Here is a list of fantasy football players you can safely cut ties with ahead of Week 9.
The time has come for fantasy owners to drop certain underperforming players or players who have seen their roles change drastically. With eight 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 deciding 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 have to move on, just as NFL teams move on from players throughout the season. You do not want to overreact to one week of poor statistics, such as Adam Thielen producing only three receptions for 27 receiving yards against Green Bay.
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 you should not hesitate to drop after eight weeks of NFL action.
Quarterbacks
QB Sam Darnold, New York Jets
I understand that injuries and bye weeks play a role in this, but under no circumstances should New York Jets QB Sam Darnold be owned in nearly 38% of leagues. Darnold has 253 yards passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions in his last two games, and the Jets offense is simply one to avoid. The Jets have zero playmakers on either side of the ball, and Darnold could very well be playing out his final games as the starting quarterback of Gang Green as the club is headed for a collision course with the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. Also, Darnold has been trying to play through an ailing shoulder. There is no single player who should be rostered with extreme confidence from the Jets as long as Adam Gase is the head coach.
Injury Drop: Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Running Backs
RB Mike Davis, Carolina Panthers
Not only has Davis' production fallen off a cliff in recent weeks, but as we all know, Carolina star RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to make his return this week against Kansas City. With McCaffrey back and coupled with less than 9-PPR fantasy points and no touchdowns in his last two games, the time has, unfortunately, come for a player currently owned in 97% of leagues. If your league allows trades, now is the time to attempt to move Davis to McCaffrey owners who would desire his services only as handcuff insurance. The time has run out for Davis, offering stand alone value in fantasy leagues as an RB2 or even a useful flex option.
RB James White, New England Patriots
White, owned in 88% of leagues, is another player who has become a casualty of a struggling New England offense. White has zero rushing yards and just three receptions in his last two games and has become a player, even in PPR formats, you can no longer roster. White has yet to find the end zone through eight games, and thanks to the struggles of Cam Newton, it is hard to see any reason for optimism.
Wide Receivers
WR Preston Williams, Miami Dolphins
This one pains me to write after I bought in on Williams over the summer, and it just has not worked out as my numbers had envisioned. The talented young wideout has failed to make the impact he did last season before his season-ending knee injury. Outside of Week 5 against San Francisco, he has failed to top 41 yards receiving in any game in 2020. With many owners fighting for their fantasy lives, owners can't afford to roster a player now playing on an offense with a rookie quarterback who could be asked to be more of a game-manager. It would be prudent for owners to cut ties now and instead look to acquire Philadelphia WR Jalen Reagor (31%) or Atlanta's Russell Gage (24%) if the injury suffered by Calvin Ridley keeps the star wideout out of the lineup for an extended period.
WR James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers
The time has come to part ways with Washington after two games with one target and zero receptions in each contest, respectively. Many fantasy owners are being drawn to the third-year wideout's potential in an exceptional passing attack working as the WR3 in the slot with Ben Roethlisberger and the undefeated Steelers. However, despite a solid snap count, Washington has only found his way to two double-digit PPR efforts in seven games, and fantasy owners need to make a move for a player off the waiver wire with a higher upside. I would replace him with Tennessee Titans WR Corey Davis, who has 10 targets in each of his last two games and 15-plus PPR points and is still currently available in over 40% of leagues.
WR John Brown, Buffalo Bills
Many fantasy owners expected Brown to see increased production following the addition of WR Stefon Diggs, demanding the opposition's top corner weekly. However, Brown (owned in 83% of leagues) has failed to produce, with just five receptions for 63 receiving yards in his last four games combined. With just 11.3 PPR fantasy points in his those last four games, it is fairly obvious that the Buffalo passing offense runs through Diggs and slot WR Cole Beasley. Players such as New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard or Chicago's Darnell Mooney offer a higher upside.
Tight Ends
TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Higbee, one of the top targeted tight ends heading into fantasy drafts this summer, has massively failed to live up to expectations. Currently falling outside the top-13 among all players at his position in PPR leagues, Higbee has been outperformed by Green Bay's Robert Tonyan, Tennessee's Jonnu Smith, and Denver's Noah Fant thus far this season. Higbee, who has battled a hand injury in recent weeks that caused him to miss Week 7, has some misleading overall stats. If we remove his Week 3 outburst against the Eagles (5/54/3), he would only have 35.3 PPR fantasy points (5.03 PPR/ points per game). It has come time for fantasy owners to move on, especially with the Rams heading into their bye this week.
TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
The former Penn State standout (owned in 69% of leagues) has just one reception for eight yards on four targets over his last two games and has become a liability in starting lineups with a rookie quarterback under center who may be asked to be more of a game-manager. With four games of one or fewer receptions, fantasy owners need to look to replace a player many had high hopes for entering the 2020 season. My suggestion is fantasy owners of Gesicki should instead look to add Colts TE Trey Burton (only owned in 34% of leagues), who has 32.0 PPR fantasy points in his last two games combined and is emerging as a versatile player in the red zone.
Injury Drop: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: Early Week 9 Waiver Wire
