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Should I drop De'Zhaun Stribling for fantasy football Week 3? Is De'Zhaun Stribling a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) is set to miss significant time due to a deltoid ankle injury he suffered in Week 1. It was an injury to an already injured ankle, meaning it would have been wiser for the 49ers to just hold him out of the contest.
They're not known for playing it safe with hurt players, though. As a result, he's set to miss a lot of time, and was placed on injured reserve. He'll be out around 10 weeks, meaning his earliest return should be Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks.
In the meantime, we'll see more of tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Mike Evans (hip) and Deebo Samuel Sr., among other names. So should you drop Stribling in fantasy football leagues and who should you pick up in his place?
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Should I Drop De'Zhaun Stribling in Fantasy Football?
Outside of dynasty fantasy football leagues, Stribling is a good drop candidate. You could stash him in your injured reserve spot if you want, but he'll be working his way back from a serious injury and will only have a few games to get up to speed with the offense and get back in playing shape before the season ends.
The San Francisco 49ers announced they have promoted DL Ogbo Okoronkwo to the active roster. In order to make room on the roster, the team placed WR De’Zhaun Stribling on the Injured Reserve List.
📰: https://t.co/6Q0u0aZ1TR pic.twitter.com/a0FWIhCKVV
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 19, 2026
Stribling looked solid in the preseason. Then again, lots of completely irrelevant fantasy football names are great in the preseason and proceed to do nothing of note in their careers from a production standpoint, such as Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington.
It's easy to get carried away in preseason hype, but it's important to remember that many of the players on the field in those games don't end up starting for any team in their careers. So it's not a great way to evaluate NFL talent.
Here’s what we’ve seen from DeZhaun Stribling through the first two preseason games. 👀
His ball-winning ability and hands really stand out on film. ⚡️#NFL #Football #DeZhaunStribling@49ers @NBCS49ers @MaioccoNBCS @LombardiHimself @Eric_Branch @CamInman @jenniferleechan… pic.twitter.com/4YPHFDDf5X
— Between The Lines (@BTLNFL) August 21, 2026
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
With Evans not practicing on Thursday, you may not even want to consider picking up another 49ers WR, due to Demarcus Robinson (ankle) not practicing on Thursday, either. If you absolutely insisted, you could choose between WRs Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing.
They're just scheme picks. Cowing is probably better off, as Watkins was a healthy scratch in Week 2. If you're looking for upside elsewhere, consider Seahawks wideout Rashid Shaheed, who's rostered in just 43 percent of leagues.
Drew Lock missing Rashid Shaheed pic.twitter.com/OszAvGAlXl
— Alexandre Castro (@alexcastrofilho) September 19, 2026
With Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (glute) on his way back from a glute injury, we might finally see the role Seattle envisioned for Shaheed when they traded for him, aside from his returning duties, of course. He was reportedly expected to have a bigger role in the offense in 2026.
If you want to go with just what coaches of a particular team have been saying, you could snag Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Ted Hurst III. He's been playing the "X" receiver role for his team as a rookie, and though it hasn't translated to great production so far, the whole passing offense has been struggling. He's shown flashes on film and could be worth stashing in deeper leagues.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Rashid Shaheed, Ted Hurst III, Jacob Cowing. But not to worry, 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 pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on Rashid Shaheed, Ted Hurst III, Jacob Cowing. He is one of the most 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.
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Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Rashid Shaheed, Ted Hurst, Jacob Cowing:
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