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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

The Cut List – Who to Drop for Week 12?

Robert Lorge's fantasy football players to drop when making waiver wire moves in Week 12. He helps fantasy football managers decide on who to cut from rosters.

In most leagues, there are only four games left before the playoffs, so it's time fantasy managers start thinking about Weeks 15–17 if they have that luxury. This is about the time of the season where I want to start to look at playoff matchups on the waiver wire and aim big. This applies towards quarterbacks and tight ends (especially if I'm streaming), but most definitely for defenses. I'm looking to lock up my handcuffs if I'm able to, assuming my starter has a legit handcuff behind them.

If you're still looking to lock up a playoff spot, we're living week-to-week. The only week that matters is the one we're in. Each win counts and fantasy managers need to be playing these weeks as if they're win or go home contests because they very well could be. I'm also looking for upside. Fantasy players that give you 7–10 points in PPR leagues are a dime a dozen and not worth holding onto unless there's an upside for more. Most of the time, this kind of production can be replicated by any player on the waiver wire if you play the matchups correctly.

So scour the waiver wire for those league-winners and high upside plays. Look for backup running backs who have an avenue to a large touch total should the starter get hurt. Start paying attention to future matchups. Every advantage counts.

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Quarterbacks to Drop for Week 12?

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

70.4% Rostership

It's been a rough three weeks for Carr and the Raiders' offense, but the reality is the struggles go back even further. He started off the 2021 season on fire with back-to-back-t0-back games of 21 or more points. He averaged over 400 passing yards per game and had two touchdowns in all three contests. His season, however, has been the tale of two halves. Fantasy managers have those first three games and whatever it is we've been seeing since then. In those first three games, he averaged 23.14 points per game. In the next seven, he's averaged 14.2 points.

In the last seven contests, he has just two games with over 20 points and another two under 10. He's been held to under 15 on four separate occasions. During that stretch, he's had nine turnovers compared to the two he had in Weeks 1–3. He went from averaging 401 passing yards per contest to 262 and from two touchdowns to 1.4 touchdowns per game.

What's absolutely absurd to me is that on ESPN Derek Carr is actually more rostered than Kirk Cousins. Carr's play recently has not provided fantasy managers with the confidence to put him into their starting lineup. In fact, at this stage, Carr is nothing more than a streamer and those aren't the kinds of players you need to keep on your roster week-to-week. The Raiders are severely lacking playmakers that Carr can utilize and threaten a defense.

 

Running Backs to Drop for Week 12?

D'Ernest Johnson, Cleveland Browns

74.5% Rostership

I had Johnson in this article last week and then Nick Chubb ended up missing Week 10 due to Covid-19, so that clearly did not work out well. I'm putting him back onto the Cut List this week. Outside of Week 10 when he was the starter, Johnson has averaged just 24 scrimmage yards since he burst onto the scene in Week 7. He did manage to find the end zone in Week 8, but that's just covering up how ineffective he's been with Chubb in the lineup. I dislike the argument of "if we take this play away...", but if we take away his one touchdown in Week 8, Johnson has scored just 7.6 points in the last three contests he's played with Chubb active for an average of 2.5 points per game.

Part of the reason Johnson was on the Cut List last week was because Hunt was eligible to come off the IR list. That didn't happen, but it's expected to happen for Week 12, which will send Johnson back to more irrelevance than he's been in the last three games he's played with Chubb. Fantasy managers can safely move on.

Mike Davis, Atlanta Falcons

70.2% Rostership

I wanted to hang onto Davis after Cordarrelle Patterson suffered an ankle sprain in Week 11 to see if that would give him life. What Week 12 told us was that Davis is 100% cuttable. In the past few weeks the Falcons' coaching staff has continued to find other running backs to give more touches to than Davis. Last week it was Wayne Gallman. Although, to be fair the majority of Gallman's touches came after the starters exited in the blowout loss to Dallas, which is part of the reason I wanted to give Davis one more week. Then this happened...

This really says it all and it's all fantasy managers need to know. Fantasy managers can safely move on from Mike Davis.

