Last week, we highlighted Mark Andrews, DeAndre Hopkins, and Gabe Davis. It’s safe to say that none of them was particularly special, and Hopkins is now being mentioned as a trade candidate. 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 6 Drop Candidates
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
He’s about 75% rostered as I write this article, and for good reason. Before last week, Jennings was putting up WR1 numbers vs. the Rams and the Patriots. In Week 3 vs. the Rams, Jennings saw 11 catches on 12 (!) targets, for 175 (!) yards, and 3 (!) TDs. Absolutely incredible production. The next week, he fell back down to earth, but still put up three catches, on six targets, and 88 yards. Those numbers are absolutely respectable and worth a roster spot. But with the return of Deebo Samuel from injury, and a Brandon Aiyuk that appears to have shaken off the rust, I think we can consider Jennings the clear-cut 4th-option behind George Kittle. In my eyes, that’s not worth of a roster spot. Last week, Jennings registered one catch on four targets for 13 yards.
Here are his snap counts over the season:
Week 1: 35
Week 2: 38
Week 3: 60
Week 4: 36
Week 5: 36
I wouldn’t necessarily consider Jennings’ Week 3 performance “lucky” because of his rapport with Purdy, and his overall skill earned those targets and numbers, but the 49ers are loaded with that kind of producers. Jennings is the odd man out. Act accordingly.
Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears
It pains me to write this. Keenan Allen has provided me with steady production for 10 years now. He’s been a plug-and-play wide receiver in fantasy AND real football for his entire career. But Father Time comes for us all. Perhaps I’m projecting, and his lack of production comes with the growing pains of being in a new system, with a new quarterback, while that new quarterback is also a rookie. But let’s be honest: he doesn’t have any trade value at the moment, and you can 100% find more production on your waiver wire. If you were to hold onto Allen for the next few weeks hoping he were to pop, what are you really hoping for? In a plus matchup, DJ Moore is still the Bears number-one receiver. On top of that, Caleb Williams has had more success targeting Rome Odunze. Holding onto Allen at this point means that you’re hoping the third option at wide receiver has an outlier week. Could it happen? Of course. Is that strategy going to win you your league? Absolutely not. I was wrong. You were wrong. Let’s not compound our mistakes. Move on from Allen.
Here’s Keenan Allen’s snap count this season:
Week 1: 38
Week 2: Injured
Week 3: Injured
Week 4: 41
Week 5: 60
Personally, Allen’s snap count rise this week is more likely a function of the Panthers being horrible. Don’t anticipate any resurrection due to this. By the way, with those 20 extra snaps, Allen produced a whopping three catches, on six targets, for 33 yards. His best single-week production of the season. I think it’s time to call it.
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
If you’re in the 50% of fantasy owners that are rostering Elliott today, I’m not sure what more evidence you need that he’s not going to win you a matchup on a given week. First off, the Cowboys’ offensive line is no longer the juggernaut that they’ve been in previous years. The Cowboys rank 15th in the league in yards before contact. That means they are generating league-average push in the trenches. Next, let’s take a look at snap share:
Week 1: 32
Week 2: 28
Week 3: 15
Week 4: 10
Week 5: 23
He was never going to be a workhorse back this year, but it’s evident that he’s the number two running back to Rico Dowdle in this timeshare, by snap count alone. Lastly, let’s look at his production:
Week 1: 11.9 fantasy points
Week 2: 4.2 fantasy points
Week 3: 1.7 fantasy points
Week 4: 2.9 fantasy points
Week 5: 1.7 fantasy points
At this point, I’m not even sure an injury to Rico Dowdle would make Elliot a proper fantasy asset again. Look elsewhere for running back depth.
Got a beef with Bradlee’s Week 6 Drop Candidates? Let him hear about it in the comments below!