Let’s talk about trades, which sticks with the theme from my Waiver Wire column on Monday. I know you came here to see if you should drop that underwhelming player on your bench, but there’s an overarching theme here. At one point this season, a handful of the players below had trade value. That is no longer the case. That’s why it’s so important to look ahead at underperforming players and see if the trend will continue. That way, you can capitalize on the trade value the player may still hold. Before you drop any player, ask yourself what that player could potentially be worth in a trade. Who knows, maybe a team in your league needs a running back? Although, I doubt anyone is trading for Mark Ingram now (at least, I hope not) so you’ll have to resort to cutting him, along with these other five players.

Mark Ingram (RB - BAL) | Rostered in 77% of leagues

Ingram was in this column last week as a candidate in the “Looking Ahead” section. Unfortunately for him, the Grim Reaper has come to finally end Ingram’s time on fantasy rosters. Ingram has been stuck in a strange three-back committee in Baltimore with Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Neither has proven much worth this season, though it’s Ingram who draws the short stick due to his higher ADP to begin the season. It doesn’t help that Ingram left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. As I explained in my Waiver Wire column, I’d rather have Edwards instead of Ingram. There’s just nothing to suggest that Ingram—who is soon to be 31—can turn it on this season. Besides, the only Raven with any real value in the run game is Lamar Jackson.

T.Y. Hilton (WR - IND) | Rostered in 80% of leagues

Hilton was also a “Looking Ahead” candidate in Week 5 and now, I’d drop him in most leagues. The only reason I’d consider keeping Hilton around is he leads the Colts in targets with 6.2 per game. However, every wide receiver I named in my Waiver Wire column—excluding Tim Patrick—has matched or outperformed that average. Simply put, Hilton hasn’t been as productive as other available players, which makes him a prime candidate to be dropped. He also has his bye this week. It’s time for Hilton to check out of his stay on fantasy rosters.

Marvin Jones Jr (WR - DET) | Rostered in 68% of leagues

Every year, people fall in love with Jones because of the two huge games Jones had in the previous season. For a player who’s been wildly inconsistent in fantasy, this should come as no surprise. His fantasy production has severely dipped since Kenny Golladay returned from injury. While Jones is still technically WR2 in the Lions’ offense, he hasn’t separated himself enough from the rest of the offense. In other words, a player who isn’t that relevant on his own team probably isn’t relevant on your fantasy team. It’s time to cut bait on Jones.

Rex Burkhead (RB - NE) | Rostered in 35% of leagues

Burkhead was a hot pickup in James White’s absence, but now that White is back, Burkhead has been shoved to the side. While he did see one more carry than White, Burkhead was nonexistent in the passing game. Damien Harris has also been getting more playing time, which doesn’t help Burkhead, either. If White was to get injured, Burkhead’s stock would soar again. Until then, Burkhead isn’t worth a roster spot anymore.

Golden Tate (WR - NYG) | Rostered in 42% of leagues

Tate has not done anything to suggest he’s worth a start in fantasy. Darius Slayton has established himself as WR1 and Sterling Shepard could return soon from an injury. Either way, Daniel Jones is passing them the ball, which isn’t great. All in all, it takes away any intrigue that Tate may offer. He has yet to reach double-digit points in a game. Tate usually gets at least a few targets, yet he was only looked at once on Sunday against Washington. Then again, Slayton led the team in targets and he only saw four. There are much better options available than Tate right now, so don’t hesitate to swap out the veteran for a guy like Adam Humphries or Keelan Cole.

Looking Ahead

Baker Mayfield (QB - CLE) | Rostered in 18% of leagues

I almost put Mayfield in here last week, but I wanted to see if he could reach 20 points against a top-notch Pittsburgh defense. Spoiler: He didn’t and got benched. You can argue the decision was due to Mayfield’s mediocre play or it was to protect him (or both). You can’t argue that Mayfield has been a good fantasy quarterback this season because he hasn’t been. The only reason he’s in this section and not the one above? The waiver wire is horrendous for quarterbacks. Despite his underwhelming performances, Mayfield has much more upside than any available passers right now. Keep an eye on how he performs against Cincinnati this week. They’ve been surprisingly good against quarterbacks in fantasy; they’ve allowed the sixth-fewest points to the position.