RADIO
Who Should I Drop for Week 1? Fantasy Football outlooks for Kyle Monangai, Josh Jacobs, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Travis Hunter, Alvin Kamara, Tank Dell, Kenyon Sadiq, Zach Charbonnet, Oronde Gadsden II, Jordyn Tyson.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 1 fantasy football cut candidates involve players like Kyle Monangai, Josh Jacobs, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Travis Hunter, Alvin Kamara, Tank Dell, Kenyon Sadiq, Zach Charbonnet, Oronde Gadsden II, and Jordyn Tyson. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make the right waiver wire decisions and winning moves for Week 1. Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football pickups for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool helps make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to add... all free!
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read about fantasy football players to consider dropping for Week 1:
Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) was back at Monday's practice, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. It was a brisk, 50-minute practice, but it is notable that Monangai was back on the field. Backfield mate D'Andre Swift said that Monangai "looked good" while doing some running before last Wednesday's practice following a hyperextension of his right knee in training camp practice back on Aug. 16.
The 24-year-old was being considered week-to-week as early as last week, so although he has returned to practice on Monday, it is not a guarantee that he will be active for Sunday's Week 1 season opener against the Carolina Panthers. But with Swift also returning to practice on Monday, the Bears' backfield is looking much healthier entering the season opener.
When fully healthy, Monangai, a seventh-rounder last year, will continue to be the primary change-of-pace option behind Swift after he recorded 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries in 2025 as a rookie. If Monangai is active on Sunday, he should be viewed as an RB4/flex option at risk of being on a snap count. If Monangai is inactive against Carolina, Roschon Johnson is expected to serve as the backup to Swift.
Given this positive update, Monagai is a firm hold in all 12-team leagues.
Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans
After a 20-month recovery from the gruesome knee injury that ended his 2024 season, Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was placed on Injured Reserve with a designation to return to begin the 2026 season. On Tuesday, Texans general manager Nick Caserio provided an update, telling reporters, "He's close; he's not quite there. He's closer than he was during training camp."
Dell will miss at least the first four games of the season, but can be activated as early as Week 5, ahead of a divisional clash with the Titans. A third-round pick in 2023, Dell demonstrated an immediate connection with quarterback C.J. Stroud to begin his career, but after a prolonged absence, it is fair to question what his role might look like upon his long-awaited return.
The 26-year-old is RotoBaller's WR125 and worthy of final-round consideration in leagues with an IR slot.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints
After being selected eighth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) was initially expected to play a significant role in his team's offense as a rookie. However, the 22-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during training camp that will cause him to start the year on Injured Reserve and could be serious enough to keep him out longer than the mandatory four games.
Tyson's hamstring issue is made a bit more concerning by the fact that he also suffered two separate hamstring injuries that caused him to miss time during his final collegiate season at Arizona State. Even when he is eventually cleared to return, it could take Tyson a while to be fully integrated into the New Orleans offense. The young wideout remains a high-upside prospect in dynasty formats, but his redraft value is highly questionable ahead of 2026.
Like Dell, Tyson is a high-upside stash worth holding in leagues that have IR spots. When active, Tyson should take on a full-time role in this offense and operate as a weekly FLEX option.
Travis Hunter, WR, Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 second overall pick, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, enters the 2026 season with reports from camp suggesting that head coach Liam Coen plans to utilize Hunter on both sides of the ball, and Hunter has reportedly taken reps almost exclusively at cornerback for the last few weeks. While Hunter holds value as a professional football player, his ability to play both sides of the ball impacts his ability to be impactful in fantasy football when he is splitting his time.
The Jaguars also have a crowded receiver room that includes Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and Brenton Strange. While it's possible that Hunter may have spike weeks where he goes off for a big play, it's too unpredictable and unreliable when it comes to the fantasy football lens.
RotoBaller currently ranks Hunter as the WR81 and the 210th overall player off the board, making him undraftable and not worth rostering in most 12-team formats.
Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has had his initial court appearance moved up from November 17 to September 10, according to online court records. Jacobs was charged in late August on two misdemeanor counts of battery and criminal damage stemming from his May 26 arrest, and he was placed on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List shortly thereafter.
The eighth-year veteran is not permitted to practice or attend games while on the list, and while there is no timeline for the league to make a final determination on any further suspension, the accelerated legal process could help to bring about clarity sooner rather than later. After being drafted in the high-end RB2 range for much of the summer, Jacobs has fallen below RB25 in more recent drafts, with MarShawn Lloyd climbing rapidly.
He remains a worthy hold candidate in all standard leagues despite the uncertainty.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on finding replacements for specific players like Mike Washington Jr., Keaton Mitchell, Tank Bigsby, Terrance Ferguson, Keenan Allen.
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.
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
Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football waiver wire replacements. Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for Week 1 for Mike Washington Jr., Keaton Mitchell, Tank Bigsby, Terrance Ferguson, Keenan Allen:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
