As fantasy managers, we often face difficult decisions. To sit, or not to sit? In an age where data is coming at us more frequently than ever, it’s easy for information to become over-saturated or lost in translation. This article series will be here each week to help you filter through the jungle of statistics so you can make more educated lineup decisions. Welcome to the “Panic Meter.”
Each week, we’ll feature several underperforming players with an assigned grade that corresponds to the appropriate level of panic to the respective player/performance. Below is a scale with grades between 0 and 4, as well as a strategy that correlates to the specific grade.
- Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire and FAAB Advice: Players to Target, Stash & Drop
- Fantasy Football Week 9 Usage Report: Waiver Wire & Trade Advice
- Fantasy Football Kicker Week 10 Guide, Rankings & Waiver Wire Advice
- Let’s Stream Defenses: Week 10
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight End Streamers
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback Streamers
- Fantasy Football Rest of Season Rankings
| PANIC METER GRADE | STRATEGY/PLAN OF ACTION |
| 0 | This past week was not ideal, but it can be chalked up as an anomaly. Don’t even think about benching them. |
| 1 | Panic is setting in. The leash becomes shorter but said player is still in consideration as a starter. Make sure a Plan-B is in place. |
| 2 | Officially panicked, exploring trade options, and possibly benching for a more proven/reliable option. |
| 3 | Fire sale. Get rid of them for whatever you can before it’s too late. They can no longer be trusted as a starter. A borderline drop-candidate. |
| 4 | Sever all ties. Smash the drop button so hard that man ends up in the shadow realm. |
Chris Godwin (WR – TB) | Panic Meter: 1
Godwin is the WR29 in PPG despite being third in the NFL in WR targets since Week 4. Does that sound right to you? Despite the low outputs, the targets speak for themselves. Sooner or later, the points will follow. Godwin has been frustrating from a production standpoint (no more than 15 PPR points this season, despite drawing 10+ targets in four of his last five games) but to sell him as a low-end WR2/flex at the moment would be a hasty move. The Bucs cannot run the ball and have been trailing an awful lot lately. They will continue to pass, and Brady will continue to lean on Godwin. As with Mixon this previous week, you have to trust the volume will eventually translate to fantasy points.
Aaron Jones (RB – GB) | Panic Meter: 2
After two RB1 weeks, we’re back. It’s the same old song and dance with Jones. The hope RB1 talent will prevail versus the prospect of inconsistent usage. Sure, an ankle injury (that turned out to be minor) prevented him from taking advantage of an easy matchup this week, but a boom-or-bust nature isn’t anything new for Jones. In his last 24 games, he has 11 games with 10 PPR points or less (five this season) and just five games with 20+ in that span. I’m not even sure panic is the right word for Jones because the writing has been on the wall. Considering that the Packers’ offense look’s historically bad this season, it’s reasonable to expect more of the same. He is fine to keep, but definitely worth exploring a trade for RB1 ROI.
D’Andre Swift (RB – DET) | Panic Meter: 2
It’s never a question of talent with Swift, it’s always a question of health (he missed at least three games in each season) and lack of a feature role (he has seen over 14 carries just twice in his last 18 games, has rushed for 50+ yards just five times in that span). So far this season, he’s been hit with a double-whammy. He’s playing through an ankle injury (he already missed three games) and has seen seven carries or less in each of his last four games. This past week, he finished with less than 10 PPR points for the second time in his last three games. The worst part is that he played just 16% of snaps in Week 9. Either his injury is worse than the Lions are willing to let on, or they just don’t feel obligated to get him involved. It also doesn’t help that Jamaal Williams (eight rushing TDs in eight games) is locked in as Detroit’s goal-line back, capping Swift’s upside. He needs to be rostered but can be considered as nothing more than a high-upside flex at the moment.
Leonard Fournette (RB – TB) | Panic Meter: 2
More of the same this week as Fournette saw less than 10 carries or 25 rushing yards for the third consecutive game. It was also another week he split work nearly evenly with Rachaad White (35% snap share, 11 touches). Panic has plateaued as Fournette manages to produce RB2 numbers thanks to his receiving floor. His upside, however, has pulled a disappearing act (10.3 PPG since week six) thanks to White’s involvement. Fournette’s job as the primary back seems to be secure for now. Unless you viewed him as an RB1, his panic meter remains unchanged.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET) | Panic Meter: 2
For his fifth consecutive game, St. Brown failed to put up WR1 numbers. Since his 39-point explosion in week two, he has zero games over 14 PPR points and just two games over 9.5. He has tumbled from his WR1 status and now sits at WR25 in PPR scoring. Until now, you could cut him some slack for working through injuries, but now panic has set in. Trading him is pointless if you’re selling low. For someone with WR1 upside like St. Brown, you’re better off holding out hope he breaks out of this funk. That being said, he may have lost his must-start status for the time being. Until we see some production, St. Brown is best viewed as a high-end flex/low-end WR2.
Tyler Higbee (TE – LAR) | Panic Meter: 3
Higbee now has three consecutive games with less than 16 yards or 3.6 PPR points. He began the season with nine or more targets in four of his first five games. He has failed to reach that mark in any game since. After dropping his only target in week nine and finishing with zero points, the panic can no longer be ignored. The Rams’ pass game looks abysmal, and after what we’ve seen from Higbee the last three games, it’s nearly impossible to have any confidence in him as a fantasy starter. Best case scenario: his name holds weight as a sweetener in a trade package.
Cut list | Panic Meter: 4
Isiah Pacheco, Mike Gesicki, Tyler Conklin, Aaron Rodgers
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