The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 4

September 29, 2026

Rob's fantasy football players to drop when making waiver wire moves for Week 4 (2026). He helps fantasy football managers decide on who to cut from rosters.

No beating around the bush: there are a number of big names in this week's Cut List. Some may surprise you, and some may be obvious, but we're almost a quarter of the way through the season now, and the data we get with each passing game becomes more and more trustworthy. For all of these players, the picture isn't pretty.

While players listed in the Cut List are considered "cuttable," they are not "you have to cut them." There's a difference, and every fantasy manager needs to consider who they're adding when dropping these guys, and if that's worth it. For example, this article features a number of big-name receivers, but if the best free-agent receiver in your league is Mack Hollins, I'm holding these guys.

The same goes for the particular quarterback listed. If your league hordes quarterbacks - and some leagues do - and the best available free-agent quarterback is someone like Aaron Rodgers, obviously hold him. Check out who I'm willing to cut this week, but first, check out my Week 4 waiver wire pickups article.

Quarterbacks to Consider Cutting

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers - 84.2% Rostered

Right now, the Chargers offense appears broken. They are in their first year in Mike McDaniel's offense, which is likely part of the struggle. They lost their starting center, and Ladd McConkey may not be 100%. They've also lost Charlie Kolar and David Njoku. They've faced a ton of adversity to start the season.

However, the excitement surrounding this offense in the summer was sky-high. The general consensus was that with Mike McDaniel finally having the quarterback with the big arm, his offense would reach heights we never even saw when he had Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. That simply has not been the case.

Herbert has yet to score 15 points in a single game this season. He hasn't scored more than one touchdown in any game. Those statistics are bad enough, but when you consider the opponents they've faced, it gets even more troubling.

Yes, their Week 3 opponent was difficult (Buffalo), but they played the Cardinals and Raiders in the first two weeks, and they were widely believed to be two of the worst 10 teams in the NFL, and I might be being generous in that respect.

The schedule becomes far more difficult now. The Chargers will play the Seahawks, Broncos, Rams, Texans, and Ravens in the next six weeks. Los Angeles has their bye week following the Broncos matchup. Those are five excellent defenses, and given how much they've struggled against far less impressive opponents, fantasy managers shouldn't have any confidence in starting Herbert in these matchups.

In one-quarterback leagues, given how Herbert and the Chargers' offense have performed, fantasy managers can drop him and move on. Given his talent, he's not a must-drop, but based on what we've seen, it's hard to see where you'll want to start him in the coming weeks.

Other Quarterbacks to Consider Cutting:

• Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts - 24.9% Rostered
• Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins - 14.3% Rostered
• Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans - 7.8% Rostered

Running Backs to Consider Cutting

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers - 67.8% Rostered

There's just no way around it; Lloyd has been awful to start the season. He's not getting any help from his offensive line, but he's not helping himself either. Together, that makes Lloyd an easy cut. He's shown no ability to make men miss, and given the Packers' offensive line, that's a necessity.

He hasn't averaged 3.5 yards per carry in any game this season. In Weeks 1 and 3, he didn't even average 3.0 yards per carry. He's caught two passes in each of the last two weeks, one of which found the end zone, but after 13 carries in Week 1, his attempts have dropped to six and four over the past two weeks.

Total rushing EPA among qualified running backs entering Week 3 Monday Night Football:

1.) Kenneth Walker III: +7.6
2.) James Cook: +5.5
3.) Bijan Robinson: +3.1
4.) Brian Robinson: +2.2
5.) Kyle Monangai: +1.7
6.) Chris Rodriguez Jr.: +1.4
7.) Christian McCaffrey: +1.3
8.)…

— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) September 28, 2026

Even when he found the end zone, he still finished with only 7.6 half-PPR points. His inability to hold onto the football has not helped him stay on the field. Right now, the Packers' offense, like the Chargers', is broken.

Kaleb Johnson, Chris Brooks, and Lloyd are operating in a three-headed backfield in an offense that can't run the football. At this point, rostering Emmett Johnson or Mike Washington Jr. is a better choice.

