The Cut List - Players on the Chopping Block (Week 2)

September 10, 2019

NFL players to consider cutting, dropping or benching for Week 2 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 2 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

Donte Moncrief (WR, PIT)

We know the Steelers WR2 has fantasy value. We also know that Donte Moncrief has never and will never actually be good at football. However, if he was the guy in that role, there was a shot he'd have fantasy value. As it turns out, talent, or complete lack thereof, wins out. Moncrief is awful and it is only a matter of time before Diontae Johnson is the clear WR2.

Dante Pettis (WR, SF)

If you want to hold for one more week just to see how much of Week 1 was Dante Pettis being hurt as opposed to him just not be in the team's plans, there is nothing wrong with that. His name is here because he played two snaps last week and is not a must hold. Marquise Goodwin and Deebo Samuel appear to be the WR1 and WR2 and this passing attack funnels through George Kittle. You can let Pettis go.

Dare Ogunbowale (RB, TB)

No one should feel bad about throwing a dart at Dare Ogunbowale. We knew it was a long shot. After not registering a single carry in Week 1 and Ronald Jones looking not completely terrible, it is clear that the Ogunbowale takeover is not imminent. Combine that with the fact that his situation is less than ideal on an offense with arguably the worst starting quarterback in the NFL and you can send him on his way.

Tony Pollard (RB, DAL)

It was worth hanging onto Tony Pollard just to see what would happen Week 1. We got our answer. He is a pure handcuff. With Ezekiel Elliott having another full week to prepare, Pollard will barely play at all. Pollard is right up there with Jaylen Samuels as the league's best handcuff, but he is still just a handcuff and has no value unless Zeke goes down.

Rashaad Penny (RB, SEA)

Everything I wrote about Pollard applies to Rashaad Penny. He's another pure handcuff. If Chris Carson goes down, Penny will command a heavy investment in terms of FAAB, just like Pollard would. But you don't need to hang onto him hoping that happens.

Darwin Thompson (RB, KC)

This guy isn't even a handcuff. If either Damien Williams or LeSean McCoy gets hurt, Darwin Thompson might be an RB4, at best. For now, this is a timeshare between McCoy and Williams, which is going to flip heavily in favor of McCoy as early as this week. Either way, Thompson needs two injuries to be useful.

Warning Signals

Sony Michel (RB, NE)

IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ. I had to put the caps in there for the portion of you that just look at the names and don't read the commentary. If you are going to read commentary on one player this week, let it be Sony Michel. I am not advocating that you should drop Michel. His name is here because of the giant red flags surrounding him after that performance Sunday night.

We know Michel is a one-dimensional running back. He is not involved at all in the passing game. If he sees 15 targets on the season, that would be a lot. We drafted him because we believe he has league-leading touchdown upside on a team we expected to be leading a lot and thus running in positive game script. I cannot fathom game script any better than what the Patriots experienced Sunday night. They led wire to wire and ran 29 running plays. You can look at Michel's team-high 15 carries, more than the rest of the backs combined, and be encouraged. Or, you can look at the fact that the Patriots did whatever they wanted offensively, including running the ball extremely efficiently...with everyone except Sony Michel.

I don't know how to look at this performance and not be terrified that Rex Burkhead is just going to out snap Michel going forward. Burkhead was the better player and we know Belichick doesn't care about draft capital and who runs the ball for his team. Again, do not go out of your way to drop Michel. I don't think there are any surefire must-add running backs this week to the extent that you know they are locks to contribute long-term that would warrant having to drop Michel. His name is here because he had a fourth-round ADP and I doubt anyone is seriously considering dropping him. I want to let you know that it is okay if you want to drop him.

Players You May Be Considering Dropping, But Shouldn't

Jaylen Samuels (RB, PIT)

I know this makes me seem like a huge hypocrite after advocating for dropping all the pure handcuffs. Here is where Jaylen Samuels differs. He played on 23 snaps Sunday night (compared to 38 from James Conner). He was on the field with Conner multiple times. And quite frankly, Conner just isn't that good of a player. If the Steelers' offensive situation deteriorates in the post Antonio Brown era and Conner goes down with it, the switch to Samuels could come. It is worth hanging onto if you can.

Dion Lewis (RB, TEN)

It was the Derrick Henry show on Sunday and rightfully so. Henry is a much better player than Lewis. But Lewis is still the clear passing down back and the Titans aren't going to experience that positive of game script every week. He will have his weeks where he gobbles up the targets and pushes Henry to the bench in comeback mode. Predicting when those games are will prove difficult, but they will happen and he is worth hanging onto if you can.

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