There are three main reasons why fantasy players get dropped. The first reason is the main one: They don’t play well. It’s a pretty simple concept, so I won’t dive deeper into it.

The second reason is they have lost or will lose their roles in an offense. Sometimes, that’s because another player returns from injury. Other times, it may have to do with a lack of production from a player. Or, it can be both.

The last big reason why a player no longer warrants a roster spot is not so much his fault as it is our own. Anyone that plays fantasy football has placed way too much hype onto a player—including myself. And there’s no one to blame. Love can be blinding, especially when it involves your favorite fantasy players. In the case of many players, they just can’t live up to the massive billing that fantasy owners placed upon them.

In today’s “Droppables,” you’ll see examples of all three scenarios, as well as a look ahead for two big-name players who could find themselves on the waivers soon.

NOTE: Players listed below are owned in more than 50% of leagues and are typically geared toward 12-team leagues.

A.J. Green (WR - CIN) | Rostered in 74.3% of leagues

Last week, I explained that if Green continues to disappoint, then he would be droppable. Well, the time has finally come. Green left the game Sunday with a hamstring issue, but even before his injury, you might have thought Green didn’t even suit up—he was practically invisible. It doesn’t help him that Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins have been putting up reliable fantasy numbers too. Green was a risky pick to begin the season and now his owners should find a better player to fill his spot. I outlined a few replacements yesterday in my waiver wire column.

Malcolm Brown (RB - LAR) | Rostered in 51% of leagues

After a breakout performance in Week 1, Brown has been extremely quiet in fantasy. Most of his points this season were from that season opener. Part of that is because Darrell Henderson Jr. has run away with the Rams’ featured-back role so far. Now that Cam Akers is back, Brown doesn’t hold much value anymore. Akers and Brown both saw nine touches, which isn’t too bad for Brown, but there’s a reason the Rams made Akers their first selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. I expect the rookie to retain some semblance of a role, which should relegate Brown to third-string and, likely, to the fantasy waivers.

Daniel Jones (QB - NYG) | Rostered in 30% of leagues

There aren’t many notable quarterbacks worth dropping right now, but I can’t sit by and let Jones eat up valuable space on this many rosters. Jones has been bad, and you don’t need to see his fantasy stats to know that. This is a fantasy article, though, so it’d be foolish of me to not mention them. He’s yet to capitalize on his alleged upside as he’s averaged a measly 10.3 points per game. To make matters worse, he was supposed to turn things around against Dallas’ disappointing pass defense. Oh well, that didn’t happen. In fantasy drafts, Jones had an ADP of QB15, which put him in the ninth or 10th round. He’s currently QB29. Barring a massive in-season turnaround, Jones is not the guy in New York and should be dropped in all leagues.

Looking Ahead

T.Y. Hilton (WR - IND) | Rostered in 83.8% of leagues

Hilton salvaged a mediocre season with 12.9 points on 10 targets in Week 5. He was averaging 7.3 points per game, so this performance was a breath of fresh air. Still, it’s somewhat concerning that Hilton has not done much yet, even though he’s typically an up-and-down fantasy player. The Colts’ schedule is friendly for receivers over the next four weeks, but it gets a bit tougher down the stretch. If Hilton can’t find a way to put up points soon, then it would be hard to keep him on rosters.

Mark Ingram (RB - BAL) | Rostered in 84.3% of leagues

We all know this is Lamar Jackson’s backfield, yet Ingram was typically a fourth-round pick in 12-team leagues. And those fantasy owners have gotten a resounding 7.6 points per game from Ingram. On paper, he should be Baltimore’s main running back. However, the team has spread the ball around to second-round rookie J.K. Dobbins and veteran Gus Edwards. While Ingram has seen more touches than Dobbins and Edwards, he just hasn’t put up many points. Considering the draft capital spent on Dobbins, Jackson’s presence, and Ingram’s age—he turns 31 in December—the reasons to hold onto Ingram are thinning. For now, you may be better off finding a trade partner for Ingram, somehow.