Fantasy Football Panic Meter: Jayden Daniels, Kyren Williams, Deebo Samuel (Week 12)

Welcome to the Panic Meter

If you’re new here, we feature several players each week and assign them a grade corresponding to the appropriate level of panic that should be associated with them.

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.

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.

Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS) | Panic Meter: 1

It seems Daniels has finally come down to earth. He now has two games in a row with less than 14 points. In last week’s article it was suggested that Tomlin and the Steelers might have given the league a blueprint to stopping Daniels. It seems that was more than just hearsay after his performance in week 11. Daniels was held under 20 rushing yards for the second week in a row. Those are his only two such games of the season. Daniels has shown too much this season to jump ship so quickly, but panic is definitely present. He remains a must-start, but the superhuman illusion has worn off.

Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ) | Panic Meter: 1

Panic is beginning to rise with Wilson after back to back single-digit PPR performances. He has just 59 combined yards in his last two games. In fact, Wilson’s 18 yards and 5.8 PPR points in week 11 was his lowest output of the season. Rodgers is regressing as a passer (less than 250 yards in his last 4 games) and Davante Adams role has grown (10.3 targets per game in the last 3 weeks). Wilson is still seeing plenty of volume (averaging 9.8 targets per game this season) but based on recent trends panic is more than justifiable. Wilson remains a must-start, but his WR1 status is slipping.

Kyren Williams (RB – LAR) | Panic Meter: 1.5

In week 11, Williams was held under 12 PPR points or without a TD for the third week in a row. Clearly Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returning has negatively affected Williams fantasy production. He is no longer the focal point of the Rams offense and has seen his volume trend down three weeks in a row. To make things worse, next week he deals with a Philly defense that has been a buzzsaw for opposing RBs this season. Panic is most definitely on the rise. Normally Williams would be viewed as matchup-proof, but his recent production complicates things. Keep him in your lineup, but if Williams produces a fourth consecutive dud, we might need to have a difficult conversation.

Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND) | Panic Meter: 1.5

It was concerning to see such a low output game from Taylor last week in a cake matchup with an atrocious Jets run defense. Taylor has less than 60 rushing yards in two of his last three games and hasn’t scored 15 PPR points since returning from injury in week eight. Even then, panic shouldn’t be enough to consider taking Taylor out of your lineup. He has 48 combined touches in his last two games. Recent trends aside, that kind of volume will inevitably translate to fantasy production. Monitor his efficiency but continue to roll him out as a mid-range RB1.

Deebo Samuel (WR – SF) | Panic Meter: 2

Samuel had another disappointing performance in week 11, managing just 21 total yards and 6.1 PPR points. He hasn’t scored 13+ PPR points since week six. Since week two, Samuel has only one game with more than four catches. With Brandon Aiyuk out of the picture, it’d be reasonable to assume Samuel would benefit from vacated targets. So far, that has yet to come to fruition. It’s hard not to panic when receiving borderline flex production from what should be a WR1. Unfortunately for his managers, his next three matchups are not friendly to opposing WRs… Samuel remains in the WR2 conversation but he’s trending down.