All Tennessee Titans Running Backs

Adrian Peterson made the Cut List last week and with good reason, but this week, we're just going to add every single Titans' running back. Don't bother wasting your time. This is a full-fledged committee and it's one fantasy managers should want nothing to do with. In Week 11, D'Onta Foreman led the backfield in snaps and touches, so naturally, fantasy football Twitter got all excited with his prospects of getting a game against the Houston Texans. And of course, the revenge narrative came because Foreman played for the Texans way back in 2014. Full disclosure, I have no idea when Foreman actually last played for the Texans, but it was a while ago and we really ought to put a time limit on what constitutes a revenge game. In any case, with all the excitement about Foreman entering Week 12, here's what actually happened...

To be fair, that was just the first half, but it didn't get any better. Dontrell Hilliard ended up with a halfway decent game in PPR scoring, but that's also the point. Who is Hilliard? The fact that fantasy managers don't know who to start or depend on from week to week is part of the problem. There are just too many unknowns for all the players and there's a complete lack of upside.

All Buffalo Bills Running Backs

Fantasy managers can safely drop Matt Breida, Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Yes, all of them. There is an absolutely disgusting three-way committee in Buffalo and it is one all fantasy managers should be running for the hills from.

Look at that distribution between these three players. Fantasy managers are seeing a split in all facets of the game and it's rendering all players irrelevant. The Bills are one of the most pass-heavy teams in the NFL and have a very limited number of touches available to their running backs, especially with Josh Allen commanding a share of the run game too. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting the offensive philosophy in Buffalo to change anytime soon, which means these three running backs will continue to be fairly useless in terms of fantasy value.

 

Wide Receivers to Drop for Week 12?

Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots

67.6% Rostership

This one might catch some people by surprise, but Meyers is just a terribly boring player. He doesn't have a single game of 14 or more points in half-PPR scoring. He has seven games with less than eight points. Mac Jones has had a terrific rookie season, but the passing game has still been fairly limited. The Patriots' passing game is only attempting 32 passes per game and averaging just 1.4 touchdowns per game. Early in the season, Meyers was Jones' undisputed favorite target, but that is shifting and it's been drastically affecting his fantasy value.

In the last three games, his target share has dropped even further. From Weeks 9–11, his target share has dropped to just 18.6%, which is tied with Kendrick Bourne and just 2.3% points ahead of Rhamondre Stevenson and Hunter Henry. With the limited passing volume and a lack of scoring opportunities, that decreased target share is minimizing his fantasy value. Right now, Meyers isn't producing any more different than a waiver wire wide receiver and fantasy managers shouldn't feel compelled to keep such a player on their roster.

Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs

36.5% Rostership

Fantasy managers have hung onto this belief that Hardman will become a fantasy asset because he's on the Chiefs' offense and he's catching passes from Patrick Mahomes and because of his second-round draft capital. In principle, all of those reasons were good enough to believe in his potential. Unfortunately, that potential becomes a tough sell and production needs to follow. That's never happened for Hardman, and right now his decrease in playing time and routes run signals fantasy managers should not be expecting it to happen anytime soon or ever.

It's fine to find value in a player because of their situation, but if the only thing you like about a player is their situation, they're likely going to disappoint. Eventually, they need to take advantage of their situation. Hardman hasn't and fantasy managers need to give up the dream.

 

Tight Ends to Drop for Week 12?

Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers

54.3% Rostership

There's no need to be rostering Cook on a weekly basis. He's nothing more than a streamer and his rostership should reflect that. The main reason Cook finds himself on the Cut List is because his target share and role seem to be declining, ever so slightly.

In the 2021 season, he is sitting on a 13.4% target share, which is a small number to start with. He's been so clearly the fourth option in the passing game behind Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler. If we look at Weeks 5–11, that number drops to 12.0%. In Weeks 7–11, it's down to 11.5%. In Weeks 9–11, it's down to 10.0%.

Week 4 has been the only week where fantasy managers can say Cook has provided them with a performance that gave them an advantage over their competition; he scored 16.0 points. The only other week he cracked double-digits was in Week 6 with 10.5 points. Fantasy managers can safely drop Cook and treat him as the streamer he is, especially with his declining role and target share.

 

On the Hot Seat

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

81.2% Rostership

It sucks to put a player you genuinely like on the Cut List, especially with how well he's played for Tennessee since becoming the starter, but this season hasn't been what we're used to seeing. Last year, Tannehill produced six games of 25 or more points. In 2019, he produced four such games in just 10 starts. This season, he has zero games of 25 or more points. The upside fantasy managers were chasing from the past is gone.

