Fantasy Football: 9 Players Owners Must Drop Before Playoffs
There’s only two weeks left before the playoffs start in most standard fantasy football formats. It’s time to clear out the dead weight to add depth for that championship run. Don’t hang on to excess baggage like Bishop Sankey, Eric Decker and Pierre Garcon when you should handcuff your starters.
The list highlights players owned in over 50 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues. It’s usually obvious what to do with a player owned in less than 50 percent whether they are trending up or trending down—typically you follow the trend.
This list also excludes recently injured players declared out for the season—Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandin Cooks, for example. You don’t need me to outline the obvious.
Standard fantasy playoffs take place in Weeks 14 through 16, avoiding the chaotic final week of the NFL season in most formats.
Finally, the advice to cut the following 12 (including honorable mentions) players is intended for redraft leagues, not keeper or dynasty formats.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 10
Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers (90.9 percent owned)
Kaepernick only topped 19 points once this season—28 in Week 6 at St. Louis. There’s a chance he breaks out against Washington this week—ranked 31st in fantasy points allowed to the quarterback (19.9 points per game)—but then he faces Seattle (13.2), at Oakland (16.3), at Seattle (13.2) and San Diego (15.8).
It’s nice the 49ers won’t leave the Pacific time zone from Thanksgiving on, but that’s about the only silver lining in this schedule.
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers (85.0)
It’s difficult to pinpoint what’s exactly wrong with Newton, but B/R’s Ty Schalter breaks down the possibilities in an entertaining read.
Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens (55.6)
Flacco’s inconsistency is maddening—he scored a combined 57 points against Carolina and Tampa Bay, but averaged just 11.5 PPG the rest of the season. The future holds some promising matchups—New Orleans (17.3 PPG), San Diego (15.8), Jacksonville (16.6) and Houston (15.8). But are you really going to put faith in the 20th-best QB according to Fantasy Pros’ expert consensus ranking?
You shouldn’t.
The following nine droppable players are ranked in ascending order of their ownership percentage in ESPN fantasy leagues.
9. Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders (50.5)
2 of 10
Another 5.8 percent of McFadden owners turned him loose before Thursday night’s sloppy affair with the Kansas City Chiefs. Count yourselves among the smart ones.
Here’s how Week 12 broke down for the Oakland backfield:
| Touches | Yds | Avg | TDs | Pts | |
| Murray | 4 | 112 | 28.0 | 1 | 23 |
| Reece | 9 | 45 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 |
| McFadden | 14 | 34 | 2.4 | 0 | 2 |
| Jones-Drew | 3 | -1 | -0.3 | 0 | 0 |
Hopefully the 5.8 percent of owners who cut McFadden this week were among the 9.0 percent that added Latavius Murray ahead of his explosive performance. The sixth-rounder out of Central Florida—go Knights!—will be one of the hottest adds in Week 13, in spite of his possible concussion.
If Murray can’t recover within the next 10 days expect Marcel Reece’s inspired fourth-quarter relief to lead to an increase in Week 13 touches.
Maybe Tony Sparano will realize what Dennis Allen, Hue Jackson and Tom Cable failed to in Reece’s first five seasons: Any running back averaging 4.7 yards rushing and 10.1 yards receiving—according to Pro-Football-Reference—shouldn’t be relegated to fullback.
Either way, McFadden is a must-drop.
8. Jared Cook, TE, St. Louis Rams (51.7)
3 of 10
Cook’s downward trend—minus 8.3 percent—is fitting given his history of following up flashes of brilliance with empty efforts.
His 14-point outburst against a weak Cardinals defense in tight end PA—ranked 21st, allowing 8.4 PPG—was bookended with two and one-point performances against equal or lesser defenses. Seattle (9.0), Kansas City (7.5), San Francisco (7.4) and Denver (8.9) defend the tight end with similar mediocrity, yet the 6’5”, 254-pounder failed to take advantage.
Fantasy Pros lists Cook 22nd in its TE ECR, meaning there are plenty of useful alternatives to this wasted roster space.
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7. Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers (52.7)
4 of 10
It’s difficult to accept, but the Pro Bowl tight end that boasted a 13-touchdown blowout in 2013 ranks 53rd among TEs after Week 1, according to ESPN. Another 9.1 percent of owners realized as much this week.
San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman told the media when asked why Davis was targeted only once in the red zone so far in 2014, per David Fucillo of SB Nation: "He's definitely been involved in the plan. Coverage has taken the quarterback away from him sometimes. But, Vernon is definitely a guy that we want active in the red zone and actively work to do that."
When asked if Davis is healthy, Roman responded, “Yeah, he’s doing good.”
Davis might be “doing good” from the trainer’s perspective, but he’s a complete non-factor on the field and no longer warrants a roster spot.
Mychal Rivera (47.0), Charles Clay (41.1) and Owen Daniels (30.3) are three widely available TE2's who rank above Davis in FP’s ECR. Cut him in favor of one of these better options.
6. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Minnesota Vikings (53.3)
5 of 10
Hopefully 2014’s Patterson owners didn’t give up as much as Minnesota did in 2013 to draft the Tennessee Volunteer in the first round. New England surrendered No. 29 to the Vikings in exchange for starting linebacker Jamie Collins (No. 52), nickel corner Logan Ryan (No. 83) and practice-squad speedster Josh Boyce (No. 102).
Tampa Bay ended up with backup RB Mike James (No. 189) in a secondary deal with the Patriots.
