We’ve had a few rough injuries this past week. When guys like Stefon Diggs or Jordan Love go down (with potential season-ending injuries), it’s a reminder that it’s never a bad time to stack your lineup with depth. At this point in the season, there are plenty of players that are taking space on your roster, and need to be replaced with players that can help you week-to-week. 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 9 Players You Can Drop
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
As mentioned in the intro paragraph, Jordan Love suffered an injury in the Packers’ game this past weekend. That means, the Packers’ offense is going to go from a pass-first oriented offense to an offense that revolves around controlling the clock in the run game through Josh Jacobs if they get an early lead. If they were to fall behind, you can expect Malik Willis to try and dink and dunk his way down the field. Not because Willis isn’t talented, but because he hasn’t had nearly the amount of reps with the first stringers that Jordan Love has had, so the timing plays/downfield shots are going to be fewer and farther between, compared to Jordan Love’s style. That means, if you’re one of the 48% of managers that rosters Christian Watson, I hereby relieve you of your burdens. You can drop him. I’ve had high hopes for Watson since he entered the league, as his size and speed are unteachable, but he’s battled soft tissue injuries for his entire career, and now that he’s having the healthiest season of his career, he, unfortunately, doesn’t have a QB to take advantage of his gifts. At least in the near term. He’s yet to catch five passes in a game this year and has yet to eclipse 70 yards receiving.
Here are his snap counts over the season:
- Week 1: 42
- Week 2: 31
- Week 3: 34
- Week 4: 9
- Week 5: Injured
- Week 6: 44
- Week 7: 31
- Week 8: 52
While it looks like the snap counts are trending upward, you can expect the Packers to have fewer snaps in a game, now that they will run a slower/less QB-dependent offense. On top of that, the usage won’t be there for Watson. His trade value is low, on top of that. It’s time to cut bait and move on.
DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs
I’ve made it a bit of a point not to include season-ending injuries in this list of cuttable players each week. I’ve also avoided listing the same player that I’ve mentioned in a past article. But friends, with a skyrocketing rostership percentage of 83%, I think it’s time I remind everyone reading this that DeAndre Hopkins, the fantasy monster, is simply nostalgia at this point. Is Hopkins capable of a big week, here and there? I suppose. As much as any NFL wide receiver given Hopkins’ compliment of snap count. To expect that, just because Patrick Mahomes is his quarterback, is wasting your time. By the way, despite their 7-0 record, this is a Patrick Mahomes who is having one of the worst seasons of his career, from a statistical standpoint. Regardless, the receivers that Mahomes has the most success with are receivers that he’s got an unspoken connection with. That only comes with reps. Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice had those reps. DeAndre Hopkins does not. And he will not get those reps this year. I’m sorry to burst your bubble.
Here’s Hopkins’ snap counts this season:
- Week 1: 17
- Week 2: 29
- Week 3: 25
- Week 4: 21
- Week 5: injured
- Week 6: 41
- Week 7: 44
- Week 8 (1st with Chiefs): 23
He doesn’t even know the plays yet. He’s not able to run his full complement of routes, yet. In terms of chemistry, Hopkins is behind Kelce, Worthy, Hunt, two backup tight ends, and JuJu Smith-Schuster when he returns from injury. Don’t let nostalgia ruin your fantasy rosters. Use Hopkins’ lineup spot for someone else.
Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals
He’s rostered in 77% of leagues, and while I’m usually in favor of holding onto running backs, considering their scarcity value, I think Moss’ time as the lead back in Cincy has officially run out. Moss has not run for more than 58 yards on the entire season, but his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield has been critical in him retaining fantasy relevance this season. However, after fumbling one too many times vs. the New York Giants (on a primetime game), Moss has found himself as the official RB2 to Chase Brown. On top of that, I’m not sure the Bengals are even good enough to warrant a positive game script for a running back. Even if they were, I don’t think you should trust a running back who can’t eclipse 60 yards rushing to lead your team to the fantasy playoffs. Here are his snap counts this year:
- Week 1: 33
- Week 2: 51
- Week 3: 47
- Week 4: 40
- Week 5: 45
- Week 6: 24
- Week 7: 27
- Week 8: 30
For what it’s worth, Chase Brown also fumbled in that New York game but kept his job as the RB1. It seems as though the Bengals have made a decision, and it’s that Brown’s touches are more valuable to the team. Moss’ value only rises with injury. You’re better off surfing the waiver wire for fantasy gold.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
Got a beef with Bradlee’s Week 9 Drop Candidates? Let him hear about it in the comments below!