The Cut List – Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 9

We're halfway through the fantasy football regular season. Regardless of where you stand in your league's standings, it's important fantasy managers continue to tinker with their rosters. Part of that process is deciding which players need to be sent packing. This article, as difficult as cutting players can be, should help you do that.

Unfortunately, this could essentially be titled the Green Bay Packer edition as we'll be talking about what to do with Jordan Love, Christian Watson, and Aaron Jones. All three players have struggled in recent weeks and fantasy managers are likely wondering what to do with these players. Watson and Jones were supposed to be regular starters and they have certainly disappointed in that regard. We'll touch on a few players fantasy managers should be holding onto and selling high.

Deciding who to cut can always be a difficult process, but it's important to take emotions out of the equation. It's important to stay active on the waiver wire and continue making tweaks to your fantasy team. To do that, you'll need to say goodbye to some of your players. Below you'll find the biggest names that managers can safely cut in traditional 10 and 12-team leagues. You will also find players that you should hold if possible. If you have any questions, give me a follow @RobFFSlayer and shoot me a message. My DMs are always open and I’m more than willing to answer questions.

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Quarterbacks to Cut in Week 9?

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers – 67% Rostered

The wheels haven't just come off. The transmission has been dropped. The windshield is broken. There are no side mirrors. Everything that could go wrong in the past few weeks has gone wrong. Look, this isn't all Love's fault. He hasn't been good, but he's been playing virtually without their best player, Aaron Jones, who has been struggling to get past a hamstring injury. His receivers have been awful. He's getting absolutely zero help from his pass-catchers. However, looking at his fantasy value, it's hard to find a reason to believe that's going to change anytime soon.

#Packers were 0-for-7 on contested catches vs. Vikings. They are now 9-for-43 this season. Christian Watson (0-for-8) and Jayden Reed (0-for-7) are 0-for-15 combined. WRs overall are 7-for-38.

Can someone other than Romeo Doubs go make a play for the QB?

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) October 30, 2023

For as bad as the receivers have been, Love hasn't been much better. Since Week 3, he has had more games with multiple turnovers than multiple passing touchdowns. He had six passing touchdowns in the first two weeks, but just five over his last five games. Over his last four, he has just one game with more than 15.5 points and that required a rushing touchdown to get there. What's even worse is that includes matchups against Denver and Minnesota, who have allowed the fifth and 11th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, respectively.

Jordan Love 2023:
32nd in Comp %
28th in INT %
24th in YPA
28th in QB Passer rating
29th in On target %
28th in Bad throw %

While being 10th least pressured QB in the NFL pic.twitter.com/MWIAuns0L6

— Nick Whalen (@_NickWhalen) October 23, 2023

With the way this entire offense has performed, it's almost impossible to have any confidence in Love. Since Week 3, the Packers are averaging fewer than 20 points per game. Love is a big part of the problem, but right now, this entire offense looks like a dumpster fire. When you have a suspect signal-caller with a bad supporting cast, it's easy to send him to the waiver wire.

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns - 63% Rostered

I'm no fan of the dude, but I don't think he's just quit on his team. The last time he played, his throwing motion and his throws in general just looked off. It's easy to say, "Oh, he sucks now" or whatever, but I'm not here for hot takes. I don't think Deshaun Watson is as good as he was in Houston, but he's a decent fantasy quarterback when he's healthy. In his first three weeks prior to being hurt, he scored 20 or more points in three contests. He still possesses upside because of his legs, but right now, this dude is not healthy.

I’m no tape bro. And there are some egregious decisions in here. But it certainly looked like Deshaun Watson (shoulder) has very little zip on the ball. pic.twitter.com/OkYCT2UXIX

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) October 25, 2023

Watching that video of his throws from the last time Watson was active, something is clearly not right. Again, you can believe he's not good anymore and still be able to admit that his throwing power is simply not there. Reports indicate he's got an injury to the rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder. Some have called it a bruise or a strain, and some reports indicate he's got a small tear. Who knows exactly what he's dealing with, but right now, Watson isn't healthy. With the injury being to his throwing shoulder, it's hard to know just when he'll be back or how he'll come back once he does. That's a lot of strain on a roster with injuries piling up and bye weeks still occurring. Quarterback is a deep position, so if your league isn't one that hordes them, Watson is safe to cut. If every team is rostering two, Watson is probably worth hanging onto yet.

Others to Cut: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers - 19% Rostered

Running Backs to Cut in Week 9?

Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers - 87% Rostered

Miles Sanders had been hampered by injuries in recent weeks, but he was a full practice participant leading up to this week. That indicates Sanders was healthier than he's been in weeks. Considering the contract Carolina gave him in the offseason, many expected him to be the clear-cut No. 1 running back. He was a very efficient running back last year in Philadelphia, but that was when he was running behind the No. 1 offensive line in all of football. Things are much different in Carolina and Sanders has struggled mightily because of it. It hasn't taken a lot of time for Chuba Hubbard to take command of this backfield.

