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NFL Draft

Fantasy Football Players You Can Drop After Week 7

  • The Draft Network
  • October 25, 2021
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A week that saw both Patrick Mahomes and Zach Wilson go down with injuries, a 22-point victory for the New York Giants, and 54-burger put up by the “boring” New England offense, we have begun to close the book on Week 7 as we head into Monday Night Football.

Whether you’re on the outside looking in or the lead dog for your league’s playoff picture, you can never settle. Improving your roster should always remain at the forefront of your mind, no matter how good you think your team is. Consistency is king, and if you find yourself with any of the below names currently rostered, feel free to set them loose as you eye greener pastures.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings 

With Dalvin Cook back to full strength after missing Week 5 with an ankle injury, Mattison moved back to a reserve role and played on just 12 of the Vikings’ 89 offensive snaps in Week 6 against Carolina. Coming off a bye week and extra rest, Cook should be back to full health and will tote the majority of the carries for Minnesota’s offense. While Mattison eclipsed 100 rushing yards in both starts when Cook was unable to suit up earlier this year, his workload moving forward remains consistent with the health of Cook. If you opt to stash him in hopes he earns a few more spot starts, go ahead, but as long as Cook remains available, Mattison’s role will be relegated to nothing more than a back tasked with offering Cook a breather. It’s not to devalue Mattison’s role from a roster construction point of view—he’s as good as backup backs come in the league—he’s just not worth a starting spot in fantasy during bye weeks.

Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Primarily used as a change-of-pace back for the most part of his career, it’s been mostly a one-man show in Indianapolis through seven weeks. With Jonathan Taylor enjoying a productive sophomore campaign, Hines’ role on third down has been diminished, totaling just 6.1 fantasy points in weeks 4-6 combined, a drastic drop in production after totaling 36.3 fantasy points combined the first three games. A backfield that looked to present a de facto three-headed monster with Taylor, Hines, and Marlon Mack, Taylor has become the workhorse bell-cow back, and Hines’ role remains minimal moving forward. Drop. 

Josh Gordon, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Gordon always draws attention when he’s employed, and rightly so. An enticing blend of size and speed, Gordon just hasn’t been able to recapture his All-Pro form from nearly a decade ago. On the field for just 12% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps since he was signed prior to Week 5, Gordon has two targets and just one catch in three games active for Kansas City. Despite encouraging words from Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who wants to involve Gordon more in the offensive script moving forward, there’s currently no reason to keep him active on your roster as you attempt to catch lightning in a bottle. 

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers 

Whether it’s his rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, a lack of comprehension on offense, or just a lack of looks, Aiyuk has become a scapegoat within a 49ers offense desperate for production outside of Deebo Samuel. With George Kittle hurt, Aiyuk was looked upon to step up against the Colts on SNF but proved once again irrelevant—a common trend this fall for the 2020 standout rookie. Outside of a 14.5-point performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, Aiyuk has been nothing more than an observer on the perimeter. Until his workload and target share returns to even the same stratosphere as last year, feel free to move on with confidence for fantasy football’s WR97.

Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns

On pace to record his second-lowest target total in his sixth NFL campaign, Hooper has found himself lost in the shuffle for a Browns offense with talent aplenty and only one football to go around. While a 6.2-point performance against the Broncos last Thursday night provided Hooper’s best performance since Week 3, 6.2 points is nothing to write home about. For a team stacked with tight end depth, Hooper will continue to find himself behind David Njoku for targets, and you’re better off scouring the waiver wire for a spot start rather than hoping for a breakout week.

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