Well-Known Fantasy Football Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low for Week 9

November 4, 2026

Wyatt discusses five well-known fantasy football players who have not performed well heading into Week 9 of the 2026 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?

We're heading into Week 9 of fantasy football after a wild Halloween-filled weekend with plenty of trick-or-treat outings from our fantasy football superstars. We witnessed a few 0-point outings, along with a once-in-a-lifetime win by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who completed zero passes against the Atlanta Falcons.

We're reaching the end of that timeframe where everyone can still find their way into the playoffs, and one move can make all the difference. We don't have to be a top seed to get in the playoffs; all it takes is getting a seat at the table to give yourself a chance to make some noise. Just ask my dad how dangerous an 8 seed can be in the fantasy playoffs...

Today, we're looking at well-known fantasy football players who are struggling and not meeting our expectations. Should fantasy managers hold these players, sell while we still can, or is it finally time to drop them off in Dumpsville? Without further ado, how crazy should fantasy managers get with these well-known players heading into Week 9?

Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers

It was a brilliant start for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers offense.

Young was QB3 overall in fantasy points, with the team averaging 30 points per game over the first four games. Since their Week 5 bye, Young’s the QB20 overall, and the team has averaged 19 points per game. What has changed?

Beautiful ball

📺 NBC

#DETvsCAR https://t.co/8zCzIdhA6s

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 5, 2026

For starters, Young has been battling a bum knee he injured during the Panthers' Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns. However, Young refuses to use his knee as an excuse, per ESPN’s Mike Kaye.

In addition, Young has been playing behind a makeshift offensive line that has allowed high pressure rates.

Next Gen Stats had Young pressured on 48.9% of his dropbacks while throwing just one pass of 20 yards or more against the Packers. He was under duress half of the time he dropped back!

He’s at 5.0 air yards per attempt, an 18% 10+ air yard rate, and a 4% 20+ air yard rate over his last two games, according to JJ Zachariason. Those stats were doubled through his first five games.

Young has switched to a dink-and-dunk quarterback and is trying to avoid being sacked. However, that hasn't really worked since he's been sacked 11 times in the last two weeks.

Rough seas remain ahead for Young, with dates with the Broncos, Ravens, and Vikings defenses on the horizon. It’s time to get out of the Young experience while we can get some value in return.

Verdict: Sell in 12-team leagues

J.K. Dobbins, RB, Denver Broncos

It looks like a league-winning running back ascending in the Denver Broncos backfield, and his name isn't J.K. Dobbins.

Jonah Coleman balled out in Week 8, seeing a 66% snap share and getting 13 carries. As a result, Dobbins took a backseat with 21% snap share and seven carries.

To make matters worse, Dobbins saw the same snap share as Adam Prentice, who was activated from the practice squad the day before the game.

Since Coleman’s return, Dobbins has seen his snap share cut in half each week and has had seven fewer carries in two games.

Dobbins was a touchdown-dependent flex option who struggled to stay fantasy-relevant when he saw heavy volume while Coleman was on injured reserve. With Coleman taking over the backfield, Dobbins will see his fantasy value plummet.

The Broncos have had a broken offense this year and likely won't be able to support two fantasy-viable running backs. It’s unfortunately time to drop Dobbins off into Dumpsville.

Verdict: Cut in all leagues

Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens

The name everyone in the fantasy community is trying to figure out is Mr. Zay Flowers. The rising fantasy star finished Week 8 with zero catches on five targets, marking the first time in his NFL career he didn't record a catch in a game.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the biggest blow to Flowers' fantasy value.

Lamar Jackson finally returned to action but injured his thumb on the very first play. As a result, Jackson will need surgery and will likely miss the remainder of the 2026 season, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The bad news doesn’t end there; backup quarterback Tyler Huntley left the game early with a toe injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

This leaves rookie UDFA Joe Fagnano as the last man standing in the quarterback room, and he is expected to start on Thursday Night Football against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s unclear how the Ravens will address the quarterback position moving forward, but there are veteran options that could be acquired via trade. I personally wouldn’t be opposed to them trading for Jacoby Brissett or Kirk Cousins before the trade deadline.

However, Flowers’ player archetype is best suited for this doomsday quarterback scenario. He’s a versatile weapon who can be moved around the formation in motion to be schemed up with easy, high-percentage layup targets.

