RADIO
Welcome to Week 13's edition of The Cut List, RotoBaller's weekly column filled with advice on who is fat to be trimmed from your roster and who deserves a little more time on your plate. Each player receives both statistical and social media analysis, providing both real and ridiculous reasons why we--Tony Peters and Ben Hamren of the All Stats A Salad weekly fantasy football podcast--feel the way we do. The season's chalk full of angst and anxiety, let us take you beyond the stats to tickle your funny bone and your brain.
All ownership rates are taken from Fleaflicker and opponent ranks are based on the last four weeks. Be sure to check our Week 13 (NSFW) episodes of the All Stats A Salad podcast--out every Wednesday and Friday--by clicking here.
Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 13 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS
Week 13 Players to Consider Cutting or Replacing
Andy Dalton (QB, CIN) - 75% Owned
WK12: 26-of-48 for 283 yards, one TD; three rushes for 14 yards, no TD
WK10-WK12: 66-of-120 for 694 yards, three TD, three INT; 8 rushes for 39 yards, one TD
WK13: Eagles (10th in points allowed to QB)
BEN: "The Red Rocket" quietly was putting together a solid fantasy year this year. Then, in true Bengals' fashion, things began to fall apart. Since the team's Week 8 tie against Washington, Dalton has four touchdowns to four interceptions and hasn't thrown for more than 300 yards in a game. Add the loss of wide receiver A.J. Green and running back Giovani Bernard, and I see no reason why his numbers will improve. While still clearly the best NFL team in Ohio, their season is over and Dalton won't help them win a Super Bowl this season any more than he'll help fantasy players win championships. 10-team leagues should find a better way to use his roster spot.
All stats a salad...shout out to the meme I found about Tim Tebow having more wins in the playoffs than Dalton. That is a hard monkey to get off your back. There is hope though. Obviously not this year, but there is always hope. Just take it from Tom Treebow.
Allen Hurns (WR, JAX) - 62% Owned
WK12: 1-of-7 for 12 yards, one TD
WK10-WK12: 3-of-16 for 34 yards, one TD
WK13 Opponent: Broncos (17th in points allowed to WR)
TONY: It is time to break up the band. "The Allens"--wide receiver Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns--were one of the most valuable tandems in football last season, but they have utterly failed to repeat this season. While Robinson is still somewhat holding onto this WR1 fantasy value, Hurns has been left out to dry by struggling quarterback Blake Bortles. Since Week 8, Hurns has caught a truly depressing 4-of-20 targets for 34 yards and a touchdown while fellow receiver Marqise Lee has been establishing himself as the new Hurns, catching 16-of-28 targets for 223 yards and two touchdowns during the same time frame. Throw in an injured hamstring that could keep Hurns out of the Jaguars' Week 13 contest with the Broncos and you have a map to Dumpsville in 10-and-12 team leagues, followed by a pit stop to pick up the 10% owned Lee on the way home.
All stats a salad...I can't tell if Hurns is being trolled by UDFA linebacker Tyriq McCord recently on Twitter or if they are friends engaging in light-hearted ribbing. For a guy who has never played in an NFL game before, McCord is quite chippy on Twitter, talking smack on everything from Hurns' leg health to his choice of television. For Hurns' part, he has kept his cool when replying back to McCord's trolling and has yet to make light of the fact McCord is tweeting about games instead of playing in them.
Tavon Austin (WR, LA) - 68% Owned
WK12: 4-of-4 for 45 yards, one TD
WK10-WK12: 7-of-13 for 85 yards, one TD
WK13 Opponent: Patriots (23rd in points allowed to WR)
TONY: Graduating from Week 7's Hot Seat to the full-on cut section, wide receiver Tavon Austin has done very little to change his fantasy prospects in 10-and-12 team, standard scoring leagues. Sure, he's on pace to set new career-highs in all offensive categories, he's been trending downwards since catching 10-of-15 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown back in Week 7 against the Jets. With rookie quarterback Jared Goff set to face the vicious Patriots in Week 13, whatever goodwill that came from Goff to Austin in Week 12 is set to be rinsed cleanly away. Unless your league rewards fantasy points just for showing up, Austin's an easy cut.
All stats a salad...what the heck Austin is doing in this Instagram post from Thanksgiving? Did he just sneeze? Is he trying to catch a whiff of a post-meal fart? Is his wrist sore from a day of intense ping-pong? While the man has plenty of normal pictures on his account, he has a tendency to post pictures of him looking in the distance as if someone just called his name. Pictures are like passes, Tavon: they are best when facing forward.
Duke Johnson (RB, CLE) - 66% Owned
WK12: five rushes for 14 yards, zero TD; 3-of-5 targets for 26 yards, no TD
WK10-WK12: nine rushes for 30 yards, zero TD; 9-of-14 targets for 97 yards, no TD
WK13 Opponent: Bye
TONY: Don't let the bye fool you: this has been a long time coming. Running back Duke Johnson has a ton of real life value for the Browns, now and in the future, but has little to offer from a fantasy perspective right now. Stuck behind Isaiah Crowell, himself a lackluster fantasy option, there's simply no reason outside of PPR leagues that Johnson should be rostered. The Browns haven't won a single game this season. Do you really think that if Johnson was good enough to be owned in 66% of fantasy leagues that he'd be used as sparingly as he has? He's a thoughtless drop in all non-PPR leagues.
