The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 3

September 22, 2026

Rob's fantasy football players to drop when making waiver wire moves for Week 3 (2026). He helps fantasy football managers decide on who to cut from rosters.

We've all felt the urge to rage-drop a particular player. Our emotions can sometimes get the best of all of us. However, when we're making waiver wire moves, they should be calculated and purposeful.

Unfortunately, every new addition comes with a cost. Especially early in the season, we want to be confident in who we're cutting, but more importantly, in why we're cutting them. That doesn't mean we won't make mistakes, but our decisions should be well-reasoned.

With just two weeks played, fantasy managers are still trying to solve the riddle without all the necessary clues. However, each passing week brings new evidence. Check out who I'm willing to cut this week, but first, check out my Week 3 waiver wire pickups article.

Quarterbacks to Consider Cutting

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 57.9% Rostered

Tampa Bay is 0-2 after suffering defeats to the Bengals in Week 1 and an embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. The offense moved the ball effectively enough in Week 1, but turnovers held them back. This past weekend, Tampa Bay struggled to get anything going, specifically through the air, and much of that falls on Mayfield.

Tampa Bay has three receivers in the top-10 in uncatchable air yards. Of 34 quarterbacks with at least 15 pass attempts, Mayfield ranks 30th in EPA per dropback at -0.262. He has only one touchdown but already has four turnovers.

Baker Mayfield through two weeks:

-40% pressure to sack ratio
- T2nd most sacked
- 22nd in deep throw completion rate
- 27th red zone touchdown rate
- 28th EPA/play

— Start Sit 'Em (@StartSitEmFF) September 21, 2026

Turnovers have plagued him over the past two seasons. In 2024, he had 16 interceptions and 11 in 2025. He also had 13 fumbles in 2024 and 11 in 2025, but he was lucky to lose only two and three in those seasons. Through the first two games of 2026, his luck seems to have finally run out.

Mayfield scored 11.6 points in Week 1, then followed up with a modest 12.2 in Week 2. He's currently QB24, and while I don't expect him to play this poorly all year, he has an absolutely brutal matchup in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings

Brian Flores' defense has stymied Jordan Love and Caleb Williams. They bring insane pressure and make life miserable for quarterbacks. Mayfield is already struggling mightily; facing off against one of the hottest defenses in the NFL won't help. Fantasy managers can begrudgingly move on this week. Chances are he's got another bust week before things might start turning around in Week 4.

Other Quarterbacks to Consider Cutting:

• C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans - 29.1% Rostered
• Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts - 28.9% Rostered
• Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans - 7.1% Rostered
• Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers - 6.9% Rostered

Running Backs to Consider Cutting

Kenneth Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 81.1% Rostered

Gainwell isn't a must-cut. He likely still holds handcuff value in the event of a Bucky Irving injury. However, many fantasy managers drafted Gainwell expecting a flex-worthy player, maybe even someone who could push Irving for a starting role. That simply hasn't been the case.

#Bucs Week 2 RB Usage

- Bucky Irving: 77% snaps, 17 carries, 24 routes, 4 targets (93 yds, TD)
- Kenny Gainwell: 37% snaps, 2 carries, 12 routes, 4 targets (15 yds)

Sean Tucker did not play a snap

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 20, 2026

Irving's play has relegated Gainwell to a pure backup. He holds no flex value. No standalone value. He's an expensive handcuff right now, so if you really need the roster space, he's cuttable. Ideally, you can hang onto him for his handcuff value, but there are reasons to question even that.

Last year, when Irving was injured, the backfield became a committee between Sean Tucker and Rachaad White. Gainwell's skill set is similar to White's, so Tucker could become the early-down and goal-line back while Gainwell continues to operate as the pass-catching back.

Gainwell's role would surely be larger than it is now with Irving, but he may not immediately become what Irving currently is. Tucker would undoubtedly play a role.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans - 49.0% Rostered

Spears has talent, but his environment is awful in many ways. For starters, he's currently Tennessee's No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard. To make matters worse, Nicholas Singleton slowly mixed into the rotation this past weekend. No good fantasy backfield uses three running backs.