Panthers RB Usage, Week 8:

Chuba Hubbard
• 45-of-67 snaps
• 17 touches

Miles Sanders
• 12-of-67 snaps
• 2 touches

— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) October 30, 2023

Hubbard has been the more effective running back by a large margin. Due to that, it hasn't taken long for the Carolina coaches to quickly expand Hubbard's role. It's hard to envision Sanders coming back to take the lead in the backfield. While the split may not be as large as it was in Week 8, it's clear that Sanders is the new No. 2. With how poor the running game has been in Carolina and the lack of touchdown opportunity, Sanders is safe to cut.

Other Running Backs to Cut: Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders - 48% Rostered, Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots – 46% Rostered, Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens – 39% Rostered, Dalvin Cook, New York Jets – 43% Rostered, Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs - 34% Rostered, Samaje Perine, Denver Broncos – 25% Rostered

Wide Receivers to Cut in Week 9?

Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns - 51% Rostered

With Watson out, P.J. Walker has been the starting quarterback for the Browns. He's been dreadful, to put it kindly. He's averaging just 206 yards per game. He's thrown just one touchdown but has four interceptions. His completion percentage is below 50% and he's averaging just 6.4 yards per attempt. All of those numbers are terrible. Elijah Moore wasn't that fantasy-relevant with Watson, but with Walker, he's been useless.

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to add a running back, the Cleveland Browns are looking to add a receiver, the Miami Dolphins have poked around at running back, and the Buffalo Bills are scanning the cornerback market before Tuesday’s NFL Trade deadline.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 29, 2023

He doesn't have a single game with over eight half-PPR points. He has just one game over 50 yards. He's currently on pace for just 622 yards this season. Even with Watson in the lineup, Moore was a replaceable player. With news that Cleveland is looking to add a receiver, Moore's fantasy value could be shrinking even further than it is right now.

K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings - 51% Rostered

Since Justin Jefferson went on IR, Osborn has scored 6.8, 7.2, and 13.9 half-PPR points in three contests. Those aren't bad numbers, but they're not very good either. Jefferson is eligible to come back in Week 10 and now Kirk Cousins is out for the season with a torn Achilles. Even if Jefferson now takes his time coming back, Osborn was averaging just 9.3 half-PPR points per game with Cousins. What happens if the quarterback is Jaren Hall or Nick Mullens? Common sense says it drops significantly. Neither quarterback can support three players and Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson are clearly ahead of Osborn. Once Jefferson returns, Osborn will drop even further down the target hierarchy.

Other Wide Receivers to Cut: Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams - 41% Rostered, Kadarius Toney, Kansas City Chiefs – 28% Rostered, Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens - 28% Rostered, Skyy Moore, Kansas City Chiefs – 24% Rostered

Tight Ends to Cut in Week 9?

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams - 54% Rostered

He just needs to be cut. Go add Michael Mayer. Go add Trey McBride. Go add Taysom Hill. Go add Luke Musgrave. Anyone. This offense runs through Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. They're combining for over 60% of the targets since they've both been on the field. He has five games of three or fewer catches. He hasn't caught a single touchdown. He has four games of 20 or fewer receiving yards. He hasn't scored double-digits in a single game this season. He has four games with less than five half-PPR points. If all of that wasn't bad enough, quarterback Matthew Stafford is dealing with a sprained UCL on the thumb of his throwing hand and is likely going to miss one to three weeks.

Other Tight Ends to Cut: Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers – 42% Rostered, Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons - 37% Rostered, Hunter Henry, New England Patriots – 28% Rostered, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans - 27% Rostered

On The Hot Seat

WR Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - 88% Rostered

We've already touched on Love's struggles and they're directly connected to the problems with Christian Watson. Although to be fair, Watson's struggles are directly connected to the problems with Love. Both players have played poorly and it's made both of these players virtually unusable in recent weeks. Watson missed the first couple of weeks due to a hamstring injury. He's played in four games this season and he's averaging just 7.15 half-PPR points per game. He has 24 targets, 11 catches, and 176 yards in those four contests. Over 17 games, he'd finish with 102 targets, 47 receptions, and 748 yards. He has just one game with more than 35 receiving yards.

32% of Christian Watson’s career receiving yards (243/754) came on 4 long receptions.

Just 1.48 YPRR on the other 345 routes run.

