The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 6

Rob's fantasy football players to drop when making waiver wire moves for Week 6 (2025). He helps fantasy football managers decide on who to cut from rosters.

With bye weeks now in full swing, fantasy managers may be surprised to see what players they may find on the waiver wire. Sometimes teams get desperate, or injuries force them to cut a player they would otherwise like to keep. It's important to always check your league's transactions and stay up-to-date on the waiver wire.

Identifying players who can be cut is often a challenging task. It's even more difficult when the debate centers around a player who was expected to be better than they've been. Chances are, these players will have weeks where they pop in the future. If they were drafted in the first 10 rounds, there's a reason for it. They're good football players! However, inconsistency can drive fantasy football maddening.

This article will identify players who can safely be cut in 12-team leagues. Be sure to also check out my waiver wire article for Week 6, because with almost every cut, there's a new addition we welcome to our team. If you sign up for one of our premium subscriptions, please use the promo code "BOOM" to receive a 10% discount.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) rankings
• Quarterback (QB) rankings
• Tight end (TE) rankings
• Defense (D/ST) rankings
• Kicker (K) rankings
• FLEX rankings
• Dynasty rankings

Running Backs to Consider Cutting

Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants - 58.0% Rostered

Tracy has been dealing with a shoulder injury, but before he was injured, he had been operating as the Giants' primary running back. That started to change a bit shortly before he was injured, but he was still getting enough touches where he could be considered as a desperation running back start. In Weeks 1-3, Tracy averaged 10 touches per game with just under three receptions per contest.

Since his absence, though, Cam Skattebo has taken complete control of this backfield. Skattebo is averaging more yards per carry and yards per reception. Skattebo has also averaged one broken tackle every 10.5 carries, compared to Tracy's average of one broken tackle every 22.0 carries. Skattebo has been more productive, bringing a different kind of energy to this team.

The #Giants listed QB Jaxson Dart (hamstring) and RB Tyrone Tracy Jr (shoulder) as limited on their estimated injury report today. WR Darius Slayton (hamstring) listed as DNP. They host the #Eagles on Thursday night.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 6, 2025

Skattebo has also averaged 21.3 touches per game. He has been used as a workhorse back, playing all three downs and in every situation. That doesn't bode well for Tracy's role once he returns, which could happen this week. Based on how much work they've been willing to give Skattebo, fantasy managers shouldn't be optimistic that Tracy maintains even RB4 value.

He appears to be a pure handcuff and not a very appealing one at that.

Other Running Backs to Consider Cutting: 

• Joe Mixon, Houston Texans - 58.8% Rostered
• Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers - 34.0% Rostered
• Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns - 19.1% Rostered

Wide Receivers to Consider Cutting

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns - 84.2% Rostered

It can be tough to cut a player who had the kind of season Jeudy had last year, especially one who continues to be a full-time starter. Because of that, Jeudy isn't someone fantasy managers should be going out of their way to cut, but in that same breath, Jeudy has done absolutely nothing to stay on rosters.

Through five weeks, Jeudy has just 15 catches, 197 yards, and zero touchdowns. He has yet to score 10.0 half-PPR points in a single game this season and has been held below 3.0 half-PPR points twice.

In Weeks 1 and 2, Jeudy played the Bengals and Ravens. These two defenses have been dreadful through five weeks. They're allowing the 11th and second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers, respectively. Jeudy put up very modest point totals of 9.1 and 7.1 half-PPR points. Since that time, Jeudy has rattled off games of 2.2, 6.3, and 2.5 half-PPR points.

If the ceiling is 7.0 and 9.0 points against two of the easiest matchups he'll get all season, there's little reason to hang onto Jeudy. If there's a saving grace for him, it's that he's averaging a respectable 6.8 targets per game. However, it should be noted that Joe Flacco averaged 40 pass attempts per game, while Dillon Gabriel threw 33 times in his first game.

The emergence of Quinshon Judkins will lower the number of times Cleveland throws the football. That'll decrease Jeudy's target volume. Through five games, Jeudy has caught just 15 of his 34 targets, a putrid 44.1% catch rate. It's hard to see a ceiling right now, and the floor is scary low.

Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants - 65.0% Rostered

In theory, after Nabers went down for the season, Robinson was expected to emerge as the team's No. 1 receiver. That may still be the case by season's end. After all, Robinson did have 139 targets last season. However, the question is, will any of the volume matter?

Robinson had 139 targets last season and did not eclipse 700 yards. In their first game without Nabers, three players tied for the team lead with seven targets: Skattebo, Theo Johnson, and Robinson. On those seven targets, Robinson finished with just five receptions and 30 yards.

In Jaxson Dart's first start against the lowly New Orleans Saints, Dart threw 40 times and finished with just 202 yards. This offense is likely going to be pretty dreadful the rest of the season. In five games this season, the Giants' passing offense has been held to less than 205 yards four times. That is with Nabers in three and a half of them.

Dart may be better than Russell Wilson, but the loss of Nabers is significant. If we're working with just 150-215 yards passing per game, there's virtually no upside for Robinson.

