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Andy's top fantasy football drops to consider making before Week 12 of the fantasy football season. Time to say goodbye to players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt, T.J. Hockenson, and more?
With the full Week 12 slate just hours away, you may need to make some last-minute adjustments to your lineup. With injuries to many key players beginning to pile up, like Josh Jacobs (knee) and Garrett Wilson (knee), managers may need to cut ties with some bench players to fill the lineup.
In this week's edition, we will spotlight a few players, such as a running back who is quickly losing his grip on the starting job, who have been dropped in many Yahoo! leagues, and determine if managers should continue to hold them or cut ties before Week 12.
Who should fantasy managers cut before the full Week 12 slate begins? Let's dive in!
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Players to Consider Cutting for Week 12
J.J. McCarthy, MIN - 45% Rostered
J.J. McCarthy was a popular stash candidate in deep 12+ team leagues as he was working his way back from his ankle injury. In his first game post-injury in Week 9, he flashed solid upside, tallying 22.4 PPR points en route to defeating the Lions. In this contest. McCarthy punched in three scores (two passing) with 142 passing yards.
However, over the last two games, McCarthy has posted a 2:4 TD:INT and is averaging just 199.0 passing yards per game. In Week 11, the second-year QB scored just 11.5 PPR points with two turnovers in their loss to the Bears.
Kevin Byard picks off JJ McCarthy for his league-leading 5th INT!
CHIvsMIN on FOX/FOX One+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/314cxCU8SZ
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
Given his inconsistencies and poor decision-making, McCarthy is a safe drop in all one-QB leagues ahead of Week 12. There are other QBs on the waiver wire like Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, and Bryce Young who have shown a safer floor and much higher upside.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WSH - 65% Rostered
After being a popular late offseason draft sleeper, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt has lost much of his lustre. Over the past four weeks, Croskey-Merritt has begun to hit a massive slump and is quickly losing the starting job. During this four-game stretch, he is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry and has tallied just 3.7 PPR points per game.
In addition, last Sunday in Madrid, Chris Rodriguez Jr. logged a massive 45% of the snaps, compared to Croskey-Merritt's 27%. This was the first time Rodriguez logged more snaps than him in a single game. Seeing his stark drop in efficiency and snap share, he is a safe cut in all 12-team leagues.
T.J. Hockenson, MIN - 70% Rostered
Another Viking that is quickly seeing his fantasy stock drop is tight end T.J. Hockenson. Since tallying 10.3 PPR points back in Week 7, the veteran tight end has yet to eclipse the double-digit PPR point mark. During this four-game stretch, Hockenson has averaged just 5.9 PPR points and is averaging only 2.3 receptions per game.
Given McCarthy's struggles as a passer, Hockenson is a low-end TE2 in all formats, going forward. Due to the crowded and inconsistent nature of the Minnesota offence, Hockenson is the No. 4 option (behind Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones Sr., and Jordan Addison) with a QB that is struggling to find his footing.
Parker Washington, JAC - 40% Rostered
The final player to consider putting in standard leagues is Parker Washington. After posting an eight-catch, 90-yard line back in Week 9, Washington has seen his production steadily drop. In Week 10, he caught just three passes, but one of them was in the back of the end zone to salvage his day.
Heck of a grab by Parker Washington for six 🔥
JAXvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/zsf2B6lDP9
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
However, in Week 11, he was targeted just twice and caught both passes for 20 yards.
With Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) making progress and nearing a return and Brenton Strange (hip) working his way back from IR, Washington's target share will drop. In addition, with Jakobi Meyers now on the roster, Washington faces even more competition.
While he could still enjoy spike weeks, his consistency will be very difficult to trust in standard 12-team formats, making him a safe cut in all standard formats.
Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 12?
| Rank | Player Name | Position | % Ros | Baller Move |
| 1 | Joe Mixon | RB | 30 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 50 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Calvin Ridley | WR | 40 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | Travis Hunter | WR | 30 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 5 | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | 15 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 6 | Kyler Murray | QB | 40 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 7 | Justin Fields | QB | 35 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 8 | Emari Demercado | RB | 25 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 9 | Eddy Pineiro | K | 40 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 10 | Dallas Cowboys DEF | DST | 15 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 11 | New England Patriots DEF | DST | 70 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons DEF | DST | 45 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 13 | Evan Engram | TE | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 14 | Matthew Golden | WR | 50 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 15 | Matt Prater | K | 80 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 16 | Wil Lutz | K | 50 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 17 | Cameron Dicker | K | 80 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 18 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 70 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 19 | Parker Washington | WR | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 20 | J.J. McCarthy | QB | 45 | Hold in two-QB leagues |
| 21 | Jayden Daniels | QB | 70 | Hold in two-QB leagues |
| 22 | Sam LaPorta | TE | 85 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 23 | Zach Ertz | TE | 65 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 24 | Joe Flacco | QB | 50 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 25 | Rachaad White | RB | 75 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 26 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 65 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 27 | Nick Chubb | RB | 50 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 28 | Jordan Mason | RB | 75 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 29 | T.J. Hockenson | TE | 70 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 30 | Cade Otton | TE | 55 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 31 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | 35 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 32 | Darius Slayton | WR | 40 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 33 | Garrett Wilson | WR | 85 | Hold |
| 34 | Dalton Kincaid | TE | 80 | Hold |
| 35 | Theo Johnson | TE | 60 | Hold |
| 36 | Kyle Pitts Sr. | TE | 80 | Hold |
| 37 | Quentin Johnston | WR | 75 | Hold |
| 38 | Keenan Allen | WR | 75 | Hold |
| 39 | Colston Loveland | TE | 45 | Hold |
| 40 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 90 | Hold |
| 41 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 60 | Hold |
| 42 | Oronde Gadsden II | TE | 75 | Hold |
| 43 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 75 | Hold |
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Sean Tucker, Darnell Mooney, Josh Downs, Emanuel Wilson, and Michael Wilson:
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