7 Players You Can Drop After Week 1

Whether they were chosen for the starting lineup or parked on the bench, we all had players who underperformed in Week 1. Should you hang on to them for another week or cut them loose now?

In this weekly article, I’ll comb through the weak and underwhelming performances to see who’s droppable in favor of some waiver wire magic. There are many variables in determining a player’s remaining worth including their own production, offense, and health among others, and all will be taken into consideration when determining each week’s dead weight.

Rashaad Penny, RB – Seahawks

There were plenty of Penny advocates this offseason, but I was not one of them. Sure, there was talk of him becoming more involved on passing downs in 2019, but the second-year back saw zero targets in Week 1. It’s Chris Carson’s backfield and Penny's just a spectator. If you’re looking for more than just a handcuff, ditch Penny and grab a backup RB with more stand-alone value at this point—like Malcolm Brown or Justin Jackson. You’ll get more out of them than waiting around for an injury to Carson.

Kalen Ballage, RB – Dolphins

The offense in Miami is not good. Neither is their defense but that’s a moot point here. Actually, it does come into play in that the Dolphins will most likely be playing from behind all season long which doesn’t help their backfield when it comes to game script. Ballage rushed five times for negative one yard on Sunday, and he was technically the starter. It’s safe to let the Ballage dream die an early death and move on to more productive RB depth.

Geronimo Allison, WR – Packers

We heard a lot about Allison spending productive time in the slot this season, but Aaron Rodgers failed to look his way even once on Thursday night. With WR as deep as it is, there are plenty of options to grab off the waiver wire this early in the season. For some ideas on who to consider, check out Alex Gelhar’s waiver wire piece on 4for4.com.

Dante Pettis, WR – 49ers

I know this could be difficult for some of you, but it may also be freeing to let Pettis go and become someone else’s problem. He and coach Kyle Shanahan have some sort of beef and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. He did catch his lone look on Sunday, but was behind even Richie James in targets. At the bottom of the pecking order in an offense that will be super George Kittle-heavy, send Pettis packing and grab a receiver with more upside moving forward.

Ty Montgomery, RB – Jets

The Montgomery hype was a slow burn during the preseason. Folks were unsure how the return of LeVeon Bell would actually play out and the former Packer was anticipated to have some value on his own. Montgomery rushed just two times in the Jets opener for a total of four yards. He can safely be sent to the waiver wire, especially if Bell isn't on your roster. There are some legit options for RB depth to be had this early in the season like Raheem Mostert or Chris Thompson, so go out and add them before they're gone.

Adam Humphries, WR – Titans

The Titans offense was more explosive than we all expected, but Humphries wasn’t in on the fun. He was only on the field for 22 snaps, which was fewer than Corey Davis (45), Tajae Sharpe (30) and A.J. Brown (26). He also saw the fewest targets among pass-catchers with just one, which just doesn’t foreshadow well for what’s to come. There should be a handful of receivers on the waiver wire to replace him with, who are in better systems with more upside on the season.

Anthony Miller, WR – Bears

I was really rooting for the second-year wideout to be impactful this season. Yes, it’s a one-game sample but Miller only saw one lone target and it didn’t come until the fourth quarter. Tarik Cohen seems to be filling Chicago’s slot receiver role, so Miller’s fantasy relevance doesn’t look too promising for the remainder of the 2019 season.