Weekend Players To Cut for Week 15 Lineups - Romeo Doubs, Trey Benson, Troy Franklin, Tyrod Taylor, Darren Waller, Oronde Gadsden II, Isiah Pacheco, Nick Chubb, Alvin Kamara, DJ Moore

December 13, 2025

Updated weekend fantasy football cut list rankings for Week 15 of 2025. The top fantasy football players to drop and cut from rosters include Trey Benson, DJ Moore, Oronde Gadsden II, Troy Franklin, more.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Cut List Rankings for fantasy football Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. With the fantasy football playoffs officially undwr, it is time to cut some underperforming or injured players like Romeo Doubs, Trey Benson, Troy Franklin, Tyrod Taylor, Darren Waller, Oronde Gadsden II, Isiah Pacheco, Nick Chubb, Alvin Kamara, DJ Moore, and more.

In this Week 15 edition, we continue to focus on injured players expected to miss time and players on bye who may be causing roster crunches. We're here to determine if fantasy managers should continue to stash these underperforming players in hopes they turn the corner, or instead pivot to high-upside lottery tickets for the playoff run.

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 15 of the NFL season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 15?

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:

Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (Cut List Ranking No. 1)

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) will not be activated off Injured Reserve for the team's Week 15 matchup against the Houston Texans, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Since Benson will not return within his 21-day activation window, he will revert to season-ending IR and will not be eligible to return in 2025. Benson suffered a knee injury in Week 4 that was serious enough to land him on IR, but was not thought at the time to be season-ending.

It's unclear whether the 23-year-old suffered a setback once his activation window was opened, or if the 3-10 Cardinals are simply choosing to be cautious with their potential running back of the future. Either way, Benson should now be completely off the radar of redraft fantasy managers for the remainder of 2025. His absence ups the value of Cardinals running backs Bam Knight and Michael Carter, who should continue to see the majority of the team's backfield snaps. Emari Demercado (ankle) could play a role in Arizona as well once he returns from the ankle injury that has sidelined him since Week 11.

Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins (Cut List Ranking No. 39)

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright recorded his first career 100-yard game in the Week 14 win over the New York Jets, handling 24 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. Wright dominated the touches in Miami's backfield after De'Von Achane (ribs) left in the second quarter due to a rib injury. Entering Week 14, the 22-year-old running back had only played 37 snaps with 18 carries in five games this season, but he leapfrogged rookie Ollie Gordon II against the Jets. With Achane going out, the second-year back played 37 snaps and set a career high with 24 carries.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Achane could have returned to the game, but he also said Monday that Achane may require additional rest. With Achane's status for Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in question, Wright could be in line for another workhorse-type role. He'd profile as a plug-and-play RB2 in Week 15 if Achane is ruled out.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Washington Commanders (Cut List Ranking No. 62)

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin) was able to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday after being held out on Wednesday due to a groin injury. While Rodriguez Jr.'s status for the team's Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants is still in question, his ability to practice on Thursday is obviously a positive sign. Across 11 games this season, the 25-year-old has recorded 81 carries for 372 yards and four touchdowns.

Rodriguez Jr. appears to be emerging as the lead back in Washington, as he's earned double-digit carries in four out of his last five outings. If he's sidelined against the Giants, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols would likely handle the majority of the team's backfield snaps. If active, Rodriguez Jr. profiles as a low-end fantasy RB2/high-end flex option for fantasy managers in Week 15.

Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (Cut List Ranking No. 38)

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal recorded 14 carries for 44 yards while adding one catch for a team-leading 60 receiving yards on three targets in Monday's overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Vidal still narrowly led the Chargers in carries over rookie Omarion Hampton, who handled 13 carries for 56 yards in his first game since Week 5. On the Chargers' first third down of the game, Vidal slipped out of the backfield for a checkdown from quarterback Justin Herbert and burst down the sideline for a 60-yard gain.

It marked the longest play of the second-year back's career, and he continues to make the most of his opportunities. Since Vidal took over in Week 6 after Hampton's injury, he's totaled 131 carries for 569 yards and three touchdowns with 13 receptions (19 targets) for 102 yards and another score as a receiver, ranking as the RB13 in total PPR points in that time. The 24-year-old running back's role will decrease with Hampton back, but he should continue to stay involved as an important piece of the Chargers' offense.

Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders (Cut List Rankings No. 32)

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that the team is not talking about shutting down quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) for the year, according to Tom Schad of Post Sports. Daniels has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the New York Giants after aggravating his left elbow during last week's loss to the Minnesota Vikings in his first game since dislocating his elbow in Week 9.

The second-year quarterback is expected to play again this season, as the injury is not considered to be a long-term issue, but the possibility that Daniels doesn't return this season appears more likely now. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year's sophomore season has been overshadowed by injury, as he also missed two games to a knee injury and one game to a hamstring injury before his elbow issue. Marcus Mariota is set to make his seventh start of the year in Week 15 versus the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Adonani Mitchell, WR, New York Jets (Cut List Ranking No. 28)

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was a hot waiver-wire pickup last week after his eight-catch, 102-yard performance on a season-high 12 targets that included his first touchdown of the season in the Week 13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Fantasy managers who picked him up and started him in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins were disappointed, though, as he caught just one of six targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 34-10 loss.

The 23-year-old wasn't helped by the fact that quarterback Tyrod Taylor injured his groin early in the game and never returned. Justin Fields (knee) was inactive, so third-stringer Brady Cook was forced into action and struggled mightily. Mitchell will continue to get opportunities in New York's offense with Garrett Wilson (knee) potentially done for the year, but outside of his strong Week 13 performance, Mitchell has caught only four of 19 targets for 76 yards in his other three games for the Jets.

He'll be a low-floor WR4/flex in deeper fantasy leagues heading into a Week 15 matchup against the first-place Jaguars with New York's QB situation unsettled.

Waiver Wire Articles

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

• Week 15 waiver wire pickups (all positions)
• Week 15 running back waiver wire pickups
• Week 15 wide receiver waiver wire pickups
• Week 15 tight end waiver wire pickups
• Week 15 quarterback waiver wire pickups
• Week 15 defense (D/ST) streamers and pickups
• Week 15 kicker streamers and pickups
• Week 15 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