Welcome to the Panic Meter.
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.
Let’s get into this week’s breakdown.
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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. |
DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI) | Panic Meter: 0
DeVonta Smith flopped in Week 7 with just one catch for -2 yards. Yes, it was brutal. No, you shouldn’t panic. This one can be chalked up as an anomaly. The Eagles had this game handled early and leaned on the run. The truth is Smith didn’t need to do much. He was a victim of his team playing good football. He’s come through with double-digit PPR points in every other game this season. Proceed to roll him out with confidence.
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO) | Panic Meter: 1
With Derek Carr and Chris Olave both injured and Rashid Shaheed out for the season, Alvin Kamara was Denver’s sole focus in Week 7. He was held to 24 total yards, the lowest single-game yardage total of his entire NFL career. It was also his third consecutive game with fewer than 65 total yards. There’s no reason to panic about Kamara — he is still seeing a ton of volume. However, if the Saints can’t keep defenses honest, this low-yardage trend could continue.
Panic is very minimal at this moment. The reason it’s present in any capacity is because his upside is currently capped. Regardless, he remains a must-start RB1.
Diontae Johnson (WR – CAR) | Panic Meter: 1
Diontae Johnson had his worst game of the season in Week 7. Despite Carolina trailing the entire game/being stuck in a must-pass situation, Johnson saw just three targets and finished with one catch for 17 yards. Panic isn’t present for Johnson because of an uncharacteristically bad game, it’s because Andy Dalton is flat-out untrustworthy.
It’s been a mixed bag for Johnson with the Red Rifle at the helm. He has seen 10+ targets and scored a touchdown in three out of five games with Dalton, but finished with fewer than 25 yards and six PPR points in the other two games. Hold off on the panic button for now, but keep it handy in case this theme persists.
C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU) | Panic Meter: 2
C.J. Stroud has been extremely underwhelming this season, to say the least. This past week, he completed 10-of-21 passes for 86 yards and finished with 5.34 fantasy points. For a player who was widely regarded as a top-five fantasy quarterback entering this season, things can’t get much worse. Sure, Joe Mixon had another stellar day on the ground (25 carries, 115 yards and two touchdowns) but it doesn’t excuse the fact Stroud couldn’t manage 100 passing yards in four quarters of football.
He is currently averaging just 15.1 points per game this season and has scored 20+ points in a game just once. If Stroud is on your team, panic is likely nothing new. At this point, he’s only startable in deep leagues. In terms of talent and weekly upside, he’s worth keeping on your roster, but he should be viewed as a backup moving forward.
Sam LaPorta (TE – DET) | Panic Meter: 3
Sam LaPorta let managers down once again, finishing with 3.5 PPR points in Week 7. It was his second consecutive game with just one catch, but that doesn’t mean his sub-par play is anything new. He has managed to top 50 yards only twice this season, has been targeted five times just once in a game (back in Week 1) and has a single game with double-digit PPR points this season. At this point, he’s the fourth option in the Lions’ passing game. We’re way past panic at this point.
The only reason LaPorta isn’t a definite drop is the fact Jameson Williams has a possible suspension looming. LaPorta could see an uptick in volume. But even then, you’re better off grabbing someone like Cade Otton off the waiver wire.
Cut List | Panic Meter: 4
- Antonio Gibson (RB – NE)
- Kirk Cousins (QB – ATL)
- Devin Singletary (RB – NYG)
- DeAndre Hopkins (WR – TEN)
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