8 Surprising Players on the Roster Bubble (2026 Fantasy Football)

We are days away from the start of Week 1 of the 2026 preseason. There have been numerous training camp storylines to follow, including, but not limited to, surprising players on the roster bubble. Some of these players are in danger of being waived outright, while others may prove surplus to requirements and end up shopped aggressively before final cutdowns. Let’s dig in.

8 Surprising Players on the Roster Bubble (2026 Fantasy Football)

Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE)

Cedric Tillman’s future with the Cleveland Browns appears to be in jeopardy. He has been running with the third team offense for the Browns, a clear indication that he is in danger of losing his roster spot. It would be a mistake for the Browns to outright waive Tillman, despite his salary, as the young receiver has shown enough in the NFL to draw some interest from other teams. Tillman has fallen down the depth chart in Cleveland, and his lack of special teams value will likely prove prohibitive when the Browns are deciding on the final wide receiver spots on their initial 53-man roster.

Advice: This means that the top three in Cleveland will be Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, and Jerry Jeudy. Isaiah Bond, Tylan Wallace, and Malachi Corley, all of whom add special teams value, could round out the wide receiver room if the Browns choose to keep six receivers. Tillman, of course, can still keep his roster spot secure if he can move up to number four receiver by the end of the preseason, or if the Browns decide that Boston’s emergence means Jerry Jeudy is no longer needed in Cleveland. Tillman is a hold in dynasty leagues, but is someone you can safely ignore in redraft leagues.

Dont’e Thornton (WR – LV)

Dont’e Thornton was thrown to the wolves as a rookie, but does not seem to have developed enough to avoid being on the roster bubble in Las Vegas. The Raiders’ wide receiver depth chart is starting to concretize, with Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker occupying the top two slots, with Jack Bech and Malik Benson projected to occupy the third and fourth receiver roles (in some order). Dareke Young, who plays special teams and can provide the occasional go route, was brought over from Seattle for a roster spot. If the Raiders keep a sixth receiver, it will also likely be someone who can play special teams. Luckily, Benson’s ability to play special teams could help keep Thornton on the roster, but only if he fails to win the number three receiver role.

Advice: Those in deeper dynasty leagues are advised to hold onto Thornton, but those in shallower formats are encouraged to scour the waiver wire. He is a non-factor for redraft leagues at the moment, even in best ball formats. The worst thing you can do in best ball is draft early enough that you are rostering someone who ends up cut and spending most of the season on a practice squad. There is still some upside here, especially once Fernando Mendoza gets inserted under center, so keep him on radars where feasible.

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR – NYG)

OBJ is squarely on the roster bubble, though he may have made a case for a longer look without a strong showing in practices to round up last week. He is earning reps with the first team, but with five other receivers seen as roster locks, Odell may have to force the Giants to keep seven receivers, as Braxton Berrios was signed to feature on special teams. Calvin Austin can also function as a returner, but Braxton Berrios is a former All-Pro return man.

Advice: OBJ is someone to hold in deeper leagues or even add if you have the roster space. The depth chart behind Malik Nabers has some question marks, so it is well within the realm of possibility to see OBJ play 40 to 50 percent of the snaps to start the season. He played 41.6 percent of the snaps under Harbaugh in Baltimore.

Trey Benson (RB – ARI)

The scuttlebutt that Trey Benson’s roster spot may be in jeopardy grew even louder after the Hall of Fame game. Benson remains sidelined with a left knee flare-up, while Bam Knight, who is his main competition for the fourth running back spot, had a nice night, running for 5.0 yards per carry.

Advice: It is apparent that the Cardinals will keep four running backs, but with Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier, and James Conner all being locks, and Bam Knight being healthy with special teams value, Benson may be on the outside looking in. The entire NFL world would be shocked if Benson was outright waived, so we could see a trade between brothers that sends Benson to the Green Bay Packers. Another possibility is Dallas targeting Benson’s upside to compete with Jaydon Blue for the number two role for the Cowboys.

