We’re back to make more business decisions ahead of Week 6. And it’s only getting more excruciating seeing names we all were once so excited about become less-and-less valuable. Been a bit of a brutal year, yeah?
Once again, if you’re curious as to who I might recommend picking up to fill the slots, check out:
- my colleague and fellow DKN analyst Zach Thompson‘s Week 5 Waiver Wire column, or
- my Fantasy Football Week 5 Stash List; plenty of players had intriguing-enough performances on Sunday to warrant waiver consideration.
I’ll be accompanying this weekly article with a weekly thread on my handle @dansby_edits with more stats and info on these droppable players.
Sharpen the blade. I’m feeling spicy AF this week.
No-questions-asked droppable
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers (90.8% rostered)
He’s been middle-of-the-pack, just like we all thought. During drafts, Purdy was a sneaky candidate to put up weekly QB1 numbers with all the weapons at his disposal. He does not have nearly as many weapons at his disposal now than he did then, and the healthy ones are rarely all on the field together.
He’s not worth a roster spot.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins (89.7% rostered)
Featured him last week as someone I was worried about. Another four-reception performance against the Patriots on Sunday.
He’s on bye in Week 6, but plays the Colts in Week 7. It’s possible Tua returns for Week 8. But only possible.
Your team might need help before then. Waddle’s cuttable, if so, but I’d put out some feelers to see if you can get any return on investment before you kick him to the curb altogether.
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens (81.7% rostered)
Let’s not bury the lede: Andrews looks slow, is getting phased out of the offense as a receiving threat, but is still excellent as a blocker/decoy in this Todd Monken 2024 Ravens offense. It was nice to see him involved yesterday, but he was still third-best in fantasy scoring among tight ends on the team! I’ll say that again: third-best tight end on the team.
It’s possible Andrews is, with every route he runs (not many, by the way), grinding off the rust and swiping away the cobwebs. We might see some TE1 weeks from him down the line.
But, flat out: he’s a below-replacement-level tight end with no advanced opportunity metrics that suggest positive regression. This isn’t a gimmicky take. If you follow the data, Andrews is droppable. I follow the data.
I also have eyes. The dude looks awful.
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns (83.7% rostered)
It’s not going to get easier for Ford, who’ll soon have Nick Chubb competing for snaps in the backfield. The Browns are, generally, a mess, and their quarterback and offensive line is at the center of it. There will be more 3.4 FPT weeks ahead for Ford than there will be weeks of 12+ FPTs.
Running back scarcity is real, so I can see why you’d want to hold onto him. But just know it’s tough sledding ahead.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chicago Bears (77.4% rostered)
Neither is Keenan Allen. Gah. He should have stayed on the Chargers! They should have worked something out! This wasn’t the move!
I digress. It’s possible Allen is at a point in his career when he’s more interested in player-coaching up young talent like Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze as opposed to considering himself the ultimate competitor on the field. He’s slower, but he’s still savvy. He’ll have some good weeks.
Odunze is a popular name on drop lists this week, but I like him to eventually transcend Allen. Sooner than later, too. I don’t think it’ll be
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (61.2% rostered)
Mattison, though not that good himself, is better. The Raiders know it. They’ve got a short leash with everyone, right now. And Zamir White’s health is an issue. I’m not rostering White for the life of me right now. Neither should you. Let the mess in Las Vegas work itself out (even if it takes a few years) before you start really investing in their run game again.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys (53.2% rostered)
It’s the Dowdle show now. See last week’s article (or, alternatively, the video of him straining his shoulder taking his pads off after SNF last night) if you want analysis on why Zeke shouldn’t warm your bench any longer.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $3M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
