Who should I drop in fantasy football? Daniel Jones, KC Concepcion and more cut candidates

The first week of the 2026 NFL season has come and gone. It started with joy. Jubilation. Joybilation. It ended with doom. Dread. Despair.

Yep. Fantasy football is back.

Fantasy managers of high-end wide receivers like New England’s A.J. Brown, Ladd McConkey of the Chargers and Baltimore’s Zay Flowers have frowny faces because one week in, their early-round picks are already banged up. For others, Week 1 brought a different kind of heartbreak because it was a clunkfest for some big names.

In a game where the Cincinnati Bengals put 33 points on the board, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase caught two passes for 12 yards. In a game where the Chicago Bears posted all the points ever, tight end Colston Loveland had exactly as many receptions as you did. Drake Maye of the Patriots went to Seattle, threw three picks and had fewer fantasy points among quarterbacks than Cam Ward.

Now, even this analyst isn’t salty enough to advocate cutting bait on those elite fantasy options — at least not yet. As a matter of fact, this will probably be one of the more boring editions of this column. As bad as Week 1 duds are, watching a player you drafted come back to mollywhop your team after panic-dropping them early in the season is infinitely worse.

That doesn’t mean some deadwood didn’t bob to the surface in Week 1; it’s already time to cut bait on some players. Because if fantasy football is back, so are Drops.

Rostered percentages via ESPN.

Week 2 drops

QB Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Rostered percentage: 35.1% | Droppable in most leagues

Again, it’s important not to overreact to one bad performance, but there’s a difference between an outlier like Matthew Stafford’s faceplant in Melbourne and a dud that feels more like the rule than the exception.

This writer was already out on Jones anyway. Too many questions, not the least of which was the torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season. And sure enough, the Jones who threw for 166 yards with a score and a pick looked nothing like the “Indiana Jones” who had such a hot start a year ago.

Jones was far more “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” than “Temple of Doom” against the Baltimore Ravens, completing just 19-of-31 pass attempts and doing nothing with his legs. The entire Indy offense looked stale and out of sync.

If you can’t really imagine starting Jones (without needing three Tums), there’s no point in having him on most rosters.

RB MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers

Rostered percentage: 83.3% | Droppable in shallow leagues

Remember the good old days when Lloyd was going to explode into fantasy prominence? Those were simpler times. We knew the difference between right and wrong. Grown adults didn’t go to the store in the middle of the afternoon in their pajamas. Frostys came in one flavor — Frosty flavor.

Those were good times, but they are over now.

There was never any guarantee that a player who had six carries for 15 yards over two years would become an unquestioned lead back, let alone be effective. But while Lloyd did lead the Packers with 13 carries Sunday in Minnesota, he averaged all of 2.8 yards per carry. He was also out-snapped by Chris Brooks.

Even if Josh Jacobs doesn’t come back any time soon, Lloyd is part of a wholly uninspiring committee backfield. And if you’d rather have Lloyd than, say, Kaelon Black of the 49ers, you’ve had enough for the day.

RB Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

Rostered percentage: 55.6% | Droppable in all leagues

We talk ourselves into guys like Spears every year. And rest assured, there are those who will be reluctant to drop him now. Spears was on the field for 25 of Tennessee’s 51 offensive snaps Sunday — a near-even split with Tony Pollard. This is it, people! Spears is finally taking the reins from that plodder! Let the people rejoice!

First, he’s not — the game script for the Titans against the Jets was decidedly negative (which should benefit Spears), but even then he was out-touched and out-gained by Pollard. Even if he wasn’t, based on what we saw Sunday, it wouldn’t matter.

The Titans might be even worse offensively than Cleveland. They just got dominated — by the Jets. The offensive line is in shambles. The passing game is non-existent.

Having too many Titans on your fantasy roster is just depressing. One is too many.

RB Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders

Rostered percentage: 38.6% | Droppable in shallow leagues

Washington is one of a number of young running backs whose ADP skyrocketed over the summer. Not only did the rookie fourth-rounder from Arkansas shine in preseason action, but Ashton Jeanty hurt his ankle. At the very least, Washington was going to see some early-season work. Maybe even make a start or two.

But then Jeanty had to mess around and heal and whatnot, which was really quite rude.

Not only was Jeanty on the field for Sunday’s opener against the Miami Dolphins, but he was a workhorse — 29 touches, 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Washington did well with the seven touches he got, but it’s clear any real fantasy value he has depends on a Jeanty injury.

If you have the space? Fine. But in short-bench leagues, if I have to decide between Washington and Black, the former is getting the door.

WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

Rostered percentage: 65.2% | Droppable in all non-IDP leagues

People. Seriously. What are we doing here?

Travis Hunter is an incredibly talented young player who did amazing things in college. He is not, however, some mythical creature who will forever change the game of football. He wasn’t as a wide receiver who was supposed to play a little corner last year. He isn’t as a cornerback who will reportedly dabble on offense this year.

He was never going to play both ways in a real capacity. There’s a reason why there haven’t been any two-way players in 60 years.

Against the Cleveland Browns, Hunter had all of two touches for 11 yards. Will there be a long touchdown or two that will make the highlight reels this year? Yeah. But they are far more likely to come on defense than on offense, and last I checked, that doesn’t help managers in standard fantasy leagues.

WR KC Concepcion, Cleveland Browns

Rostered percentage: 63.5% | Droppable in shallow leagues

Concepcion is another example of a drop that is more about the situation than the player — the rookie from Texas A&M is electric with a ball in his hands. Of course, he’s also inconsistent. Drops were a major issue in college, and he lost a fumble in his NFL debut.

The problem is the Browns. It’s KC and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Browns.

Yes, Cleveland tried to manufacture touches for Concepcion — seven in all. His 58 total yards in Week 1 were second on the team — and more than running back Quinshon Judkins. But Cleveland’s offense is offensive to the idea of offense. They can switch quarterbacks 14 times and that won’t change because all the quarterbacks are poo.

Ask yourself — do you want to have any Browns player near your starting lineup? Plus, they may be cursed. Not saying they are, but also not saying they aren’t.

WR Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks

Rostered percentage: 43.4% | Droppable in most leagues

It’s understandable why the Seahawks value Shaheed as highly they do — he’s a dangerous vertical threat and one of the best return men in the NFL. Those splash plays have endeared him to fans and fantasy managers alike. The problem is that those splash plays and big weeks usually happen on fantasy benches because Shaheed is far too hit-or-miss (or miss or miss) to be counted on as more than a desperation play.

Last year in Seattle, Shaheed caught 15 passes on 26 targets in nine games and didn’t score a touchdown. He was all but invisible against the Patriots in Week 1 — three targets, one catch and 4 yards.

Shaheed is the third (at best) option in the passing game of a run-first team that will be rolling out a backup under center until Sam Darnold’s butt heals (true story). There are better ways to use roster spots.

TE Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams

Rostered percentage: 27.5% | Droppable in all leagues

There was more than a little “sleeper” buzz around Ferguson this summer because all things Rams were golden and wonderful. But then someone let one of the Infected on the team’s flight to Australia, and the Zombie Rams got their doors blown off by the 49ers.

Ferguson may have been looking to eat some brains afterward, but during the game, he was a complete non-factor with one target. That’s it. Thanks for flying 15 hours and becoming a member of the undead.

The Rams have too much talent on offense to look like that every week, but it hammered home just how unreliable Ferguson is. It’s not about whether a player has upside or potential. It’s about whether they can be started with any reasonable degree of confidence that their potential will be realized. With Ferguson, the odds ain’t in your favor.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.