The 2025 NFL season is now a third of the way through, giving fantasy football managers everything they can handle ahead of Week 7. With the waiver wire becoming an increasingly important element of fantasy football, identifying the right players to drop is just as crucial.
A lot has transpired through six games, changing many players' roles from what they were in Week 1. Injuries have been a part of the game, as per usual, along with the annual surprises.
With six weeks now in the books, fantasy football managers have a good idea of what to expect moving forward. While frustratingly inconsistent players like A.J. Brown still have hope to turn their seasons around, it can be safe to assume that 2025 will not be the year for players like Calvin Ridley or Tyrone Tracy Jr.
There is always a risk to dropping notable players, but knowing when to cut losses is an often underrated element of fantasy football. There is enough data at this point to confidently close the door on more than a few players' fantasy values.
WR Tyquan Thornton, Kansas City Chiefs
Tyquan Thornton was arguably a drop candidate after Week 5, but his time might officially be up. Fantasy football managers need to cut their losses with Thornton, who failed to record a catch against the Detroit Lions in Week 6 while playing just 17 total offensive snaps.
Week 7 proved that Thornton has already been phased out of the game plan, but his role is about to decrease even further. Leading receiver Rashee Rice‘s suspension is finally up, and he will make his season debut in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
With Rice back in the lineup, Thornton will become the fifth option in Kansas City's passing game. His brief resurgence will be remembered by those who rostered him, but Thornton is back to being a depth piece in a suddenly crowded receiving room.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
Few players' roles have changed more through six weeks than that of Tyrone Tracy Jr. The second-year back began the season in control of the New York Giants' backfield, but found himself as a full-time backup after six games.
A shoulder injury contributed to the role change, but Cam Skattebo just brings a different type of energy that this team has desperately needed for years. Any hope that Tracy could split snaps with Skattebo went up in flames in Week 6, when the former returned from a two-game absence to play just 30.4 percent of the offensive snaps.
Tracy still has starting-level talent, but the Giants' offense is not good enough to pull off two fantasy-relevant running backs like the Detroit Lions do. New York has reverted to being a run-heavy offense without Malik Nabers, but Tracy has become a distant No. 2 behind Skattebo. He would return to prominence should Skattebo get hurt — something that is always a possibility with his play style — but there are better options on the waiver wire for now.
RB Hassan Haskins, Los Angeles Chargers
Fantasy football managers picked up Hassan Haskins in droves when the Los Angeles Chargers confirmed Omarion Hampton's ankle injury required an injury reserve designation. Reports suggested that Haskins would take over the backfield, but he could not have been a more distant No. 2 behind Kimani Vidal.
The Chargers tried to use Haskins, but Vidal was too hot to ignore. Unlike Haskins, the former sixth-round pick made the most of the opportunity, rattling off 124 rushing yards and reaching the end zone through the air.
Vidal cemented himself as the starter until Hampton returns with his Week 6 performance. With a pair of tough matchups against the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings looming, there is not much room for Haskins to carve out a meaningful role, barring another injury.
WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Any manager who took a shot on Brandon Aiyuk in their drafts could not have imagined a worse scenario than what has unfolded. After weeks of radio silence to begin the season, the latest reports on Aiyuk ahead of Week 7 have been about the worst-case scenario for his fantasy football outlook.
Reports about his strained relationship with the 49ers have been debunked, but Aiyuk's recovery is still tanking his 2025 fantasy football value. Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said the team is targeting Week 10 as a rough estimate for his return, which would give him only about six weeks to make an impact.
Even when he returns to the field, Aiyuk is likely to be on a pitch count, and there are no guarantees what he will look like. Add those concerns to the fact that he is coming off a career-worst 2024 campaign, and managers are better suited waiting until 2026 before trusting Aiyuk again.
Aiyuk might be worth holding in leagues that have an IR spot for now, but there is almost no upside at this point.
RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
The talent is there, but it does not seem like it will happen for RJ Harvey in 2025. The dynamic running back is simply capped by a limited role in Sean Payton's offense, which is notoriously unforgiving to rookies.
Harvey has played fewer than 35 percent of the team's total offensive snaps so far and has been on the field for more than 40 percent of the plays in just one of the Broncos' first six games. That is enough of a sample size to conclude that he will be stuck in a permanent RB2 role unless anything happens to J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins' injury history makes Harvey slightly more interesting, but he currently looks as healthy as he ever has in his career. If he goes down, Harvey would immediately become an intriguing stream option with RB1 upside.
Until then, he can be dropped for players with higher upside, including Kimani Vidal, Bam Knight, Woody Marks or Michael Carter.
