With Week 8 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season already here, it's a critical time for fantasy managers to make pivotal decisions regarding their starting lineups and bench players. New teams are seeing their bye week and the waiver wire always adds some intriguing upgrades at every position – we'll be taking a look at which players it may be time to drop to make room for a change.
Before getting into players on the drop list, we'll go over notable injury news from Week 7 action. Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels left the game against the Cowboys and did not return with a hamstring injury. Miami Dolphins' Darren Waller' did not return (pectoral) against the Browns. Carolina Panthers' QB Bryce Young was also ruled out (ankle), opening the door for backup Andy Dalton to be in-line for the start.
Other injuries include New Orleans Saints' Kendre Miller (knee) and Green Bay Packers' Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) as their statuses remain ‘questionable.' Week 7 also saw a quarterback chance for the New York Jets as Justin Fields was benched and replaced with veteran Tyrod Taylor.
Fantasy Football Week 8 – Drop List
Justin Fields, QB (NYJ) – Rostered in 73.4% of leagues
With Jets' head coach Aaron Glenn still undecided on whether it while be Justin Field or Tyrod Taylor starting against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, the future for Fields as a fantasy starter looks murky. His last two games have arguably been the worst of his career, totaling just 91 passing yards and 53 rushing yards without accounting for any touchdowns.
While his rushing upside earned him a solid role in the fantasy landscape through the first five weeks of the season, things have clearly gone sour in New York as Fields ranks the No. 20 overall quarterback in points. It's safe to say thank Fields can be let go in most leagues and formats.
Christian Kirk, WR (HOU) – Rostered in 21.5% of leagues
Christian Kirk came into the season as one of the exciting receiving options for quarterback CJ Stroud, but this Texans' offense hasn't been anywhere near what they were projected in the preseason. Furthermore, Christian Kirk has missed three of six games this season, failing to log more than four catches in any of the three games he played.
The Houston Texans also looked terrible against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, so the ceiling for this offense in general could be much lower than we've seen the last two years. Christian Kirk is a safe drop even in deeper leagues.
Jerry Jeudy, WR (CLE) – Rostered in 78.2% of leagues
Jerry Jeudy's situation in Cleveland is similar to that of Christian Kirk's in Houston, but much worse. With Joe Flacco heading to Cincinnati and rookie Dillon Gabriel manning the offense, Jerry Jeudy's opportunities are set to be extremely limited. Even while healthy and on the field through the first seven weeks of the season, Jeudy has failed to find the end zone, catch more than five passes in a game, or eclipse 75 receiving yards.
This Cleveland Browns' offense seems intent on running on the back of rookie phenom Quinshon Judkins, along with talented rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. As for Jerry Jeudy, he seems safe to drop from fantasy lineups if there's players you've been eyeing on the waiver wire.
Michael Carter, RB (ARI) – Rostered in 52.9% of leagues
Following the Arizona Cardinals' solid effort against the Green Bay Packers, it seems as though backfield teammate Bam Knight may have secured the RB1 role opposite of Michael Carter. Since Week 5, Carter has seen his carries decrease from 18 to nine, to seven in his most recent game.
The Cardinals also have the Week 8 bye, so there may not be much sense in keeping Carter on rosters, especially if you're looking for streaming options on the waiver wire. With starter Trey Benson projected to return sometime around Week 10 or 11, the window for Carter to earn starting touches in quickly depleting.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB (JAX) – Rostered in 27% of leagues
Coming into the season, Bhayshul Tuten was expected to be the explosive speed option opposite of veteran back Travis Etienne. While this has been the case, it's been much more muted than fantasy managers have expected while Etienne enjoys one of his best fantasy years in recent memory.
Tuten has surpassed 10.0 fantasy points in just one game this season and he's notched just one rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown. He's been seriously limited with his opportunities in between the tackles, so it's north worth keeping him around unless you're an Etienne manager wanting an insurance policy.
