By Jennifer Eakins, 4for4
Dropping any kind of weight is never an easy feat, but it’s always worth it in the end. Assessing who to let go from your fantasy football teams after five contests is getting a bit easier as we have more of an idea of usage and output, but it’s still a leap of faith.
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Here is this week’s list of players who are potentially droppable in favor of guys who are in better spots to perform and add more to your roster moving forward.
Jerry Jeudy, WR – Browns
He’s been in my thin ice segment for two weeks now, and the thaw is here. Jerry Jeudy is averaging 39.4 receiving yards per contest with zero touchdowns through five games as the WR77 on a per-game basis in half-PPR scoring. In the first two weeks, he was up against the Bengals and Ravens, who sit 27th and 31st, respectively, in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to opposing WRs. Jeudy posted a combined 9.3 points.
The chances of it getting better for Jeudy with Dillon Gabriel under center instead of Joe Flacco are pretty slim, considering Flacco averaged 40 passes per tilt compared to Gabriel's 33 last week, plus the emergence of Quinshon Judkins will likely keep the ball on the ground more moving forward. Cleveland gets the Steelers and Patriots in two of the next three weeks before their Week 9 bye, so part ways with Jeudy now before he brings you any more pain.
Mark Andrews, TE – Ravens
As the TE19 in half-PPR scoring per contest, Mark Andrews has been held to under 6.6 points in all but one contest in 2025, and his 4.2 targets per game sit 26th among TEs. His one solid output was thanks to a two-TD performance in Week 3, which we can't rely on consistently with this current offense, or ever really.
With Lamar Jackson likely out in Week 6 and the Ravens on a bye the following week, it seems pointless for managers who roster Andrews (90%) to keep torturing themselves by him glaring at them each week. Set your mental anguish free for some waiver love like Mason Taylor or Theo Johnson.
Emari Demercado, RB – Cardinals
Highly added last week (up to 58%) with James Conner out for the season and Trey Benson on IR, Emari Demercado’s role actually decreased as he saw zero work in the passing game and was out-touched 23-3 by Michael Carter.
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To make things worse, Demercado actually ran for a 72-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter but committed the dreaded premature celebration fumble before crossing the goal line for a touchback. Bouncing back from that, especially in such a brutal loss, is not going to be an easy feat for the 26-year-old. A trip to the dog house, combined with the fact that he’s really only a third-down back for this team, makes Demercado dispensable moving forward.
Darius Slayton, WR – Giants
With Malik Nabers out for the season, rookie Jaxson Dart needs to look elsewhere, but Darius Slayton does not appear to be the beneficiary. He posted a 3-31-0 line last week, but also left early due to a hamstring injury. It also doesn’t help that New York’s next four contests are against the Eagles (twice), Broncos and 49ers.
That injury, plus a tough schedule and lack of usage, makes Slayton disposable in anything under a 16-team format.
Jalen Tolbert, WR – Cowboys
Jalen Tolbert was a popular add a few weeks ago after CeeDee Lamb sustained an ankle injury that sent him to the IR, but he hasn’t added enough to fantasy rosters for you to hang onto the Dallas WR.
He saw just one target last week, which he did not catch, and George Pickens had Sauce Gardner on him the whole contest, which does not bode well for Tolbert's usage moving forward. Tolbert can safely be dropped heading into Week 6.
Also Droppable: Juwan Johnson, TE, Saints; Sean Tucker, RB, Bucs; Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals
On Thin Ice
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Chris Godwin Jr., Bucs
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Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants
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Marvin Mims Jr., Broncos
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Zach Ertz, Commanders
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Elic Ayomanor, Titans
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Blake Corum, Rams
