Fantasy Football: 3 Players You Can Drop After Week 3

Every week, basically every fantasy website in the industry puts out a waiver wire column -- here's ours for this week. But in some instances, the real problem isn't deciding who to pick up; it's figuring out which players to part ways with.

Knowing when to drop an under-performing player is a tough call, but I'm here to help you out. Dead weight on your fantasy roster can be particularly harmful during bye weeks. These are the players you don't feel comfortable cutting but who prevent you from picking up someone else. Maybe you even get roped into starting them in a pinch.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to explore any trade possibilities before cutting a player. But the issue with many of these guys is that their value is already low, so they may be difficult to move. If you can't move them, fine -- that's when you can consider dropping them to address other needs on your roster. But don't just drop them without doing any market research in your league.

These are tough decisions to make -- if they weren't, I wouldn't need to write this article. But it doesn't have to be so hard. After this past week, here are some players you can drop and why you can do so.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Statistics via NFL Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise stated.

Fantasy Football Players to Drop After Week 3

D'Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears

Through three games, 58 different running backs have recorded at least 10 rush attempts.

Among those 58 backs, D'Andre Swift has the second lowest rushing success rate and fourth-fewest rushing Net Expected Points (NEP; numberFire's EPA metric) per carry.

That hasn't impacted his volume much yet, but the Chicago Bears' Week 3 backfield utilization hints at a more committee-based approach moving forward. Though Swift still saw 21 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets), his snap rate dipped to a season-low 52.4%

Second-year back Roschon Johnson, on the other hand, saw a 38.1% snap rate and 18 adjusted opportunities in his season debut. He out-snapped Swift in the red zone, 8 to 5, and out-gained him 62 to 42 scrimmage yards.

Khalil Herbert also mixed in when Chicago got near the goal line, and he actually saw a team-high 3 red zone rush attempts despite playing only 8 total snaps.

So, while Swift's opportunities didn't take a hit at face value, that was largely because the Bears ran a staggering 84 plays. They ran 53 in Week 1 and 66 in Week 2. Despite Swift seeing 13 carries, that was only 52% of Chicago's running back rush attempts. He saw 71% in Week 1 and 88% in Week 2.

This is the time to get out on one of the league's most inefficient rushers as the offense looks for any sort of spark on the ground. D'Andre Swift is someone I'd be looking to trade first and foremost, but there's no problem with dropping him in favor of higher-upside options off the waiver wire.

Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

Remember how D'Andre Swift has the second-lowest rushing success rate in the league?

Well, Zamir White has the lowest -- and his volume has been far worse than Swift's.

White has totaled 32 carries for 102 yards, and he's only added 16 yards off 5 receptions in the passing game. His snap share dipped to 24% last week -- the second time in three games he's failed to crack a 40% snap rate.

That's come alongside increased opportunities for Alexander Mattison. Mattison has a near-identical snap rate as White on the season (41% to 43%), and he out-snapped him 25 to 14 in Week 3. Ameer Abdullah also saw more playing time than White in Week 3, playing 20 snaps and leading the Vegas backfield with a 44% route rate.

This Las Vegas Raiders offense is a mess right now -- so much so that they're contemplating a quarterback change ahead of their Week 4 showdown with the Cleveland Browns.

But I don't think it really matters who is under center when it comes to Zamir White. He's stuck in what's now a three-headed committee, and last week's utilization suggests he's at the bottom of the depth chart when the Raiders take to the air. Considering their 1-2 start and 6.5-game win total, negative game scripts could become the norm for this side.

That makes Zamir White a player you should feel comfortable dropping in any 12-team (or smaller) format.

Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans

Listen, tight end is a disaster right now. Only six tight ends are averaging more than 8 fantasy points per game, and no tight end has cracked double-digit fantasy points in multiple games this season.

It's rough out here.

But it's been especially rough for Dalton Schultz. Though he's attached to a star quarterback and high-powered offense with the Houston Texans, Schultz' volume has faded into the void with the arrival of Stefon Diggs and ascension of Nico Collins.

Sure, Schultz still has stellar snap (82%) and route (73%) rates, but he's commanded a measly 10.2% target share -- 31st among all tight ends. That's translated to just 2.8 fantasy points per game, which is 37th at the position.

Even with Houston up to ninth in pass rate over expectation (+0.7%), Schultz hasn't gotten enough volume to remain viable in fantasy. Though the position is a wasteland, there are several tight end streamers I'd rather start than Schultz right now.

Barring injury to one of the Texans' wideouts, it's hard to see a path toward fantasy relevance for Dalton Schultz this season.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.