Special to Yahoo Sports
After last week you may be tempted to drop your whole fantasy roster unless you have Justin Fields or Joe Mixon, as it was feast or famine across the board. We have four teams (Jets, Patriots, Bengals and Ravens) watching from home or a restful vacation spot this week, along with a myriad of injuries continuing to plague the league, but there are still drops to be had and moves to be made.
We should always be looking for roster improvements, so cutting players who aren’t producing is a necessary evil. If you’re looking for some players to stash for future use, I have you covered there as well.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams (85 percent rostered on Yahoo)
The Rams appear to be broken; perhaps someone can take out the cartridge and blow. We’ve reached double-digit weeks in the NFL season, and managers need wins now, so we can’t wait for LA to figure out whatever is happening with the offense. Tyler Higbee went from playing 95% of the snaps in Weeks 1-5 to 76% in the last four contests and was only targeted nine times total since Week 7.
I know that things are rough across the league at TE, but it may be time for the 85% of you Yahoo managers hanging onto Higbee to start streaming the position based on weekly matchups or try to find a more productive option on the waiver wire such as Greg Dulcich, Cade Otton or dare I say, Cole Kmet.
Cam Akers, RB, Rams (41% rostered)
Cam Akers is a disgruntled player left on a team that clearly isn’t into him. In the RB’s first game back since Week 5, Akers saw five carries which he took for a mere three yards, and was out carried by Darrell Henderson’s 12 rushes. Volume aside, Akers just doesn’t look right and is not performing even close to the level he was before his torn Achilles.
Over 40% of you are still holding out hope for the 23-year-old, and it’s my duty to give you permission to let him go. The RB position has a fair share of emerging players due to injury and attrition, so swap Akers out for Jeff Wilson or Rachaad White.
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Alec Pierce WR, Colts (33% rostered)
It was an ugly outing for the Colts in Week 9, among the worst offensive performances of any team this season. The rookie has been decent at times but sits as WR48 in half-PPR points and has only put up 10.8 total half-PPR points since Indy made the switch at QB to Sam Ehlinger.
It’s becoming clear that this offense will barely be able to support a star like Michael Pittman Jr. moving forward, let alone ancillary pieces of the receiving corps. Pierce is currently rostered by 33% of Yahoo managers, so do those squads a solid and replace him with wideouts on a more productive offense like Wan’Dale Robinson or even Terrace Marshall Jr.
Elijah Moore, WR, Jets (31% rostered)
The 22-year-old was on this list in Week 7, but Elijah Moore is still rostered at a high enough rate and has done absolutely nothing to benefit fantasy managers since, so he’s earned another spot in this column. Moore is still a Jet after the trade deadline despite asking to be dealt and hasn’t made a catch since Week 5.
Head coach Robert Saleh is giving us little optimism to think his usage will turn around, so there’s no reason Moore should be rostered for fantasy purposes moving forward in 2022.
Caleb Huntley, RB, Falcons (24% rostered)
The return of Cordarelle Patterson from a stint on the IR leaves Caleb Huntley as the third option behind the 10-year journeyman and rookie Tyler Allgeier. Atlanta “eased in” Patterson to the tune of 13 carries and one target, which he turned into 53 total yards and two touchdowns.
Huntley’s usage was third in the pecking order and should remain there for the balance of the season, barring another injury. If you have a larger bench and want to stash him that’s fine, but the rookie can be safely dropped in most formats in favor of an RB higher up on the depth chart.
Injury drops
Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens and Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
Both of these wideouts will be undergoing foot surgeries and are done for the season. There are enough of you out there still rostering this duo that it’s worth mentioning. Free up a roster spot and let them go recover until next draft season.
Romeo Doubs WR, Packers and JK Dobbins, RB, Ravens
Doubs is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks due to an ankle injury and Dobbins is in the midst of recovering from knee surgery, making them tough to hold. The fantasy postseason will be well underway when and if they return to the field, so they are safely droppable at this point.
On thin Ice (the Isaiah/Isiah story)
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Isaiah McKenzie, WR, Bills: It’s been an up-and-down fantasy journey for McKenzie in 2022 but he’s still the WR3 on one of the best offenses in the NFL. Let’s see how his usage shakes out at home against the Vikings this week.
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Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs: The rookie got the start for the second week in a row but didn’t do anything significant with the role, posting just nine total yards in Week 9. This backfield is very messy, with all three RBs cannibalizing any fantasy value, but don’t drop Pacheco yet. Let’s wait at least one more week, since the Chiefs have a favorable RB matchup against the Jaguars on Sunday.
This article was originally published on 4for4.com
More from 4for4.com: Stash candidates ahead of Week 10
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A proud alumna of the UGA Grady College of Journalism, Jennifer Eakins has been working in the sports industry for well over a decade. She has had stints with CNN Sports, the Atlanta Hawks and the Colorado Rockies. Her first fantasy football draft took place in 1996 where she selected Ricky Watters with the first overall pick, and she has been a fantasy degenerate ever since.