Dead Weight Report: Week 16 Fantasy Football Drop List
Writing this column after the fantasy football massacre that was Week 15 isn’t the easiest, but I’ll do my best to sort through what went down in order to best prepare you for Week 16. Hopefully, some of you made it through last week’s debacle and get a fresh slate for this next round.
Below is a look at some players who can be dropped and sent packing as we head down the stretch of both the NFL and fantasy seasons. I’m not holding back this week, and you shouldn’t either.
Marquise Brown, WR - Cardinals
I know that 85% of you held onto Marquise Brown this long, through injury and illness, but it’s time to say goodbye to Hollywood for the 2022 season. He hasn’t reached the end zone or posted more than 46 yards since his return in Week 12, and despite seeing a decent amount of targets (eight in each contest), Brown isn’t putting up usable fantasy numbers due to the quality of footballs being tossed his way.
Kyler Murray isn’t walking back onto the field this season, and the combo of Colt McCoy and Tracey McSorely just won’t be able to sustain multiple fantasy options, particularly when maximum points are needed. The Cardinals' remaining two contests are WR-friendly, but the way things are shaking out for this team, it’s best to seek WR points elsewhere.
Gabe Davis, WR - Bills
It’s highly doubtful that any fantasy managers reading this will heed my advice on this one, but it’s my job to point out players who can’t be trusted moving forward and Gabe Davis has reached droppable status with just two weeks remaining in the fantasy season. His greatest hits were back in Weeks 1, 5, and 6, where he put up 16.8, 30.5, and 14.9 half-PPR points, respectively, then only had one other double-digit output of 18.3 in Week 10. In his last five contests, Davis is averaging 5.8 targets per game, which he’s translated to 7.2 half-PPR points per tilt, good enough for WR71 in that time frame.
His low-volume role in the Bills' offense lands him a seat at the boom-or-bust table, and he’s just too risky to count on with everything on the line. If you can’t part with the 23-year-old, park him at the end of the bench; otherwise, let someone else deal with Davis through the next two weeks.
Damien Harris, RB - Patriots
It’s still unclear if Damien Harris will suit up this week after missing the last three weeks due to a thigh injury. Fellow Pats’ RB Rhamondre Stevenson is now healthy and, clearly, the featured back in an offense that is sometimes devoid of that distinction.
Even if Harris returns, he hasn’t seen the volume we need from a fantasy playoff RB, as he’s only hit double-digit carries once since Week 4, with an average of 27.4 yards and zero trips to the end zone in his last five games played.
D’Onta Foreman, RB - Panthers
While the Carolina back has had his heroic moments since the Panthers dealt Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco earlier this season, D’Onta Foreman’s time as a fantasy asset has reached the end of the line. The 26-year-old was only in on 14 of his team’s 46 offensive snaps last week and has been out-targeted by Chuba Hubbard six to one since Sam Darnold returned under center.
To make things worse, the Panthers get a tilt with the Lions in Week 16, a suddenly very solid run defense that has been stingy with RB production over the last five weeks. They held Saquon Barkley to 4.5 half-PPR points in Week 11, Devin Singletary and James Cook combined for just 11.3 in Week 12, yielded only 6.1 to Travis Etienne in Week 13, then surrendered a mere 8.1 half-PPR points to Dalvin Cook and 5.9 to the duo of Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight over the last two weeks. Seek out other options at the RB position this week, like Jaylen Warren or Tyler Allgeier, if you need the help.
Jameson Williams, WR - Lions
The massive breakout will have to wait for Jameson Williams, as the Lions seem to be preserving his greatness until next season. Since the rookie’s debut in Week 13, he’s operating as the team’s WR5, behind not only Amon-Ra St. Brown, D.J. Chark, and Josh Reynolds, but is also after Kalif Raymond in the Detroit pecking order at WR.
With another offseason to heal from an ACL tear he sustained in January, Williams should prove a viable fantasy asset in his second year in the NFL, but for now, he’s not going to help you win any Championships this season.
Say Goodbye to These Injured Players
Here are a handful of drop-worthy guys most likely not suiting up during the regular reason, or if they do, aren’t worth hanging onto anymore:
- Dameon Pierce, RB - Texans
- Jonathan Taylor, RB - Colts
- Tyler Lockett, WR - Seahawks (update: he's upgraded to possibly return in Week 17 so keep if you need him)
- Kyler Murray, QB - Cardinals
- Deebo Samuel, WR - 49ers
