Fantasy football managers face tough decisions every week about which players deserve roster spots and which should be sent packing. The waiver wire constantly churns with new opportunities, making it crucial to identify when a player’s value has diminished beyond repair.
Some athletes start strong but fade as the season progresses, while others fall victim to injuries that derail their fantasy relevance. Smart managers know that holding onto the wrong players can cost them valuable bench space and potentially a championship run.
Cut: Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Rostered: 46%
The trajectory of Juwan Johnson’s season is a huge spike and then a line pointing directly down. He opened the season with games of 15.6 and 15.9 fantasy points. Those are elite TE1 numbers. In Week 3, Johnson had a very respectable 11.1 points.
Across those first three contests, the New Orleans Saints tight end saw target counts of 11, 9, and 8. In his last three, Johnson has a total of nine targets, and his 5.8 fantasy points in Week 4 represent his most productive outing.
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Johnson’s snap share fell to 71% last week. The returns of Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill are starting to chip away at his stranglehold on the TE1 role. He is no longer a reliable weekly starter. If you can stream his production, which you can, then Johnson is not a must-roster player.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Rostered: 20%
We’ll keep this one short and sweet since Brenton Strange is already not particularly heavily rostered. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ tight end injured his hip on Thursday night. The injury will cost him at least five weeks, and he is already on IR.
Strange was a serviceable TE, but not exactly lighting up the scoreboard. He has yet to score a touchdown and topped out at 12.1 fantasy points in Week 3. This is not the type of player you hold through a lengthy injury.
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Making the tough calls on roster cuts separates successful fantasy managers from those left scrambling on the waiver wire. Johnson’s dramatic decline from elite early-season production to streaming-level output demonstrates how quickly player value can evaporate. His diminishing snap count and target share signal a trend that’s unlikely to reverse with Hill and Moreau healthy.
Strange’s situation is more straightforward but equally decisive. Multi-week injuries to replacement-level players simply aren’t worth the roster investment, especially when streaming options consistently emerge throughout the season.
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Both cases highlight a fundamental fantasy principle: roster spots are precious real estate. Players must earn their keep through consistent production or clear upside potential. When neither exists, swift action prevents valuable bench space from being wasted on declining assets.
The waiver wire rewards managers who make calculated moves rather than emotional attachments. Cut ties with underperforming players early, and redirect that roster spot toward emerging opportunities that could define your championship push.