Fantasy football drops shortlist candidates and rankings ahead of Week 9 of 2026. Is it already time to exclude fantasy football players from lists that include Lamar Jackson, Tre Tucker and more?
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Cut Roster Rankings for Week 9 Fantasy Football of the 2026 NFL season. Another round of NFL action is behind us, which means it’s time to turn our attention to the waiver wire.
On Sunday, managers saw numerous players suffer potentially serious injuries, while several underperforming assets continued their poor run in the first half.
So which injured or disappointing players is it time to get rid of from fantasy football rosters? Check out our top players to cut for Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Who to drop for Week 9 of Fantasy Football?
The best players to consider for fantasy football, in order of priority. Players at the top of the list should be removed first and replaced on the waiver wire:
Abandoned Fantasy Football Candidates
Read recent news and fantastic insights from some of the top candidates:
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens (draft ranking #34)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (thumb) could miss the remainder of the 2026 season after head coach Jesse Minter confirmed he needs surgery, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Minter didn’t rule out a late-season absence, saying “We’ll see” when asked about Jackson’s return chances. The Ravens plan to place the two-time MVP on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least four games. Jackson’s return from a three-game absence with his ankle lasted just one play in Sunday’s 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. His only pass attempt was incomplete before exiting with an injury to his throwing hand.
Backup Tyler Huntley (toe) also left the game, and his availability remains uncertain for Thursday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rookie Joe Fagnano ended Sunday’s loss and is currently Baltimore’s only healthy quarterback.
Kyle Pitts Sr., TE, Atlanta Falcons (Cut List Ranking #43)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. was unable to keep his touchdown streak going in the Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to this game, Pitts had found the end zone in three straight games, but the Bucs defense held Pitts in check on Sunday. Pitts had two of his five targets for six yards in the Week 8 loss.
It was a nightmare game for the entire Falcons offense, as they failed to score on Sunday. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed just eight passes and threw four interceptions. Fantasy managers can expect better results from Pitts next weekend, considering it’s almost impossible to do worse than six receiving yards. He should bounce back against the Cincinnati Bengals’ inconsistent defense in Week 9.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, New York Jets (draft ranking No. 45)
New York Jets wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. was a major disappointment in Sunday’s 38-33 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, finishing without a catch or target after back-to-back 100-yard performances. The rookie entered Week 8 having caught 11 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns in his previous two games, but he was completely absent from the passing attack despite Geno Smith throwing for 290 yards and two scores.
Adonai Mitchell became New York’s leading receiver with seven catches for 142 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, while Garrett Wilson recorded six receptions for 83 yards on 12 targets. Cooper’s recent success has come in relatively limited volume, with several explosive receptions accounting for much of his production.
Sunday’s shutout exposed the risks associated with this reliance on big plays, especially with Mitchell controlling a greater share of the passing opportunities. Cooper still showed considerable playmaking ability, but that performance makes him a harder WR3/flex option to trust until his target involvement becomes more consistent.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (draft ranking No. 26)
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker was a major failure for fantasy managers in Week 8, scoring just one field goal and failing to record a reception in his team’s 38-33 win over the New York Jets. Tucker’s quiet play is a significant disappointment considering his strong play earlier in the week, as he had recorded 10 catches for 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 19 targets over his last two games.
However, Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins only attempted 26 passes against New York, 16 of which went to Raiders tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Tucker’s explosive ability on the court makes him a starting threat in any given week, but he has also proven to be prone to down weeks throughout his career thus far. He will have the opportunity to bounce back in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Week 9 Waiver Wire Articles
After diving into the Week 6 rankings, check out other free waiver resources available on RotoBaller:
Each week, our NFL staff publishes a full range of articles on fantasy football waivers to complement our Who Should I Get Back? Waiver wired reader comparison tool. Add it to your favorites!
Who should I collect the tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check out the Who should I collect tool here:
Compare up to four players and we’ll tell you who to choose…
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Who should I collect? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver decisions involve players like Jordyn Tyson, Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier. We’re here to help you make those waiver decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Define your optimal 2026 fantasy football lineups. Our free service Who Should I Pick Up? This tool will help you make your fantasy football waiver decisions. Compare up to four NFL players and we tell you who to choose… all for free! Make the right decisions.
Player decisions in 2026. Today the focus is on specific players – Jordyn Tyson, Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier. Here are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wired mics.
Using the tool. It is a simple but very powerful tool. The first step is to enter the names of the players you want to compare. In the first box, find the first player’s name. In the second box, find the name of the second player. Compare up to four NFL players at once, then click Who to Get? to see who the recommended waiver pickups are, based on fantasy football rankings, projections and more.
Recent Improvements Who should I recover for? You may have noticed our Who Should I Pick Up? the tool has been redesigned. We’ve added a lot of great features to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You’ll see NFL player thumbnails with portraits and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, improved search results with data to compare, and a sleek new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How it works. Our RotoBaller team gathers their weekly fantasy football waiver rankings and projections based on their research and updates them constantly throughout the week. This information constitutes the basic data that fuels decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see ranked players.
Popular waiver wire searches. Curious to see some tough waiver decisions for 2025? Below is a list of some popular people who should I go to? research that RotoBaller readers consult. Click on any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches – Who to Get
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Jordyn Tyson, Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier:
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