Dynasty League Cut List - Top Fantasy Football Drop Candidates for Week 3

September 17, 2025

Nick's top dynasty fantasy football drop candidates for dynasty leagues heading into Week 3 of 2025. Who is safe to cut in dynasty fantasy football leagues?

In dynasty fantasy football, roster spots are currency. Whether it’s a small league with real value still on the waiver wire or one with huge rosters in which any relevant player is liable to be on a roster already, managers have to reasonably predict the future.

The key part of this format is maximizing a roster from the top all the way to the bottom, which includes some churn -- and asking who not only has value now, but who will retain value in the future.

All of that means that it’s time to cut players from time to time. Let’s look at a few who can probably be cast off heading into Week 3.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Tennessee Titans

It’s sad to say for one of the one most consistent receivers of his era, but Lockett’s time appears to be past due. The Titans already roster Calvin Ridley and appear to have something in rookie Elic Ayomanor, who has played over 70% of snaps in both games this season and caught his first NFL touchdown in Week 2.

ELIC AYOMANOR WITH ONE HAND OH MY GOD 😱 😱 😱

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/ihWZfTB3CI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2025

Tight end Chig Okonkwo is still a major part of the Titans passing game, and the team also drafted two more rookies, Texas tight end Gunnar Helm and Florida receiver Chimere Dike, who are getting some run in the offense.

Lockett, meanwhile, played fewer than half of Tennessee’s snaps in Week 2, has two catches in two weeks, and is already coming off the worst statistical year of his career. He hasn’t had a top-15 finish at receiver since Week 10 of 2023, and now he’s on one of the NFL’s worst rosters, playing with a rookie quarterback, and losing time to others on the depth chart.

Given his history, making a low-stakes bet on Lockett before the season was reasonable, as plenty of receivers have had productive second acts given the opportunity on a new team. But the opening two weeks have shown Lockett is no longer a starting option in any format, and he’s unlikely to fetch anything in a trade.

Greg Dortch, WR, Arizona Cardinals

There were a lot of great signs that Dortch could be an effective bottom-of-the-roster wide receiver. He had the opportunity to be a regular slot target within an above-average offense and quarterback Kyler Murray has routinely talked up Dortch’s abilities.

But it just hasn’t really happened. Dortch has two top-40 finishes since the start of 2024, one of which was a two-touchdown game in a Week 18 matchup of eliminated teams. Even then, he hasn’t played more than 50% of the Cardinals’ snaps since Week 6 of last season, and he seems to be falling even further behind in 2025.

Through two weeks, Dortch has played just 15% and 18% of Arizona’s offensive snaps, drawing a total of two targets. His skill as a return man will keep him on the 53-man roster, but he’s getting nowhere close to the receiving volume to be relevant in fantasy.

After a great return by Greg Dortch on the Carolina punt, Kyler Murray and the offense go 45 yards in 47 seconds for a touchdown

It was Murray to Michael Wilson connecting for an 11-yard TD, allowing the #AZCardinals to go up 20-3 before the halfpic.twitter.com/CDtPeulOeX

— Colin McMahon (@ColinMcMahon31) September 14, 2025

Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders

It’s a sad, unfortunate reality of the NFL that an injury sometimes makes the decision, and that looks to be the case with Ekeler. By all accounts a popular teammate and a one-time major fantasy player, Ekeler (Achilles) is out for the remainder of the year and facing a murky future in the NFL.

MRI confirms Commanders RB Austin Ekeler suffered torn Achilles, out for the season. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/IlpULtvEoZ

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2025

The number of athletes who have come back from an Achilles injury and been the same is already low, and the odds of being a fantasy-relevant running back again are especially grim for Ekeler. Already age 30, the veteran is coming off a notoriously difficult injury to rehab and will be a pending free agent after this year. 

For now, Ekeler won’t harm anything in a free IR spot, which lets a manager see how free agency will play out. But for managers facing any kind of a roster crunch, history says the smart play is to bet against a running back under this set of circumstances.

Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are going through it right now, with multiple key players -- quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), and running back Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) -- facing injuries. 

Among them is Ty Chandler (knee), who was injured while returning a kick in Week 1 and placed on injured reserve. Once the second option out of the Minnesota backfield, the first couple weeks of the season have shown it will be difficult for him to get a meaningful number of carries with the Vikings. 

The team was not thoroughly impressed with his stints in prior years, acquiring Cam Akers midway through 2024 and trading for Jordan Mason before this season. Former undrafted free agent Zavier Scott also made the 53-man roster and is likely to get some run if Jones misses extended time.

End zone view of #Vikings RB Zavier Scott's 51 yards from scrimmage on 8 touches against the Texans.

6'1", 219. Former college WR. He's got some juice! pic.twitter.com/pDxIKnrRg9

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 11, 2025

Chandler certainly could hang out in an open IR spot until he returns, but managers have to ask themselves if their active roster needs a player who is, for all intents and purposes, only a kick returner in his current situation.

Grant Calcaterra, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Managers in dynasty formats should have a strategy for rostering high-quality backups and making well-timed waiver adds, which can pay huge dividends when a player like Mason or Geno Smith breaks out and/or earns a starting role.

Calcaterra has a pretty good situation that deserves some consideration, especially in tight-end premium formats. He’s the top fill-in for oft-injured starter Dallas Goedert, playing in an excellent offense, and, crucially, seems to be trusted by the Eagles coaching staff -- but Calcaterra just hasn’t had the receiving volume to merit a continued roster spot. Big missed blocks that put Jalen Hurts in jeopardy aren't helping the cause for more playing time, either.

#Eagles came out and dialed up a shot play on first snap of the game

There for the taking, but neither TE is able to keep blitzing DB off of Hurts to deliver, then Hurts has ball security stepping up in the pocket.

Missed opportunity from the jump downfield pic.twitter.com/MhwOAwSMYp

— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) September 15, 2025

Though he sees time even when Goedert is healthy and playing, Calcaterra has played more than 50% of Philadelphia’s snaps 14 times since the beginning of 2024 and caught a total of 20 passes during those games -- which is not enough to depend on in a fantasy lineup. 

Calcaterra is one of those players who has a clear current spot on a 53-man roster for a great team, though the popular waiver-wire add this week doesn't have a consistent enough receiving role to keep him around.

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