Other Receivers to Consider Cutting:

• Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs - 52.4% Rostered
• Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts - 43.0% Rostered
• Darius Slayton, New York Giants - 32.8% Rostered
• Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos - 23.1% Rostered
• Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens - 22.7% Rostered

Tight Ends to Consider Cutting

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens - 86.9% Rostered

Andrews has been held to 1.0 or fewer points in two out of five games. He's been held to less than 3.5 half-PPR points in three out of five games. He's been held to fewer than 7.0 half-PPR points in four out of five. In his lone other game, Andrews scored 24.1 half-PPR points on the back of two touchdown receptions.

Those 24.1 points equal 67.5% of his total points scored. That is just not the kind of tight end fantasy managers need to hang onto.

That's especially true with the injury to Lamar Jackson. Jackson is expected to miss Week 6 due to a hamstring injury. That'll make Andrews virtually unstartable. The team then has its bye in Week 7. That means Andrews cannot be started in either of the next two weeks. Considering how dreadful he's been even with Jackson, fantasy managers shouldn't feel compelled to hang onto Andrews.

Other Tight Ends to Consider Cutting:

• Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers - 22.2% Rostered
• Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans - 15.4% Rostered

On The Hot Seat

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints - 68.9% Rostered

Johnson started the season averaging 9.3 targets per game in the first three games. Over the last two weeks, Johnson's target-per-game average has dropped to 3.5. The hot start was appealing, and fantasy managers attributed the increase in targets to Kellen Moore. However, in his previous five starts, Johnson had just two where he averaged more than 4.0 targets per game.

He has never reached 70 targets in a single season.

Looking back at those first three games, it seems easy to say now that it was a mirage or a hot streak. After all, how often do we hear of players breaking in their sixth seasons when they're 29 years old? Virtually never. Johnson seemed unlikely to be the first, especially in this poor passing offense.

However, even though that seems to be the most likely outcome, fantasy managers shouldn't be afraid to hang onto Johnson for one more week. The return of Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill may continue to negatively affect Johnson moving forward, which is a legitimate concern. Ideally, you're able to see how this tight end by committee shakes out moving forward, but Johnson is squarely on the hot seat after seeing his volume decrease significantly the past two weeks.

Sell High

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans - 89.1% Rostered

Pollard hasn't been bad per se, but he just hasn't made a difference. He's coming off his best game of the season, which resulted in just 13.3 half-PPR points. However, Pollard has been incredibly consistent. The floor has been adequate. He hasn't scored below 7.0 half-PPR points in a game this season and has been above 9.0 half-PPR points in four out of five contests.

Some fantasy managers crave a decent floor and consistency.

.@Titans HC Brian Callahan: Good return for Tyjae Spears, played 17 snaps. Good start getting back to playing, and his role will increase ... @KevinWinstonJr1 did some good stuff on special teams, and his role will increase as well

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 6, 2025

You shouldn't be among them. Very few fantasy matchups are decided by five or fewer points. Fantasy managers surely have a running back who can give them 5-6 points per game. That sounds disgusting, but Pollard is averaging just 10.4 half-PPR points per game.

Since so few games are decided by five points or less, if you're able to trade Pollard for a team desperate for a running back who can offer you a player with more upside or a weekly ceiling, you should make that trade.

Players I'd be interested in trading Pollard for include Stefon Diggs, Jameson Williams, Brian Thomas Jr., and Terry McLaurin.

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals - 99.9% Rostered

This is the moment every Ja'Marr Chase fantasy manager has been waiting for: a way out. He's scored 26 or more points in two out of five games this season. One of which was started by Joe Burrow. He's scored 6.4, 4.8, and 26.0 half-PPR points with Jake Browning under center.

In 2023, when Browning filled in for Burrow, Chase had weekly finishes of WR44, WR6, WR34, WR33, WR6, WR59, WR34, WR55, and WR66. Through three games with Browning this year, Chase has been the WR43, WR60, and WR2. That's 12 games. He has three finishes higher than the WR30. He has six worse than WR40.

If I can flip Chase after this big game for someone like Zay Flowers, I would do that in a heartbeat. Given Baltimore's dreadful defense, they'll likely have to pass early and often. Once Jackson returns, Flowers should be a weekly top-20 option.

Hold

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals 96.8% Rostered

While the other Chase in Cincinnati has given fantasy managers a sell-high window, Chase Brown has done nothing of the sort. Fantasy managers can't cut him, and selling doesn't make sense given the low price. However, there are some reasons for optimism. Well, there's one reason for optimism: the easing schedule.

Since Browning has been under center, they've faced the Vikings, Broncos, and Lions. They have another tough matchup in Week 6 against the Packers, so don't get your hopes up quite yet, but after that, things get much easier.

Through four weeks, the Vikings have allowed the fewest points to opposing running backs. The Broncos have allowed the sixth-fewest points to running backs, and the Packers have allowed the fifth-fewest points to running backs. That's a brutal stretch.

However, in Week 7 and on, the Bengals face the Steelers, Jets, Bears, Steelers, Patriots, Ravens, Bills, Ravens, Dolphins, and Cardinals. Outside of Buffalo, those are all easier matchups. In terms of points allowed per game, these teams have allowed the 13th, 2nd, 4th, 13th, 23rd, 1st, 15th, 1st, 6th, and 27th most points.

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