The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 7

October 20, 2026

Rob's fantasy football players to drop when making waiver wire moves for Week 7 (2026). He helps fantasy football managers decide on who to cut from rosters.

With injuries mounting week after week, it's getting harder and harder to find players to cut. Do they have two working legs and a heartbeat? If so, I want 'em! That's obviously an exaggeration, but seriously, you want me to drop Jaylen Waddle? I just lost Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, and Davante Adams!

With bye weeks in full swing and injuries piling up, we need to be more stingy with our cuts. It's incredibly difficult to cut a talented starter, even with poor performance, especially right now. So, if you're looking for some hot takes, this may not be the place for you, but we will discuss which players are okay to send packing.

Whenever we cut someone, we do have to add someone. This article will help guide you on who to drop, who to hang onto, and who is on their last legs. If you're looking for help with who to add, check out my Week 7 waiver wire article.

Quarterbacks to Consider Cutting

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos - 66.0% Rostered

Nix has been a regular in this article, and he remains the most rostered quarterback who should be on the waiver wire. If there's any hope, look at their schedule. The six teams Nix has faced currently rank second, third, fourth, ninth, 16th, and 18th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. The Chiefs, Seahawks, and 49ers are among the NFL's best defenses.

Over the next three weeks, Nix will face the Cardinals and Panthers, who give up the third- and 12th-most fantasy points. If you're looking for a reason to keep Nix, that's it. It ain't much, but it's the best you got. If you're looking for something else, the change in play-caller and offensive terminology could be negatively affecting him.

Per @JayGlazer, the #Broncos changed their offensive terminology when Davis Webb became OC in the offseason. When Sean Payton took play-calling duties back from Webb, he switched it back to his terminology.

All the changing verbiage has played a role in Bo Nix’s struggles. Payton is confident Nix will be fine.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 18, 2026

However, none of those things can change the fact that Nix is performing as one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. Among 32 qualifying quarterbacks, Nix is the only one with an intended air-yards-per-attempt average below 6.0. Nix is currently at 5.0. He has fewer air yards in six games than Lamar Jackson has in four.

Nix is currently targeting his running backs on 26.7% of his passes. Nix is second in attempts behind the line of scrimmage, 28th in attempts between 10 and 19 yards, and 23rd in attempts 20 or more yards downfield. Nix's current playstyle offers little upside.

In Week 6, Nix finished with 107 passing yards. He had negative air yards in the second half! In Week 5, he had just 123 yards. In three of six games, Nix has thrown for fewer than 135 yards. In five of six games, he's been held to fewer than 215 yards.

Until he changes his play style, Nix will keep disappointing fantasy managers, and boy, has he been doing that! He has three games with fewer than nine points. That's more games than he's scored 16 points. He has just one game with more than one touchdown.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks - 41% Rostered

We're not going to talk about Justin Herbert anymore. Yes, you should cut him. He's done, at least for 2026. As for Darnold, things look lackluster as well. Maybe the hip injury that kept him out of a game is still bothering him, but Darnold has played poorly over the last three weeks.

He scored 37.66 points in his first game back against the lowly Washington Commanders. Since then, he's scored just 43.64 points, 12.30 and 13.02 in his last two games. In his four full games this season, Darnold has seven interceptions. He simply cannot be trusted right now, and while he wasn't drafted as a starter, fantasy managers don't need to keep him on the bench.

Other Quarterbacks to Consider Cutting:

• Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers - 57% Rostered
• Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts - 27% Rostered

Running Backs to Consider Cutting

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers - 84% Rostered 

Bucky Irving had just gashed Dallas for 165 yards on 21 carries in Week 5. The Cowboys came into Week 6 allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs this season. He was also coming off his best career performance, though most of it came from two short-yardage touchdowns. Lloyd finished with eight carries for 10 yards and one drop.

Pierre Strong Jr. out-snapped Lloyd 41-to-30, ran more routes 21-to-15, earned more targets 6-to-1, and had more carries 11-to-8. With Josh Jacobs eligible to return from the Commissioner's Exempt List this week, he is likely to return to a bellcow workload for the Green Bay offense, given how ineffective Lloyd and the other running backs have been.

Josh Jacobs Set to Practice this Week, Week 7 Status Still Uncertain

https://t.co/INUtkSkLi5

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 19, 2026

While Jacobs may not be rushed back to a bellcow role, or even suit up in Week 7 after missing so much time, fantasy managers should have no inclination to keep rostering Lloyd. His chances of becoming Green Bay's primary running back are borderline zero. Given the snap share and touch total we saw in Week 6, even if Jacobs gets hurt after a long absence from football, Strong now seems like Green Bay's handcuff.

Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers - 38% Rostered

It looked like Mitchell was moving up the depth chart in Los Angeles and would soon have real, albeit low, standalone value. In Weeks 3-5, Mitchell had 11, 16, and 10 touches. He was averaging 8.0 carries, 4.3 targets, and 3.7 receptions per game. He scored 12.2, 8.8, and 4.4 half-PPR points.

Those aren't great numbers, but they're usable RB3/RB4 values. A player like that certainly belongs on the bench. This past weekend, however, fullback Scott Matlock almost played as many snaps as he did (17-to-15).

#Chargers Week 6 RB Usage

- Omarion Hampton: 49% snaps, 7 carries, 4 targets (39 yds)
- Kimani Vidal: 37% snaps, 7 carries, 4 targets (40 yds)
- Keaton Mitchell: 27% snaps, 2 carries, 1 target (4 yds)

Herbert was the leading rusher with 26 yds

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 18, 2026

Kimani Vidal and Omarion Hampton both easily out-snapped, out-touched, and ran more routes than him. Both had at least three targets; Mitchell had zero. After promising utilization the previous three weeks, Mitchell's utilization fell off a cliff.

Given how terrible the Chargers have been and how inconsistently the coaching staff has used its running backs, Mitchell has little to no fantasy value.

Other Running Backs to Consider Cutting: 

• Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 49% Rostered

Wide Receivers to Consider Cutting

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts - 89% Rostered

Alec Pierce is out. Tyler Warren is out. Downs is getting mogged by 34-year-old Keenan Allen. It's that bad. I'm not saying you have to cut Downs. He's a full-time player. He has at least three receptions in five consecutive games. He has four games with six or more targets, and in three of those, he had eight or more targets.

However, Downs presents very little upside. In his first three years, he has 11 touchdowns. This year, he has just one end zone target, and his expected touchdowns are 0.4. Based on that, his lack of touchdowns isn't even bad luck.

Pierce last played in Week 2. Since then, Allen has 29 targets, 19 receptions, 190 yards, and one touchdown in three games. Downs has 29 targets, 15 receptions, 180 yards, and zero touchdowns in four games. Downs has scored 26.2 half-PPR points. Allen has 34.5.

This season, Downs is the WR58, averaging 6.9 half-PPR PPG. He's had a picture-perfect roll-out, too. Allen missed a game. Warren missed a game. Pierce hasn't played since Week 2. Despite that, he still hasn't scored 11 half-PPR points in a single game this season.

I'd rather have Omar Cooper Jr. or Jaylin Noel. There's no difference between Kalif Raymond, Kendrick Bourne, and Downs. Rostering a high-upside handcuff is undoubtedly a better choice than continuing to hold Downs.

Other Receivers to Consider Cutting:

• Chris Godwin Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 62% Rostered
• Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos - 60% Rostered
• Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars - 54% Rostered
• Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers - 41% Rostered

Hold

Cam Skattebo, New York Giants - 98% Rostered

Head coach John Harbaugh said Skattebo wasn't benched, but I don't care how he defines it; Skattebo was benched. Harbaugh mentioned Skattebo's fumbling issues. He has four this season, and he lost one. This past weekend, he didn't register a single touch. What should fantasy managers do with this information?

There's nothing for them to do right now. Skattebo has certainly disappointed this season despite an encouraging rookie season. Certainly, Jaxson Dart's injury hasn't helped matters, but Skattebo hasn't done anything to help his own cause either.

Since Week 2, Skattebo is averaging 3.4 yards per carry. He hasn't had a single game with more than 60 rushing yards since the season's first game. However, he's been involved in the passing game through at least Week 6, which helps his fantasy value.

Skattebo isn't an elite talent, but he is the Giants' best running back. A zero, especially with zero touches, is concerning, given how inefficient the other running backs were this past weekend. Skattebo will likely return to the rotation this upcoming week.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. found the end zone twice but averaged just 3.0 yards per carry. His value is at an all-time low, meaning you can't sell him. Dropping him doesn't make sense, seeing as this is unlikely to be a multi-week punishment. That said, fantasy managers cannot start him until we see a change first.

Still Holding:

• Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos - 96% Rostered
• Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers - 91% Rostered
• Marvin Harrison Jr., Houston Texans - 78% Rostered
• Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers - 98% Rostered
• Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns - 93% Rostered

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