Fantasy football managers are, inherently, a fickle bunch, driven by immediate panic after a sluggish start. Yet, Week 3 often serves as the true litmus test needed to decide whether to drop underperforming draft picks or exercise patience. 

We all got our answers during “Thursday Night Football” to the Kyle Pitts Jr. question, one of the most unloved players in fantasy right now. After another invisible performance in which he hauled in just a single 5-yard catch despite the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., managers are officially fed up. Now, what do we do with the rest of the unloved players cluttering our rosters? 

If you are holding Justin Herbert, don’t panic just yet. The fantasy frustration is understandable, but you need to trust in Herbert and the rest of the Chargers offense. There is simply too much talent playing in a proven, high-powered offensive system run by offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel — whose scheme, historically, creates elite vertical passing opportunities and efficiency once all the pieces gel.

Transition periods take time, but the elite arm talent and surrounding weapons remain intact. Exercise patience here rather than selling low on a top-tier quarterback talent. 

The situation in Arizona is growing increasingly tense. It is clear that head coach Mike LaFleur isn’t happy with the performance or effort shown by Marvin Harrison Jr. so far. Asked by a Cardinals beat writer about the idea of manufacturing touches to get his rookie star going, LaFleur clapped back directly. 

“Well, just get some easy completions to get going,” LaFleur said. “And that’s fine. You also have Trey McBride, who’s one of the best underneath guys in the world. And there’s only about 60, 65 plays a game. And you’ve gotta run the ball. And you’ve got Kendrick, who works underneath pretty well too. So everyone’s kind of got their role.” 

Marvin Harrison Jr. #18 of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field after losing to the Atlanta Falcons 26-19 at State Farm Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. Getty Images

That doesn’t sound like a coach interested in boosting a player’s scheme involvement or public profile. Harrison looks like a legitimate drop candidate if he doesn’t show better effort or target conversion Sunday at San Francisco. 

In New Orleans, Travis Etienne Jr. has been a major bust so far. The running back is simply not an ideal fit for head coach Kellen Moore’s scheme, which demands quick processing and versatility in both the passing and running games.

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Etienne is already yielding high-value touches and passing downs to an aging Alvin Kamara, severely capping Etienne’s fantasy floor and ceiling. Given the constant demand on the running back market, you would be much better served finding a trade partner who still believes in his name value before his usage deteriorates even further. 

Before cutting ties with draft capital, always explore every avenue to trade a player first. However, given the fast-paced nature of the fantasy season, tough decisions need to be made to keep your team competitive. It is completely fine to start your fantasy campaign 0-2, but you never want to fall into a deeper hole than that. Make the hard moves now to save your season. 

Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy, catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your leagues with the latest football news and advice from Fantasy Alarm.