He has eight games with under 20 points. He had nine such games in 2020, but he has six more games on the docket. 36% of his starts have left fantasy managers with less than 15 points. And again, he's had exactly zero boom weeks. It's getting harder and harder to trust Tannehill and the offensive injuries are only getting worse.

We all know Derrick Henry and Julio Jones are on IR, but in Week 11, A.J. Brown got banged up and his status is unknown. Anthony Firkser also missed Week 11 and Marcus Johnson was ruled out with a hamstring injury he suffered early in that contest. It's hard to drop someone who has been so dependable for fantasy managers, but this is a new offense with a new offensive coordinator and no Derrick Henry. I'm not fully ready to drop Tannehill because I trust in the talent of Brown and am hopeful that they'll eventually lean into the passing game more than they have without Henry. However, I'm starting to lose my patience and fantasy managers should be too.

 

Hold On

Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks

50.5% Rostership

It's tough to hold onto Alex Collins and I can understand if it's a tough sell, but here's the thing... he's a starting running back. Now, I know I proposed cutting all of the running backs for the Titans and Bills, but they don't really have a starting running back – they are true committees. The Seahawks do, he just hasn't been very effective. However, since becoming the starter in Week 5, Collins has averaged 14 touches per game. Unfortunately, he's only been able to post double-digit points in one of those games. It should be noted, however, three of those six games were played without Russell Wilson, which is unquestionably going to negatively affect the offense.

With Chris Carson on IR for the rest of the season and Rashaad Penny hurt again, Collins is pretty much the only guy Pete Carroll can turn to. DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer are not guys who are going to run in between the tackles and they're not goal-line backs. As long as Collins continues operating in the role he currently has, fantasy managers should continue stashing him. He can't be started right now, but the fact of the matter is, there are very few running backs getting 14 touches per game. With Wilson at quarterback and Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf at receiver, it's only a matter of time before this offense starts producing more points. When they do, Collins will be the one getting the chance to punch in those short-yardage scores. It's been tough for a few weeks, but it's impossible to drop a de facto starting running back this season with all the injuries across the league.

Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

45.7% Rostership

It's been an awful sophomore season for Shenault. There's no way around that. Many fantasy managers had hopes of his role expanding when D.J. Chark when down with his season-ending injury, but all that did was push Shenault out of the slot and out wide where he's had a much harder time being successful. The injury moved Jamal Agnew into the slot and he immediately became a streaming-worthy flex play in full-PPR leagues. Shenault struggled to maintain his fantasy relevance. In Week 11, however, Agnew became the latest injury for the Jaguars' skilled players. He went down with a torn ACL, which allowed Shenault to move back into the slot.

In Week 11, he ran the most routes out of the slot for the Jaguars since Week 4. Any guesses on what Shenault did in Week 4? He had seven targets, which led the team. He turned those seven targets into a team-leading six receptions and 99 yards. In Week 11, he had five targets and caught all of them for 50 yards.

Trevor Lawrence is running out of weapons to throw the ball to. He's essentially down to Marvin Jones Jr., Dan Arnold and Shenault. Shenault is likely going to be the full-time slot receiver. Since Agnew became the full-time slot receiver in Week 5, he's been the WR31 in full-PPR scoring. I understand no one is getting excited about a WR3, but that's a quality player to have on your bench. The slot position has been a fairly productive one in the Jaguars' offense and Shenault will now revert back to the role he seems best suited for.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Place Uchenna Nwosu on PUP List
Taylor Decker

Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker Placed on PUP List
Tyrion Davis-Price

Titans Waive Tyrion Davis-Price
Tre Harris

Chargers Relying on Tre Harris to Be Starting X Receiver
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Micah Parsons

Will Become Highest-Paid Non-QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Vying for RB2 Role
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Lamar Jackson

to be Even Better in 2025?
Tre Harris

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Justin Herbert

Off to Good Start at Training Camp
Jameson Williams

Earning Rave Reviews from Lions Coaches
Christian Mahogany

Expected to Start for Lions
Zach Allen

an Extension Candidate in Denver?
Zaire Franklin

May Miss Start of Training Camp
Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard Returning to Portland
Mason Taylor

to Play "Crucial" Role in Jets' Offense
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
T.J. Watt

Once Again Becomes Highest-Paid Non-QB
RJ Harvey

Reaches Agreement on Four-Year Rookie Contract
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Believe Rashee Rice Will Receive Two- to Four-Game Suspension
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF