RADIO
This is your weekly list of players to drop. I will do my best to limit this list to injured players and players you might consider holding. If you roster pure handcuffs or backups, obviously you can let them go at any time. The players on this list will, ideally, be guys that aren't clearly droppable, but no longer worth owning.
Below are my Week 16 cuts and drops for fantasy football. Each week from now until the end of the season, I’ll be offering my thoughts on players who don’t deserve to keep a roster spot on your fantasy football teams.
Let's get to it.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings (redraft)
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
- 2025 NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
- Best ball fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing
Anyone You're Not Starting Week 16
Let me first preface this by stating that you should not literally drop every single player you don't need for this week. You should also consider your opponent's roster and make sure you aren't dropping someone that your opponent can use. Players like Tom Brady, Jared Goff, and Baker Mayfield have been owned at a higher rate than their performance suggests, but they can be safely dropped this week with matchups against the Bills, 49ers, and Ravens respectively. You are not starting them and if you should not be concerned about your opponent starting them. If you've been using someone like Ryan Tannehill, but don't love his matchup this week, maybe hang onto him anyway because he's been good enough that he could be an upgrade for your opponent. This is the type of approach you should take towards all players.
Name Brands that Aren't Good
Odell Beckham has been terrible all season and now faces the Ravens. He's an easy drop. You can safely drop Cooper Kupp if you need to given his demotion to backup receiver and the bad matchup with the 49ers. In general, underperforming "stars" with bad matchups can be dropped.
Injured Players
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are both done for the season with hamstring strains. They are obvious drops. If the news on Dalvin Cook's shoulder is grim and he's not playing this week, he can be dropped. With Week 15 being a relatively light injury week, anyone hurt over the preceding weeks that you were holding out hope for a return can be let go once it's clear a return is not happening.
Handcuffs
It is the final week of the fantasy season. Either your handcuff is now the starter, or you don't need that handcuff. Handcuffing season is over.
Final Advice
This late in the season, you can pretty much drop anyone you don't have immediate use for. Your goal is to win your fantasy championship (or the third place prize if that matters in your league). That's really it. If you need a player to help you win Week 16, you can drop any player that is not going to help you win Week 16 and also won't help your opponent.
Even though we're at the end of the road and it's pretty much just hoping our players come through, there are still steps you can take to gain a small edge. You can utilize every available roster spot to benefit you. If your opponent is all set, then there's not much you can do. But, if your opponent needs to stream a defense or a quarterback or replace an injured receiver or running back, feel free to play defense and target the top guys you think your opponent will target. Use everything at your disposal to try and win this one last matchup.