Elijah Moore (WR – PHI)

Elijah Moore may not make the Philadelphia Eagles’ final roster. UDFA Darius Cooper is squeezing the veteran out of a top-heavy but deep depth chart. Elijah Moore is in danger of being waived by the Philadelphia Eagles at final cutdown unless he makes waves in preseason. He has not stood out during camp, and former UDFA Darius Cooper, now seen as a virtual lock to make the final roster, has complicated the roster math even further. One beat writer went as far as to say, “If Lemon was having the camp Cooper was having, every reporter would be hyping the first round rookie“.

Advice: Moore is clearly behind DeVonta Smith, Dontaviyon Wicks, Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon, and Marquise Brown. Cooper also plays special teams, enhancing his value over Moore and Johnny Wilson. Philadelphia has only kept five receivers in each of the last two seasons. They kept only four in 2023. Elijah Moore is a 32-team league hold only; look elsewhere in other formats.

John Metchie (WR – CAR)

A name I feel like warrants inclusion on this list even if he has already become a journeyman in his short NFL career is John Metchie. The reunion with Bryce Young seemed like a perfect pairing, and now the injury to Chris Brazzell would make one think he was a lock to make the roster. However, if the Panthers only keep five receivers, special teams value may be a deciding factor if he can’t surpass Dave Canales favorite, David Moore, for the fourth receiver job.

Advice: It would be surprising if Metchie did not make the roster, especially considering he has a likely supporter in quarterback Bryce Young and that the team is without Chris Brazzell for the season. Carolina kept seven wide receivers last season and are expected to keep at least six this year, so he should be safe, but his fantasy upside may be nil if he can’t move up to the fourth receiver role before the end of preseason.

Deion Burks (WR – IND)

Burks was a popular late round rookie pick this summer thanks to entering a relatively barren depth chart behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs with the Indianapolis Colts. He slipped in the NFL Draft for a variety of reasons, including underwhelming production at Oklahoma, size and role projections, and injury history, but was viewed as an excellent fit for the Colts. Fast forward to training camp, and Burks, who is still running with the 3s, is in jeopardy of not making the active roster. This is often the case with seventh round picks, but Burks, who was viewed as a Day 2 talent by many, was thought to be the exception. If Burks does not make the team, it will mean the Colts front office will go with Laquon Treadwell (yes, he is still in the NFL), Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, and offseason addition Nick Westbrook-Ikhine behind Pierce and Downs.

Advice: Burks remains a hold in dynasty leagues, but those who were thinking about taking a late round shot on him in deeper redraft leagues may want to press the pause button. He is still more talented than his draft capital suggests, but competing against a depth chart of NFL veterans as a late Day 3 pick means he has an uphill battle to make the roster, even over the likes of Anthony Gould, Ashton Dulin, and Laquon Treadwell.

Kayshon Boutte (WR – NE)

This is downright cheating, but since the tenor of this article stealthily shifted somewhat to players who aren’t actual cut candidates but remain on the ‘roster bubble’ nonetheless, Boutte warrants discussion. Kayshon wants a new contract and will not be happy with his role as the number four receiver behind A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Pop Douglas. He is obviously ahead of players like Efton Chism and Kyle Williams, but the fact that he is playing behind Douglas due to Pop’s slot prowess is a potential issue that can force the matter.

Advice: After operating as the team’s primary red zone weapon and arguably their most important receiver (since Diggs didn’t play a full complement of snaps) in 2025, Boutte is looking for a clearer path to snaps as he works towards a new contract. Much more than just the vertical threat the Patriots deployed him as last season, Boutte should have no shortage of suitors on the trade market — at the right price. New England will need to be reasonable, but will likely demand a pick commensurate with what they would get as a compensatory pick if Boutte left in free agency next offseason. Boutte is a buy low in dynasty and is a late round dart throw for best ball purposes.