By admin 
With Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season nearing a conclusion, it’s crucial to take note of player usage and roles for fantasy football purposes. At the same time, it’s beneficial to be proactive without overreacting to early-season production.
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Despite that being the case, there are a few players to consider dropping in fantasy football entering Week 2. Which players should we move on from after Week 1 to make room for waiver-wire additions?
All stats used in this article are from PFFor Sumer Sportsunless stated otherwise. Fantasy rankings and fantasy point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Rookie De’Zhaun Stribling received plenty of hype in the offseason from the fantasy football community due to his preseason performances and the fact that he was part of a positive offensive environment. The hype was seemingly warranted early in the San Francisco 49ers’ Thursday night win in Week 1, but Stribling exited the game early with an ankle injury.
Before being carted off in Thursday’s contest against the Los Angeles Rams, Stribling led the 49ers’ receivers in snaps (21), though he failed to log a target. Despite Stribling seemingly having a full-time role to begin his career, he’ll reportedly miss “at least” a month with a deltoid sprain in his ankle.
#49ers rookie WR De’Zhaun Stribling, who left the opener early with an injury, is out at least a month with a deltoid sprain in his ankle, sources say.
Stribling is still seeking opinions, and while surgery is not currently planned, it is possible. SF will be cautious. pic.twitter.com/adUmcDQS7Q
– Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 13, 2026
Besides Stribling missing at least four weeks of action and there being a possibility of surgery still, San Francisco’s offense already features Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey. Unless your league allows you to place an injured player in an IR spot without them being on real-life IR, then Stribling is worth moving on from already.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The idea of drafting Chris Rodriguez Jr. in fantasy football this offseason was linked to the chance he’d emerge as the preferred early-down and goal-line option for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even in a game script that fit Rodriguez’s hopeful role in Week 1, the bruising back is currently the RB54 ahead of Monday Night Football with only 2.3 fantasy points in half-PPR formats.
Although the Jaguars held a comfortable lead over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, it was Bhayshul Tuten who led the team in snaps (17), rush attempts (15), and rushing yards (66). While Rodriguez did earn the lone red-zone carry among Jacksonville’s backs, he garnered only 11 snaps, 6 rush attempts, and 23 rushing yards.
Jags RB split in first game of the season:
Bhayshul Tuten:
15/66/0 rushing + 1/22/0 receiving = 9.3 fantasy points
Chris Rodriguez Jr.:
6/23/0 rushing = 2.3 fantasy points pic.twitter.com/45PSkYNCSB
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– Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) September 13, 2026
There’s still a chance Rodriguez has a valuable role in the Jaguars’ above-average offense, but this backfield could cause headaches in fantasy football throughout the season. With Tuten passing the eye test more than Rodriguez in Week 1, I’d bet on him earning a bigger role over Rodriguez in the coming weeks.
Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson wasn’t an early-round pick at the tight end position, but his role as a full-time player in a high-octane Dallas Cowboys passing attack made him a viable selection. However, his usage and role in Week 1 against the New York Giants were certainly concerning.
In the loss to the Giants, Ferguson had just the sixth-highest route rate (81.8%) in Dallas’ offense. As a result, Ferguson had fewer fantasy points (1.6) than teammates Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford (2.4).
Cowboys:
RBs:
Javonte Williams is a bellcow barely coming off the field and running a ton of routes
Emari Demercado is the handcuff (must add imo)
WR/TEs:
George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb are alphas – start them every week
Ryan Flournoy is WR3 and the primary slot: 72% route…
– Zain Dhanani (@DhananiZain) September 14, 2026
Just a season ago, Ferguson had the fifth-fewest yards after the catch per reception (3.8) and fifth-fewest yards per route run (1.20) among tight ends with 50-plus targets. On top of Ferguson having to compete with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams for targets, the Cowboys recently signed Spann-Ford to a new contract extension, lowering Ferguson’s ceiling.
At the moment, Ferguson seems nothing more than a touchdown-dependent tight end, which is similar to most options on the waiver wire.
Today’s best reads
- De’Zhaun Stribling Fantasy Football Injury Update and How It Affects the 49ers’ Wide Receivers
- De’Zhaun Stribling And 3 Other Fantasy Rookies To Watch On Thursday Night Football
- 2026 Fantasy Football: 5 ADP Risers and 5 Fallers Shaking Up Draft Boards
- Thursday Night Football FanDuel Showdown Lineup: Stafford Poised for Huge Night
- Juwan Johnson Headlines Week 1 Fantasy Football Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy Football Week 2 Droppable Players: De’Zhaun Stribling Worth Dropping Amid Injury Absence .
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 7:18 AM.