"We hardly knew ye."
Fantasy football can be a lot like speed dating. You only get a few seconds to impress before it's time to lock in or move on.
There is no part of the season where that is more true than in Week 1.
Everyone is excited for the season to start, riding a high after the draft. We all believe a fantasy championship is in our future, only to be dealt a hard dose of reality with a loss or underwhelming showing to kick things off. Some will be quick to cut those underperforming players, while others will hold onto hope for the future.
Your decisions in those moments can make-or-break a season.
Move on too quickly and an opponent gets a difference-making waiver pickup. Hold on for too long and it might just doom your group.
Fantasy football Week 2
So that's why we are here to help. Here's a look at some players you can part with after the season's opening week.
Waiver wire players to drop: Week 2
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Jones' Colts made an argument for being the worst team in the league after their Week 1 start. Not even a blowout was enough to boost the quarterback's numbers either.
Fresh off a contract extension and a torn Achilles, Jones finished the day with one passing touchdown and one interception. The Colts leaned on Jonathan Taylor around the goal line, leading to a pair of touchdowns for the running back. With Jones only logging one carry for four yards, that isn't enough to keep the 29-year-old fantasy relevant. It might be the injury or it might be that the Colts aren't good enough. Whatever the reason, Jones can be sent to the waiver wire.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
At one point this offseason, it was believed Rodriguez could be the RB1 in this offense. That certainly wasn't the case in Week 1, considering Rodriguez logged just six carries for the Jaguars. Bhayshul Tuten on the other hand finished with 15 in a blowout win.
Most of Jacksonville's offense came through the air, while the backfield saw three different running backs get work. Rodriguez was the least effective of the bunch in a 24-point win. That doesn't bode well for the former Commanders running back's future fantasy relevance.
Rachaad White, Washington Commanders
Like Rodriguez, White was a player many considered a contender for Washington's RB1. Instead, he was clearly behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who finished with 16 carries to White's seven. The former Bucs back's only redeeming quality was his pass-catching ability. Despite trailing all game, White had just two targets.
An unimpressive showing by the Commanders' offense also showed that White has no path to fantasy relevance without an injury opening the RB1 job up.
De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers
Stribling was a fantasy darling this offseason. It took him less than one full game to pick up an injury. In classic 49ers fashion, Stribling is now expected to be out at least one month with an ankle injury after failing to record a target in his limited action.
One month can be a lifetime in fantasy football, especially for a rookie. Stribling was a player who was expected to emerge later in the season after earning Kyle Shanahan's trust. Now he won't even have that early experience to lean on, meaning you almost certainly can't trust him upon his return. In other words, that one-month timeline will be much longer in fantasy. If you're a believer and have an available injury spot, stash him there for now. If not, then you can cut Stribling in redraft formats and utilize the roster spot on someone who is healthy now.
Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks
Shaheed was considered to be a player in line for a bigger role on offense this season. That went up in flames almost instantly in Week 1, when Sam Darnold went down with an injury. The quarterback will be sidelined for a few weeks, but Shaheed's value has vanished. Primarily used as a return specialist and change-of-pace player on offense, it's hard to trust the receiver in the immediate future.
He was behind both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp in terms of production on opening night. The expectation is that it will continue for the foreseeable future, especially without Darnold.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Week 2 drops: 5 players you need to consider cutting