As if splitting the workload three ways was bad enough, Tennessee is a bad football team. The scoring opportunities are slim to none. They don't sustain drives. They don't rack up much yardage. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Spears becomes fantasy-relevant.

That brings us back to the three-way backfield. Even if Pollard gets hurt, fantasy managers should assume that, with Singleton now in the mix, Spears would remain in a committee. Sure, it might be the lead, but how well did that work for Tony Pollard last year?

Other Running Backs to Consider Cutting:

• Brian Robinson Jr., Atlanta Falcons - 23.4% Rostered
• Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers - 19.0% Rostered
• Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens - 16.0% Rostered

Wide Receivers to Consider Cutting

Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks - 36.8% Rostered

Jaxon Smith-Njigba might actually be too good. He has a 44% target share through two weeks. To make that even worse, the Seahawks are 28th in pass attempts with just 50. With team volume so low and one guy commanding so much, there's simply not enough to make anyone else fantasy-relevant.

Shaheed has the downfield skill set to make a splash on few targets, but that makes him an extremely volatile boom-or-bust player. His skill set and role could be compared to Jameson Williams, but unlike Detroit, Seattle doesn't pass it nearly as often, and they have an elite defense that doesn't require them to score 25+ points.

Other Receivers to Consider Cutting:

• Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars - 52.9% Rostered
• Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 27.3% Rostered

Hold

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders - 74.8% Rostered

Croskey-Merritt had 16 carries in Week 1 and followed that up with 12 carries this past weekend. He scored only 5.3 half-PPR points against Dallas and didn't play a single snap in the fourth quarter while Washington was playing from behind.

That's concerning, especially given how this season is going for Washington. If Croskey-Merritt is going to be kept on the sideline every time they fall behind on the scoreboard, Croskey-Merritt will be tough to trust.

However, he's averaging 15 touches per game and is the most likely running back to score a touchdown. He's Washington's early-down back, and that'll keep him locked into 10-15 touches per game. That'll give him flex appeal most weeks.

This week, however, Washington faces off against the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks, without Jayden Daniels, so fantasy managers should keep Croskey-Merritt on the bench, but he's certainly worthy of a roster spot.

Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars - 79.3% Rostered

He has back-to-back weeks with three catches and 40 yards. Parker Washington is clearly and unquestionably the team's No. 1 receiver. Thomas also had two drops, one of which was particularly unfortunate. After last year, fantasy managers have a real bad taste in their mouths with Thomas.

Over 2 weeks, Brian Thomas Jr. has:
-29% TPRR (9th among 63 WRs w/8+ targets)
-19% TS (33rd)
-2.35 YPRR (22nd)
-8.0 YPT (29th)
-13.3 YPR (23rd)
-17.6% 1DRR (5th)
-16.7% Explosive Rate (28th)
-0.32 FP/RR (26th)
His 61.8% route rate holds him back, but what if that changes?

— Rob (@RobLorge) September 21, 2026

However, as the numbers above show, Thomas hasn't been nearly as bad as public perception makes him out to be. In fact, Thomas has been productive in many areas. His yards-per-route and first-down-per-route run averages are both highly encouraging.

Thomas's biggest problem right now is his route share, which stands at 61.8%. He's coming off the field on two-receiver sets for Washington and Jakobi Meyers, but Meyers has been essentially invisible in the passing attack. If Liam Coen uses Thomas on two-receiver sets, his value would skyrocket.

Washington has 18 targets through two weeks. Thomas has 11, and the next-closest Jaguar has five. Despite his route share, this passing attack flows through Washington and Thomas. Denzel Ward and Patrick Surtain have also shadowed Thomas over the past two weeks.

Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings - 74.9% Rostered

As a rookie, Addison was the WR28 with an 11.0 half-PPR PPG. The following season, he improved, finishing as the WR21 with a 12.1 half-PPR PPG. Last season, with the dreadful quarterback play that brought even the great Justin Jefferson to his knees, Addison struggled. Looking forward to this season, he was a great bounce-back candidate.

