The Cut List - Players on the Chopping Block (Week 5)

October 1, 2019

NFL players to consider cutting, dropping or benching for Week 5 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 5 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

Mecole Hardman (WR, KC)

You can always roster Chiefs players because of the upside Patrick Mahomes presents, but you don't need to keep Mecole Hardman. It's abundantly clear that he is, at best, the fifth option in the passing game right now behind Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, and the running backs. Once Tyreek Hill returns, which appears to be no more than three weeks away, Hardman's value evaporates. Despite his splash play ability and the fact that we saw him engaging in some of the pre-snap motion that Hill typically does, he's still only averaging five targets a game and has caught just two balls each of the past two weeks. If he doesn't bust a long touchdown, you'll be wishing you started anyone else.

Duke Johnson (RB, HOU)

It's time to close the book on Duke Johnson. We've been waiting for him to command a larger workload, but it's time to accept that maybe Johnson just isn't that good. He is definitively behind Carlos Hyde on the depth chart and it's not particularly close. This Texans offense also doesn't appear to be as prolific as we expected. Johnson has cleared double digit fantasy points just once in the first four weeks. He's not getting goal line work and he's not even out-targeting Hyde consistently. It's time to let go.

Tarik Cohen (RB, CHI)

Through four games, Tarik Cohen has just 13 carries and since his eight catch Week 1, he's caught exactly two balls a game since. Cohen played a mere 39% of the snaps this past week. He is not a deliberate part of the offense and the offense isn't particularly good to begin with. Mitch Trubisky missing time could potentially be a boon as Chase Daniel is a far superior quarterback, but it's not like Daniel is transforming this team into anything other than get a small lead and sit on it with defense. Cohen's fantasy value is dust.

Rex Burkhead (RB, NE)

Why did you even pick him up? Rex Burkhead's usage in Week 3 was purely a product of James White being out. Burkhead did not log a single carry last week and he is a little banged up. White is the only reliable Patriots' running back. Burkhead should be released as quickly as you added him.

Adrian Peterson (RB, WAS)

I know it's tempting to keep Adrian Peterson because he's a starting running back in the NFL. But is he really? He played just 39% of the snaps last week and has proven incapable of performing even in neutral game script. Simply put, he's done. Chris Thompson is the all around better player and the usage reflects that. Peterson should retire from football, but not before you retire from owning Peterson.

O.J. Howard (TE, TB)

It's time. We are now a quarter of the way through the season and O.J. Howard is clearly irrelevant to the Bucs' passing game. The team scored 55 points last week and Howard saw just three targets. He has played and been healthy in all four games and hasn't surpassed five targets in any of them. I have resisted this long enough, but Howard is a mega bust in 2019.

Warning Signals

Sony Michel (RB, NE)

This is the final week I will list Sony Michel here. The warning signals have been here since Week 1 and I have resisted making him an official cut. He has one more chance. Michel once again proved pretty useless as a football player, with just 63 yards on 17 carries. If he can't do anything against the Redskins this week in a game the Patriots will control from the opening kick, then it's time to cut bait.

Players You May Be Considering Dropping, But Shouldn't

Curtis Samuel (WR, CAR)

Through four games, Curtis Samuel has posted yardage totals of 32, 53, and 32 in three of them. Playing with a backup quarterback, you may be inclined to cut bait. I say wait. Samuel is still averaging 7.75 targets per game. He's seen seven targets in each game Kyle Allen has started, which extrapolates to over 110 on the season. There will be higher scoring games ahead.

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