Fantasy Football Drops Before Week 12 - Time To Say Goodbye?

November 21, 2025

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!

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?

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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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