Wide Receivers to Consider Cutting

Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals - 78.9% Rostered

He was on the Cut List last week, but we're identifying him again for one major reason. After Week 2, head coach Mike LaFleur and Harrison himself faced steady questions about his lack of production and minimal involvement in the passing offense. His abysmal production and lack of involvement were bad enough, but when we see those questions, we usually see a concerted effort to fix the trend.

A "squeaky wheel gets the grease" narrative was in play in Week 3. Apparently, no one ever told Harrison or LaFleur about this because nothing changed. Sure, on one hand, he had the best game of his season thus far, but his involvement was still minimal.

He had four targets, one catch, and 33 yards in the first two weeks combined. In Week 3, he had five targets, three catches, and 40 yards. Trey McBride is one of the most alpha pass-catchers there is in the NFL, and fellow receiver Michael Wilson continues to earn more targets than Harrison.

Through three weeks, Wilson has a 25.6% target share, and Harrison sits at just 6.8%. It's hard to fathom things getting much worse for Harrison. Right now, he's nothing more than a boom-or-bust WR5, and that might be generous.

Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars - 76.4% Rostered

Last week, Thomas was a hold. His efficiency metrics through two weeks had been promising, specifically his target rate, yards per route run, and first downs per route run. His biggest problem was that his route share was just far too low. The hope was that Thomas' route share would increase. However, with two drops in Week 2, his route share actually went the other way.

Week 3 was a new low for Brian Thomas Jr

- 37% snaps (4th among Jags WRs - Josh Cameron played more)
- 14 routes (3rd among Jags WRs - 43% vertical)
- 1 target, 1 rec, 8 yds (all career lows)

The Jags version of Marvin Harrison Jr

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 28, 2026

In Weeks 1 and 2, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers were the primary receivers in 12-personnel sets. This limited his route share. In Week 3, he fell into a rotation with Josh Cameron, further decreasing his route share and causing his fantasy value to plummet.

To make matters worse, Meyers had his most productive game of the season, recording seven receptions, 64 yards, and a touchdown. Given the production that Meyers and Washington have had, there's no reason for head coach Liam Coen to go away from what has been working

Thomas is nothing more than a rotational player, largely running downfield routes. This role offers little to no fantasy value. Much like Harrison, Thomas's role is a death sentence for fantasy football. Since his role has actually gotten worse, fantasy managers cannot have any confidence in Thomas rebounding.

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers - 61.9% Rostered

We've already touched on how dreadful the Chargers' offense has been. A big part of that is how dreadful Johnston has been. Through three games, Johnston is averaging an embarrassingly putrid 0.78 yards per route run. Given how poorly he's played, Tre' Harris will eventually overtake him.

Harris has outproduced Johnston despite running fewer routes. Harris has 15 targets, and Johnston has 14, but Harris has 10 receptions to Johnston's six. Harris also has 149 yards, while Johnston has just 64. Johnston has never been a high target-earner. He's never had a high number of receptions or yards. He's also never been overly efficient.

The only thing that has kept Johnston afloat for fantasy has been touchdowns. He's scored touchdowns at an incredibly high rate. However, he did that in 2024 and 2025, so there was at least reason to believe it could continue in 2026. However, given just how inefficient he's almost always been, it was always a bad bet.

For all intents and purposes, Johnston is Gabriel Davis, if you remember him with the Buffalo Bills. He's essentially the same player. Low targets, low receptions, low yardage, high touchdowns, but how long can that last? Once the touchdowns dry up, how long until the team gives their opportunities to someone else?

Harris is a former second-round pick who, in his second season, is producing far more than Johnston. The Los Angeles offense needs a spark. They need to do something different because what they're doing isn't working. Maybe that includes giving Johnston's routes to Harris.

Chris Godwin Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 69.5% Rostered

Through three weeks, Godwin is fourth on the team in targets behind Emeka Egbuka, Cade Otton, and rookie Ted Hurst III. With Baker Mayfield out for the next 2-4 weeks with a dislocated thumb and possibly longer, it's virtually impossible to trust Godwin. Reports also indicate that Mayfield could be out longer, which would lower Godwin's value even further.

