Definitely Downs - The Athletic

Q: Who are the two players you refuse to cut from your bench because you want them around for the playoff run?

Gene Clemons: The important thing to ask yourself when considering the bench players you’re unwilling to cut down the stretch (and into the playoffs) is how close to being a starter are they? I would have said not to cut Zack Moss even before Jonathan Taylor was injured recently because running backs who hold out tend to suffer an injury at some point during the season as they overcompensate to prove they deserve whatever it is they wanted or received. Even with Taylor back, Moss still has been a fringe starter with only a couple dud games this season. But since Taylor is out (again) and it forces Moss to play, I went in a different direction.

The Green Bay Packers defense is a low key “do not cut” on my bench. The name of the game is keeping offenses out of the end zone and they are eighth in the NFL in red zone defense. Their offense is surprisingly good on third down which helps them maintain possession and drain the clock away from opposing offenses, which is also great for the defense. After this weekend’s matchup with the Chiefs, who have had an inconsistent offense all season, they have the Giants, Bucs, Panthers, Vikings and Bears. There’s a good chance that all of those teams could be purposely tanking by Week 14 — perfect for Green Bay’s defense and a gift for me if I need to play them.

Michael Salfino: I like this call but the issue is that you have to roster the Packers and not play them this week, which may be critical. However, while holding two defenses is really dumb in-season with so many bye weeks, it’s acceptable now. In fact, it’s recommended where you look ahead and then pick a defense that is okay but likely to be elevated by facing a terrible offense/quarterback (one who gets sacked a lot, as sacks are a QB stat mostly). So if someone has dropped the Packers and you’re not killed by byes this week, I highly recommend picking them up with that schedule. After this week, you have only Washington and Arizona with byes. So we’re getting into the part of the season where you are smart to handcuff your own RBs and to roster two D/ST, things that are sub-optimal earlier in the season.

I agree with you, Gene, about trying to imagine tomorrow’s headlines and new starters, especially at RB. The guy I would not cut now is Royce Freeman. The Rams’ running game is great. Kyren Williams leads all backs (min. 100+ carries) in success rate, and he actually trails Freeman (63 carries) in the stat. So if anything were to happen to Williams, Freeman would be extremely valuable. I get that the Rams schedule is brutal, but you’re not playing him against the Browns this week anyway — and then it’s the Ravens, Commander, Saints. So one good run defense and two beatable ones. Elijah Mitchell is a similar player should an injury befall Christian McCaffrey. But I don’t really trust Mitchell’s health and do think that Jordan Mason, who has been a dynamic runner in his limited pro opportunities, would be elevated into at least a minor committee role weighted heavily toward goal-line carries. But you get the idea here — what backup RB on your roster or available on waivers is one play away from high fantasy relevance?

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