Fantasy Football 2019: Players You Can Drop Before Week 11
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Get ready, fantasy owners, as there are some big names making our weekly droppables list with the fantasy playoffs just a few weeks away. It is now time for fantasy owners to drop certain underperforming or injured fantasy stars as well players who have seen their roles change drastically. With 10 weeks of data, fantasy owners have a large enough sample size to make informed decisions about which rostered players belong on the waiver wire.
The difference between winning a championship or not could be as small as a decision to drop a player that you thought was a sleeper, but turned out to be a bust. It’s been proven that the most dominant fantasy owners understand the importance of foresight. Sometimes, you simply have to move on, just as NFL teams move on from players throughout the season.
However, at the same time, don’t hold onto a player just because you are afraid to let go. Of course, fantasy owners also have to manage injuries and drop players who may not return in time to contribute to a postseason run. So without further ado, here are some players fantasy owners should not hesitate to drop after 10 weeks of NFL action.
Quarterback
QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
I know many readers at Sports Illustrated may not want to read this, but the Rams’ offense is broken. Plain and simple. All the reports we received from head coach Sean McVay and the Los Angeles organization this past summer that star RB Todd Gurley was healthy were clearly not accurate. Currently, Gurley is barely a fringe RB2 coming in as the overall RB25, and that has caused a massive regression for the Rams offense as a whole. Goff, who is owned in 99% of leagues while currently ranking as fantasy football’s QB18, has struggled massively with only five touchdown passes combined in his last five games. With road games against the Cowboys in Week 15 and 49ers in Week 16, when fantasy glory is on the line, Goff can not be trusted in starting lineups.
Running Backs
RB LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs
McCoy, owned in over 85% of leagues, was a healthy inactive in Week 10 against Tennessee. The veteran running back, who has had an issue fumbling in recent weeks, has lost his role in the Kansas City offense. Prior to being a late scratch on Sunday, McCoy had failed to score a touchdown in five consecutive games while averaging a pedestrian 34 rushing yards per game over that span. With Damien Williams taking back lead duties in the Chiefs backfield, the possibility the 11-year veteran has any fantasy-relevant role going forward is simply not worth the roster stash. Move on from the aging veteran and begin to bolster other positions on your roster as we head towards the fantasy playoffs. If you prefer to add to your running back depth, look at adding Atlanta RB Brian Hill, who may be thrust into a feature role should Devonta Freeman be lost for a significant period of time.
Wide Receivers
WR Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
The star wide receiver has only been able to play in four games this season after suffering multiple concussions. The veteran wideout was reportedly ready to make his return from a four-week absence in Week 10, before suffering a setback last Friday leading to return into the NFL’s concussion protocol. With the emergence of rookie Darius Slayton, combined with the New York’s abysmal 2-8 record, there is a strong chance the Giants err on the side of caution and place the fourth-year wide receiver on injured reserve. Shepard, owned in 71% of leagues, can be swapped for Slayton (owned in 17% of leagues) or Oakland’s Hunter Renfrow (owned in 18% of leagues).
WR AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals
The ‘stash period’ on the star wide receiver should officially come to an end for all fantasy owners. The veteran wideout, who was set to make his return, was
ruled out late last week after his surgically-repaired ankle swelled up following workouts. With Cincinnati (0-9) the only winless team in the league and in full rebuild mode with rookie Ryan Finley under center, it will be hard to envision a motivated Green playing on frozen fields as winter games begin to approach for the fantasy playoffs. The ninth-year fantasy stud, who many fantasy owners expected big things from, is not a player that should be trusted even if he is able to make his return with an unproven rookie signal caller combined with games against the Steelers in Week 12 and the Patriots in Week 15. Label Green, still owned in more than 97% of leagues, a bust and send the veteran to the wire.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers
The second-year wideout out of South Florida was a target of many high-stakes fantasy players this summer. However, despite 20-plus PPR fantasy point performances in Week 3 against Denver and Week 7 versus Oakland, Valdes-Scantling has been a big disappointment. After some untimely drops, he appears to have lost the trust of Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers. Over the last three games, the wideout owned in over 69% of leagues, has just one reception for four yards. Despite playing in a prolific offense with favorable matchups against the Giants in Week 13 and Washington in Week 14, MVS is not a player fantasy owners should continue to roster.
More Advice from SI Fantasy:
—Tuesday’s Bull Market Fantasy show with Jim Cramer
—Jaime Eisner’s waiver wire pickups: Brian Hill, Darius Slayton and suggestions for deeper leagues
—Bill Enright’s injury report has the impact on everyone who got hurt in Week 10
—Frankie Taddeo dishes out awards in his Week 10 superlatives
