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Andy's top fantasy football drops to consider making before Week 3 of the 2026 fantasy football season. Time to say goodbye to players like Tyjae Spears, Rashid Shaheed, and more?
Hey RotoBallers! The opening game of the Week 3 slate is already behind us, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't still turn to the waiver wire to find any potential sleeper pickups. However, when adding a player, we have to say goodbye to a current member of our fantasy roster.
In this piece, we spotlight four widely rostered players whose fantasy value has dipped and decide whether to hold them into the third Sunday of the campaign.
Who should fantasy managers cut before the full Week 3 slate begins? Let's dive in!
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Players to Consider Cutting for Week 3
Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX - 42% Rostered
Chris Rodriguez has some sleeper appeal in the draft, as there was a path for him to potentially split the Jacksonville backfield alongside second-year option, Bhayshul Tuten. However, so far, the former Washington Commander has been deployed as the clear No. 2 option and has not delivered much fantasy value.
Through two games, Rodriguez has logged six carries in each game to a modest 3.0 YPC and has yet to find the back of the end zone. In Week 1, Rodriguez ran 12 routes but saw this number drop to just five in Week 2 as Tuten began to see a large role on passing downs.
While he logged a handful of red-zone carries in each contest, Tuten has doubled his workload in each game, suggesting he is the running back to roster on this team. While Rodriguez still holds value as a handcuff in deeper leagues, those in shallower formats can cut ties in favor of a handcuff with higher short-term upside like Tank Bigsby.
Kenny Gainwell, TB - 65% Rostered
Another running back who was projected to carve out a prominent role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' backfield was Kenny Gainwell. Gainwell came off a dominant year in 2025, logging over 100 carries for the first time in his career (537 yards) and being elite in the passing game. Gainwell drew 85 targets and brought in 73 of them for another 486 yards and three touchdowns, all of which also marked career highs.
With him joining Bucky Irving, many expected him to retain the top role on third downs. However, so far, Irving has dominated the Tampa Bay backfield, with Gainwell taking just seven total carries and seeing only five targets. A recent report suggests the Buccaneers hope to monitor Irving's workload later in the season, but Gainwell's weekly upside is significantly capped.
While his upside as a handcuff is far greater than Rodriguez's, his low weekly floor does make him a worthy drop candidate in shallower 10-team leagues. Those in 12-team formats should continue to stash Gainwell as a premier handcuff in the event Irving misses time.
Kenny Gainwell has Been a Bust Through Two Weeks https://t.co/6LVrarhLMb
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 24, 2026
Quentin Johnston, LAC - 72% Rostered
One of the most disappointing players at the wide receiver position this season has been Los Angeles Chargers wideout Quentin Johnston. After posting his second-straight, eight-TD campaign in 2025, Johnston's fantasy stock is also on the rise in the summer with the addition of Mike McDaniel to the coaching staff. However, the Chargers offense has struggled so far.
The Chargers have scored just 14.0 points per game (third-lowest in the sport) and total just 185.0 passing yards per game. As a result, Johnston has been a non-factor, catching only three passes for 24 yards. While managers in deeper leagues should consider holding him (but keeping him on the bench), those in shallower formats looking for an upside option could consider cutting him.
Currently, many wide receivers have far more fantasy upside and are widely available, like Tre Tucker and Adonai Mitchell.
Baker Mayfield, TB - 50% Rostered
The final player we will spotlight is quarterback Baker Mayfield. After posting a career-high 41 passing scores back in 2024, Mayfield has yet to replicate similar fantasy production. In 2025, Mayfield showed glimpses, but he finished with only 26 passing scores and a much lower 3,693 passing yards, down from 4,500 the year prior.
His 2026 season has gotten off to an even more underwhelming start, as the former first overall pick has thrown for only 398 yards and one passing score. In Week 1, he threw for just 216 yards with no scores, and that dropped to 182 yards in Week 2. Like Gainwell and Johnston, there is still a path for Mayfield to provide fantasy value, but managers who started their season with two straight losses are running out of time.
Currently, there are quarterbacks with far more upside on the waiver wire, like Geno Smith, Jacoby Brissett, and even the returning Sam Darnold. Managers in standard one-QB leagues should feel comfortable parting ways with Mayfield ahead of Week 3.
Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 3?
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Ros. % | Baller Move |
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST | 72 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST | 51 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Demarcus Robinson | WR | 3 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 14 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 5 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 6 | Carson Wentz | QB | 6 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 7 | Ja'Kobi Lane | WR | 10 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 8 | Chig Okonkwo | TE | 25 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 9 | San Francisco 49ers | DST | 71 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 10 | Cameron Dicker | K | 96 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 11 | Michael Mayer | TE | 21 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 12 | Kayshon Boutte | WR | 29 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 13 | Rashid Shaheed | WR | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 14 | Baker Mayfield | QB | 56 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 15 | De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 43 | IR / Injury Stash in Deep Leagues |
| 16 | Caleb Douglas | WR | 40 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 17 | Jordyn Tyson | WR | 53 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 18 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 51 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 19 | Antonio Williams | WR | 14 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff |
| 20 | Woody Marks | RB | 50 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff |
| 21 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 50 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff |
| 22 | Emmett Johnson | RB | 27 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff |
| 23 | Mike Washington Jr. | RB | 43 | Hold in 12-Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff |
| 24 | Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | 90 | Hold and Bench / Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 25 | Keenan Allen | WR | 24 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 26 | Kenny Gainwell | RB | 74 | Hold but Consider Benching |
| 27 | Wan'Dale Robinson | WR | 57 | Hold but Consider Benching |
| 28 | Quentin Johnston | WR | 82 | Hold but Consider Benching |
| 29 | Jordan Addison | WR | 78 | Hold but Consider Benching |
| 30 | Jonathon Brooks | RB | 87 | Hold / Injury Stash |
| 31 | Jayden Reed | WR | 76 | Hold / Injury Stash |
| 32 | Alec Pierce | WR | 88 | Hold / Injury Stash |
| 33 | Jayden Daniels | QB | 98 | Hold / Injury Stash |
| 34 | Justin Herbert | QB | 96 | Hold |
| 35 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 87 | Hold |
| 36 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 80 | Hold |
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up 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 Denzel Boston, Adonai Mitchell, Emanuel Wilson, Tank Bigsby. 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 pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Denzel Boston, Adonai Mitchell, Emanuel Wilson, 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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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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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 Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Denzel Boston, Adonai Mitchell, Emanuel Wilson, Tank Bigsby:
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