With nearly a quarter of the NFL season complete, a clear list of fantasy football busts is beginning to emerge. Odell Beckham Jr. and Chase Claypool should have been dropped weeks ago, while Kyle Pitts and Joe Burrow are standing on thin ground.
With Week 5 ahead and the first bye weeks now in play, feel free to continue carefully culling your roster. This is our Fantasy Football Week 5 Drop List.
2023 Fantasy Football Week 5 Drop List
Quarterbacks
Mac Jones (New England Patriots)
After a strong season-opener against Philadelphia (316 passing yards and three touchdowns), it felt like Mac Jones might become a relevant fantasy option. Instead, he followed it up with a pair of 13-point performances — not the end of the world but hardly worth starting. Then came arguably the worst game of his career. 150 yards in the air, two interceptions, and a final passer rating of 39.9 before Bill Belichick benched him in the third quarter.
This New England Patriots offense is in shambles and Mac Jones should be avoided at all costs.
Running Backs
Joshua Kelley (Los Angeles Chargers)
With Austin Ekeler out for injury, Joshua Kelley had three games to prove himself as the lead back for the Chargers. Kelley averaged 4.4 fantasy points per game during this stretch, catching just one pass and failing to find the end zone. The fourth-year back is not even worth keeping as a handcuff for Ekeler.
Ezekiel Elliott (New England Patriots)
The New England Patriots offense struggled against the Dallas Cowboys — registering as many points (three) as turnovers. New England now has the second-worst scoring offense in the NFL at 13.8 points per game. The rushing attack is mediocre as well, averaging just 93.8 yards/game. With such little production on the ground, there is not much fantasy appeal for one running back in New England, never mind two.
Ezekiel Elliott is averaging just 5.6 fantasy points per game on the season, and even when he registered 80 yards on 16 carries in Week 3, Elliott played just 38% of the Patriots' offensive snaps. With such a low snap count in an inefficient offense, it is safe to move on from the veteran Elliott.
Wide Receivers
Brandin Cooks (Dallas Cowboys)
Cooks was under consideration last week, but after another subpar performance, he is on the chopping block for Week 5. The veteran wideout is averaging just 4.9 fantasy points per game, and with just five targets per contest, there is simply not enough volume here to warrant fantasy consideration.
Skyy Moore (Kansas City Chiefs)
Fantasy owners have been patient with Moore — and the rest of the Chiefs offense so far — but have received very little in return. While Skyy Moore has shown ability as a deep threat, his 15 targets through four games do not warrant fantasy consideration. Drop Moore and continue to treat carefully with the rest of the KC offense.
Darnell Mooney (Chicago Bears)
The Bears finished with their best offensive output of the season on Sunday, scoring 28 points and totaling 471 yards from scrimmage — including 300 yards in the air. Yet even with this increased offensive output, Darnell Mooney was barely featured. The wideout's four targets were fourth on the team in a very favorable matchup. Mooney's 1,000-yard season from 2021 is behind him; drop the Bears receiver.
Rondale Moore (Arizona Cardinals)
Even with Joshua Dobbs under center, some fantasy owners decided to take a flyer on Rondale Moore, the number two wideout in the Arizona offense. But through four games, the former second-round pick has just 13 touches. Moore did record three carries for 54 yards and a touchdown in Week 3. Still, as with the other wide receivers on this list, the volume of touches does not cross the fantasy threshold in PPR leagues.
Tight Ends
Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo Bills)
With his playmaking ability in college, there was some promise that Kincaid could be a difference-maker in the Buffalo offense. Instead, Kincaid has been more of a consistent second tight end and lower-end receiving option for the Bills. The rookie has multiple catches in every game but has not exceeded five in a contest. He also has not found the end zone yet and is averaging just 6.6 yards per catch. Despite the slightly elevated floor, Kincaid's ceiling is not high enough to crack a fantasy football roster.
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