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Fantasy football drop candidates and cut list rankings before Week 1 of 2026. Is it already time to drop fantasy football players from rosters including Tank Dell, Josh Jacobs, and Travis Hunter?
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Cut List Rankings for fantasy football Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. The fantasy football season is about to begin, which means it's time to check the waiver wire for any potential league winners.
However, even though we have yet to play a game this season, several players have seen their fantasy value decline significantly over the past few days, which has put them on this list.
So, which injured or disappointing players is it time to get rid of for fantasy football lineups? Read about our top players to cut for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 1?
The top players to consider cutting for fantasy football, in priority order. Players at the top of the list should be dropped first and replaced on the waiver wire:
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Ros. % | Baller Move |
| 1 | Jaydon Blue | RB | 5 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Eli Heidenreich | RB | 5 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Fernando Mendoza | QB | 15 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 25 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 5 | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | 5 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 6 | Deshaun Watson | QB | 5 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 7 | Cyrus Allen | WR | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 8 | Minnesota Vikings | D/ST | 85 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 9 | Travis Hunter | WR | 20 | Drop in All Leagues (non-IDP) |
| 10 | Tyler Loop | K | 85 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 11 | Will Reichard | K | 60 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 12 | New England Patriots | D/ST | 85 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 13 | Tank Dell | WR | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 14 | Oronde Gadsden II | TE | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 15 | Kenyon Sadiq | TE | 20 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 16 | Chig Okonkwo | TE | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 17 | Cam Ward | QB | 15 | Hold in two-QB leagues |
| 18 | Bryce Young | QB | 15 | Hold in two-QB leagues |
| 19 | Daniel Jones | QB | 25 | Hold in two-QB leagues |
| 20 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 25 | Handcuff/Upside Stash in Most Leagues |
| 21 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 50 | Handcuff/Upside Stash in Most Leagues |
| 22 | Terrance Ferguson | TE | 20 | Handcuff/Upside Stash in Most Leagues |
| 23 | Green Bay Packers | D/ST | 20 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 24 | Baltimore Ravens | D/ST | 80 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 25 | Brenton Strange | TE | 35 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 26 | Keenan Allen | WR | 25 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 27 | Alvin Kamara | RB | 30 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 28 | Malik Willis | QB | 40 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 29 | Xavier Worthy | WR | 55 | Hold |
| 30 | De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 70 | Hold |
| 31 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 80 | Hold |
| 32 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 95 | Hold |
| 33 | Makai Lemon | WR | 75 | Hold |
| 34 | Jordyn Tyson | WR | 60 | Hold |
Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read the recent news and fantasy outlooks of some of the top cut candidates:
Deshaun Watson, QB - Cleveland Browns (Cut List Ranking No. 6)
The Cleveland Browns have named veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson as their starter for the 2026 season, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. Watson battled second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders throughout training camp and two-up-and-down preseason games, and with neither able to take a clear grasp on the role, head coach Todd Monken's decision did not come until late August.
Watson completed only five of 12 pass attempts in the team's second preseason game on Saturday, adding an interception to his lost fumble from preseason game one, but he showed enough in practice to earn the starting job in what will be his tenth professional season. A three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans, Watson was acquired by the Browns in 2022, where he has gone 9-10 as a starter and most recently missed the entire 2025 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon for the second time.
Watson is RotoBaller's QB32, and he will be backed up by Sanders.
Jaydon Blue, RB - Philadelphia Eagles (Cut List Ranking No. 1)
Former Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue, who was surprisingly released on Sunday, is signing with the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad on Monday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 22-year-old fifth-rounder last year from Texas disappointed in his first NFL season, carrying the ball only 38 times for 129 yards and a touchdown in five appearances for the Cowboys, but he had been impressive during training camp and the preseason before being cut on Sunday.
The Eagles did not waste any time swooping up Blue as extra RB depth behind Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley. Blue will stay in the NFC East division, but his path to a backfield role will not get any easier with the move to Philadelphia. He is still young and has intriguing speed and pass-catching ability out of the backfield, which makes him stash-worthy in deep dynasty/keeper leagues.
Zach Charbonnet, RB - Seattle Seahawks (Cut List Ranking No. 21)
Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. He'll miss at least four games. This move was widely expected, as Charbonnet is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered during last year's playoffs. He could end up missing more than the minimum four games as he continues to recover and rehab.
In the interim, Jadarian Price will likely occupy the lead-back role while George Holani and Emanuel Wilson also earn snaps out of the backfield. Charbonnet had 874 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns last season, so when he does return to the 53-man roster, he'll likely have low-end RB2 appeal in fantasy football.
Josh Jacobs, RB - Green Bay Packers (Cut List Ranking No. 32)
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is still expected to play this season despite his uncertain status. General manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Tuesday that he is hopeful Jacobs will return and expects him to play for Green Bay at some point, according to Matt Schneidman. Gutekunst was also asked whether there is a scenario in which the Packers release Jacobs, but said the team wants to let the process play out before making that kind of decision.
Jacobs remains on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List after being charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property stemming from a May incident. He cannot practice or play while on the list, and there is still no timetable for his return. Green Bay has since added Kaleb Johnson to a backfield that also includes MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks.
Gutekunst's comments are encouraging for Jacobs' season-long outlook, but his availability remains completely up in the air.
Waiver Wire Articles
After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:
- Week 1 waiver wire pickups (all positions)
- Week 1 defense (D/ST) streamers and pickups
- Week 1 kicker streamers and pickups
- Weeks 1-4 D/ST Streaming Targets
Each week, our NFL team puts out a complete array of fantasy football waiver wire articles to compliment our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!
In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers and more throughout the week.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like MarShawn Lloyd, Mike Washington Jr., Tyler Allgeier, Chris Brooks, Kaleb Johnson, Ryan Flournoy, Rashid Shaheed, Jalen Coker, Brenton Strange, Denzel Boston, Tank Bigsby. We are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - MarShawn Lloyd, Mike Washington Jr., Tyler Allgeier, Chris Brooks, Kaleb Johnson, Ryan Flournoy, Rashid Shaheed, Jalen Coker, Brenton Strange, Denzel Boston, Tank Bigsby. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for MarShawn Lloyd, Mike Washington Jr., Tyler Allgeier, Chris Brooks, Kaleb Johnson, Ryan Flournoy, Rashid Shaheed, Jalen Coker, Brenton Strange, Denzel Boston, Tank Bigsby:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
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