I learned a few things perusing the comments section of last week’s column.
The first is that, as comments sections go, The Athletic is rather civilized. The second is that the readers of this column apparently really like Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle for reasons that admittedly escape me. Maybe he has a really big family. But my recommendation to drop him was met with the internet equivalent of tomatoes and cabbages.
That Dowdle proceeded to post 107 total yards and a touchdown offers proof that I have mystical powers—mention a player in this column, and he blows up. Jordan Addison’s numbers weren’t as good, but he still had his second-best fantasy statline of the year. No one said a word about dropping him. He needs a better agent, I guess.
I’m not apologizing for Dowdle—especially with Dak Prescott now out indefinitely. Besides, I’ve grown almost as accustomed to being wrong as being told I’m the “worst writer ever.”
It would kind of be an achievement. You know, being the worst writer ever to tap keys and make words. What? I have aspirations, too.
(Rostered percentages courtesy of Yahoo!)
Droppable in shallow leagues
Players to drop for a priority free agent
RB Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville (99 percent rostered)
Etienne missed a pair of games with a hamstring injury before returning in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jaguars have had a frustrating season, and Etienne told reporters that being sidelined only added to the frustration.
“One day, you feel great, and then you go out there, and you forget you’re hurt. You forget that you even had the little pull or whatever it was, and you go out there, and you go full speed. Then, like, damn, now you’re back to square one,” said Etienne.
“Now you’re back with the trainers; now you’re doing all that, and I definitely don’t want to be in that situation. I’d rather just take care of it on the front end.”
There’s a caveat with this suggestion—if Etienne is traded before Tuesday’s deadline (as has been speculated), then that buys the 25-year-old a week or two more. But Etienne has hardly been “explosive.” He has all of 59 carries this season, is averaging 36.3 rushing yards per game, and saw one carry in the second half last week.
If the Jaguars don’t move on, fantasy managers should.
QB Caleb Williams, Chicago (73 percent rostered)
Williams is the first player in 2024 to appear on this list twice (I do try to offer variety).
Williams is coming off a miserable Week 9 performance against the Arizona Cardinals, in which he injured his ankle in an already out-of-hand game.
Speaking to the media after the game, Williams made comments that ramped up criticism of Bears head coach Matt Eberflus for leaving the first-round pick on the field.
When asked whether he should have been in the game during his ankle injury, Williams said, “It’s not my decision. You fight to the end of the game. If you’re in the game, if not, the coach makes a decision like that. You have to deal with it and figure out the next steps, but not my decision.”
“I know it’s a tough loss. It’s tough regardless of who you are in the facility, if you were out there making plays or if you’re making decisions up top,” he added later.
Williams appeared to be making strides heading into Chicago’s bye week, but his two games since the break have been … bad. Maybe he’s just having rookie bumps in the road. Maybe Eberflus is a bad coach (ding!). But rostering a quarterback who’s had back-to-back games with less than 10 fantasy points will not help you down the stretch. Williams is only marginally startable in superflex leagues right now. In one QB formats, he’s waiver fodder.
Other drops
Players who are droppable for literally anyone, including a second kicker
QB Joe Flacco, Indianapolis (16 percent rostered)
Yes, Flacco had a nice run last year with the Cleveland Browns. Yes, Flacco lit up the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season for over 350 passing yards and three touchdowns. Yes, Indy appears to have a solid array of passing-game weapons. But after last week’s clunker against one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses in the Minnesota Vikings, it’s hard to justify rostering him. Shane Falco would have had a better statline than Flacco’s 179 passing yards with an interception last week—and Falco’s a fictional character.
RB Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas (64 percent rostered)
Last week, I advised fantasy managers to show Zamir White the door, and now it’s time to get rid of the Raiders’ backfield altogether. Mattison’s fantasy value certainly hasn’t been tied to efficiency—he has averaged 3.3 yards per carry this year. He’s the RB28 for the season in PPR leagues because of volume and touchdowns. Given the sorry state of the Vegas offense, he can’t be counted on for the latter with any regularity. His nine carries against the Cincinnati Bengals last week were his fewest in a month-plus. By no stretch of the imagination is he a must-hold over the Raiders bye week.
WR Elijah Moore, Cleveland (14 percent rostered)
Yes, this week’s drops aren’t exactly thrillers. And yes, Moore is another player on his bye week. But that’s one more reason to cut bait on the fourth-year pro. The new and improved Cleveland offense lasted all of a week before they fell prey to the irresistible urge of Browns-ing, and while Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy posted decent statlines against the Los Angeles Chargers, Moore caught just three of nine targets for 28 yards. Cleveland is a cosmic vortex of misery from which no joy can escape.
Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Yell at him on X at @IDPSharks.
(Photo of Caleb Williams: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
