Two weeks of NFL action are in the books, and it has been a bloodbath. Puka Nacua, Christian McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp, and Deebo Samuel will all miss week three… and that’s just in one game! We are going to need to make some room for some replacement players. To make bloodletting easier, I list guys I would be looking to move on from, but every situation is different. Just because someone is on this list doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to drop him (except Rachaad White).
Quarterbacks
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami (81% rostered)
Tua’s concussion problems make him an unreliable fantasy asset moving forward. He likely will miss multiple weeks. Even if he doesn’t, Tua had three turnovers before his concussion. He’s not the kind of guy that you wait around for him to heal.
Caleb Williams, Chicago (80% rostered)
Caleb Williams has 16.58 fantasy points… combined… in the first two weeks. He’s yet to throw for a touchdown, and he has two picks. While his 59 rushing yards in two games are intriguing, the Bears haven’t shown anything that makes him worth keeping to see if he comes around. You can always pick him up in week five before he plays the Panthers.
Justin Herbert, L.A. Chargers (62% rostered)
Jim Harbaugh wants to run the ball as many times as humanly possible, feeding people a heavy dose of J.K. Dobbins before rushing even more with Gus Edwards. Through two games, Herbert is averaging 23 pass attempts per game, 12 fewer pass attempts per game than 2023, and 16 fewer pass attempts than his career average. It’s a dire situation for those trying to squeeze some sort of life out of this passing game. Unfortunately, Herbert is just going to be low volume enough to be annoying for you, and it isn’t getting better anytime soon: he has the Steelers, Chiefs, and his bye in the next three weeks.
Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper, Cleveland (96% rostered)
I fully understand a desire to bench Amari Cooper instead of dropping him. In fact, I doubt I would even be able to take my own advice, here. Through two games, Cooper has 5 catches for 27 yards. That’s a level of horrendous that I struggle to truly comprehend, especially since he has 17 targets over the last two games. The Browns are a disaster, and Cooper isn’t getting anything easy in this offense, with nobody worrying about anyone but Amari on this offense.
He currently is top-ten in the NFL in targets, so I can see holding onto him if you are in anything deeper than an 8-team league. After all, you aren’t finding anything better than him on the waiver wire in the 10-team and 12-team leagues.
Terry McLaurin, Washington (93% rostered)
McLaurin is currently WR84 and on an offense without an identity or vision in the passing game. Kliff Kingsbury has tried Scary Terry deep, and it didn’t work. Then, he tried him shallow, which didn’t work. You don’t go out of your way to cut McLaurin, but he’s on thin ice.
Christian Kirk, Tampa Bay (88% rostered)
If you thought being WR84 was bad, Christian Kirk is looking up at WR84, as he is currently WR119, after notching 2 catches for 29 yards on 7 targets through two games. There’s no way that you can start him anytime soon, and you can’t really trade him for anything. The Jaguars need to do some deep soul-searching, but for now, he’s making his way to the waiver wire.
Diontae Johnson, Carolina (83% rostered)
HE HAS BEEN GRANTED A REPRIEVE, ALL HAIL THE GINGER KING
Courtland Sutton, Denver (77% rostered)
There is literally nothing to like about the Denver Broncos offense through two games, and their bench savior is Zach Wilson. Sutton has 16(!) targets for 5 catches and 64 yards through two contests, as Bo Nix is woefully unprepared for competition at the NFL level.
Running Backs
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay (98% rostered)
Of 47 qualifiers, Rachaad White ranks 41st in rushing yards, 45th in RYOE, 41st in EPA/Rush, 40th in yards after contact per attempt (with four quarterbacks ahead of him), and 41st in success rate. He’s a terrible runner, and a just-okay pass catcher, to boot. If you’re in a PPR league, then you hang onto White, as his 7 receptions are tied with Alvin Kamara, Kyren Williams, and others, for sixth.
Zamir White, Las Vegas (86% rostered)
No running back has been worse in the NFL this season than Zamir White, as his -16.1 Rush EPA ranks as the worst in the NFL. He is losing out on goal-line carries to Zamir White, and a fully actualized Raiders game plan includes nearly zero White (13 carries for 44 yards against the Ravens).
Chase Brown, Cincinnati (71% rostered)
Through two games, Brown has 10 opportunities (7 rushes, 3 catches). He’s relegated to bench stash or handcuff territory at this point, and you can find someone who might actually help you in the short term on the waiver wire.
Gus Edwards, L.A. Chargers (64% rostered)
J.K. Dobbins has literally run away with this backfield. Edwards has 19 carries and 1 target through two games.
Tight Ends
Taysom Hill, New Orleans (60% rostered)
The Derek Carr Experience does not need Taysom Hill Bullshit, leaving Hill on the outside looking in. 3-5 rush attempts a week isn’t enough to sway me when Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Derek Carr are getting all the goal-line work.
