Who Am I Dropping? Blake Corum, Luke Musgrave, and More Fantasy Football Cuts for Week 2

Well, that was a week.

It wasn’t the case in every game, but there was some ugly football played across the NFL in Week 1. You could blame it on so many starters (especially stars) not playing at all in the preseason. Or you could blame it on some teams just being bad. But there were enough statistical eggs laid over the weekend that fantasy managers were muttering words I can’t type here.

To those of you who had to endure the efforts of the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans on Sunday, all I can say is that I hope you didn’t get alcohol poisoning… from spraying alcohol in your eyes to make it stop.

Seriously, Kyler Murray. Marvin Harrison Jr. gets one bad catch for four bad yards in his NFL debut? What the what?

While quite a few fantasy managers are not happy right now, it is vital that you do not overreact. Panic attacks after one loss are a great way to make a bad situation worse. Think it’s frustrating to watch a player you drafted carry the ball nine times for 12 yards? Try watching that same player gain 159 yards on 29 carries with two touchdowns a month later… for your opponent.

Losing a player early in the season is a balancing act: you have to know the difference between a slow start and a player whose fantasy chances aren’t what you expected. And the following players earn a push off the rope and off the waiver list.

Roasted percentages courtesy of Hurrah!

WEEK 2 DROPS

Deshaun Watson, QB, CLE (33% on roster — can be dropped in all leagues)

In news that should surprise no one, Watson was (once again) hot trash in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Granted, his offensive line didn’t do him any favors, and Watson made no excuses about his 169-yard, two-interception performance with a passer rating that barely topped 50 while speaking to reporters after the 33-17 loss.

“We’re not the type of people to make excuses,” Watson said. “So, some people might say that’s a big contributing factor – my injury, guys missing time. But at the end of the day, once you’re on the pitch, you’ve got to perform. You’ve got to execute. We didn’t do that generally. And yeah, it showed.”

Let’s be honest. The only reason Watson (and not Jameis Winston) is the Browns’ starting quarterback is because Cleveland sold their souls to trade him and then gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Sunday marked Watson’s 13th start for the Browns (over two years, thanks to Cleveland), and he hasn’t looked like the star he did for the Houston Texans in 2020 in any of those years. He’s not Daniel Jones bad. But he’s not that far off, and you can do better on most waiver wires.

Blake Corum, RB, LAR (66% — droppable in shallow leagues)

Considering the amount of hype that has surrounded Corum, going back to his standout 2023 season with Michigan and continuing into his first summer with the Rams, it was more than a little surprising that he didn’t play a single offensive snap on Sunday night against the Lions. Corum told reporters after the game that he is willing to do whatever it takes to help the Rams win.

“For me, it’s just day by day, man,” Corum said. “Day by day, keep getting better, be patient and realize my time is coming. But other than that, help my teammates out any way I can — on the field, in practice, on special teams. Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m there to do it. So, just keep working day by day and keep going.”

That attitude is admirable and, given Kyren Williams’ injury history, fantasy managers who drafted Corum as injury insurance in deeper leagues should probably stick with it for the foreseeable future. But it’s not just that Ronnie Rivers was the Rams’ No. 2 back against the Lions. Or that Corum didn’t have a single touch. It’s that He didn’t play SNAPIt’s quite difficult to score fantasy points that way.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, CAR (63% – dropable in all competitions)

There was optimism heading into the season that the Carolina Panthers, after a 2-15 debacle last year, would show improvement in 2024. And despite rookie running back Jonathon Brooks beginning the season on the non-football injury list, Panthers head coach Dave Canales expressed confidence last week that Hubbard and Miles Sanders could carry the load on the ground early in the season.

“(Miles) looked fantastic,” Canales told reporters“He came into camp with this focus and this seriousness about the way he worked. He’s really emerging as a leader. Chuba as well. It’s really one of the most important rooms on our team in terms of the character of what we’re looking for. They’re available, they work hard and they set the tone for what we do. I’m really happy with that group as a whole.”

The only thing that was great for the Panthers in Week 1 was how the game ended – Carolina was defeated 47-10 by the New Orleans Saints in a game that featured Sanders and Hubbard combined to rush for 36 yards on 11 carries. The Panthers are terrible. The backfield is a committee. And Brooks will return at some point. Do yourself a favor and remove all the Panthers from your fantasy roster before they infect your team with their suck.

Curtis Samuel, WR, BUF (54% — droppable in all competitions)

There was more than a little uncertainty surrounding Buffalo’s wide receiver corps entering the 2024 season following the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. But as the Bills prepared to take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, free-agent acquisition Curtis Samuel told the team that Dom Kibbets from WKBW-TV that he expected Buffalo’s new pass catchers to surprise some.

“You know, this year I feel like teams don’t even know what we’re going to do, and I think that’s awesome. We have so many weapons and so many different guys that can do so many different things. I think that makes us scary,” Samuel said.

Well, Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a huge Week 1 with four total touchdowns, but Samuel wasn’t a factor in the win over Arizona — he was targeted just twice and had 15 receiving yards. Yes, Samuel struggled against turf in camp, but he figures to be the No. 4 option in the passing game behind wideouts Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid. A gadget player who looks twice a week doesn’t win many fantasy leagues.

Luke Musgrave, TE, GB (55% — droppable in all competitions)

Musgrave was one of a handful of “maybe” tight ends drafted just inside or just outside the top 12 at the position this summer. The hope was that the youngster could build on the modest success he had in the 2023 postseason and become a viable low-end fantasy TE1. Instead, if Justis Mosqueda wrote for Acme Packing CompanyWhat we saw last week in Brazil is a player who isn’t even the TE1 for his own team.

“Throughout the first three quarters against the Eagles, (Tucker) Kraft was getting at least twice as many offensive snaps per quarter as Musgrave,” he said. “Those numbers climbed in the fourth quarter, as Kraft played 13 snaps to Musgrave’s 0. Musgrave even played just one offensive snap after quarterback Jordan Love threw an interception on a play Musgrave was targeted for with 6:15 left in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Kraft played 21 more offensive snaps to end the game. In the second half, Kraft played 31 offensive snaps to Musgrave’s 5.”

That alone is enough to show Musgrave the door in fantasy leagues. But then Packers quarterback Jordan Love is out indefinitely with a knee injury, leaving Malik “His Next Accurate Pass Will Be the First” Willis as Green Bay’s current starter. Combine those two factors, and Musgrave has no business being on the roster — anywhere.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on X @IDPSharks

(Top photo of Blake Corum: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)