Now that the dust has cleared from this weekend of cuts, it is finally possible to judge the levity of the many moves and determine what players benefited the most in NFL fantasy. Some cuts are to make room for young players, others to save room on the cap in the future, but those are not the cuts we are here to talk about.
The cuts we care about are the ones that have a direct impact on fantasy football. Since the final cuts on Saturday, these players should have better seasons and have seen their values increase over the last few days. Some of these guys are available on the waiver wire, while others will see their value surpass their previous draft position.
Here are the top players to benefit from final cuts coming into the 2017 NFL season.
Cut: Tim Hightower
Benefit: Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert – San Francisco 49ers
With the cut of Tim Hightower and Joe Williams moving to the IR, Carlos Hyde is now the clear-cut option in the backfield for the San Francisco 49ers. Entering training camp, there was some serious speculation that Hyde may see his role decrease significantly or he could have been the running back cut. However, that proved to be speculation in an effort to get him motivated. He is and he could be in for a big season, but it’s always important to know the backup. Matt Breida had 4.37 40-speed in at his pro day and showed well in the preseason. And Raheem Mostert had an excellent week in the team’s fourth preseason game as well. Breida will be in line for a big role if anything happens to Hyde.
Cut: Victor Cruz
Benefit: Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright – Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears receiving corp continues to see more changes coming into the season, this time it being through the cutting of Victor Cruz. The position of the second wide receiver now goes to Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright. As Kevin White has never been healthy, both these players could be starters at some point this season. For now, Kendall Wright is more valuable, but Markus Wheaton could eventually see enough targets to be worth picking up. Remember that the Bears also lost top wideout Cam Meredith for the season. Someone has to catch passes in Chicago and one of these guys will probably have some reasonable value in PPR leagues.
Cut: Jeremy Kerley
Benefit: Pierre Garcon – San Francisco 49ers
Entering the preseason, Pierre Garcon was the presumptive number one in San Francisco, but Kerley was going to pull some targets away from the slot. With Kerley gone, Garcon could see his target share increase making him now a top-20 player in PPR leagues. In fact, as the de-facto number one receiver in Washington a few seasons ago, Garcon led the NFL with 113 receptions. That season was Kyle Shanahan’s last with Garcon until he took the coaching job with the 49ers this offseason. The only other options on the team are Marquise Goodwin, a speedster who came over from the Buffalo Bills, fifth-round pick Trent Taylor, who had six catches for 69 yards in the preseason, Aldrick Robinson and undrafted free agent Victor Bolden Jr.
Cut: Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussiant
Benefit: James Conner – Pittsburgh Steelers
After cutting much of their depth in the backfield, James Conner is now guaranteed the role of backup to Le’Veon Bell. Conner may not find a significant amount of work to start the season but any injury or concern involving Bell will open the door for the rookie running back. Remember that Bell didn’t show up to the team facility until this week as he was holding out. That means he could be rusty or out of shape. If he struggles or gets hurt, Conner’s value will increase. Conner is good to keep on the bench to start the year and if he does get a chance to start, he could produce at the level of a top-15 RB. This is an explosive offense and we’ve seen what guys like DeAngelo Williams can do.
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