The panic list has been star-studded lately. With the amount of name-brand players who have received borderline unplayable designations recently, it’s beginning to feel like each week we’re putting down a new Old Yeller.
Such is life. To make way for the shiny new players, sometimes the old rusty ones have to be cast aside.
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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. Hint: Anything 2 or above is bad.
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: 0
In Week 10, Jayden Daniels finished with single-digit points (8.58 points) and his lowest rushing total of the season (three carries for five yards). Although it wasn’t ideal for fantasy managers, there’s no reason to panic. This was nothing but a case of a great head coach nullifying a rookie quarterback. This dud aside, Daniels is averaging 22.05 points per game (PPG) in contests where he didn’t leave early with an injury. He remains a rock-solid QB1 for fantasy start sit decisions.
This performance did raise one question: Did the Steelers just give the league the blueprint to stopping Daniels? Stay tuned to find out.
CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL) | Panic Meter: 2
CeeDee Lamb hasn’t been as productive as managers had hoped this season, which would be enough reason to panic as is. If you were panicking about poor quarterback play before, it can only have gotten worse after Week 10. Between Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, the Cowboys managed 64 passing yards against the Eagles. With Dak Prescott on injured reserve (IR), Lamb is likely going to be plagued by poor quarterback play for the remainder of the season. He will continue to see healthy volume, so don’t panic to the point you take him out of your lineup. However, temper your expectations for the foreseeable future.
Breece Hall (RB – NYJ) | Panic Meter: 2
Breece Hall delivered another lackluster performance in Week 10. He scored 12.3 PPR points and somehow it was an improvement over his previous two games. That makes three consecutive games with fewer than 13 PPR points for Hall. If you have him on your team and you’ve watched the Jets play offense at all this year, it’s difficult not to panic. Hall continues to dominate snaps and touches out of the backfield, but he will be difficult to rely on until the Jets’ offense can establish a consistent identity. Holding your breath for that to happen would be ill-advised. Just like with Lamb, keep him in your lineup, but temper expectations.
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA) | Panic Meter: 2.5
It was revealed in Week 10 that Tyreek Hill has been playing through a torn wrist ligament. For weeks, his poor performance was thought to be the result of his top quarterback being gone. Now we know it’s something more. Since Tua Tagovailoa‘s return, Hill is averaging a measly 56 yards per game, and only 12.3 PPR points. While that is marginally better than Hill accomplished without Tagovailoa, it is way off the pace from where he should be.
Last season, Hill had just six games below 25 PPR points and only three below 15. This season, he hasn’t scored 14 PPR points or cracked the top 25 of receivers since Week 1. Panic couldn’t have a better poster child than Hill. Each week that explosion managers have been hoping for seems less and less likely. It’s crazy to say but Hill is operating as a fringe-WR3.
Javonte Williams (RB – DEN) | Panic Meter: 3
Javonte Williams hit rock bottom in Week 10. He recorded season-lows in snaps (29%), touches (three total), yards (eight total) and fantasy points (2.7). He took a clear backseat to rookie Audric Estime, who recorded season-highs in all the above categories. The panic alarm is screaming for Williams. All signs point to his days as a mildly consistent fantasy start sit Flex option being over. If this trend persists, it’s welcome to dropsville for Williams.
Cut List | Panic Meter: 4
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