All stats a salad...while Johnson is a loser on the fantasy tip, the man wins a thousand times over with this Instagram post he made Monday afternoon. I have no idea who it is featured in the clip as it doesn't look like Johnson, but they lay down the soundest Thanksgiving leftover rulebook I have ever heard, calendar and itinerary included.
Hot Seat - Sending Warning Signals
Brandin Cooks (WR, NO) - 100% Owned
WK12: 0-of-0
WK10-WK12: 10-of-13 for 140 yards, one TD
WK13: Lions (27th in points allowed to WR)
BEN: Nothing! I wish wide receiver Brandin Cooks could give me the Gronk excuse of being hurt as the reason why he came up empty Week 12. But he isn't; he's just frustrating. His team put up 49 points, quarterback Drew Brees had 310 yards and four touchdowns...and Cooks hauls in nothing but sweet, sweet oxygen. The hope is that this isn't the new norm and is instead a blip, but he has had numerous duds this year. He should be a lock of the century of the week on this team, but the Saints hate the idea of a clear number one wide receiver and Cooks apparently isn't one to argue. He still can't be cut, but that doesn't mean you can't snarl at him on your roster. It's only fair.
All stats a salad...following this disastrous game for Cooks, coach Sean Peyton had some words of wisdom in regards to the lack of targets. In his words, “I think part of it is the result of some of the coverages.” Cooks follows this up by pinning a tweet of his very own crafting from July to let the people know what's up. There is nothing better than pinning a one-word tweet from months ago in regards to a squadoosh. Keep on keeping on, Cooks.
Marvin Jones Jr. (WR, DET) - 86% Owned
WK12: 4-of-11 for 54 yards, zero TD
WK10-WK12: 5-of-13 for 69 yards, zero TD (includes bye)
WK13 Opponent: Saints (20th in points allowed to WR)
TONY: As a fellow owner of wide receiver Marvin Jones, Jr., I am ready to cut bait on one of the worst fantasy producers at his position over the past four weeks. Despite playing in all of the Lions' last four games, he has two games with only a single catch and is still without a touchdown since Week 6. The only reason I moved him from the cut section above this is his 11 targets Week 12, his most since Week 2 during his hot opening to the season. The Saints have been steadily improving their pass defense this season, which doesn't bode well for Jones going forward. 10-and-12 team, non-PPR leagues should be very, very concerned about Jones' chances as the fantasy playoffs loom.
All stats a salad...Jones has been quiet on social media since he turned the lights out on his fantasy value post-Week 7. But looking back at this video he posted on Facebook the day after the Lions' Week 7 win, maybe it is our fault for being surprised that he has "dropped the ball" since then. Either that or his subconscious really likes to mess with him.
Thomas Rawls (RB, SEA) - 86% Owned
WK12: 12 rushes for 38 yards, no TD; 0-of-1
WK10-WK12: 26 rushes for 95 yards, no TD; 3-of-5 for 31 yards, no TD
WK13: Panthers (27th in points allowed to RB)
BEN: While it's easy to cut running back Thomas Rawls some slack for his lackluster performance since returning from injury, he is in the actual and fantasy football pressure cooker. His return lead to fellow back Christine Michael being cut just before C.J. Prosise went down with his own injury. This puts the running game squarely on Rawls, something that has not lead to super goodness so far. The Seahawks put up a stellar five points against the Bucs Week 12 and are facing a better than earlier in the year Panthers' defense this weekend. With the Hawks' shaky offensive line, he is going to have to make it happen himself (something his quarterback Russell Wilson would appreciate). But does he have the stuff? Hot seat material!
All stats a salad...I don't expect Rawls to be on the hot seat for long. Neither does he, not with this impressive picture of himself as a train. I choo-choo chose him for the Hot Seat simply because he might need a kick in the pants and looks like he'd be receptive to that sort of message. The only way this could be better is if the message was a big old Cole Train--WHOOOOOOOO!
Stash and Pray
Greg Olsen (TE, CAR) - 100% Owned
WK12: 4-of-5 for 45 yards, zero TD
WK10-WK12: 13-of-20 for 117 yards, zero TD
WK13: Seahawks (15th in points allowed to TE)
BEN: In my continuing segment titled “Carolina Doesn't Make Sense,” we have with us for the first--and most likely only time--tight end Greg Olsen! Some people (namely Tony) thought I was crazy to slap Olsen on this column due to how thin the tight end position is in fantasy this year and how historically productive he is. Well, tell that to his production the last five weeks. They look like Buzz's girlfriend: woof. Just like fellow Panther wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin last week, there is zero reason these dudes shouldn't get the ball more. Who is catching the ball...Ted Ginn? Really? This can't be reality. Olsen has to bounce back, he just has to.
All stats a salad...Olsen took on Von Miller--who has a sock line, by the way--in a charity Madden game. Now, I'm not going to pretend I looked up the contest but Olsen won 7-3. If the stats behind him are to be believed, mother of god his offense in Madden is as bad as it is in real life. Come on, Olsen!
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