The first 3 weeks of the fantasy football season have provided enough evidence to separate slow starters from genuine roster problems. With waiver-wire options emerging, managers now face difficult decisions about players who entered 2026 with much higher expectations.
Week 4 is often when patience becomes more complicated. One poor performance can be ignored, but repeated low-volume games, shrinking roles, and quarterback problems deserve closer attention before another waiver cycle passes.
That does not mean every struggling name belongs on the waiver wire. League size, roster depth, and trade value matter. Still, these 5 players have enough red flags to make fantasy managers seriously consider moving on.
Week 4 changes the fantasy football conversation
Three games are not enough to completely rewrite a player’s season outlook, but they provide meaningful clues. Early-season roles, target shares, snap shares, and injury-driven opportunities can make waiver decisions more urgent entering Week 4.
The key is separating poor fantasy scoring from poor opportunity. A player receiving plenty of snaps and targets may deserve patience, while someone losing routes, touches or quarterback support presents a different situation for managers.
That distinction becomes especially important on shallow rosters. If a struggling player has limited weekly upside and a promising waiver option is available, holding onto name value can prevent a fantasy team from improving.
Brian Thomas Jr. has become a difficult hold
Brian Thomas Jr. entered 2026 with plenty of credibility after producing 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2024. However, his current season has started slowly, with only 7 catches for 88 yards through 3 games.
The Week 3 performance was particularly concerning. Thomas caught only 1 pass for 8 yards against New England, while Jacksonville’s passing game leaned more heavily on Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington in a 35-6 win.
That makes Thomas more of a bench-or-trade candidate than an automatic drop in deeper leagues. His previous production gives him trade appeal, but shallow-league managers should consider whether another receiver can provide more immediate weekly opportunity.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has seen almost no production
Marvin Harrison Jr. has been one of the biggest early disappointments among highly drafted receivers. Through 3 games, he has just 4 receptions for 73 yards and no touchdowns, including a 0-catch performance against Seattle.
His Week 3 improvement was modest. Harrison caught 3 passes for 40 yards against San Francisco, but that still left him without a touchdown and with only 4 receptions through the first 3 games of the season.
Dropping him outright would be aggressive because of his talent and draft capital. Still, managers in shallow formats can explore a trade or waiver-wire replacement if his target volume remains depressed through another week.
Quentin Johnston is struggling despite regular involvement
Quentin Johnston has not translated his previous production into a strong opening to 2026. He has 6 receptions for 64 yards through 3 games, with no touchdowns, leaving fantasy managers searching for signs of a consistent weekly role.
His Week 3 line against Buffalo was better than the previous 2 outings, as Johnston caught 3 passes for 40 yards. However, his season total remains modest, and his 2026 production has not matched his 2025 output of 51 receptions, 735 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Johnston therefore sits in the frustrating middle ground. He has enough involvement to remain relevant, but managers with stronger alternatives should not feel obligated to keep waiting. A waiver-wire upgrade could offer greater reliability.
Kyle Pitts has become a major fantasy concern
Kyle Pitts has opened the season with almost no statistical impact. Through 3 games, he has only 2 receptions for 20 yards, including just 1 catch for 5 yards in Atlanta’s Week 3 victory over Green Bay.
The bigger concern is opportunity. Available player-tracking data lists Pitts with an 8.2% target share through the early part of the season, a level that makes consistent fantasy production extremely difficult for a tight end.
Managers should be more willing to move on from Pitts in shallow leagues, where replacement options can be found more easily. Deeper formats provide more reason to hold, particularly because tight end production remains difficult to predict.
Drake Maye has given fantasy managers little reason to trust him
Drake Maye has struggled badly during the opening 3 games. He has accumulated only 21.6 fantasy points and already thrown 6 interceptions after entering the season with considerably higher expectations following his strong 2025 campaign.
His Week 3 performance against Jacksonville was especially damaging. Maye completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards, threw 2 interceptions, lost a fumble, and failed to produce a touchdown during a 35-6 defeat.
Quarterbacks are easier to replace than premium running backs or receivers in many leagues. Unless managers play in deeper formats, Maye can be treated as a matchup-dependent option while fantasy teams search the waiver wire for safer production.
Not every struggling player should be dropped
Fantasy managers should resist making emotional cuts simply because a player has disappointed during September. Workload, snap share and target volume can matter as much as early fantasy scoring when deciding whether to hold or move on.
That distinction explains why a player producing poorly but receiving consistent opportunities can rebound quickly after a touchdown, a favorable matchup, or a simple efficiency improvement.
The 5 players above have different situations, too. Thomas and Harrison still carry substantial upside, while Pitts has limited volume and Maye faces quarterback-specific concerns. Johnston’s inconsistent production makes him particularly vulnerable on shallow rosters.
Waiver-wire alternatives could make cutting easier
The biggest reason to consider dropping a struggling player is not simply disappointment. It is the possibility that another available player can provide more usable production immediately, especially when injuries create new opportunities around the league.
Week 4’s waiver landscape includes running backs such as Ollie Gordon II and Braelon Allen, while receivers and tight ends with expanding roles are also becoming more attractive. Those opportunities can change quickly after injuries and depth-chart adjustments.
Before making a move, managers should compare roster needs, league size, and replacement options. Dropping a recognizable player for someone unlikely to start would accomplish little. The goal is to turn a roster spot into a stronger weekly option.
These 5 players deserve different levels of patience
Thomas and Harrison should generally receive more patience in deeper leagues because their established talent and previous production provide legitimate rebound potential. Neither should be discarded solely because of 3 difficult games.
Johnston is easier to move on from when better receivers are available, particularly because his early production has remained modest despite regular involvement. Pitts presents a similar decision, although tight-end scarcity can justify holding him longer.
Maye is arguably the easiest quarterback to replace because streaming options are often available. The overall lesson is simple: Week 4 is a good time to reassess struggling players, but the best fantasy decisions depend on opportunity, roster depth, and available replacements.
Fun fact: Brian Thomas Jr. became the fourth rookie in the Super Bowl era to record at least 1,200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, joining Ja’Marr Chase, Odell Beckham Jr. and Randy Moss.
TL;DR
- Brian Thomas Jr.: Consider trading or dropping in shallow leagues if his role remains limited.
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: Hold in deeper leagues, but his low production warrants concern.
- Quentin Johnston: His inconsistent output makes him expendable with better waiver options.
- Kyle Pitts: Limited targets make him difficult to trust as a weekly starter.
- Drake Maye: Consider replacing him with a stronger streaming quarterback.
- Best approach: Judge workload, role, and waiver-wire alternatives before making a cut.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
