Well, that was a week.

While it wasn’t the case in every game, Week 1 was a time when some pretty ugly football was played across the NFL. You can blame it on so many starters (especially stars) not playing at all in the preseason. Or you can blame it on some teams just being bad. But there were a lot of statistical errors made over the weekend that had fantasy managers muttering words I can’t write here.

To the folks who endured the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans’ efforts on Sunday, all this writer can say is: I hope you didn’t get alcohol poisoning…by simply squirting rubbing alcohol in your eyes to stop it.

Seriously, Kyler Murray. Marvin Harrison Jr. makes a lousy catch for a lousy four yards in his NFL debut? What the hell?

While many fantasy managers aren’t happy right now, it’s extremely important that you don’t overreact. Panic attacks after a loss are a great way to make a bad situation worse. Do you find it frustrating to watch a player you drafted carry the ball nine times for 12 yards? Try watching that same player a month later gain 159 yards on 29 carries and score two touchdowns… for your opponent.

Early-season departures are a balancing act—you have to know the difference between a slow start and a guy whose fantasy outlook just isn’t what we thought it would be. And the following players deserve a push from that rope into the waiver abyss.

The percentages of the teams were kindly provided by Yahoo!

DROPS OF THE WEEK 2

Deshaun Watson, QB, CLE (33% in the squad – can be eliminated in all leagues)

A piece of news that should come as no surprise to anyone: Watson was (once again) a lost cause in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Granted, his offensive line did him no favors, and Watson made no apologies for his performance of 169 yards, two interceptions and a passer rating that barely exceeded 50, while in conversation with reporters after the 33:17 defeat.

“We’re not the type of guys that make excuses,” Watson said. “Some people say that contributed to a lot of things – my injury, the time I missed. But at the end of the day, once you’re on the field, you’ve got to perform. You’ve got to perform. We didn’t do that overall. And yes, it showed.”

Let’s be honest. The only reason Watson (and not Jameis Winston) is the Browns’ starting quarterback is because Cleveland sold its soul to get him and then gave him a $230 million guaranteed contract. Sunday was Watson’s 13th start for the Browns (over two years, because Cleveland), and he hasn’t looked like the star who played for the Houston Texans in 2020 in any of them. He’s not as bad as Daniel Jones. But he’s not that far off, and you can do better on most waiver lists.

Blake Corum, RB, LAR (66% – can be dropped in weak leagues)

Given the hype surrounding Corum, from his outstanding 2023 season at Michigan to his first season with the Rams this summer, it was more than a little surprising that he did not 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. “Getting better every day, being patient and understanding that my time will come. But other than that, I help my teammates wherever I can – on the field, at practice, on special teams. Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m here to do it. So just work 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 hold off for now. But it’s not just that Ronnie Rivers played against the Lions as the Rams’ No. 2. Or that Corum didn’t have any touches. It’s that HE DIDN’T PLAY SNAP. It’s pretty difficult to score fantasy points this way.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, CAR (63% – can be dropped in all leagues)

Entering the season, there was optimism that the Carolina Panthers would show improvement in 2024 after last year’s 2-15 debacle. And even though rookie running back Jonathon Brooks began the season on the non-football injured list, Panthers head coach Dave Canales expressed confidence last week that Hubbard and Miles Sanders could carry the load on the floor early in the season.

“(Miles) looked fantastic,” Canales told reporters. “He came into camp with that focus and that seriousness about how he works. He’s really developing into a leader. That’s the same with Chuba. It’s really one of the most outstanding 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 this group as a whole.”

The only fantastic thing for the Panthers in Week 1 was how the game ended – Carolina was crushed by the New Orleans Saints 47-10 in a matchup in which Sanders and Hubbard combined 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 crap.

Curtis Samuel, WR, BUF (54% – can be dropped in all leagues)

Following the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, there was more than a little uncertainty about Buffalo’s wide receiver group for the 2024 season. But as the Bills prepared for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, free agent signing Curtis Samuel Dom Kibbets of WKBW-TV that he expects Buffalo’s new pass catchers to surprise some people.

“I feel like teams don’t know what they’re going to do this year, and I think that’s great. We have so many weapons and so many different guys that can do a lot of different things. I think that scares us,” Samuel said.

Well, Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a great Week 1 with four total touchdowns, but Samuel was not a factor in the win over Arizona – he was only targeted twice and had 15 receiving yards. Yes, Samuel has been dealing with a turf toe issue in training camp, but he looks to be the No. 4 passer behind wideouts Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid. A gadget player who plays twice a week doesn’t win many fantasy leagues.

Luke Musgrave, TE, GB (55% – can be dropped in all leagues)

Musgrave was one of a handful of “maybe” tight ends drafted this summer either just inside or just outside the top 12 at the position. 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, as Justis Mosqueda wrote for Acme Packing Companywhat we saw last week in Brazil is a player who isn’t even the TE1 of his own team.

“Through the first three quarters against the Eagles, (Tucker) Kraft received at least twice as many offensive snaps per quarter as Musgrave,” he said. “In the fourth quarter, those numbers increased, as Kraft played 13 offensive snaps to Musgrave’s 0. In fact, Musgrave played just one offensive snap after quarterback Jordan Love threw an interception on a play targeting Musgrave with 6:15 left in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Kraft played another 21 offensive snaps to finish the game. In the second half, Kraft played 31 offensive snaps to Musgrave’s 5.”

That alone is enough to rule Musgrave out of fantasy leagues. But Packers quarterback Jordan Love is out indefinitely with a knee injury, so Malik “His Next Accurate Pass Will Be the First” Willis is currently Green Bay’s starter. Combine those two factors and Musgrave has no place on any roster – anywhere.

Gary Davenport has twice been named Football Writer of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Follow him on X at @IDPSharks

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