We live in a strange world. When it comes to fantasy football, these days everything is the opposite. Up is down, left is right and Sam Darnold is a better start than Patrick Mahomes.
With one quarter of the 2024 season in the books, it’s safe to say nothing makes sense. The only constant truth is that whether it be due to injury woes, underperforming studs or difficult lineup fantasy start sit decisions… We’re all panicking to some degree.
At FantasyPros, we’re here to help you understand everything.
Welcome to the Panic Meter.
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If you’re new here, 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 broad strategy correlating to that 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. |
Breece Hall (RB – NYJ) | Panic Meter: 0
Breece Hall finished with 3.8 PPR points and 18 total yards in Week 4. However, there’s no reason to panic. This was simply a case of horrible weather conditions and a highly underrated Broncos defense that held Hall to 0.4 yards per carry (YPC). The three weeks prior, he averaged 96 scrimmage yards and 20.3 points per game (PPG). He remains a rock-solid RB1.
Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ) | Panic Meter: 2
Garrett Wilson has failed to reach 65 yards, 15 PPR points or finish inside the top 30 at his position in any game this season. In Week 4, he put the cherry on top by finishing with 7.1 PPR points. Truth is, we’ve been hitting snooze on the panic alarm for far too long when it comes to Wilson. The excuse for him for so long was his lack of a functional quarterback. At this point, we may have to just accept he’s not the alpha WR1 we wish he was. In fact, in his entire career (38 games), he has reached 100 yards only five times and has just eight touchdowns. He has only one career game with both 100+ yards and a score. Is that panic setting in? Or is it just reality? Wilson is a fantasy WR3.
Kyler Murray (QB – ARI) | Panic Meter: 2
Kyler Murray’s 9.9-point stinker in Week 4 now makes it three out of four games with fewer than 15 fantasy points this season. Murray has accounted for more than one touchdown and eclipsed 210 yards passing in just one game. His performance this week was especially disappointing considering it was against the 32nd-ranked Commanders defense. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence approaching a matchup with San Francisco. It would be odd if managers weren’t panicked. He remains a low-end QB1, but appears more matchup-dependent than managers previously anticipated.
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA) | Panic Meter: 2.5
Last week, Tyreek Hill got the benefit of the doubt. After three weeks in a row with single-digit PPR points, that ship has sailed. During this span he’s averaged 29 yards per game (YPG) and has failed to finish as a top-50 fantasy wide receiver once. That is unacceptable behavior from your WR1. Miami is sitting at 1-3 and their bye is looming in Week 6, which means Tua Tagovailoa won’t be back anytime soon. It will be more of the same for Hill in the meantime. Sell high if you still have a chance. Use our fantasy football trade analyzer tool for trade target suggestions.
Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) | Panic Meter: 3
Patrick Mahomes extended his streak of fewer than 17 points to nine consecutive regular season games in Week 4. He’s failed to account for more than two total touchdowns in a game since Week 8 of 2023. In his last 20 games, Mahomes has just four games with 20+ fantasy points. So far this season, he has five touchdowns and four interceptions. At what point do we say enough is enough? His name alone can’t shield him from the panic he deserves. At this point, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Justin Fields and Geno Smith are all better plays. As strange as it sounds, Mahomes belongs on the bench.
Cut List | Panic Meter: 4
- Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)
- Carson Steele (RB – KC)
- Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)
- Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC)
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