The Cut List - Players on the Chopping Block (Week 15)

December 10, 2019

NFL players to consider cutting, dropping or benching for Week 15 of the 2019 season. Jason Katz's list of fantasy football busts, injuries, and overrated players.

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 15 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.

Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing

Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB)

It's bordering on unfathomable that a matchup based streaming option is universally owned. Aaron Rodgers is still rostered in 99% of leagues. It's Week 14. Now to be fair, Week 14 did project as one of those matchups Rodgers can exploit. He has had immense success against the Eagles, Raiders, Chiefs, and Giants. With that being said, he closes out the season against the Bears and Vikings. While the Vikings aren't necessarily a difficult matchup, Rodgers has finished QB22 or worse in all but one game outside of those four. That game was Week 2 against the Vikings where he was QB17. When a matchup based streamer has only bad matchups remaining, he does not need to be owned.

Marquise Brown (WR, BAL)

This has been a long time coming. Marquise Brown has given fantasy owners five useful weeks all season. Every other week he's been a detriment. He has big play upside, but his floor is literally zero. If you've made it this far, you're not starting him and you will continue to not start him, so you might as well drop him for someone useful.

Tyler Lockett (WR, SEA)

If you survived Week 14 starting Tyler Lockett, congratulations. You now need to win Week 15 and you surely can't be starting Lockett, so just drop him. The Week 16 matchup is enticing, but so were Week 12 against Philly and Week 13 against Minnesota. Lockett hasn't just been bad, he's been completely useless for five straight weeks. Lockett has exploded twice this season for 32 points and 40 points. Those two weeks, you got an elite WR1. Every other week, collectively, you have a wide receiver ranked outside the top 50. That's how bad Lockett has been this season. This week against Carolina is an awful spot because the Panthers possess an embarrassingly bad run defense. Russell Wilson may not attempt 20 passes, leaving no volume for a receiver barely targeted anyway (15 targets over his past four games).

Mike Evans (WR, TB)

By now, you already know Mike Evans is done for the season with a hamstring strain. The strain itself isn't overly serious, but it's Week 15 and the Bucs are playing for nothing. If you hold Evans, you're doing it purely for sentimental reasons.

Bilal Powell (RB, NYJ)

Saturday's hottest pickup once Le'Veon Bell was ruled out can be dropped as quickly as he was added. Bilal Powell was a serviceable one week fill in. Bell will be back and Powell is now dealing with a foot injury. Powell may even find his way to IR.

LeSean McCoy and Darwin Thompson (RBs, KC)

It is uncertain whether Damien Williams will return. What is certain is that when he does, he will take back the lion's share of the snaps. LeSean McCoy and Darwin Thompson have spent the entire season on the Chiefs, yet both played fewer snaps than signed off the street last week Spencer Ware. That is all you need to know about McCoy and Thompson. The only member of this backfield that has any utility is a healthy Damien Williams.

Derrius Guice (RB, WAS)

See: Evans, Mike. Derrius Guice sprained his MCL last week and is also done for the season.

Rashaad Penny (RB, SEA)

See: Evans, Mike; Guice, Derrius. Rashaad Penny suffered an ACL injury on Sunday night and is done for the season.

Tevin Coleman (RB, SF)

Really guys? You made me put Tevin Coleman here again! In Week 13, Raheem Mostert definitely passed Coleman on the depth chart. In Week 14, Coleman did exactly what third string running backs do - nothing. Drop him already!

Players You May Be Considering Dropping, But Shouldn't

This late in the season, you can pretty much drop anyone you don't have immediate use for. Your goal is to win Week 15. That's really it. If you need a player to help you win Week 15, you can drop any player that is not going to help you win Week 15. It is unlikely that any specific player appears here again.

Players To Add - Waiver Wire Pickups