👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

The Cut List - Players on the Chopping Block (Week 16)

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.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

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.

Players To Add - Waiver Wire Pickups




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Drake Maye

Looking to Build Off MVP Finalist Campaign
Garrett Wilson

Could Continue to be Held Back by Quarterback Situation
Jaylen Waddle

Has Volume-Driven Upside Despite Quarterback Change
Jonathon Brooks

to Compete for Lead Role in Carolina?
Malik Nabers

Alone in Giants' Wide Receiver Room?
Josh Downs

to See Larger Role Going Forward?
Auston Matthews

Exits Game With Injury
Jimmy Snuggerud

Scores Twice Versus Carolina
Michael Misa

Delivers Multi-Point Performance on Thursday
Keyonte George

to Be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Isaac Okoro

Remains Out Thursday
Ayo Dosunmu

Could Miss Second Straight Game Friday
Emari Demercado

Chiefs Sign Emari Demercado to One-Year Deal
Patrick Williams

Ruled Out Thursday
Zach Charbonnet

Knee Surgery Goes "Very Well"
LeBron James

Returns to Action Thursday
Guerschon Yabusele

Unavailable Thursday Night
George Holani

to Have Bigger Role in Seattle's Backfield?
Matas Buzelis

Will Play Against Lakers
Josh Giddey

Cleared to Face Lakers
Jalen Smith

Cleared to Play Thursday
Moses Moody

to Miss Fifth Straight Game Friday
Collin Sexton

Out Thursday Against Lakers
Quinten Post

Iffy for Friday
De'Anthony Melton

Listed as Questionable for Friday
Josh Hart

May Miss Another Game Friday
Day'Ron Sharpe

to Miss Remainder of Season
Karl-Anthony Towns

Questionable to Face Pacers Friday
Keyonte George

Sidelined Against Portland
Harrison Barnes

Returns to Spurs Lineup
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Questionable for Friday Due to Back Issue
Darius Garland

Ruled Out Friday Vs. Bulls
Derrick White

Misses Thursday's Game
Blake Snell

Around Six Weeks From Being Fully Built Up
Alijah Vera-Tucker

Expects to be Cleared for OTAs
Al-Quadin Muhammad

Buccaneers Sign Al-Quadin Muhammad to a One-Year Deal
Kylen Granson

Titans Sign Kylen Granson to One-Year Deal
Connor Heyward

Raiders Sign Fullback Connor Heyward
Jaquan Brisker

Steelers to Sign Jaquan Brisker
C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Signs a One-Year Deal with the Bills
Emanuel Wilson

Seahawks Sign Emanuel Wilson to a One-Year Deal
Calvin Austin III

Giants Sign Calvin Austin III
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars Deny Shopping Brian Thomas Jr.
Kyler Murray

Vikings Sign Kyler Murray to a One-Year Deal
Bobby Brink

a Game-Time Decision for Meeting with Flyers
Evander Kane

Available Against Predators
Mark Stone

a Game-Time Call Thursday
Carter Verhaeghe

Anton Lundell Won't Play Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Returns to Action Thursday
Andrew Copp

to Sit Out Two Weeks
Dylan Larkin

Ruled Out for Two Weeks
Dre Greenlaw

49ers Reuniting With Dre Greenlaw on One-Year Deal
Tutu Atwell

Dolphins Sign Wideout Tutu Atwell to One-Year Deal
Zack Wheeler

to Face Hitters in Live Batting Practice on Saturday
Gerrit Cole

Could Pitch in a Spring Game Next Week
Matthew Boyd

Named the Cubs' Opening Day Starter
Francisco Lindor

Remains on Schedule for Opening Day
Spencer Knight

Available Thursday
William Eklund

Questionable to Play Thursday
Alex Ovechkin

Records Power-Play Assist
Lane Hutson

Extends Road Point Streak to 10 Games
Ivan Demidov

Bags Two Points in Wednesday's Win
Nick Schmaltz

Inks Eight-Year Extension With Mammoth
Owen Tippett

Multi-Point Effort Leads Philadelphia to a Victory
Drake Batherson

Scores Twice Versus Montreal
Bryce Miller

Shuts Down Bullpen Due to More Oblique Discomfort
Zac Gallen

Named Arizona's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Teel

Could Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Josh Hader

to Start the Year on the Injured List
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Shayne Gostisbehere

to Remain Out for "Couple of Games"
Robert Thomas

Blues Hopeful Robert Thomas Can Play Through Upper-Body Injury
Ross Colton

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Tuesday Night
Kyle Teel

Exits Tuesday's Game With Hamstring Injury
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Heading to Players Championship
Rory McIlroy

Set to Return at Players Championship to Defend Title
Jake Knapp

Set to Return at Players Championship
Viktor Hovland

Continues Strong Start to 2026 Season
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking for Bounce-Back at Players Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Will Need to Find Putter to Compete at Players Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Continues Improving Heading to Players Championship
Merrill Kelly

Set to Make Spring Training Debut on Friday
Francisco Lindor

"100 Percent Optimistic" he Can be Ready for Opening Day
Justin Thomas

Continues Competitive Return at The Players Championship
Corbin Carroll

Set to Play in Cactus League Game on Wednesday
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo, Phillies Agree on Five-Year Extension
Corbin Carroll

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
Max Holloway

Drops Decision At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Becomes The New BMF Champion
Caio Borralho

Bounces Back
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Rob Font

Gets Dominated
Raul Rosas Jr.

Extends His Win Streak
Michael Johnson

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Drew Dober

Knocks Out Michael Johnson
Rafael Devers

Back in Cactus League Lineup on Monday
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Consecutive Phoenix Cup Series Win
Christopher Bell

Falls Short of Victory Despite Dominating at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Earns Hard-Fought Finish of Third at Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Quietly Gains Another Top-Five Finish at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Crashes out at Phoenix Despite Strong Run
Tarik Skubal

Could Make Another Start in World Baseball Classic
Jackson Chourio

Should Return to WBC Lineup on Monday
Byron Buxton

"Fine" After Being Hit by Pitch
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF