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.
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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
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) | Panic Meter: 0
What many Nacua managers have long feared finally came to fruition in Week six. Cooper Kupp gobbled up all the receiving production (seven catches for 148 yards and one TD), and Nacua was left with nothing but scraps (four catches for 26 yards). He must be toast, right? The truth is, Nacua was tackled on the one-yard line once and dropped a would-be TD in this game. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
He has seen seven targets in every game this season, and Week 6 was the first time he has finished with less than 70 yards. Nacua has more games over 20 points per reception (PPR) points (four) than he does games below 12 (one). If the Puka manager in your league is even remotely panicked, this may be the only opportunity you will get to buy low. Don’t panic. Strike while the iron is hot.
Joe Mixon (RB – CIN) | Panic Meter: 2
After six weeks of play, Mixon has zero games over 15 PPR points. He has scored 10.3 points or less in 3/6 games. He has just one TD on the season and is currently sitting at RB19. This would be less troubling if the Bengals offense as a whole wasn’t in a complete rut. Mixon is seeing RB1 volume and enjoying an RB1 snap share.
Unfortunately for his fantasy managers, he is not delivering RB1 production. Considering the current state of Cincinatti’s offense, panic and frustration are certainly justified. At the same time, Mixon makes for an intriguing buy-low candidate. It all depends on how much faith you have in the Bengals offense returning to form.
Calvin Ridley (WR – JAC) | Panic Meter: 2
Week 6 was the fourth time this year he finished with less than 45 yards, and the third time he finished with less than 7.5 PPR points. Ridley has finished as a top-10 WR just twice this season. He has finished outside the top 30 in every other game. The good news is Ridley has played over 80% of snaps in every game and is averaging 7.3 targets per game. Panic is more apparent for those who expected to get consistent WR1 production. As of now, Ridley is no more than a high-upside/low-floor WR2.
James Cook (RB – BUF) | Panic Meter: 2
Cook began the season with four consecutive double-digit PPR games. Since then, he has failed to eclipse 7.5 points in two straight. Week 6 marked the second time in the last three games Cook played on less than 50% of snaps and the first time, he finished without a reception or a target.
With just one TD this season, and reports of the Bills bringing in Leonard Fournette for a workout, it’s clear Buffalo doesn’t view Cook as a goal line back. So, if he’s not scoring TDs, playing the majority of snaps or catching the ball, where does his fantasy value lie? Panic is certainly buzzing. If this current trend continues, he’s likely to fall into mid-tier flex territory.
DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI) | Panic Meter: 2
In Week 6, Smith finished with single-digit PPR points for the third time in his last four games and second game in a row. It was also the fourth time this season he finished with less than 50 yards and six catches. The good news is Smith has seen a healthy amount of targets (11 in Week 6, at least five in every game).
Yet, with such an underwhelming span of recent production, panic has undoubtedly begun to creep in. At this point, Smith is more of a shaky WR3 than the rock-solid WR2 he was expected to be. Smith has officially entered the rotating flex discussion.
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN) | Panic Meter: 3
Entering Week 7, Higgins has just one game this season with more than four targets, two catches or 21 yards. For a player widely regarded as a low-end WR1, things can’t get much worse. To make matters worse, he has a bye, then plays San Francisco and Buffalo in back-to-back games.
The panic alarm is screaming. He shouldn’t be dropped, but you won’t get anything worthwhile for him in a trade. Yet, he’s currently unplayable. Your only option is to banish him to the bench until the Bengals awaken from their coma.
Cut List | Panic Meter: 4
Trevor Lawrence, Jahan Dotson, Tutu Atwell, Kenneth Gainwell
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