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
Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) | Panic Meter: 0
Mahomes delivered a stink bomb in Week 8, managing just 5.64 points. It was the lowest-scoring fantasy game of his NFL career. It was also his first game without a TD pass since Week 13 of 2020, which coincidentally was also against Denver. This performance should be viewed as nothing more than a circumstantial anomaly due to hellish weather conditions in Denver. Mahomes has delivered far too much elite production since entering the NFL to scare managers with a single bad game. Nothing to see here, carry on.
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR) | Panic Meter: 1.5
Kupp has now finished with less than 30 yards in two consecutive games. Before this span, the last time Kupp had less than 30 yards in a game was Week 6 of 2020. He has never had consecutive games under 30 yards in his entire NFL career. As far as production goes, Kupp gets the benefit of the doubt. He will remain locked in as a WR1. As far as panic goes, the same can’t be said. Matthew Stafford has a UCL sprain of the thumb on his throwing hand. He is considered day-to-day and the injury may be minor, but if Stafford is even slightly at risk of missing time, panic is more than justified. Needless to say, Brett Rypien would be a significant downgrade for Kupp and Puka Nacua alike.
Tony Pollard (RB – DAL) | Panic Meter: 2
In Week 8, Pollard scored a season-low 6.5 PPR points. He continued his recent trend of scoring single-digit PPR points, doing it for the third time in his last four games. It was the third time in that span he registered 12 carries or less, and finished outside the top-25 RBs. He hasn’t topped 53 rushing yards since Week 3. Panic has certainly been on the rise in recent weeks, but it hasn’t reached the point where Pollard needs to be benched or shipped away. He has finished as RB13 or better in four of seven games this season. For now, he simply slides from bonafide RB1 to RB2 territory.
DJ Moore (WR – CHI) | Panic Meter: 2
DJ Moore in Week 5: 49 PPR points. DJ Moore in the three weeks since: 33 PPR points (11 PPG). In Week 8, Moore scored just 9.5 points. The fact Tyson Bagent has played for 2.5 of these games could be cited as blame for Moore’s poor performance recently. However, the truth is this is not a new trend for Moore. In fact, he has just two exceptional games this season. He finished as WR5 in week four and WR2 in week five. He has finished as WR21 or worse in every other game. Since Moore’s earth-shattering Week 5, panic has only gone up while points have gone down. It’s no secret Moore is a boom-or-bust WR, but until Fields returns, he has significantly less boom appeal.
Davante Adams (WR – LV) | Panic Meter: 2.5
Things continue to go from bad to worse for Adams. He finished Week 8 with just one catch for 11 yards (2.1 fantasy points). He now has fewer than 5.0 PPR points in two of his last three games, and less than 9.0 in three of his last four. Adams scored 42.2 PPR points in week three. In the five games since, he has scored a combined 43.7 (AVG: 8.7 PPG).
The truth is, the panic meter is screaming. Yet, despite this recent downward spiral, he can’t be benched. You’re left with the choice to either sell while his value is at an all-time low or bite the bullet until the boom comes. Who would’ve thought managers would see the day when they dread starting Davante Adams?
Cut list | Panic Meter: 4
Kirk Cousins, Miles Sanders, Jeff Wilson Jr., DJ Chark
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