Industry experts give their advice on which highly owned fantasy football players are droppable, if you are in need of a roster spot! Isiah Pacheco fantasy owners, listen up!
This has already been a chaotic fantasy football season, and next week will turn up to another level once bye weeks come into play. Still, injuries and poor performers are already making many people wonder whether or not they are worth hanging onto. Obviously, James Conner is done for this season, so feel free to drop him. However, if an early draft pick is currently a wasted spot on your bench, are they worth holding onto?
Below, several industry experts weigh in on which highly owned fantasy football players can be dropped if you are in need of a roster spot. None of these players are must-drop players, but if you do have to cut them from your squad, you shouldn’t lose any sleep over that decision. All of the players included must be owned in at least 75% of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
Show all of the featured experts below some love, and if you have some add/drop questions of your own, feel free to click their name and reach out to them!
Drop These Players Before Fantasy Football Week 4 | Fantasy Experts Sound Off
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Geoff Ulrich (Fantasy Life) — Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs (86% rostered)
You were likely right to wait it out this long on Pacheco, whom many people assumed would rebound in 2025. However, at this point, I don’t see much hope for a turnaround. Via the Week 4 Drops Column on Fantasy Life, Pacheco did play more snaps than Kareem Hunt (59% to 44%), vs the Giants, but, once again, it was Hunt who got the crucial inside the five-yard carries and scored a TD.
Add in the fact that Brashard Smith got some work again (11% snap rate, 2 car. 13 yards), who the Chiefs view as a dynamic receiver out of the backfield, and any hope for a rebound to his 2023 glory days seems all but gone at this point for Pacheco. Drop him like your ex-girlfriend/boyfriend dropped you after the high school prom.
Geoff Lambert (GoingFor2) — Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs (86% rostered)
Zach Brunner (FlurrySports) — Stefon Diggs, WR, Patriots (78.7% rostered)
I fully agree with my fellow analysts above that Isiah Pacheco can be dropped, but I felt like throwing another name into the mix. Stefon Diggs has name value, but that is the only value he currently holds. Last week, he played just 53% of the snaps. This was the fifth-most among Patriots pass catchers. While second on the team in targets, he’s seeing only five targets per game. He’s topped 50 yards just once so far, which isn’t enough to get it done. Could his role grow? Yes, but not by much. Keep him if you have room, but if you need to pick up an injury or bye week replacement, dropping Diggs isn’t the sacrifice it once was.
Justin Herrera — Calvin Ridley, WR, Titans (86% rostered)
Elic Ayomanor is the true WR1 for the Tennessee Titans, and Chig Okonkwo is taking away targets at tight end as well. Calvin Ridley can be dropped.
Luke Reimer (FlurrySports) — Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars (86% rostered)
Coming into the season, there probably was not a player in fantasy football who had more questions than Travis Hunter. At a base football level, he is an incredible player who has contributed on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, but at a fantasy football level, he is not doing enough to really be considered startable in any given week. Through three weeks, Hunter has looked much better on the defensive side of the ball, making one believe that the Jaguars continue to integrate him into the NFL on defense to avoid throwing too much at him too fast. Hunter only has 10 receptions through three weeks, averaging just north of five targets per game. Given Trevor Lawrence’s continued struggles, along with Liam Coen continuing to find his footing as a head coach, Hunter is very droppable.
