Fantasy Football: 3 Players You Can Drop After Week 6

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 6

Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns

Jerome Ford was already trending down with Nick Chubb expected to make his season debut in Week 7, but then Ford suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 -- one that has him week-to-week according to Kevin Stefanski.

Ford hadn't been an especially exciting fantasy performer even before the injury news. He cracked double-digit fantasy points just twice through six games, and his snap rate fell to 59.3% in Week 5 despite being fully healthy.

But with this injury, it's hard to justify holding Ford on your bench in the peak of bye season. Even if he's able to return this week, he'd now be stuck in an even bigger timeshare with Chubb back in the fold. However, D'Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. have both shown some juice in backup roles of their own, paving the way for this Cleveland Browns running back room to be a real headache rest of season.

I'd rather avoid that headache altogether. Considering Ford's lack of production even with him healthy and Chubb out, there's not much reason to hold Ford moving forward.

Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans

Why in the world would you consider dropping a wide receiver who just saw a 29.6% target share and 58.9% air yard share?

Well, when your quarterback is Will Levis, those usage stats don't always (or even typically) lead to fantasy production.

I'm, of course, talking about Calvin Ridley. Despite his 8 targets and 144.4 air yards in a plus matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Ridley finished with zero receptions. He was a nine-yard rush attempt away from scoring zero fantasy points.

That was the fourth time in five games Ridley failed to exceed 6.5 fantasy points. He's been held to single-digit receiving yards in three straight games.

And while no one expects those ugly numbers to hold if Ridley's usage rate remains strong, Tennessee's upcoming schedule doesn't inspire much confidence in a fantasy turnaround.

Over their next six games, the Tennessee Titans face five teams ranked inside the top 10 in schedule-adjusted pass defense. If Indianapolis (26th in adjusted pass defense) held Ridley catchless, I can't imagine what these top secondaries are going to do to him.

Ridley still has enough boom-or-bust upside to warrant starting him in an absolute pinch, but you shouldn't hesitate to drop him if there's someone with a higher week-to-week ceiling on your waiver wire.

Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rachaad White was already stuck in a backfield committee before he missed Week 6 with an injury. But after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushed for a season-high 277 yards on Sunday, White could return to an even more crowded backfield.

Rookie Bucky Irving had been encroaching on White's snap count even before White missed last week. In White's absence, Irving played 63.9% of snaps and turned 14 carries into 81 yards.

But second-year back Sean Tucker was the most impressive back on Sunday. He saw 20 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets), netting 192 total yards and 2 touchdowns.

Now, White likely won't just disappear the rest of the way, but it's hard to argue that he's the most effective back on the Bucs right now. White's fantasy appeal came from the consistent volume he received, not how efficient he was as a player. If Tucker and Irving continue to play well, that volume could take a hit, and with it, White's fantasy value will crater.

Looking ahead, the schedule is far from ideal for any Tampa rusher. They face two top-10 adjusted run defenses in the next three weeks, so it's hard to see White stepping back into fantasy relevance, especially if his backups continue to out-produce him. He's someone I'd be comfortable dropping in most leagues in favor of a player you could confidently start in the immediate future.

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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.