor Lawrence. When Davis first landed with the Jags, I thought it would be a great fit. He was going to a quarterback who threw for 4,000 yards and 20+ touchdowns last year. The only contenders for target share would be a rookie WR in Brian Thomas Jr. and Christian Kirk.
Well…guess what, Brian Thomas Jr., leads the team in receiving yards and TDs, and Kirk leads the team in targets (with Thomas Jr. behind him). In a stunningly sluggish offense, Gabe Davis is the third option in the receiving game, when I went into the season expecting him to be the first. Through four games, Gabe Davis has only nine catches on 21 targets, 121 yards, and 0 TDs. While the targets are promising, they are all low-percentage throws and Trevor Lawrence and Davis have not been on the same page. Lawrence is seemingly only clicking with Brian Thomas Jr. There’s also a non-zero chance that Trevor Lawrence gets benched or Doug Pederson gets fired within the season. Who knows what happens with the offensive game plan after that. The only thing I know for sure is that I was wrong about Gabe Davis in this offense. It’s in your best interest to cut ties now.
Got a beef with Bradlee’s Week 5 Drop Candidates? Let him hear about it in the comments below!