With six teams on bye in the NFL in Week 7, Fantasy Football managers are going to be facing some tough roster decisions. Not only will they be digging deep into their benches to fill lineups, but some managers will be faced with the task of figuring out who to cut to make additions to have a full lineup.
If you are one of those managers in a predicament, this is the article for you. We will break down some of the players who are cut candidates in Fantasy Football this week for a multitude of reasons.
One of the first players that you can cut from your squad this week is Cam Akers of the Minnesota Vikings. There was some optimism that he would get things on track after being traded from the Los Angeles Rams, but that hasn’t materialized.
After Alexander Mattison saw his playing time dip in the first two games Akers was active for, he saw a spike back up in Week 6. Akers managed only two touches, one rush and one reception, playing under 20 percent of the snaps.
That kind of usage isn’t going to cut it. If you are in a deeper league and can afford to hold onto Akers as a handcuff, it makes some sense. But, if you are in a pinch, send him to the waiver wire.
Another running back who should be joining Akers as a free agent in Fantasy Football is Samaje Perine of the Denver Broncos. Javonte Williams is back in the lineup healthy and Jaleel McLaughlin looks to have jumped Perine in the pecking order for touches.
Perine was on the field for the two-minute drill, but that was about it. Even third-down work went to fullback Michael Burton, as the veteran is seemingly being phased out of the offense. With no clear path to production, he can safely be cut.
Another player who is seeing his usage drop is Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark. Chark turned into a rotational player in Week 6 along with Terrace Marshall Jr. It was a bizarre change of direction for the Panthers, as Chark was an every-down player in Week 5 when Marshall didn’t see the field.
Figuring out the pecking order behind Adam Thielen in a low-volume passing offense is a headache no Fantasy Football manager wants to deal with. For Chark to find relevancy, a trade will need to occur.
Either he is moved to a team with a wide receiver need or the logjam in Carolina is alleviated by someone else being traded. Unless that happens, or an injury occurs, Chark is best left as waiver wire fodder.
Another player that has seen a drastic change in usage is Rams’ tight end Tyler Higbee. With Copper Kupp back in the lineup, everyone knew the pecking order would change. Kupp assumed the top role and has sapped any value most of his teammates had in Fantasy Football.
Puka Nacua looks to be the only other pass catcher in Los Angeles with any value. Higbee has been targeted only six times, catching four passes for 38 yards, since Kupp returned to the lineup in Week 5.
With matchups only increasing in difficulty for tight ends and the wide receivers healthy, Higbee isn’t a viable option any longer. Releasing him makes sense even at a position as messy as tight end.
Another tight end that could be heading to the Fantasy Football waiver wire is Zach Ertz of the Arizona Cardinals. Second-year tight end Trey McBride is taking on a larger role in the team’s offense, which makes sense as a potential long-term building block for the franchise offensively.
Ertz has even been surpassed by Geoff Swaim in the pecking order of 12 personnel, seeing a decrease in 11 personnel usage as well. This is something to keep an eye on, but Ertz is probably a safe drop, especially if the playing time continues trending in the direction it has.
