Have you seen those lists, like the five things to do to avoid getting bitten by a shark or the five things to do if you should come into contact with a bear? It always amazes me that the number one thing to do is: a) don’t swim in shark-infested waters and/or b) avoid hiking, camping in areas that are known bear habitats. The other advice given is pertinent too, I suppose (this is, of course, coming from someone who fastidiously avoids most outdoor activities).

Anyway, I digress. The reason I bring this up is that in fantasy football, we tend to look at all the reasons we are holding on to players that are only biting our asses or eating our faces, when all we simply have to do is drop them.

Ahh, such a beautiful mixture of metaphors. So, here are some players that you need to drop ahead of Week 10 of the fantasy football season. 

Week 10 Fantasy Football Drops

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, MIA

I am all about garbage time fantasy points. I am also all about recognizing a sinking ship when I see it (did you know that this year is the 50th anniversary of the movie JAWS!!!) The Miami Dolphins have fired their general manager, Chris Grier, while retaining the services of head coach Mike McDaniel, for now.

So, McDaniel is coaching for his job, Tagovailoa is playing for his job, and the Dolphins are now “open” to trades for Jaylen Waddle. Is this where I mention that Tagovailoa leads the league with 11 interceptions? And it doesn’t get easier. Week 10, the Dolphins play the Buffalo Bills, who just held Patrick Mahomes to zero passing touchdowns and one interception.

Now, let’s discuss what’s most important: Tagovailoa’s fantasy production. In his last four games, he has produced:

• Week 9: 9.54 fantasy points
• Week 8: 24.2 fantasy points
• Week 7: 1.6 fantasy points
• Week 6: 9.6 fantasy points
   

Not great. Drop him like rats abandoning a sinking ship (okay, seriously, I’m out of water metaphors).

Wait, one more from Jaws, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” or in this case, better choices than Tagovailoa.

Potential Replacements: Joe Flacco, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields

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Alvin Kamara, RB, NO

There was a time when Kamara’s name was synonymous with PPR fantasy points, Yatzee. That is no longer the case in New Orleans. Kamara is currently averaging 10.3 fantasy points per game. He is on the field for 66.6% snap share. And while he led the team in touches Week 9 (six to Taysom Hill’s four), Kamara averaged 2.3 yards per carry. His explosive run was three yards. 

And where we counted on the PPR production, he is working with an 11.1% target share (pre-Tyler Shough). Week 9, that was three targets (third fewest on the team), one reception for three yards. He also had a fumble.

Kamara has had one game of over 100 total yards, and that was in the second week of the season. And while each game pre-Shough, he has had at least one red zone carry, albeit with only one touchdown. Last week with Shough, he had zero red zone carries.

The Saints are purportedly listening to trades for Kamara. Maybe, depending on his future destination, he will be viable. But currently, he is the reason you are swimming in shark-infested waters, GET OUT! (another great movie that had absolutely nothing to do with water!)

Potential Replacements: Kareem Hunt (48.5% rostered), Kyle Monangai (63.8% rostered), Rico Dowdle (67.7% rostered)

Jakobi Meyers, WR, LV

Meyers should be better. He is on the field for a 93.6% snap share and runs 54.3% of his routes from the slot. That just looks like PPR goodness, and yet in his last four games, he has amassed:

• Week 9: 2.3 fantasy points
• Week 7: 7.9 fantasy points
• Week 6: 7.2 fantasy points
• Week 5: 7.0 fantasy points
   

None of that is good. He does have a Geno Smith poor play problem (I stand by that, even with this week’s performance, you did see the throw for the two-point conversion to win the game, right?) and a Brock Bowers playing on the same field, and Bowers is a stud problem. This makes rostering Meyers in fantasy our problem.

There are trade rumors that could potentially give the problem a solution. But right now, drop that problem.

Courtland Sutton, WR, DEN

Speaking of problems, Sutton has a Bo Nix problem. I love a good nail-biter just like the next person. But trying to redeem Nix by his fourth-quarter heroics is a bit much and is eating into the potential ceiling of Sutton.

