Top Players To Cut for Week 12 Lineups - Sam LaPorta, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, J.J. McCarthy, J.K. Dobbins, Calvin Ridley, Jayden Daniels, Aaron Rodgers, Emari Demercado, Colston Loveland, Parker Washington

November 17, 2025

Updated weekend fantasy football cut list rankings for Week 12 of 2025. The top fantasy football players to drop and cut from rosters including Sam LaPorta, J.K. Dobbins, Calvin Ridley, Chuba Hubbard, more

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Cut List Rankings for fantasy football Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. In Week 12 of the NFL season, managers saw several players continue to lose fantasy value, including Cooper Kupp, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and J.J. McCarthy.

In addition, over the past week, several players suffered injuries, such as J.K. Dobbins (foot), Sam LaPorta (back), and Calvin Ridley (lower leg), that are expected to keep them sidelined for the foreseeable future.

So, which injured or disappointing players is it time to get rid of for fantasy football lineups? Read about our top players to cut for Week 12 of the NFL season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 12?

The top players to consider cutting for fantasy football, in priority order. Players at the top of the list should be dropped first and replaced on the waiver wire:

Fantasy Football Drop Candidates

Read the recent news and fantasy outlooks of some of the top cut candidates:

J.K. Dobbins, RB - Denver Broncos (Cut List Ranking No. 1)

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (foot) has a "significant" foot injury that will require season-ending surgery, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Dobbins suffered the injury in Week 10 and had already been ruled out for Denver's Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he will now be placed on Injured Reserve. It's an unfortunate development for the oft-injured 26-year-old, who was having a solid season in his first year in Denver.

Through 10 games, Dobbins had recorded 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries. With Dobbins sidelined, Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey profiles as the team's RB1 for Week 11 and beyond. Fellow backs Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin could also factor in Denver, but neither profiles as a true threat to surpass Harvey.

Calvin Ridley, WR - Tennessee Titans (Cut List Ranking No. 2)

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (leg) broke his fibula during Sunday's Week 11 contest against the Houston Texans, according to interim head coach Mike McCoy. Ridley is done for the season. It's been a very frustrating year for the veteran receiver health-wise. After a slow start offensively, he finally found a groove with five catches and 131 yards in Week 5.

The next week, though, he injured his hamstring, forcing him to miss three games. He finally returned from that injury this Sunday before breaking his fibula just one quarter into Week 11. The 30-year-old finishes the 2025 season with 17 catches, 303 yards, and zero touchdowns through parts of seven games. Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike (concussion), and Van Jefferson will operate as the Titans' top receivers for the rest of the season.

Aaron Rodgers, QB - Pittsburgh Steelers (Cut List Ranking No. 24)

NFL insider Ian Rapoport mentioned on Good Morning Football that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) is dealing with a fracture in his left wrist, but has not been ruled out for Sunday and is pushing to play. Rodgers missed the entire second half of Sunday's game with the injury, and backup quarterback Mason Rudolph played great, completing 12 of 16 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

If Rodgers were to miss time, Rudolph, who does have 32 career NFL games under his belt, is a solid backup quarterback who can certainly keep the Steelers afloat. Through 11 weeks of the season, Rodgers has thrown for 1,969 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and has been a fantasy streamer quarterback at best at this point in his career.

The Steelers face the Chicago Bears in Week 12, who allow the third most points to the quarterback position in fantasy football, making Rudolph a solid QB2 streamer if Rodgers doesn't go.

Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals (Cut List Ranking No. 18)

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (ankle) exited during the second quarter of Sunday's Week 11 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. At the time of his departure, he had eight rushing yards on five carries, plus two catches for an additional 12 receiving yards.

Demercado had been sharing reps as part of the Cardinals' backfield committee, so Bam Knight should take over as the primary running back for the duration of his absence. Michael Carter also figures to earn some touches.

With Trey Benson (knee) nearing a return, Demercado could continue to see his fantasy value drop.

Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions (Cut List Ranking No. 37)

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) was placed on Injured Reserve ahead of the Week 11 Sunday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles. LaPorta did not practice this week and was ruled out before their primetime game against the Eagles.

Through nine games, LaPorta has hauled in 40 of 49 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns, ranking as the TE8 in PPR formats. LaPorta's absence should upgrade the other weapons across the board, especially Jameson Williams and tight end Brock Wright, who is questionable to play this weekend with an ankle injury.

The next chance that LaPorta has to return is in Week 15, when they head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams.

Waiver Wire Articles

After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:

• Week 12 waiver wire pickups (all positions)
• Week 12 running back waiver wire pickups
• Week 12 wide receiver waiver wire pickups
• Week 12 tight end waiver wire pickups
• Week 12 quarterback waiver wire pickups
• Week 12 defense (D/ST) streamers and pickups
• Week 12 kicker streamers and pickups
• Week 12 FAAB waiver wire bids

Each week, our NFL team puts out a complete array of fantasy football waiver wire articles to compliment our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers and more throughout the week.

More Waiver Wire Analysis