ZAY FLOWERS TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

48-YARD TOUCHDOWN TO @ZayFlowers!!! Tune in on CBS! https://t.co/RDspeiOR3T

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 25, 2026

OC Declan Doyle is going to want to get the ball out of Fagnano’s hands quickly and get him easy completions early to build his confidence. What better person to throw to than Flowers, who can take any bubble screen or slant pass to the house anywhere on the field?

Plus, we’ve seen Flowers this year be a reliable fantasy receiver with Huntley, a backup quarterback, throwing him the ball.

Don’t be selling Flowers for nickels on the dollar, because he still has a chance to be fantasy-viable. If you got a fair offer, I wouldn’t look at you funny for accepting a trade with equalish value in return for Flowers, but those offers are very unlikely to appear.

If your league mates are anything like mine, you’ve probably got offers like Jared Goff and Dobbins for Flowers flooding your inbox, and you can tell them to buzz off!

Verdict: Hold in all leagues

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers

It’s finally time to circle the wagons and get back to discussing this Panthers offense.

Tetairoa McMillan had a legendary Week 4 when he dropped 45.2 PPR points on Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately, he hasn’t scored 45 points combined in his last three outings.

Since his bye, McMillan is averaging 11.5 points per game and is the PPR WR23 overall. That’s honestly better production than it feels like we’ve gotten from McMillan over this stretch. It’s felt like doom and gloom, but he’s still produced as a WR2; we can live with that.

CAROLINA TOUCHDOWN! Make that a Tetairoa McMillan DOUBLE for the Panthers lead! ✌️

📺 Sunday Night Football: Lions at Panthers on NBC & Peacock https://t.co/RsUXyZeq5v

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 5, 2026

We mentioned earlier the rough quarterback play from Young at the start of the article and how it’s definitely taken its toll on McMillan and the other pass catchers.

More importantly, the waters have started to level with McMillan and Jalen Coker over the last two weeks. McMillan has seen a 20.7% and 31.4% target share compared to Coker's 13.8% and 14.3%.

The former eighth overall pick is starting to take control of the passing game, but it hasn’t turned into fantasy points yet.

Additional noteworthy McMillan stats this season:

• 8th-highest opportunity percentage among receivers (15.7%)
• 10th-highest target share among receivers (26.4%)
• 10th-most targets among receivers (65)
• 15th-most fantasy points among receivers

I’ll be honest with y’all, I was ready to log on and tell everyone to sell McMillan after another dud performance. I’m a McMillan manager, and I’ve been wanting/expecting more production out of him.

But after digging into the deep stats, he's a talented receiver being heavily targeted. It feels like McMillan is on the cusp of putting it all together and breaking through that fantasy barrier. We're getting closer to the playoffs, and we need big fantasy performances now, but it might pay off to stay patient a little longer with McMillan.

Verdict: Hold in 12-team leagues

Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Having Tyler Warren on this list hurts, as he was one of my most drafted players this year and last year.

Tyler, if you’re reading this, which is highly unlikely, it’s not you; it's 100% the Indianapolis organization to blame.

Touchdown Tyler Warren

#BALvsIND on CBS https://t.co/aJ6qGQqW0s

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 13, 2026

The team was uncompetitive in Sunday's 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8, and HC Shane Steichen debated for 30 seconds on benching Daniel Jones for the season.

The Colts have already traded away franchise cornerstones in Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, while Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs are at the center of trade speculation.

Warren finished Week 8 with a season-low 5.8 PPR fantasy points despite posting a season-high 33.3% target share. He’s been one of the few bright spots in Indy this year and is slowly becoming the face of the franchise.

Warren has been the team's most vital pass-catcher and arguably the most important offensive player.

Ahead of his Week 6 groin injury, Warren led the team in targets, catches, receiving touchdowns, and has the second-most rushing touchdowns on the roster. If Taylor gets traded, Warren would then lead the team in rushing touchdowns and would see all the volume he can handle.

Quickly, if Jones gets benched, or even traded, is there that much difference between him and Anthony Richardson Sr. or Riley Leonard? Jones has thrown two touchdowns and six interceptions over the last five weeks. I'm not saying those two are better, but they'll lock onto one receiver and force-feed him targets, aka Warren.

Verdict: Hold in all leagues

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