In his last five games (not counting Week 9), Sutton’s targets and routes run are chaotic, but not in a good way. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he ran 24 routes with six targets, against the New York Giants, it was 47 routes with 10 targets, and against the New York Jets, it was 28 routes with three targets.

In the Cowboys game, the Broncos led the entire way, and Sutton was out-targeted by Troy Franklin eight to six. In the Giants game, the Broncos were behind the entire game until the fourth quarter heroics, and Sutton tied Franklin with 10 targets.

There is a narrative starting here where Sutton (and our fantasy hopes) are not reaping the fruits of the Broncos' labors. The Broncos are seventh in passing attempts, averaging 35.8 attempts per game, and Sutton is averaging seven targets per game.

Sutton got paid like the WR1 on the Broncos. Yet, he is not getting the WR1 treatment. So, is it rash to suggest dropping him in Week 10? Not if you can pick up a wide receiver who is actually getting the WR1 treatment.

Matthew Golden, WR, GB

Golden is definitely not getting WR1 treatment, but that was always going to be the case when he was drafted to Green Bay. What wasn’t expected was that Golden is languishing with a 13.1% target share. He has only four designed targets and 17 first-read targets. All in all, he has 26 targets with 21 receptions for 293 total yards and zero touchdowns.

Youthful optimism is great, except when it’s being unproductive on your fantasy bench (dynasty leagues excepted). It’s time.

Potential upgrades to your WR problems: Troy Franklin (48% rostered), Alec Pierce (26% rostered), Colston Loveland (23% rostered) (sometimes your best WR is a TE).

On The Watch List To Drop

Yes, these are the players that are precariously close to being dropped, but have gained a reprieve for one reason or another. 

Bo Nix, QB, DEN

In fantasy, garbage time points are points, and Nix is currently the fourth-quarter gift that keeps on giving. He isn’t horrible, statistically speaking. He is fourth in pass attempts (285) but 28th in yards per attempt (6.3). He has three rushing touchdowns, 17 total touchdowns with only six interceptions, yet his QBR is 58.1.

He is currently QB5 in fantasy points, buoyed by the 40 fantasy points against the New York Giants, 26.7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and 24.8 against the Dallas Cowboys. His remaining strength of schedule is the 14th-easiest per Sharp Football Analysis, so we will wait and see. Is this second-half magic an aberration or a steady climb to fantasy relevance? 

Keon Coleman, WR, BUF

Coleman remains on firm watch and is not droppable because Josh Allen is his quarterback. Coleman has had double-digit fantasy points twice, in Week 1 and Week 5.

He has a 19.7% target share, a 22% target rate, a 73.2% snap share and an 81.6% route participation rate. They are trying to make him relevant. And if the seventh-ranked total offensive team is willing to try and make Coleman relevant, it’s worth a couple more weeks of watching.

Jameson Williams, WR, DET

Williams is WR52 in fantasy football. Honestly, I almost forgot he was part of the Lions, and wow, 52 is a long way down. But Dan Campbell loves him, and well, that’s almost enough for me. It also helps that in Week 9, his six targets culminated in four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception, and his longest reception of 37 yards was second on the team.

Williams is number one among wide receivers in deep target share at 71.4% and he has a 95.4% route participation. The Lions have the fifth-hardest remaining strength of schedule per Sharp Analysis, so all hands are on deck. That’s enough to warrant a look before dropping him.

Mr. Right Versus Mr. Right Now

So, J.J. McCarthy isn’t that bad, but now Daniel Jones is? And does Geno Smith tossing four touchdowns but losing to a Trevor Lawrence team—that had zero passing touchdowns—mean play Smith against the Denver Broncos this Thursday night?

 Who is Mr.Right and who is Mr. Right Now is the inevitable fantasy question each week. Luckily, fantasylife.com has the answers. Because we all know, Mr. Right Now changes constantly.

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