To be honest, he still is! Now, he might just be a great buy-low option. In Week 1, Kyler Murray got injured, and they had to go with Carson Wentz. That's a tough spot since Wentz didn't get the practice reps. In Week 2, they played in heavy rain and windy conditions.

While his fantasy production through two weeks looks dreadful, fantasy managers should be more than willing to give Addison a mulligan considering the circumstances in both contests.

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns - 92.0% Rostered

Don't look now, but Deshaun Watson showed signs of life. He completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, without turning the ball over once. This Cleveland offense has some exciting pass-catchers, but it has shown zero ability to run the football.

To move the football and have a chance of finding the end zone, they'll need to throw the football. That's a good thing for Fannin. Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion will hurt Fannin's target share, but if Watson can build on his showing this past weekend, some exciting young pieces could give this offense life.

Fannin finished with six targets, five receptions, and 54 yards in Week 2 for 7.9 half-PPR points. He's an extremely talented player, evidenced by his rookie season. Now incorporating a new quarterback, head coach, play-caller, and offensive system, it's understandable that this offense got off to a slow start.

Week 2 was encouraging. Given Fannin's talent and his Week 3 matchup against a weak Carolina defense, fantasy managers need to be holding Fannin.

On the Hot Seat

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans - 87.0% Rostered

The hope for Pollard was that a new coaching staff, an improved offensive line, and Cam Ward being in year two would benefit Pollard's fantasy value. The problem is the coaching staff hasn't been much better, the offensive line is still dreadful, and Ward looks like a bust.

The environment is largely the same as it was last season. Pollard finished as the RB30 with a 10.0 half-PPR PPG average. However, he scored 10 or fewer points in 11 out of 17 games last season. He scored six or fewer half-PPR points in four contests.

He scored 28.1 and 17.7 half-PPR points in Weeks 14-15. No one was brazen enough to start him then. From Weeks 1-13, he was the RB39 averaging 7.9 half-PPR PPG. His big two-week performance accounted for 27.1% of his total points.

He scored under five half-PPR points twice, as often as he scored over 15 points. This kind of player, who offers virtually no ceiling, provides fantasy managers with no real value. If nothing changes soon, I'd almost rather have an elite handcuff.

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers - 77.3% Rostered

A receiving touchdown saved Lloyd's game from being a complete disaster. He finished with six carries for 20 yards and a lost fumble. After he lost the fumble in the fourth quarter with 12:35 on the clock, Lloyd played one more snap and didn't log a single touch.

Lloyd has a 3.0-yard-per-carry average and has been one of the NFL's least efficient runners. Kaleb Johnson looked like he provided the team some juice in the backfield, and Lloyd's carry may have opened the door for more opportunities.

Had Lloyd not scored that touchdown, he'd have scored 3.7 and 1.6 half-PPR points. That's downright dreadful. However, it's incredibly difficult to support cutting a running back in such an ambiguous backfield.

You might be asking yourself, what's the difference between Lloyd and Pollard? The truth is, right now, not much. However, a Jordan Love-led offense offers significantly more upside than Cam Ward. That's what gives Lloyd slightly more appeal than Pollard.

If he's able to distinguish himself in this three-headed backfield - undoubtedly a long shot at this time - and the offense is able to find its footing, which I suspect will happen, Lloyd could find himself being valued as an RB3. Right now, however, Lloyd needs to be far away from starting lineups.

I'm willing to give him one more week to see how the workload and snap share are distributed this week. If Johnson takes on a bigger role or Lloyd struggles again, he'll be cuttable. The truth is, anyone on the hot seat can be cut if the right player is available on the waiver wire; I'd just rather wait one more week if possible.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons - 93.1% Rostered

There's simply no way to judge Pitts given the quarterback play in Atlanta. With Michael Penix set to return in Week 3, let's see how this offense operates. Pitts' playing time has been a red flag, but that could be a result of the quarterback situation and a desire to lean on their rushing attack.

If Pitts' snap share doesn't improve or Penix looks dreadful, or worse, both, then we'll need to start having some difficult conversations about Pitts. Until then, though, fantasy managers must hold, but can absolutely not start him.

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