ICYMI Baker Mayfield is not going on IR for now but will miss at least 3 weeks with his thumb injury. Jalon Daniels, a UDFA from Kansas, will start vs. Packers Sunday. 0-3 isn’t adversity. This is. https://t.co/6QT0eeoso5

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 29, 2026

Godwin has been the least efficient receiver among the six receivers and tight ends who have registered a reception. That says something because Tampa Bay's most "efficient" receiver is Tez Johnson, with a 1.73 yards-per-route-run average. Egbuka is at 1.34.

Now, for the next couple of weeks, Godwin will have to catch passes from undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels. I know Godwin had an 85-yard touchdown called back for a penalty, but I'm already over the Godwin experience. He struggled last year, and that has continued into 2026.

All four of these receivers are relatively big names. Because of that, if you can trade any of them, you should. The offers will be very low, but some managers may want to buy low on a few of these guys.

I'd rather roster Harris, Adonai Mitchell, and Keenan Allen. I'd rather roster Tre Tucker, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion Jr., and Jordyn Tyson (even if I don't have an IR spot) over all four of these receivers. That's how badly it's been for all of them.

Other Receivers to Consider Cutting:

• Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks - 40.9% Rostered
• Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 21.9% Rostered
• Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Broncos - 17.5% Rostered
• Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans - 14.7% Rostered

Tight Ends to Consider Cutting

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons - 88.3% Rostered

Through three weeks, Pitts has two catches for 20 yards. He has five total targets. In Week 3, the Atlanta Falcons finished with 498 yards. Pitts had five of them. He's run a route on only 63% of the team's dropbacks, which lowers his opportunity to earn targets.

When Drake London has been on the field over the past two seasons, Pitts has earned a target on just 17% of his routes. When London has been off the field, that number jumps to 33%. Dalton Schultz, Juwan Johnson, Terrance Ferguson (even with the injury), and Kenyon Sadiq are all players I'd rather have on my roster.

On the Hot Seat

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos - 85.5% Rostered

Waddle and Pat Bryant have both been more effective than Sutton, and Bo Nix's struggles are only making Sutton look worse. Over three weeks, Sutton has had only one game with more than 25 yards and has scored more than 5.0 half-PPR points only once.

Sutton, once a consistent man-beater and end-zone target, appears to have lost a step. That has led Nix to look at Bryant more and more. Then there's Waddle, who is clearly the focus of the passing attack. Even when Waddle isn't getting the football, the defense is putting such an emphasis on knowing where he is.

Sutton has largely been an afterthought. However, this offense has far too many talented players to continue struggling as it has. If it starts playing up to its potential, Sutton may yet have value as a solid role player fantasy managers will be happy to have on their bench. Right now, however, it's hard to see the upside.

I'm reluctant to give Sutton another week or two to show me something, which indirectly is about Nix as well. If we don't see signs of life from Sutton and Nix soon, fantasy managers will have every reason to move on.

Michael Pittman Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers - 82.5% Rostered

Pittman was traded to the Steelers this offseason, but missed part of training camp with a foot injury. That caused him to miss Week 2, and Pittman has been mostly invisible at the start of the season. He had just three targets in Week 1, but corralled all of them for 58 yards, finishing with 7.5 half-PPR points.

He missed Week 2, but returned this past Week 3 and put up a disappointing performance. He had five targets but caught just two for 16 yards. Since Pittman has no role downfield, Pittman needs volume. He absolutely needs it, or he won't provide much fantasy value.

Roman Wilson has been a consistent performer through three weeks. He's had six targets in all three games. He also has 11 catches through three weeks. With how ineffective the Pittsburgh offense has been through three weeks, adding a fourth option in the passing game makes Pittman even less appealing.

D.K. Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth are still noteworthy options for Aaron Rodgers, along with Wilson, and unfortunately for Pittman and his fantasy managers, Rodgers seems to have the least chemistry with the former Colt. I'm willing to give Pittman another week or two to get a few more reps with Rodgers, but it's looking ugly.

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