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Andy's top fantasy football drops to consider making before Week 9 of the 2026 fantasy football season. Time to say goodbye to players like Emanuel Wilson, Xavier Worthy, and more?
Hey RotoBallers! Another slate of NFL action kicks off in a few days! While most are focused on setting their optimal lineups, managers in an inch may need to cut ties with a full year in order to fill their starting lineup.
In this piece, we will look at four underperforming players who are viable cut candidates ahead of Week 9.
Who should fantasy managers cut before the full Week 9 slate begins? Let's dive in!
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Players to Consider Cutting for Week 9
Emanuel Wilson, SEA - 35% Rostered
Emanuel Wilson saw a short-term value surge earlier this season, but with Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price both back on the field, the veteran's path to fantasy relevance is far less clear. During their Monday night loss to the Bears, Wilson's usage plummeted as he did not log a single offensive snap.
From Weeks 4 through 7, Wilson averaged 16.5 PPR points per game and saw 19.8 carries per game.
However, with both Charbonnet and Price healthy, Wilson is now the clear RB3/RB4 on his roster. He is only worth holding in deeper 14+ team leagues as a low-end handcuff.
Jake Ferguson, DAL - 41% Rostered
Jake Ferguson was a weekly TE1 for nearly the entire 2025 season but has seen his production drop significantly in 2026. After totaling at least 11.0 PPR points in two of his first three games, the tight end has since averaged 2.5 PPR points per game over his last five games. During this stretch, Ferguson has totaled 0.0 FPTS in two games and never eclipsed 5.0 PPR points.
He is also dealing with an ankle injury and has already begun to cede snaps to Brevyn Spann-Ford. He is only worth rostering in tight-end premium formats entering Week 9.
Dalton Schultz, HOU - 39% Rostered
The other tight end we will spotlight also plays in Texas, but in Houston. Schultz saw his value surge earlier in seasons like Wilson when injuries hit the Houston WR room. In Week 2, Schultz drew a hefty 14 targets and caught 12 of them for 140 yards. However, since Nico Collins has returned (and the team acquired Marvin Harrison Jr.), Schultz's role has greatly declined.
Since Week 3, Schultz has seen just 4.2 targets per game. In this stretch, the 30-year-old has only tallied more than 30 yards in one game and never hit the double-digit PPR-point mark.
With a limited ceiling and declining floor, Schultz is a safe cut in standard leagues.
Xavier Worthy, KC - 66% Rostered
Rounding out this list, we will be a WR who sits just under the 70% rostership mark. Worthy was selected in a high-upside FLEX spot but has failed to deliver for the bulk of the campaign.
Since totaling 14.3 PPR points back in Week 6, Worthy has averaged a modest 4.2 PPR points in each of his last two games. While he drew six targets each game, he only caught three targets per game for a low 12.0 yards per game.
While he is not a "must-drop" in all leagues, those in shallower formats who can pivot to an upside option like Antonio Williams should consider switching, as Worthy is the clear fourth option in this offense, behind Rashee Rice, Kenneth Walker III, and Travis Kelce.
Xavier Worthy Losing Fantasy Value https://t.co/qpBd51ty0N
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) November 5, 2026
Who To Drop for Fantasy Football Week 9?
| Rank | Player Name | Position | Ros% | Baller Move |
| 1 | Terry McLaurin | WR | 28 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Jalen Hurts | QB | 32 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Kendrick Bourne | WR | 7 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | New York Jets | DEF | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 5 | Washington Commanders | DEF | 16 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 6 | Trey Smack | K | 29 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 7 | Cincinnati Bengals | DEF | 52 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 8 | New England Patriots | DEF | 70 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 9 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 30 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 10 | Ja'Kobi Lane | WR | 9 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 11 | Bam Knight | RB | 14 | IR / Injury Stash in Deep Leagues |
| 12 | MarShawn Lloyd | RB | 34 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff or Stash |
| 13 | Sam Darnold | QB | 41 | Hold in 12+ Team Leagues/Superflex |
| 14 | Kyler Murray | QB | 58 | Hold in 12+ Team Leagues/Superflex |
| 15 | Jacoby Brissett | QB | 22 | Hold in 12+ Team Leagues/Superflex |
| 16 | Chris Godwin Jr. | WR | 68 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues/3-WR Leagues |
| 17 | Keon Coleman | WR | 25 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues/3-WR Leagues |
| 18 | Xavier Worthy | WR | 70 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues/3-WR Leagues |
| 19 | Pat Freiermuth | TE | 33 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues/TE-Premium |
| 20 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | 34 | Hold in 12+ Team Leagues/Superflex |
| 21 | Samaje Perine | RB | 14 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff or Stash |
| 22 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 35 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues / Upside Handcuff or Stash |
| 23 | Brenton Strange | TE | 60 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues/TE-Premium |
| 24 | Bryce Young | QB | 66 | Hold in 12+ Team Leagues/Superflex |
| 25 | Germie Bernard | WR | 65 | Hold in 12+Team Leagues/3-WR Leagues |
| 26 | Hunter Henry | TE | 62 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 27 | RJ Harvey | RB | 61 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 28 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 65 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 29 | David Montgomery | RB | 84 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 30 | Jeremiyah Love | RB | 90 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 31 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 83 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 32 | Davante Adams | WR | 84 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 33 | Lamar Jackson | QB | 79 | IR / Injury Stash in 12-Team Leagues |
| 34 | Mark Andrews | TE | 59 | Hold and Bench / Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 35 | Jake Ferguson | TE | 41 | Hold and Bench / Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 36 | Spencer Shrader | K | 72 | Hold and Bench / Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 37 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 79 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 38 | Devaughn Vele | WR | 52 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 39 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 65 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 40 | Cleveland Browns | DEF | 33 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 41 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DEF | 71 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 42 | Kyle Pitts Sr. | TE | 83 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 43 | Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | 60 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 44 | Denzel Boston | WR | 71 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 45 | Deebo Samuel Sr. | WR | 72 | Hold in All Leagues |
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 Emanuel Wilson, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Schultz, and Xavier Worthy. 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 - Emanuel Wilson, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Schultz, Xavier Worthy. 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.
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 Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Emanuel Wilson, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Schultz, and Xavier Worthy:
No matching players.More Waiver Wire Analysis
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