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 corresponding to the appropriate level of panic for the respective player/performance. Below is a scale with grades between 0 and 4 and a strategy that correlates to the specific grade.
| PANIC METER GRADE | STRATEGY/PLAN OF ACTION |
| 0 | This past week was not ideal, but it can be chalked up as an anomaly. Panic is not necessary. |
| 1 | Panic is creeping up. It’s not time to sound the alarm yet, but it is something to be aware of. Said player should still be considered a starter but is now under surveillance. |
| 2 | Officially panicked, taking things week by week, considering a Plan B, exploring trade options or benching for a more reliable option. |
| 3 | Fire sale. Actively seeking a trade while the player in question still has value. They are no longer a trustworthy starter. In some cases, a borderline drop-candidate. |
| 4 | Sever all ties. Smash the drop button so hard that the man ends up in the shadow realm. |
Fantasy Football Panic Meter
Joe Burrow (QB – CIN) | Panic Meter: 0
In Week 1, Joe Burrow managers were subjected to a career-worst fantasy performance. However, panic is unnecessary. The truth is that the Browns are Burrow’s Kryptonite. In his last four games facing Cleveland, Burrow is 0-4 and has averaged an abysmal 10.2 PPG. Luckily for Burrow managers, the Bengals don’t play Cleveland again until week 18. There’s nowhere to go but up from a performance like this. Falling into the trap of selling low after one bad performance would be a rookie move. Hang tight on Burrow (and his weapons), and things will almost certainly self-correct.
Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG) | Panic Meter: 0
The Giants got steamrolled in Week 1, plain and simple. A 40-0 beatdown is not exactly ideal for fantasy purposes. The G-Men generated just over 200 total yards of offense. So, considering Saquon Barkley managed 9.3 PPR points, it could have gone much worse. The Giants’ star RB delivered 63 total yards on 15 touches and tied for the team lead in receptions while sitting out most of the fourth quarter. Expect the Giants to be in more competitive games moving forward and for Barkley to capitalize on his RB1 usage. Panic is not necessary.
Dallas Goedert (PHI – TE) | Panic Meter: 1
In all likelihood, Dallas Goedert’s Week 1 goose egg is no more than an anomaly. In 2022, Goedert delivered 9.0+ PPR points in all but two games. He was targeted at least three times in each of those games. His 2023 debut (one target, zero catches) was highly uncharacteristic. It’s hard to justify significant panic. Unless this becomes a trend, Goedert remains a must-start TE1.
Lamar Jackson (BAL – QB) | Panic Meter: 1
Lamar Jackson managers were undoubtedly disappointed with a lackluster performance (207 total yards, 6.98 fantasy points) despite a great matchup with the Houston Texans in Week 1. Panic is low because the Ravens dominated this one. As a result, the game script became Jackson’s enemy. All three of Baltimore’s TDs came via a handoff, and Jackson was left out of the party on the fantasy scorecards. Yet, Jackson is at a 1 instead of a 0 because he has now finished with less than 15.5 points in 40 percent of his last 25 games. Nonetheless, Jackson possesses elite upside every week and should be benched under no circumstance. Managers need to simply prepare to ride the rollercoaster.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET) | Panic Meter: 2
In his first NFL game, Jahmyr Gibbs logged a discouraging 27% snap share and saw just 30% of the Lions’ backfield touches. Gibbs showed flashes in the limited opportunities he received in Week 1, so there’s room for optimism. It’s reasonable to assume he will be more involved in future games. However, given the Lions’ history of implementing multiple backs and David Montgomery showing he still has some gas left in the tank, it’s fair to wonder if Detroit will maintain a committee approach all 2023. For someone who commanded a third-round price tag like Gibbs, that possibility is certainly concerning. Panic is present, but our sample size is too small to make any rash decisions.
DJ Moore (WR – CHI) | Panic Meter: 2
The writing was on the wall for DJ Moore. While Justin Fields may be exciting to watch, he is far from a prolific passer. Moore remains in a less-than-ideal situation catching passes from Fields, who ranked 59th in pass grade (per PFF) and 46th in catchable pass rate in 2022. Metrics aside, what’s most concerning is that despite attempting 37 passes in Week 1, Fields targeted Moore just twice. Moore hasn’t had a game with less than three targets since 2019. As with most Week 1 performances, panic grades are tentative due to the small sample size. Yet, in Moore’s case, panic feels slightly more warranted than most. His usage should be closely monitored moving forward.
Cut List | Panic Meter: 4
Kadarius Toney, Deon Jackson, DJ Chark, Dalton Schultz
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