Six weeks isn't enough to build a playoff race -- unless you're talking about fantasy football. With a 14-week schedule the standard for fake rosters across the globe, pressure is beginning to mount for underwhelming teams to make moves that could vault them up the standings or trap them in a prison of last place punishments.
That means taking a look at the highly regarded players or in-season waiver wire darlings who have frustrated with either poor fantasy performances or wildly inconsistent ones. With talented-but-flawed players lingering on the waiver wire, there's room for bold moves to vault teams into the playoffs. There's also massive capacity for the kind of regret that gets brought up for drafts infinitum.
So what should you do about formerly hyped pickups like Ashton Jeanty, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Waddle or Cam Skattebo? We've got some advice.
I'm joined by our resident fantasy expert and Rhode Island Scumbag Mike "Yaj" Boyajian to talk about six players who've been either uneven or straight up disappointing this fall. Who should you keep? Who should you bench? And who should you trade or drop?
Hopefully we can clear things up for you.
RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
Christian: Trade. He’s likely to sit a game soon to get his ankle right, which should help but also could give Mike Washington Jr. the launching pad he needs. His value is low, but name value and his status as a recent top six NFL Draft pick and Round 2(ish) fantasy draft pick should help you find some takers. He’s averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and is up to -78 rushing yards over expected (RYOE) across 23 games as a pro. His primary value at the moment is as a receiver, so there’s no harm in holding him – but that also risks him losing more value if he plays hurt and Washington continues to look like the more effective back.
Yaj: Hold. If you try to trade him, you aren’t getting a top 15-ish pick for him. Unfortunately, he’s not 100 percent and his bye is Week 13. You can live with the drop off in production, considering he is still scoring touchdowns in one way or another. If you want to try and move him for a wide receiver, you may be able to do so -- but you probably won’t get comparable value.
WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Christian: Drop, unless things are going great and you have a ton of space. I know the Jaguars keep saying they won’t trade him, but Thomas is a non-factor in this offense but still has the shine of a rookie 1,200-yard season on his resume. That was less than two years ago! Jacksonville is clearly prioritizing… well, pretty much everyone on the roster over him, including Travis Hunter in the red zone on Sunday morning.
The Jags will face pressure to trade him. Suddenly, his fantasy value will spike. Now you’ve got a tradable asset or potential high-ceiling bye-week fill-in. Or, you know, BTJ continues to stink and you waste a roster spot for nothing.
Yaj: Drop. He hasn’t been worthy a roster spot this season, to be honest. He was seemingly replaced by Josh Cameron on Sunday and will only hold any value if traded to another team at this point. However, that could be weeks away. Do yourself a favor and try to make a play for someone on the wire.
WR DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
Christian: Trade. This is a sell high moment for a player in decline. Metcalf thrived in Week 6, but his catch rate over expected (CROE), yards after catch over expected (YACOE) and expected points added (EPA) per target are all waayyyyyyyyyy down. He’s getting a ton of targets (nearly nine per game) but has had more than 40 receiving yards only twice this season. He’s not going to get better from here. He’s not even going to stay at this level.
Yaj: Hold. His production has been incredibly inconsistent this year, but has had a few spike weeks when Rodgers heavily targets him. Thanks to injuries to Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. those numbers may continue to look like they did Sunday. His schedule is very receiver friendly down the stretch, so you may just benefit from sitting pat and hoping this is the new standard for Pittsburgh.
WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Tennessee Titans
Christian: Drop. Seed oils were a foundational piece of Robinson’s breakthrough, it seems. The Titans have reduced him to his early Giants days, targeting him primarily on short routes and hoping for the best. And, like those early Giants days, it's made Robinson a non-factor on a team with a lousy quarterback.
Yaj: Drop. I really have no interest in anyone on the Titans roster except for maybe Carnell Tate.
Robinson has virtually no ceiling. He’s going to hover in the 10 point range most weeks due to his usage, but that’s really boring for fantasy, and you never really give yourself a chance to steal a week with a player like Robinson. Over the last few weeks we have seen players like Germie Bernard and Omar Cooper Jr. make splashes. Go chase that production instead.
WR Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos
Christian: Hold. Waddle’s debut in Denver has been such a mess that he’s on pace to have fewer catches and yards than he did in 2024 – a year where Tua Tagovailoa was broken and Tyler Huntley and Skylar Thompson both made starts for the Miami Dolphins. His catch rate, YPRR, CROE and EPA are all at career lows. But he’s getting 3.5 yards of separation per target, and at some point Sean Payton is going to start paddling Bo Nix on the sideline if he keeps ignoring his top wideouts for low-impact checkdowns. Waddle is too valuable to keep, even if he’s too heinous to start.
Yaj: Trade. He’s still a name brand and is seeing targets on a weekly basis. However, besides Week 2, he really hasn’t done all that much. The bigger problem for him is who is getting him the ball.
Right now, the entire offense is broken. Unfortunately, this issue seems to go well beyond a simple scheme adjustment. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s brain almost glitched trying to process the Broncos’ offense on Thursday. Take advantage of a WR-needy manager who still thinks the Broncos can get back on track sooner than later.
RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
Christian: Hold. Man, we’re back here again? Alright.
John Harbaugh says Skattebo wasn’t effectively benched due to his Week 5 overtime fumble. Skattebo thinks he was and is OK with it. Either way, this is the lowest his value has been since he emerged as a viable fantasy option. I don’t like Skattebo’s game – he’s a useful power back with a great burst but limited long-range utility and modest returns as a receiver – but I also don’t want to sell him for peanuts when he’s likely to play a significantly larger role going forward (and could have more space created by J.J. McCarthy’s runs).
Yaj: Hold. You really don’t have a choice with the consensus fourth-rounder of the 2026 draft season. He’s another player that’s simply not getting it done for your team. However, no other league member is going to want this headache either.
You hold in the hopes that Harbaugh actually straightens out his RBs to maximise their talents. Skattebo being a goal line back would certainly rekindle his value. Will he get that role?
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Fantasy hold, drop or trade: What to do with Cam Skattebo, Ashton Jeanty and more