Tim Brosnan | Tue, Dec 10th 2024, 6:02am EST

Fantasy Football Panic Meter: AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, Jayden Reed (Week 15)

This is what we’ve worked all season for. The fruits of our labor. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The Emerald City at the end of the yellow-brick road. Ladies and gentlemen, we have officially reached the fantasy football playoffs. Glory is within our reach. But the job is not finished.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. If you fell short, you probably have a player on this list.

This is the time to set your best lineup possible, no room for error or you’re going home. So, by default, panic is amplified by 150%. In the most critical moment of the season, we’ve got you covered.

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.

James Cook (RB – BUF) | Panic Meter: 0

There’s no reason to panic on Cook after a 4.9-point dud. It was simply the Josh Allen show in week 14. Surely he can’t steal every rushing TD for the rest of the season… Right? A performance like that makes you wonder… In all seriousness, Cook finished as a top-12 RB or better in four of his last five games before this. He should be locked into lineups for the fantasy playoffs.

AJ Brown (WR – PHI) | Panic Meter: 1

Brown dissapointed his managers in week 14 with just four catches for 43 yards. It’s tempting to call an uncharacteristic performance an anomaly, but there are some troubling stats to be aware of. For starters, Brown’s volume has not been on par with a fantasy WR1. He’s averaging just 6.6 targets per game, and hasn’t had more than six catches in any game this season. Despite all that, he remains hyper-efficient, averaging 15.5 PPR PPG. Even so, his recent trends are concerning. Brown has less than 12 PPR points in three of his last four games. There’s no chance you’re sitting him, but panic has officially entered the chat.

DK Metcalf (WR – SEA) | Panic Meter: 2.5

After scoring 8.9 points in week 14, Metcalf has finished with single-digit PPR points in four of his last seven games. He’s averaging a pedestrian 11.2 PPG over that span, and 9.8 PPG over his last three. Metcalf had flown under the panic radar until this week, but he couldn’t hide forever. The truth is, he has only three games this season with more than four catches. He has finished better than WR28 just one time since week four. You get the point. It’s time to panic. If you’ve made it this far, it hasn’t been because of Metcalf. Right now, he is a flex at best and the only thing keeping him in your lineup is his name. Don’t be afraid to sit him for someone with a hot hand.

Jayden Reed (WR – GB) | Panic Meter: 3

Reed’s goose egg was a stain on lineups this week, but it’s not like the writing hasn’t been on the wall. He came into week 14 with three consecutive games under four catches and 27 receiving yards. Since week six, he has only two games where he reached 30 yards. He’s averaging just 3.5 targets per game since week six, and hasn’t played over 70% of offensive snaps since week seven. We’re well past panic at this point. If not for his nose for the end-zone, he’d be a borderline drop candidate. If you want to gamble on him as a flex, just know you’re playing a dangerous game.

D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI) | Panic Meter: 3

Panic has reached a boiling point for Swift. He has rushed for less than 40 yards and scored single-digit PPR points for three consecutive weeks (single-digits in four of his last five games). The Bears have been forced into pass-heavy game-scripts lately and Swift hasn’t been involved in the passing game (averaging 1.8 catches per game in his last five games). With upcoming games against the Vikings and Lions, that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Insufficient volume plus inadequate production means Swift is a desperate flex and nothing more.

Cut List | Panic Meter: 4

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