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Should I drop Carnell Tate for fantasy football Week 2? Is Carnell Tate a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Tennessee Titans rookie wideout Carnell Tate had a disappointing debut on Sunday against the New York Jets. The fourth overall pick caught four of his six passes for 38 yards with no touchdowns.
The Titans offense struggled overall, managing only one touchdown and 208 scrimmage yards. However, it is a young team with a lot of new pieces in coaching roles, so it will take time for the Titans to hit full stride.
After an underwhelming Week 1 outing, should you drop Tate in fantasy football?
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Should I Drop Carnell Tate in Fantasy Football?
Absolutely not. Tate operated as the Titans' WR1 and led the team in targets and receiving yards, and we want the No. 1 receiver in a Brian Daboll offense. The WR1 in Daboll's offense has finished inside the top-14 receivers in overall PPR scoring over the last two seasons.
It was Tate's first NFL game, Cam Ward's first game in a new system, and Daboll's first time calling plays for this revamped Titans offense; that's a lot of firsts for a young football team. They have the pieces to be a potent offense and will get closer to their full potential as each week passes.
First NFL catch for Carnell Tate 💪
NYJvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/qqaGmYtxBE— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
Tate had a strong summer and was a consistent standout during training camp. ESPN’s Turron Davenport said one of his standout traits early in camp was how effectively he was running the full route tree. Davenport also noted Tate had a nose for the end zone and scored often in practice.
Rookie wide receivers drafted inside the top 10 have been reliable fantasy options in their first season. Over the last four years, 78 percent have seen at least 115 targets and 55 percent finished inside the top-24 receivers in PPR formats. Additionally, those who had seven-plus touchdowns finished 75 percent inside the top-16 receivers.
The last time Daboll called plays for a receiver selected inside the top-10 picks, they saw 170 targets, finished as the WR6 in overall scoring, and averaged 18.2 PPR points per game. Tate still offers a sky-high ceiling in 2026.
Tate is also tied to a former No. 1 overall pick quarterback. Ward was forced into action as a rookie with a surrounding cast that wasn't ready to support a young quarterback. The Titans fired their head coach in Week 6 after starting the season 1-5, and the team didn't have a pass-catcher surpass 600 receiving yards.
The new regime will do anything to make sure Ward succeeds as the team's franchise quarterback and is betting their jobs on it.
"This kid's not going to fail," HC Robert Saleh told Davenport. "Obviously, I put my job on that one, but he's not going to fail. He's special."
Daboll is just as invested and enamored with Ward and his tools as Saleh. He was obsessed with Ward as a prospect during the 2025 predraft process and had the Giants offer multiple first-round picks to have the opportunity to draft Ward.
After those offers were declined, Daboll went as far as to convince Titans GM Mike Borgonzi to draft a different player, according to Bobby Kownack from NFL Network and Todd McShay from The Ringer.
With Saleh and Daboll all in, Ward is going to be a successful quarterback. If Ward is, he'll be able to run a functional offense that will bring fantasy success for Tate.
Tate investors, history tells us he will produce as a top-20 fantasy receiver, but it might take a little bit of patience for it to come to fruition.
Who Should I Pick Up for Fantasy Football?
The running back waiver wire landscape is extremely barren to begin every season. There simply aren't players to pick up who have starting roles because there are so few workhorse backs in the NFL.
All of them have been drafted. You could take shots on high-upside handcuffs or backups in the hopes they get a bigger role or in case of an injury to the starter. San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) has been injury-prone throughout his career, so you could pick up his backup, rookie Kaelon Black, who looked quite impressive in his NFL debut.
Kaelon Black has the Trust of the Coaching Staff https://t.co/thXt5XgI51
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 15, 2026
Other handcuffs could be Brian Robinson Jr. (in Atlanta behind Bijan Robinson) or Braelon Allen (in New York behind Breece Hall), as both could offer weekly FLEX upside if their starter is unable to play.
Who Should I Pick Up Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pick Up tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pick Up? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Samaje Perine, Kaelon Black, Braelon Allen. 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 Pick Up? 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 Samaje Perine, Kaelon Black, Braelon Allen. 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 Pick Up? 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 Pick Up
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pick Up tool for 2026 for Samaje Perine, Kaelon Black, Braelon Allen:
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