Your fantasy team suffered a loss. Maybe a player got injured. Maybe he's just not playing well. Either way, you get to play the waiver wire now. It's all good when you're looking through the list of names, hoping to find the spark that will ignite your squad to the playoffs and beyond. But when it's in the with new, it has to be out with the old. Sometimes, it's easy to see the player that no longer deserves a spot on your roster. Sometimes ... not so much. Don't worry. We're here to help. Consider us the break up counselor that will help ease the separation.
All ownership percentages based on NFL.com leagues
Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (87.2 percent owned)
Things are boiling over in Pittsburgh with the Alien. He reportedly wants out, was caught on social media speaking negatively about rookie teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster, and then "called in sick" to a meeting. And that's before we get into how bad things have been on the field. After returning from a year-long suspension, Bryant has made very little impact in the Steelers offense. Now that he's been relegated to a spot behind Smith-Schuster, the opportunities for him to perform will become even rarer. Bryant might not be long for Pittsburgh -- you can probably make a move even sooner.
Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers (85.6 percent owned)
Brett Hundley completed 12 passes for 87 yards on Sunday. Like ... what? We knew things would be tough for the Packers receivers without Aaron Rodgers but, like ... what? Maybe the rains in Green Bay had something to do with it and Cobb did turn his four targets into two catches for 15 yards. Still trying to ride the wave with a tertiary receiving option seeking targets from an inexperienced quarterback is unappetizing. Things hadn't been great for Cobb with Rodgers slinging the rock. They've gotten even worse now.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers (76.2 percent owned)
The Carolina Panthers can't run the football. The Carolina Panthers can't run the football. The Carolina Panthers can't run ... OK, you get it. But just in case you don't get it, the Panthers are averaging 3.4 yards per carry as a team (t-29th in the NFL) and that's with Cam Newton picking up 4.3 yards per attempt. As for Stewart, he has a team-leading 99 rushing attempts with an even 3.0 yards per carry average. So not only is the veteran not getting that many chances each week, he's not doing much with the ones he has. The Carolina Panthers can't run the football. The Carolina...
Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions (70.6 percent owned)
What happens when you're the poor man's version of the running back already occupying a large role in an offense currently stuck in neutral? Not much, really. Riddick's role has been reduced to spelling Ameer Abdullah whenever the Lions lead back needs a breather. His season-high for touches in a game has been 12 and he hasn't come close to a double-digit fantasy performance this season. The bloom is off the rose for Jim Bob Cooter and the Detroit offense ... and it doesn't smell great for Riddick.
Mike Gillislee, RB, New England Patriots (91.1 percent owned)
Draft Mike Gillislee, they said. He'll take over the LeGarrette Blount role, they said. It'll be fun, they said. OK, I was part of "they" this offseason when talking about Gillislee. But now that we're a couple of months into the season, it's time to admit that we've made a mistake. As the Patriots backfield has gotten healthier, it's plain to see that Gillislee isn't nearly as versatile or effective as Dion Lewis or James White. His opportunities are dwindling and it's not worth the headache of trying to determine which week will be a Gilly week.