His @RecepPerception percentiles from last year:

33rd percentile vs Man
37th percentile vs Zone
47th percentile vs Press

He’s a 1-trick Pony. https://t.co/ombk6QEhrJ

— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) October 23, 2023

Watson came on like a freight train in the second half of the 2022 season, but a lot of that was on just a few big plays. Now, obviously, we all love touchdowns, especially 50+ yard touchdowns, but the question becomes how reliable are those plays. So far this season, all of those big plays have dried up and Watson has looked like nothing more than a boom or bust WR4.

Aaron Rodgers was 29/84 (34.5%) with a 12-6 TD-INT ratio on passes 20+ yards down the field last year.

Jordan Love is 7/28 (25%) with a 1-3 TD-INT ratio on passes 20+ yards down the field this year.

Christian Watson is a deep-ball specialist – with a QB who can’t throw deep.

— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) October 27, 2023

Due to his upside and that big play potential that we know he has, he's a tough cut. Most likely, fantasy managers are not picking up a player who has more upside than Watson, which is part of the problem. Benching Watson and just hoping that Love/Watson figure their stuff out is probably the best play, but it's getting harder and harder to keep him on rosters. He shouldn't be cut yet, but the leash is getting shorter and shorter.

Hold On

RB Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders - 92% Rostered

Brian Robinson hasn't scored more than 13.5 half-PPR points since Week 2. In fact, he's only scored more than 13.5 half-PPR points on one occasion. He has just one game with more than 45 rushing yards in the last five games. During that same timeframe, he has just one game with more than 12 touches. Since Week 3, he's averaged just 9.2 half-PPR points. All that sounds very dire, but fantasy managers need to hold the line on Robinson as he continues to be the bell-cow for the Commanders.

RB rush share leaders Week 8:

89% — *D’Andre Swift*, Joe Mixon
88% — *Derrick Henry*, Saquon Barkley
84% — *Javonte Williams*
83% — Brian Robinson, Emari Demercado, Travis Etienne, *Gus Edwards*
75% — Chuba Hubbard, Breece Hall
74% — *James Cook*

*signifies season-high*

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) October 30, 2023

He's currently on pace for 202 rushing attempts and 816 rushing yards. He's also on pace for 34 targets, 28 receptions, and 283 receiving yards. That puts him quietly on pace for 1,110 scrimmage yards. With all the running back injuries going on around the league, as frustrated as fantasy managers may be, Robinson deserves to be on fantasy rosters. He's still an RB3.

Sell High

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans - 93% Rostered

In DeAndre Hopkins' last three games, he's scored 18.0, 2.5, and 32.8 half-PPR points. That includes an 11-target, eight-reception, 140-yard game. It also includes his most recent outing where he caught four of six targets for 128 yards and three touchdowns.

His best game of the season aligned with the first start for Will Levis. He's a gun-slinger, but he added an element to this offense that Tennessee hasn't had this season. Based on how Levis has played this season, it seems likely that he'll maintain his starting role.

Based on Hopkins' performances over the past three games and Levis' monster performance, fantasy managers should try to leverage both occurrences into selling Hopkins high. I'm not totally convinced Levis is going to continue playing as well as he did last weekend.

There are also injury concerns with Hopkins due to his age. In fact, he's currently nursing a toe injury, which he suffered this past weekend. If fantasy managers are able to trade him for someone like Tee Higgins, Chris Olave, George Pickens, Drake London, or Chris Godwin, I would drop on that opportunity.

Sell Low

RB Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers - 98% Rostered

Over the past few years, Aaron Jones has performed as a top-12 running back in half-PPR scoring. In terms of efficiency, he's right up there with the best in the NFL. Unfortunately, the Packers have never given him a full workload similar to some of the biggest names in the NFL.

He's always had to have incredible efficiency to make up for the lack of volume. Over the past few years, his touchdown upside has shrunk because of the team's insistence on using fellow running back A.J. Dillon around the end zone. Earlier in the season, he dealt with a hamstring injury that kept him out multiple weeks.

#Packers Week 8 RB Usage

- Aaron Jones: 48% snaps, 7 carries, 14 routes, 5 targets (46 yards)
- AJ Dillon: 53% snaps, 6 carries, 20 routes, 5 targets (52 yds)

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 29, 2023

The team still has not unleashed Jones and at this time, it's hard to imagine that they will. There were rumors that the Packers were sniffing around the running back market before the trade deadline.

You'll never get RB1 value for Jones, but if someone still values his past production, I'd be willing to sell Jones on his historical performance and name value if I'm able to get backend RB2 value. Trying to trade for a struggling receiver might actually be the preferred route.

Despite the injury that has limited his playing time and touches, he's still averaging more points per game than Chris Olave, but I'd trade Jones for Olave straight up. The same goes for Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin. Maybe that's not possible, but in plenty of leagues fantasy managers tend to overvalue running backs or there might be someone desperate for a starter. Jones is someone that based on his utilization and the Packers' offensive performance, I'd be willing to sell low.

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