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Fantasy football drop candidates and cut list rankings before Week 2 of 2026. Is it already time to drop fantasy football players from rosters including Terrance Ferguson, Hunter Henry, Rashid Shaheed?
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Cut List Rankings for fantasy football Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season. Week 1 saw many fringe players disappoint and top players suffer serious injuries, which will send many managers to the waiver wire.
Even though it is still early, managers shouldn't wait to drop a player with minimal upside and potentially acquire a high-end asset off the waiver wire.
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 2 of the 2026 NFL season. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 2?
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 | Malik Davis | RB | 5 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Deshaun Watson | QB | 5 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 15 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 5 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 15 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 6 | Tennessee Titans | DST | 25 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 8 | Dallas Cowboys | DST | 30 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 9 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST | 70 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 10 | Travis Hunter | WR | 15 | Drop in All Leagues (non-IDP) |
| 11 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST | 90 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 12 | Kayshon Boutte | WR | 25 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 13 | Rashid Shaheed | WR | 45 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 14 | Jalen Nailor | WR | 20 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 15 | Jalen McMillan | WR | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 16 | Jauan Jennings | WR | 10 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 17 | Sam Darnold | QB | 35 | Hold in Two-QB Leagues |
| 18 | Kyler Murray | QB | 75 | Hold in Two-QB Leagues |
| 19 | Tank Dell | WR | 20 | IR Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 20 | Ja'Kobi Lane | WR | 20 | IR Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 21 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 50 | IR Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 22 | Jordyn Tyson | WR | 55 | IR Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 23 | De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 70 | IR Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 24 | Mike Washington Jr. | RB | 55 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues/Upside Handcuff |
| 25 | Terrance Ferguson | TE | 25 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 26 | Malachi Fields | WR | 15 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 27 | Tre Tucker | WR | 35 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 28 | Hunter Henry | TE | 55 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues |
| 29 | Jake Ferguson | TE | 80 | Hold |
| 30 | Makai Lemon | WR | 70 | Hold |
| 31 | MarShawn Lloyd | RB | 90 | Hold |
| 32 | Jordan Addison | WR | 85 | Hold |
| 33 | Kenny Gainwell | RB | 80 | Hold |
| 34 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 100 | Hold |
| 35 | A.J. Brown | WR | 100 | Hold |
Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read the recent news and fantasy outlooks of some of the top cut candidates:
A.J. Brown, WR - New England Patriots (Cut List Ranking No. 35)
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) is expected to miss the next four to six weeks, but he won't require surgery on his ankle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Brown suffered the injury during Wednesday's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, and the current timeline for recovery suggests that he may end up on injured reserve. However, it's encouraging that he won't need surgery. New England only got three catches for 26 yards from its flashy offseason addition before he exited Week 1.
Once he returns to action, he'll rank as a low-end WR1 in fantasy football while serving as quarterback Drake Maye's favorite target. In the meantime, Romeo Doubs, Kyle Williams, and DeMario Douglas will take on bigger roles in the passing game. He remains a must-hold in all leagues.
MarShawn Lloyd, RB - Green Bay Packers (Cut List Ranking No. 31)
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd got the chance to be the lead back during Sunday's season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Lloyd was trusted with carrying the load in the backfield on Sunday. He rushed 13 times for 37 yards in what ended up being a loss for the Packers. It wasn't an overall successful day for Lloyd, who only averaged 2.8 yards per carry.
However, he saw the most carries out of everyone in the Packers' backfield. Chris Brooks rushed the ball seven times for 29 yards, so we'll see if he gets a bigger role next week. The Packers are going to be without Josh Jacobs for the foreseeable future, so fantasy managers should continue to believe in Lloyd. We'll see if he produces better results against the New York Jets in Week 2.
Mike Washington Jr., RB - Las Vegas Raiders (Cut List Ranking No. 24)
Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. made good use of his limited work in Sunday's 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins, turning seven carries into 41 yards. Ashton Jeanty still owned the backfield with 23 carries and six catches, so Washington is not pushing for a starting fantasy spot in Week 2.
He is becoming harder to leave on waiver wires, though. The Raiders traded up to take Washington 122nd overall in April, and the 6-foot-2, 228-pound rookie opened the season second to Jeanty on the depth chart. Washington also handled first-team work when Jeanty left an August practice with an injury, giving Las Vegas a chance to see him with the starting offense before the games counted.
Seven carries do not give Washington much standalone value yet, especially with Jeanty healthy. They do reinforce his place as the back fantasy managers want behind him. Washington should be stashed in 12-team leagues before that role becomes more expensive, rather than viewed as a Week 2 play against the Chargers.
Sam Darnold, QB - Seattle Seahawks (Cut List Ranking No. 17)
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (glute) could miss four to six weeks due to a glute tendon injury. Florio notes that surgery is not anticipated for Darnold, but that the Seahawks will be cautious with their quarterback.
Darnold suffered the injury early on in Seattle's 2026 debut, a 13-10 win over the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The injury was initially feared to be Darnold's hip. Darnold is not expected to be placed on the reserved/injured list as of press time. Drew Lock will operate as Seattle's starting quarterback while Darnold is out.
Waiver Wire Articles
After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:
- Week 2 waiver wire pickups (all positions)
- Week 2 running back waiver wire pickups
- Week 2 tight end waiver wire pickups
- Week 2 quarterback waiver wire pickups
- Week 2 D/ST Streaming Targets
- Weeks 1-3 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 Tyjae Spears, Tyler Allgeier, Deebo Samuel Sr., Khalil Shakir, Woody Marks, Tre' Harris, Kendre Miller. 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 - Tyjae Spears, Tyler Allgeier, Deebo Samuel Sr., Khalil Shakir, Woody Marks, Tre' Harris, Kendre Miller. 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 Tyjae Spears, Tyler Allgeier, Deebo Samuel Sr., Khalil Shakir, Woody Marks, Tre' Harris, Kendre Miller:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
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