Dead Weight Report: Week 2 Droppables

We all had players who underperformed in Week 1, regardless of whether they were in our starting lineups or safely on the bench. Should you keep them for another week or cut them loose now?

In this weekly article, I’ll sort through the weak and meager 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, just to name a few. All will be taken into consideration when determining each week’s dead weight.

You won’t find any monster names on here yet since one week is just not enough time to bail on a high draft pick, but there will be bigger names in the weeks to come. If you're looking for players to stash, I've got you covered there as well.

Zack Moss, RB – Bills

All the Zero RB drafters out there can’t be happy with this revelation, but the Zack Moss roller coaster has already come to a complete stop. Having to decide whether to start him in the Bills’ pass-first offense from week to week is not ideal when making lineup decisions, but luckily Buffalo made that first one for us. Moss was a healthy scratch to begin the 2021 season, with Devin Singletary and Matt Breida comprising their working backfield.

There are 71% of Yahoo! drafters with Moss currently parked on their benches, and I get why he was drafted, but save yourselves the weekly headache and drop him for an RB in a healthier relationship with the playcalling and field. Please exit to the left of the vehicle, Mr. Moss.

Mike Gesicki, TE – Dolphins

Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa threw the ball 27 times on Sunday, and just two passes were directed towards Mike Gesicki. He was on the field for only 21-of-54 snaps, which was 17 fewer than fellow TE Durham Smythe—and this was with other Dolphins TE Adam Shaheen sidelined on the COVID-19 list.

This volume and usage don't bode well for Gesicki moving forward, especially since Will Fuller is set to return next week, clouding up an already competitive receiving corps. Gesicki is droppable in single-TE leagues, as there are plenty of streamable names out there in less crowded situations like Cole Kmet, Jared Cook or Tyler Conklin, who are all under 34% rostered at this point.

Russell Gage, WR – Falcons

There was a decent amount of hype surrounding Russell Gage after Julio Jones was traded to the Titans, and his ADP saw him going in the 10th round. The fourth-year wideout is coming off a season where he posted 9.1 half-PPR points per game, ending 2020 as the WR48 in that category. I can see where some would think Gage could be elevated this season into WR3-ville, but it’s not starting out well for him and the Atlanta offense.

Gage did see two targets in Week 1 but wasn’t able to catch either of them for a big fat goose egg in the fantasy department. There are plenty of WRs on waiver wires like Jakobi Meyers, Jaylen Waddle or Tim Patrick who are in better positions to add to your roster moving forward.

J.D. McKissic, RB – Football Team

Last year’s overall RB2 in targets per game (6.9), saw just one ball thrown his way—which he failed to catch—and he rushed only once for eight yards in Week 1. We knew there would be regression for the Washington back, but it appears Ron Rivera is ready to go all-in on Antonio Gibson as the team's workhorse.

Many were expecting J.D. McKissic to see an uptick in usage with Curtis Samuel on the shelf, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not in their first contest. Game script was not in the 28-year-old’s favor as the Chargers dominated possession on Sunday. Considering how much of a non-factor McKissic actually was, there are more promising options on the waiver wire like James White or Kenneth Gainwell for you to gamble on.

* With Taylor Heinicke now under center for a bit, McKissic may get a new life so you could hang onto him for a little longer if you desire.

Boston Scott, RB – Eagles

My condolences to the Boston Scott backers out there, but it appears he will not be a thing again in 2021, or at least not a fantasy-relevant one. Rookie Kenneth Gainwell is Philly’s No. 2 RB moving forward, considering he had nine carries and three targets to Scott’s zero. Not only did Scott not see the ball, but he also wasn’t in the game on any offensive snaps.

Scott is not a player rostered by too many of you out there (11%), but it is time to move onto an RB with greater potential.