Cutting bait on those investments you’re already underwater on sucks, but just like Warren Buffett always says, “throwing good money after bad is for non-ball knowers… avoid it like Trey McBride avoids the end zone.” 

That’s why I’m here to give you some of the best names you need to consider dropping NOW, before they drag your team down under the burden of another wasted roster spot, or worse, another week with a big, fat, single-digit fantasy score.  

As always, you can pair the advice here with the fantasy football rankings, projections and other cool tools from a Fantasy Life+ subscription (Use code “GRIND” for 20% off). 

Let’s drop it like it’s hot. 

Fantasy Football Week 2 Players to Drop

Week 1 Recap

There weren’t a ton of massive injuries to note in Week 1. Phew.

HOWEVER, outside of that godsend of a Sunday Night Football game and the unexpected shootout between the Jets and Steelers, there also wasn’t a whole ton of fantasy goodness to go around in Week 1. 

A lot of players we were relying on him to produce … didn’t. 

It’s always tough not to overreact in these situations, but it’s also important to understand if there is a paradigm shift at hand as well, and whether or not its time to cut bait on our investment. 

I’ll go over the situations that I think need to be addressed directly first below. 

Player Drops

Tank Bigsby, Philadelphia Eagles

Well, we got a quick answer to the Jacksonville backfield quandary. It's Travis Etienne time. 

Etienne took 16 carries for 143 yards while also converting all three of his targets for 13 yards receiving. He was so good that the Jaguars decided to trade Tank Bigsby (6 carries, 12 yards, Week 1) on Monday to the Eagles. Seriously, what a turn of events. 

The good news is that if you were waiting to see how this Jacksonville situation would pan out, you got your answer. The bad news is that if you bet on Bigsby, you lost. 

The trade to the Eagles may sound nice on paper, but I’m not holding my breath. Initial reports have suggested the Eagles' main interest in Bigsby was as a kick-returner. Yes, special teams. 

It’s quite likely they picked him up so they could keep Will Shipley fresher on offense. Bigsby now enters a deep running back room in Philadelphia behind a true bell cow in Saquon Barkley, where he may be third or fourth on the depth chart. 

Time to let him go. 

Potential replacements: Kareem Hunt, Trey Benson, Dylan Sampson

Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

Jerome Ford was one of the biggest Week 1 mirages. With Ford listed as the starter against a Bengals defense that looked like Swiss cheese all preseason, it seemed like a great spot to deploy him as an RB2.

Unfortunately, the Browns had other ideas, which involved giving rookie Dylan Sampson the bulk of the workload. Sampson not only out-carried Ford 12-6, but also saw 8 targets in the passing game and had 64 receiving yards on 8 receptions. Ford had 1 target and lost 3 yards. 

That last part is a death sentence because Ford may have retained some value with Quinshon Judkins back, IF he had remained the primary receiving back. With Sampson stepping up, the writing is on the wall here. 

Ditch the Ford. 

Potential replacements: Kareem Hunt, Trey Benson, Dylan Sampson

Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith

I went over the situation for the Chargers’ rookie WRs in the preseason drops article ahead of Week 1, and the situation worked out pretty exactly as I laid out. 

 With three legit WRs in front of them, the playing time for rookies Tre' Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith is going to be slim to next to none. Both men had one target against the Chiefs, and unless we get an injury, I wouldn’t expect those numbers to creep up substantially. 

Potential replacements: Troy Franklin

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

Jennings left the game vs. Seattle with a shoulder injury, and initial reports were not great. The 49ers are worried enough that they brought Kendrick Bourne (cue the Extreme Ways music) back into the fold on a contract worth up to $5M. 

We should get more injury news on Jennings soon, but a multiple-week absence seems likely. Ricky Pearsall is the bona fide No. 1 WR right now, and George Kittle seems likely to only miss a week or two at most. Brandon Aiyuk will also make an appearance at some point in his return from a knee injury, but probably not before Week 6. 

Jennings' future upside is cloudy at best right now, so if there are better options (and you don’t have an IR spot), you shouldn’t think twice about dropping him. 