Minnesota’s stock soared in early returns because Patterson scored nine combined rushing, returning and receiving TDs in his rookie campaign. It looked so easy last year, Patterson seemed like an obvious breakout pick in 2014.
Instead it’s been a largely disappointing campaign, according to Brian Murphy of TwinCities.com:
"It's difficult but it's my job. I just need to focus in, go out and have fun just like last year. I was having a lot of fun. This year it seems I'm not having fun. I just need to find that missing piece and have some fun.
I've been thinking too much; want to make too many plays. When you start doing stuff like that you start messing up. I've messed up a lot this year. This week I'm going to just try not to think -- have fun and enjoy, just try to get a touchdown.
"
If Patterson does score a TD against Green Bay in Week 12, it’ll be his third this season. You’d be better off watching his attempt to rebound as a casual observer, not an owner.
5. Terrance Williams, WR, Dallas Cowboys (59.1)
6 of 10
Williams is a fan favorite with his Dallas roots and Baylor pedigree, but fantasy owners know better, dropping him in 7.3 percent of leagues. The Cowboys Week 11 bye is partially responsible for Williams’ expendability, but his feast-or-famine numbers are the real impetus.
Williams’ six touchdown grabs in seven weeks keyed his 9.7 PPG mark to start the season. He would have averaged 4.6 PPG without the scores.
Dallas’ No. 2 wide receiver logged just seven points over the past three weeks in a run-first offense. Dez Bryant (95) and Jason Witten (57) lead the team in targets, while DeMarco Murray’s 41 targets land just six behind Williams (47).
FP ranks Williams 43rd, just ahead of Cecil Shorts III. Shorts is owned in 38.1 of ESPN leagues.
Get the hint?
4. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks (62.1)
7 of 10
Baldwin achieved his best performance of the season—seven catches, 123 yards and one touchdown— immediately after Percy Harvin was traded to the New York Jets in Week 7.
He’s managed only 175 yards and one touchdown since.
The truth is Seattle wasn’t a good passing offense with or without Harvin, ranked 30th in the league and graded 19th by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Seahawks don’t face an above-average defense in WR PA down the stretch—Arizona (ranked 20th), at San Francisco (17th), at Philadelphia (30th), San Francisco (17th) and at Arizona (20th). But Russell Wilson’s tendency to spread the ball—he’s hit 14 different receivers this year—and his propensity to run it himself—74 carries for 574 yards and four TDs—limits Baldwin’s upside.
Baldwin is ranked 47th among WRs, according to FP’s ECR. That equates him to a WR4/5 in standard leagues, relegating him to the waiver wire.
3. Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans (66.0)
8 of 10
The second-rounder out of Washington splashed across headlines as the first running back taken in the 2014 draft—at No. 54. He must be the best running back in the field if the Titans took him over the rest, right?
It’s probably not too early to second guess the fact that Denver took Montee Ball (No. 58) ahead of Eddie Lacy (No. 61) in 2013. And it’s starting to look like Titans general manager Ruston Webster underestimated Jeremy Hill and Carlos Hyde when he chose Sankey.
Journeyman Shonn Greene started out the season as Tennessee’s RB1, but slowly ceded his role to the rookie. Sankey’s output with his increased opportunity does not bear this decision out because both backs average 3.9 yards per carry.
Sankey holds the advantage receiving because Greene has yet to catch a pass, but his 12 catches for 90 yards don’t outshine Leon Washington’s 11 for 77 and a TD, or Dexter McCluster’s 17 for 153.
The Titans might be committed to Sankey thanks to his draft stock, but fantasy owners should dump him in favor of Fred Jackson (67.8 percent owned), Ben Tate (55.0) and/or Tre Mason (54.2).
2. Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets (67.3)
9 of 10
Whether it’s Geno Smith or Michael Vick behind center, the Jets are the worst passing offense in the league, averaging just 178.5 yards per game. That’s a far cry from the 2013 Denver Broncos, the league’s top passing offense—averaging 340.3 YPG—that earned Decker his five-year, $36.25 million contract.
Decker’s yardage total topped out at 65 in Week 7, a paltry total compared to his Broncos days when he went over 65 yards nine times in 2013.
Peyton Manning made Decker a top-10 wide receiver (ranked eighth, 11.7 PPG) last season much the same way he’s made Emmanuel Sanders (fifth, 13.4) a top-flight option this year.
Without Manning, Decker is the 37th-ranked wide receiver, according to FP’s ECR. Plus, Minnesota is the last below-average defense in WR PA (19th, 21.5) on New York’s schedule, rendering him practically useless during the playoffs.
Decker isn’t worth owning until he is once again paired with a reliable QB.
1. Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington Redskins (71.8)
10 of 10
Garcon led the league in receptions last year, notching 7.1 catches per game. This year he’s on pace to finish with 4.3.
Who knew DeSean Jackson’s emergence as Washington’s WR1 would shove Garcon so far down the pecking order?
But Garcon and Jackson should be complementary receivers, as described by ESPN.com’s John Keim.
The problem lies in Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins’ ineffectiveness while adjusting to Jay Gruden’s system. The uproar over the failure could swallow up Gruden after just one season as head coach.
As Washington contemplates dumping Griffin and Gruden, you should join the 10.3 percent of owners who already dumped Garcon this week.
Jordan Matthews (62.3), Andrew Hawkins (44.6) and Rueben Randle (34.4) should all be owned over Garcon.
All ranks and points are based on standard ESPN fantasy leagues unless otherwise noted.
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