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
Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC) | Panic Meter: 0
Austin Ekeler’s Week 7 stink bomb (5.2 PPR points) was off-putting for fantasy managers in many ways. It was the first time he had less than two receptions in a game since Week 1 of 2020. It was also his lowest fantasy output since Week 5 of 2019. His 15.8 combined PPR points over the last two weeks is the worst two-game span he has had since 2018 when Melvin Gordon was the Chargers’ starting RB. He is averaging 2.6 YPC during this span.
Yet, panic is minimal. Why? For all the reasons listed above. Ekeler has such an elite track record over such a large sample size that a subpar two-game stretch pales in comparison. Panic is not necessary.
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR) | Panic Meter: 1
*Insert last week’s analysis of Puka Nacua here*. Cooper Kupp’s dud this past week was his lowest fantasy output in a game since Week 12 of 2020 and should be viewed as nothing more than an anomaly. He still managed seven targets and, although it was a two-point conversion, caught a pass in the end-zone. Kupp remains locked in as a WR1. The only thing worth panicking over is whether or not this current trend of only one Rams WR performing per week continues.
Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL) | Panic Meter: 1
This has to be one of the worst fantasy beats of all time, right? Despite zero pre-game reports of Bijan Robinson having any health concerns, he was essentially a healthy scratch. An apparent illness caused the rookie phenom to register just one touch for three yards on the game’s final drive. Although bizarre, it was nothing more than a freak occurrence and doesn’t warrant much panic.
What does warrant panic is the fact the Falcons won this game with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarelle Patterson leading the charge. With Robinson receiving less than ideal-volume for an RB1 to begin with, a third back fighting for touches complicates things.
Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA) | Panic Meter: 2
The rollercoaster continues. Through seven weeks, Tua Tagovailoa has finished as a top-three fantasy QB three times, but he was outside the top 12 in the other four. In two of those games (including his most recent), he finished outside the top 20. The reality is that Tagovailoa is having a great season with a 15:6 TD:INT ratio and has led the Dolphins to an impressive 5-2 record. However, his fantasy season has been the very definition of boom or bust.
With such explosive potential among the Dolphins’ skill positions, Tagovailoa is a threat to explode any week in any matchup. Yet, consistency has proved to be hard to come by. He has yet to stack consecutive 20-point performances. Panic will depend on your depth at the position and whether or not you are willing to accept the risk to reap the reward.
Amari Cooper (WR – CLE) | Panic Meter: 2
Amari Cooper has been notoriously boom-or-bust his entire NFL career, so the two-catch, 22-yard performance in Week 7 isn’t why panic has crept in. It’s the fact that Deshaun Watson‘s health remains a concern. He sat out for nearly a month only to be knocked out of the game on a routine hit in the first quarter. Cooper has now played three games without Watson this season. He finished with less than 25 yards and five PPR points in two of those games. His targets remain encouraging (averaging 7.8 per game), but Cooper isn’t much more than a WR3/flex without Watson at QB.
DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI) | Panic Meter: 3
Things are getting ugly. Devonta Smith has now finished with single-digit PPR totals in four of his last five games and each of his last three. He has finished with over 50 yards just twice this season. Meanwhile, his teammate AJ Brown has five consecutive games over 120 yards. The former Heisman-winner has officially been downgraded from a WR3 to a matchup-dependent flex.
Cut list | Panic Meter: 4
Keaontay Ingram, Quentin Johnston, Zach Ertz, Justice Hill
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