Preseason Dynasty Fantasy Football Cut List: 6 Players To Drop

August 8, 2026

Andy's top players to cut in dynasty fantasy football leagues ahead of the preseason. Which players should be dropped to waivers in dynasty fantasy football leagues ahead of the 2026 NFL season?

Hey, RotoBallers! The dynasty fantasy football offseason never sleeps. Whether it is making a blockbuster trade or scouting this year's rookie class to gain an edge in your league, you must be assessing the state of your team around the clock to build a true contender.

However, after the rookie draft or a major trade, you will have to cut an underperforming player from your roster. While it could be difficult to send a player you had high hopes for to the waiver wire, eventually, their fantasy clock runs out. In this piece, we will look at some players who have found themselves on the dynasty cut list ahead of the opening week of the preseason.

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Justin Fields, Kansas City Chiefs

The former 11th overall pick out of Ohio State was an intriguing "buy" candidate ahead of the 2025 season. After spending a year in the Steel City, Fields was slated to take over QB1 duties in New York (for the Jets) and potentially become the long-term solution at the position. His 2025 season started with a bang as he dropped a 31.7-PPR point masterclass against the Steelers defense.

Even after a Week 2 dud (6.3 PPR points) and a mediocre Week 3, Fields got back on track, scoring 27.1 PPR fantasy points per game in Week 4 and Week 5 to boost his fantasy value. Unfortunately, his season went downhill after this. From Week 6 onward, Fields appeared in just five more games and averaged a low 12.2 PPR points per game.

During this stretch, Fields posted a low 58.2% completion rate while scoring just four total touchdowns (with three coming through the air). In terms of yardage, Fields averaged a pedestrian 101 passing yards per game and hit the 200-yard mark in just one contest.

FIELDS FOR 6.

NYJvsNE on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/l0U71m29gn

— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2025

In the offseason, Fields received a glimmer of hope as he was shipped to the Chiefs in a trade. With Patrick Mahomes suffering a season-ending torn ACL in 2025, it appeared Fields could get another opportunity in a starting gig (albeit for a short period).

However, Mahomes has been progressing far more quickly than expected and has even participated in 11-on-11 drills during the opening week of training camp.

With Mahomes slated to be given the green light in Week 1, Fields is not expected to see the field unless Kansas City's franchise quarterback suffers a setback. This now puts him in quarterback purgatory and firmly off the radar for those in one-QB leagues, making him a safe cut.

For those in superflex leagues, Fields remains a viable QB4/5 to stash in deeper formats. In terms of backup quarterbacks, Fields does possess some fantasy intrigue given his rushing ability, but managers should not expect a late-career resurgence from him, as his skill set as a pure passer is far below the league average.

Verdict - Safe cut in one-QB leagues, fringe hold in deeper SF formats.

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals

When looking at the "trending down" players on Sleeper, there might not have been a "highly rostered" player to lose as much fantasy value in the offseason as Trey Benson. Benson appeared poised to be the successor to James Conner in this backfield, but got hit with two major offseason additions, which all but ended his chances of fantasy relevance with this club.

In free agency, the Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier to a two-year deal, signaling that he would open the 2026 season as the likely RB1 on the roster. However, a few months later, the Cardinals made another splash at the position, drafting generational prospect Jeremiyah Love out of Notre Dame with the third overall pick.

As a result, Benson went from a high-end dynasty stash to an RB3 on his own roster, with a very difficult path to fantasy relevance.

In his brief four-game stretch in 2025 (he would miss the remainder of the season due to arthroscopic knee surgery), Benson averaged a strong 5.5 YPC and was effective in the passing game, bringing in 13 of his 16 targets for 64 yards. As a rookie, Benson rarely saw the field, but held a slightly lower 4.6 YPC on 63 rushing attempts.

Despite the worst possible outcome this spring, Benson remains a firm hold in all standard dynasty formats. Those in shallower 10-team leagues could cut ties in favor of a higher-upside player on the waiver wire, but managers in 12-team leagues should continue to hold.

There is a strong chance that the Cardinals will look to trade Benson ahead of the season, which could quickly push him back into an RB2 role on most teams.

Verdict - Hold in 12-team leagues, likely a safe cut in shallower 10-team leagues

Isaiah Bond, Cleveland Browns

Isaiah Bond entered the 2025 NFL Draft as a consensus Day 2 prospect who could have immediately carved out a role in his debut campaign. The former Alabama and Texas wideout totaled 1,428 yards over three college seasons. In his final NCAA campaign at Texas, Bond totaled 540 yards with a career-best 15.9 YPR.

However, after turning himself in to the authorities due to an outstanding sexual assault warrant just a few weeks ahead of the draft, all 32 teams passed on him. Instead, Bond would latch on with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted rookie shortly before camp.

After drawing just four targets over his first two games (and catching only two of them), the wideout slowly began to find his footing in this offense. From Weeks 3 through 6, Bond saw 5.5 targets per game and caught 2.3 passes per game for 28 yards per game. His best showing came in Week 4 when he totaled 58 yards on just three receptions.

After a quiet stretch, he would make one last splash in Week 15 when he totaled a season-high 80 yards on just two catches against the Chicago Bears. While he showed upside as a deep threat, he struggled to get on the same page with his quarterbacks, as neither quarterback showed much consistency when under center.

Shedeur floats it up there beautifully for Isaiah Bond

CLEvsCHI on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/z6XSuMhAEn

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

To make matters worse, the Browns selected two wideouts in the early rounds, including KC Concepcion in the first round and Denzel Boston on Day 2. Reports out of camp suggest that both Concepcion and Boston look like the team's top wideouts and that veteran Jerry Jeudy's days of being the WR1 are numbered, leaving Bond as the WR4 (at best).

