Nothing brings more stress to the average NFL fan than the fantasy football playoffs, which are officially beginning in Week 15. Trade season is over, but the waiver wire never ends.
Finding league-winning players on the waiver wire at this point in the season is about as rare as a strike of lightning. However, there are always a few diamonds in the rough to be used at the disposal of desperate managers.
Playoff time requires risk-taking, but the window for patience has officially closed. It is time to begin cutting dead weight and dropping any player not worthy of starting consideration from fantasy football rosters.
Before the fantasy football playoffs begin in NFL Week 15, drop these five players from all rosters without hesitation.
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
What was supposed to be a breakout season for Trey Benson has turned into a disappointment. Everything aligned for Benson to reach his initial draft expectations in 2025, particularly with James Conner suffering a season-ending injury.
The Arizona Cardinals instead confirmed that Benson will also remain on injured reserve and will not return in 2025. His season ends with 29 carries for 160 rushing yards and 13 catches for 64 receiving yards.
Conner and Benson will both return to the Cardinals in 2025, but the much younger Benson will be the preferred fantasy option. For now, Bam Knight will continue commanding Arizona's backfield for the remainder of the season.
TE Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders
Late-season injuries are never a good sign, especially when they take out veterans like Zach Ertz. The 35-year-old had turned back the clock for most of the season to maintain reliable fantasy football output, but will now spend the rest of the year on the sidelines.
Ertz took a nasty hit late in the Washington Commanders' Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and was carted off the field in tears. The team has since confirmed he suffered a torn ACL, ending his 13th season on a low note.
Ertz would have been one of the few players who could have benefited from Marcus Mariota returning to the starting lineup for a reinjured Jayden Daniels after catching 10 passes for a season-high 106 receiving yards in the Hawaiian's last start. His season instead ends with 50 catches, 504 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Expect the Commanders to rotate John Bates and Ben Sinnott in at tight end for the remainder of the year. Neither is a usable fantasy option, even with Mariota's tendency to favor tight ends.
WR Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos
With 541 receiving yards through 13 games, Troy Franklin has already doubled his rookie season production. His improvement is a positive sign for his long-term development, but Franklin has not been a helpful fantasy football contributor in recent weeks.
Franklin briefly looked like he was headed on a tear down the stretch after a two-touchdown performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. That 26.9-point outburst was part of his best run of the year, which included four double-digit outings in five weeks.
However, since the Denver Broncos' Week 12 bye, Franklin has fallen behind rookie Pat Bryant in the pecking order. Bryant has warranted 11 targets over the last two weeks to Franklin's seven.
The sudden shift might not be permanent, but Bryant's playing time has steadily increased over the last two months. Franklin is arguably Denver's fourth-best receiving option at this point and cannot be trusted in the fantasy football playoffs.
WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
On paper, Xavier Worthy should be a reliable fantasy football contributor as the best big-play threat for the NFL's third-leading passer. Unfortunately, nothing has worked out for Worthy in 2025, as the former first-round pick is barely on track to match his rookie season numbers.
Worthy has shown up for the Kansas City Chiefs in moments, and he was more consistent in November, ending the month with three games with over 50 receiving yards. That just has not turned into any sort of noteworthy fantasy production.
Worthy, who has just one touchdown this season, has only breached double digits in non-PPR formats once. He has been even less relevant since Rashee Rice‘s season debut and is the team's fourth-leading receiver on the year.
After a dominant performance in Super Bowl LIX, Worthy has underwhelmed in 2025. Perhaps his season would be different had he not suffered a freak shoulder injury in Week 1, but he has been one of the biggest fantasy football busts of the year and should not be in any Week 15 lineups.
RB Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
Any fantasy football manager who was lucky enough to grab Kimani Vidal early is likely in the playoffs. With star rookie Omarion Hampton back in the lineup, it is time to acknowledge the ride is over.
Vidal still played a role in Hampton's Week 14 return, turning 15 touches into 104 scrimmage yards. That was to be expected with the first-round pick returning from a severe leg injury. Hampton's snap share will only increase as the Los Angeles Chargers shift into playoff mode, which will cut into Vidal's workload.
The Chargers end the regular season against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. Three of those teams boast top-10 rushing defenses.
Without a workhorse-like role, Vidal cannot be trusted in the fantasy football playoffs. By the time the Chargers face the Cowboys, their only remaining positive matchup, Hampton might have regained control of the backfield.
