Fantasy football Week 4 drops: 5 players you need to consider cutting

After Week 3, the NFL season is one-sixth of the way through its full, 18-week season. For fantasy football players, the true roster contributors have started to separate themselves from the pretenders as the preseason buzz has died down.

A few players, in particular, haven't lived up to the preseason hype. That can happen because of injuries, new coaching situations, or limited usage due to their teams' reliance on other players on the depth chart.

Regardless of how they got here, there are more than a few players who are safe to drop from fantasy rosters ahead of Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season. Here are five of the easiest cut candidates as we look ahead to the Week 4 waiver wire.

FANTASY FOOTBALL: 5 players you need to consider picking up

Waiver wire players to drop Week 4:

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Even before Herbert re-injured his ankle in the Chargers' 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, there were signs that his value as a fantasy quarterback was trending down. In its first season under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles has been a run-first team.

The Chargers parted ways with their top two receiving targets in the offseason, trading Keenan Allen to the Bears and cutting Mike Williams to save cap space. The team's passing volume dropped dramatically at the beginning of 2024 and has diminished each week. Herbert has only once attempted more than 25 passes and has yet to throw for more than 145 yards in a game this year. Even if he plays in Week 4, his ankle injury will continue to hamper him and the Chargers' passing attack.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Brown was the subject of some offseason and preseason buzz as the incumbent running back on a Bengals team that just parted ways with Joe Mixon. Through two games – and ahead of Week 3's "Monday Night Football" clash with the Commanders – free agent signee Zack Moss is the evident No. 1 option in Cincinnati's backfield. The former Buffalo Bill is out-touching Brown 24 to 10 through two weeks and out-snapping him 84 to 30.

It's possible Brown's production picks up later this year, but it is clearly Moss's backfield in Cincinnati right now.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

The 29-year-old Elliott just isn't the same running back he was when the Cowboys drafted him eight years ago. Those hoping for a career rebound from "Zeke" in a return to Dallas this year have only been let down.

Through three weeks, Rico Dowdle has 31 touches to Elliott's 24, and the latter's opportunities have steadily declined each week. Elliott had 10 carries in Week 1, then six in Week 2 then just three against the Ravens on Sunday. Some of that had to do with the Cowboys' game script in games they trailed in recent weeks, but Elliott (3.3 yards per carry) also just isn't producing as much as Dowdle has been (3.8 YPC) when he does get the ball.

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Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

Any spark of hope that Spears would bring fantasy value in the wake of Derrick Henry's departure has quickly been doused by two newcomers: Titans head coach Brian Callahan and free agent signee Tony Pollard.

Pollard has been productive as the bell-cow tailback in Tennessee's backfield, tallying 158 rushing yards on 39 carries for 4.1 average yards per carry. Spears, meanwhile, has just 12 carries through three games for 48 yards, good for a 4.0 average YPC. While there is some upside to Spears as a receiving back, he isn't currently in a position to supplant Pollard for consistent and meaningful touches in Tennessee.

Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

As was the case with Herbert, it's hard to justify keeping a Chargers wide receiver on a roster as Los Angeles continues to feed J.K. Dobbins and its rushing offense. It's even harder to justify holding onto a rookie receiver who may have just lost his starting quarterback in that run-first offense, especially as second-year Quentin Johnston seems to be breaking out as the team's No. 1 receiver.

McConkey may turn out to be an excellent fantasy receiver down the road or in future seasons, but there are too many question marks right now and several more enticing receivers (like Johnston) to pick up on waivers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Week 4 waiver wire: 5 players to cut