Tim Brosnan | Tue, Sep 24th 2024, 8:16am EDT

Fantasy Football Panic Meter: Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, Anthony Richardson (2024)

Welcome to the Panic Meter.

We feature several underperforming players each week and assign them a 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 correlating to the specific grade.

Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s breakdown.

Fantasy Football Panic Meter

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 possibly 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.

Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA) | Panic Meter: 1

Tyreek Hill delivered his second consecutive single-digit PPR performance in Week 3. Considering he had zero games such games all of last season, it’s fair for managers to be a little panicked. Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle don’t exactly inspire confidence in fantasy managers either. Nevertheless, Hill’s upside and track record make him a lineup lock regardless of recent trends or his current quarterback situation when making fantasy start sit decisions. He deserves the benefit of the doubt for now. If he flops again, however, it will be time for actual panic.

Mike Evans (WR – TB) | Panic Meter: 1

After a promising 2024 debut, Mike Evans’ yards, receptions and fantasy points have trended down every week since. It hit the fan in Week 3 as he managed just 3.7 PPR points. What’s particularly troubling is the fact he’s only seen 15 targets this season (his fewest amount of targets in a three-game span since 2021). Meanwhile, his counterpart Chris Godwin is the third-highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy.

So how much should we panic about Evans? Pump the brakes for now. Riding the rollercoaster is just part of having Evans on your team. His Week 3 dud can be chalked up to a tough matchup against Pat Surtain II. He remains a high upside-WR2.

James Conner (RB – ARI) | Panic Meter: 1

James Conner’s hot-streak came to an end in Week 3. He followed up performances of 19.3 points in Week 1 and 19.4 points in Week 2 with a 24-yard and 3.5-point stinker in Week 3. Still, there’s no reason to panic. This is likely nothing more than an anomaly. It was the first time since Week 12 of 2023 in which Conner scored fewer than 17.9 PPR points. You can’t panic after one bad game. He remains in play as a high-end RB2.

Anthony Richardson (QB – IND) | Panic Meter: 2

In Week 3, Anthony Richardson finished with multiple turnovers and single-digit fantasy points for the second game in a row. His completion percentage is 49.3% and he’s averaging just 12.3 completions per game. His undeniable upside (QB3 in Week 1) and rushing ability will keep him in lineups. Until his accuracy and decision-making improves, though, he will be highly volatile and extremely difficult to trust. Panic is evident for those who expected him to be a set-it and forget-it QB1. He is more accurately sorted in the boom-or-bust category. A matchup with Pittsburgh next week points more toward bust.

Mark Andrews (TE – BAL) | Panic Meter: 3

Mark Andrews’ zero-point performance in Week 3 was the last straw. He played only 33% of snaps and saw just one target. Panic has reached an all-time high as he rapidly cascades from fantasy grace. As we enter Week 4, Andrews is averaging 4.1 PPR points per game. Things can’t get much worse. It’s tempting to drop him to the waiver wire, but considering he’d likely become the best tight end on almost any waiver wire, he holds some trade value. Sell for whatever you can and be done with him.

Cut List | Panic Meter: 4

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