While Bond was noted as a spring standout, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, he will have a difficult path to earn targets in this revamped WR room. Additionally, the Browns also have one of the game's emerging tight ends in Harold Fannin Jr., making Bond's path to weekly targets very difficult.

With shaky quarterback play and a rough path to targets, Bond is a safe cut in all standard 12-team leagues and a desperation stash for those in deeper 12+ team leagues with larger benches.

Verdict - Given his weak QB play and now crowded WR room, Bond is a safe cut in standard 12-team leagues. Those in deeper leagues with more bench spots can hold, but a slow start should put him on the waiver wire.

Tyreek Hill, Free Agent

Despite being 31 years old last season, the wideout was enjoying a solid start to the season, averaging 13.4 PPR fantasy points per game over the first four weeks. However, in a Week 4 contest, Hill would suffer a catastrophic injury that would not only end his season but put his playing days in serious question.

Hill suffered multiple torn ligaments and would also dislocate his knee. While Hill has expressed that he hopes to return to the field, his serious recovery has not gone as smoothly as fantasy managers would have hoped.

The wideout recently stated on his personal YouTube channel that he is struggling to find his previous "explosiveness" as a runner. He also noted that he is struggling to regain all of the power in his left leg, which is the one that he injured.

The free-agent pass-catcher will likely not even be able to step onto a football field until the regular season kicks off, as he seems far from returning to "game shape" at this time.

As a result, not only does his redraft value come into question, but his long-term outlook does as well. It is highly unlikely the 32-year-old will regain any fantasy value, even if he can return to the field. A team would also have to show mutual interest in him following this lengthy recovery process.

Unlike Bond, there is no path to any long-term fantasy upside in his profile.

Verdict - Those in leagues with multiple IR spots can continue to "stash" Hill if their roster is injury-free. However, those in a roster crunch should pivot from Hill in favor of underperforming rookies from the 2025 class, as they carry far more long-term upside than this wideout.

Dont'e Thornton Jr., Las Vegas Raiders

The former Tennessee Volunteer was a popular late-round target in 2025 rookie drafts. After beginning his college career in Oregon, Thornton would find a role in the SEC. After totaling 224 yards in 2024, Thornton emerged as an elite down-play threat in his final campaign.

In the 2024 season, Thornton posted an SEC-leading 25.4 YPR and tallied a career-high 661 receiving yards with six touchdowns. This performance earned him an early pick on Day 3 of the draft, being selected in the fourth round by the Raiders.

However, like Bond, his rookie season was not overly impressive, which has put him on the cut list. Thornton would catch just 10 total passes (on 30 targets) for 145 yards and no touchdowns. While three of his receptions were for more than 20 yards, he could never carve out a consistent role, despite Las Vegas having a very weak WR room.

After catching five passes in the first three games (and drawing four targets in each), Thornton caught just five more over his last 12 games, with only 1.5 targets per game.

However, unlike Bond, there is still some room for upside, which should cause dynasty managers to think twice before hitting the drop button. Unlike Cleveland, the Raiders did not invest in their WR room this offseason, outside of signing Jalen Nailor to a three-year deal. This leaves Thornton in competition for the No. 2 to the No. 5 role, alongside Jack Bech, Tre Tucker, and Malik Benson.

While those in shallow leagues likely have no choice but to drop him given his lack of rookie-season production, those in 12+ team leagues should look to stash him for another year. There is an outcome where his big-play ability begins to shine with more stable QB play under center.

Verdict - Thornton is a safe cut in shallower leagues (and most standard leagues). However, those in 12+ team leagues should continue to stash if possible, as there is a scenario in which Thornton takes on an every-down role in this weak WR room.

Mason Taylor, New York Jets

Let's round this out with a tight end. The Jets selected Mason Taylor with the 42nd overall pick in last year's draft out of LSU and quickly put him into a starting role. As a rookie, Taylor ended his debut campaign with 44 catches (on 65 targets) for 369 yards and one touchdown.

While Garrett Wilson dominated the targets shown on the field, he practically missed the entire season after Week 6 (he "played" in Week 10 but only logged 19 snaps), which allowed Taylor to have a somewhat prominent role.

From Weeks 7 through 14, Taylor drew 5.1 targets per game and averaged a modest 6.9 PPR fantasy points per game. Over the first six games, Taylor saw a slightly lower 4.8 targets per game but did have one 12-target game in a high-scoring affair against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, which inflated those numbers.

However, like the names above him, his fantasy stock took a major hit in the spring. The Jets selected top tight end prospect Kenyon Sadiq with the 16th overall pick in the draft, putting Taylor in the clear No. 2 role in the room. Sadiq is far more athletic as both a pass-catcher and a receiver, making Taylor a potential afterthought in this offense that also welcomed Omar Cooper Jr.

His lack of YAC ability (3.0) is a concerning metric for his fantasy outlook, as he is so reliant on targets in short-yardage situations to produce a modest stat line.

A tight end with his draft capital is worth holding in deep 12-team TE premium leagues, but his seat will get hot quickly, especially if Sadiq enjoys an early season breakout.

Verdict - Those in shallower leagues needing a bench spot for a higher-upside, younger TE with more desirable fantasy traits should make the switch away from Taylor. Managers in deeper TE-premium formats should continue to stash given his draft capital, but should not be afraid to cut ties if he has a modest start to his sophomore campaign.

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