Potential replacements: Troy Franklin, Cedric Tillman

Chris Rodriguez, Washington Commanders

There isn’t a whole ton to say here. Some of us (me) got headfaked by the Washington coaches who implied Rodriguez would be the goal-line back and a favorite for early-down carries. That, of course, was premised on him being active for Week 1, which he wasn’t. 

With Jacory Croskey-Merritt showing out with a big day in a blowout win, the CRod story is all but over (outside of an injury or two). Time to say our goodbyes. 

Potential replacements: Kareem Hunt, Trey Benson, Dylan Sampson, Isaac Guerrendo

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

I had some real concerns about the Panthers' offense once they lost Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker in the span of a week, and all those concerns came to fruition in Week 1. Blame the weather delay if you want, but when a semi-cooked Hunter Renfrow is getting 6 targets, it’s not conducive to fantasy success for the QB. 

Next week vs the Cardinals' improved defense/secondary is also not a good matchup all of a sudden. I’d rather dump him here for one of the more interesting names on the waiver wire. 

Potential replacements: Michael Penix, Aaron Rodgers

Not Dropping Yet, but the finger is on the trigger

Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks' offensive game plan was to run Kenneth Walker III into a brick wall and throw the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba as much as possible. Nobody else mattered, including Kupp, who couldn’t do enough to earn more than 3 targets in an offense starved for secondary options. 

Still, Kupp’s 3 targets were actually second on the team, and there aren’t a ton of names waiting in the wings to step up—although Jake Bobo may be back next week). I’d hold onto Kupp for now, as a Week 2 pop could up his trade value, but Week 1 was not encouraging. 

Certainly a name that is expendable if a better option comes up. 

Miles Sanders, Dallas Cowboys

Sanders looked like he was running in cement Week 1, after he broke free for a 49-yard gain vs the Eagles and then got stripped of the ball from behind. Long-term, I don’t think he has what it takes to really lead a backfield anymore, but the only other option in Dallas behind him is rookie Jaydon Blue, who is so buried on the depth chart that the Cowboys didn’t even bother activating him for Week 1. 

He’s a hold, for now, but if the Cowboys indicate in any way, shape or form that they’re promoting Blue, Sanders becomes an easy cut for me (potentially for Blue). 

Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the most disappointing names from Week 1. A lot of people read this RB room wrong from the start, as the Steelers are fully committed to rolling with veterans Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell and bringing along Kaleb Johnson slowly. 

The potential with Johnson is still huge, IF he were to get a shot, but with two solid RBs sitting atop him on the depth chart, that shot feels like it might be a full year away. Don't expect Arthur Smith or Aaron Rodgers to be advocates for the rookie either. 

Waiting a week or two is fine, as Gainwell did not do much in Week 1, but I wouldn’t overstay the welcome here if a solid name comes up and you need room to make room. 

Droplets (quick ideas for rosters that need improvement)

Drop your useless TE2 (Cade Otton/Theo Johnson) for Ja'Tavion Sanders?

The Cardinals' Week 1 defense allowed 11 targets and 8 receptions to Juwan Johnson. Credit to Johnson for taking advantage, but schematically, this looks like a unit whose CBs are going to push action toward the middle all season. 

Next week, they play the Panthers, who don’t have a legitimate No. 2 WR and seem likely to want to get the ball more to Sanders, whose 27 yards (3 targets, 2 receptions) were second among all Carolina TEs and WRs. 

If you’re stuck with only bad options at TE, Sanders is a name I'd look to for streaming this week. 

Drop your useless handcuff (Jerome Ford?) for Isaac Guerendo?

Brian Robinson is the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey, but the most explosive RB on the 49ers right now might be Isaac Guerendo. If you’re just sitting on Robinson, just know that if McCaffrey goes down, you could be in a spot where you are sitting on the wrong name. 

Ideally, you’d want both men, but if Robinson isn’t available, I’d seriously consider getting out in front of things on Guerendo. McCaffrey took 31 touches last week, and I doubt he stays upright all season with that sort of workload. 

Premium

Go FantasyLife+

Your league is unique. Your advice should be too. Get personalized tools, rankings, and projections tailored to your fantasy football league settings.

Learn More