This is your weekly list of players to drop. I will do my best to limit this list to injured players and players you might consider holding. If you roster pure handcuffs or backups, obviously you can let them go at any time. The players on this list will, ideally, be guys that aren't clearly droppable, but no longer worth owning.
Below are my Week 13 cuts and drops for fantasy football. Each week from now until the end of the season, I’ll be offering my thoughts on players who don’t deserve to keep a roster spot on your fantasy football teams.
Let's get to it.
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Players to Consider Dropping or Replacing
Curtis Samuel (WR, CAR)
I believe Curtis Samuel has the talent and receiving ability to be a high level player in this league. Unfortunately, it's never happening with Kyle Allen. Samuel constantly gets open deep and Allen can't hit him. At this point, Samuel's job is clear out space for D.J. Moore while taking the occasional jet sweep. Samuel has posted just one usable fantasy day without a touchdown this season, way back in Week 2. He hasn't caught more than five balls in a single game. The problem isn't Samuel, it's the offense, but either way, Samuel doesn't need to be on your fantasy team.
Tyrell Williams (WR, OAK)
Remember when Derek Carr wasn't having a great fantasy season, but was playing well in real life? That all came crashing down against the Jets. It was so bad that Carr got pulled for Mike Glennon (more due to the score, but still). Tyrell Williams has three receptions or fewer in six of his last seven games. He is purely a touchdown or bust option. He hasn't exploited favorable matchups. There's just nothing here anymore.
Emmanuel Sanders (WR, SF)
He may be banged up, but we are getting down to crunch time here and Emmanuel Sanders, whether due to health or performance, has been passed by Deebo Samuel as the 49ers' WR1. Sanders has played through his rib injury, but not well. He is primarily a decoy. With George Kittle back and Samuel playing well, Sanders is no longer a reliable fantasy option.
Brian Hill (RB, ATL)
Just like Ty Johnson, the Brian Hill experiment lasted not even a week. In fact, this listing is a week too late. Hill is terrible. He's rushed 24 times for 44 yards over the last two weeks and is consistently pulled at the goal line for Qadree Ollison. Hill belongs nowhere near fantasy rosters, let alone fantasy lineups.
Royce Freeman (RB, DEN)
Having a Broncos' running back isn't immensely valuable to begin with. Royce Freeman is now definitively the backup running back. Freeman had largely been splitting touches with Phillip Lindsay for the majority of the season. Over the past two weeks, the Broncos have gone all in on Lindsay. Freeman touched the ball just four times last week. He is not the goal line back. He is not the receiving back. He is a pure handcuff. You can roster him as that, but he is useless as long as Lindsay is healthy.
Players You May Be Considering Dropping, But Shouldn't
This late in the season, you can pretty much drop anyone you don't have immediate use for. If you are fighting for a playoff spot, your sole focus should be on doing what you need to do to get in. If you are safely in the playoffs, you should be looking ahead to Weeks 14, 15, and 16 and focusing on putting players on your bench that could be beneficial during the three playoff weeks. It is unlikely that any specific player appears here again.