Starting, sitting, trading, waiting, and replacing are decisions every fantasy football player makes all season long. Unfortunately, information comes at us fast and furious, making it difficult to decipher when to change our lineups. This article series will be here weekly to help you make those pivotal calls. Welcome to the Panic Meter.
Each week, we will give you several players who underperformed and how panicked you should feel about that letdown. The scale (as seen below) will tell you exactly what to do with last week’s busts, whether it means running them back out there this week or sending them packing for the waiver wire.
Every player will get a Panic Meter grade between 0 and 4 and a strategy to employ at that graded level.
| PANIC METER GRADE | ACTION PLAN/STRATEGY |
| 0 | This week wasn’t great, but panic not, my friend! Start him again next week. |
| 1 | Wait and see mode activated. If you can replace him, it may be a smart move. |
| 2 | That was ugly. Something is wrong here. To the bench. |
| 3 | Hold at your own risk. This player isn’t reliable right now, consider moving on. |
| 4 | Stop. DROP. Shut ’em down. Open up shop! He gone. |
Now that you understand the system, let’s bring on the panic!
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Week 3 Panic Meter
Ronald Jones (RB – TB) | Panic Meter: 3
Two targets and 15 carries in three games thus far. Ronald Jones is not the RB to roster in Tampa Bay. Leonard Fournette is the rushing down back, with Gio Bernard taking the passing downs. Jones is a change of pace only option on this roster full of playmakers. There is a limited upside, no weekly floor, and plenty of better alternatives to stash on your fantasy benches. Cut bait before your rod snaps.
Darnell Mooney (WR – CHI) | Panic Meter: 3
We know Matt Nagy is a disaster, but so is the Chicago offensive line. Without time for routes to develop, Mooney is too great of a fantasy risk. 32% of his targets have been ten or more yards downfield but have yielded just four catches for 59 yards. The interior o-line has allowed 17 hurries and three sacks, while the tackles have let up five sacks of their own. Justin Fields is learning on the job without the protection necessary to spring Mooney free for chunk plays. It’s time to move on before this offense puts your team behind the 8-ball.
Ty’Son Williams (RB – BAL) | Panic Meter: 2
Six touches for 22 yards from your RB2 is tough to swallow. Williams conceded playing time to Latavius Murray in Week 3, as Baltimore looks to be a full-fledged RBBC. The Ravens are a run-heavy team, so any given week could provide fantasy value. But, figuring out which week will belong to which back is impossible. Steer clear.
JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – PIT) | Panic Meter: 2
Smith-Schuster has been targeted 82% of the time this season, either behind the LOS or within nine yards of it. That role is nice in PPR but challenging to play in other formats. He’s averaging less than 40 yards per week with zero touchdowns. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are the playmakers, while JuJu is the safety valve. There are higher upside options every week to play over this Pittsburgh WR.
Robby Anderson (WR – CAR) | Panic Meter: 2
It’s no surprise Anderson has been outplayed by D.J. Moore (WR-CAR), but rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR-CAR) is now flying by him in the pecking order too?
Through three games:
Robby Anderson: 11 tar, 5 rec, 103 yds, 1 TD
Terrace Marshall: 14 tar, 10 rec, 91 yds, 0 TD
DJ Moore: 31 tar, 22 rec, 285 yds, 1 TD– JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) September 24, 2021
He should not be in your lineup in Week 3 or any Week until his QB starts utilizing him in the offense.
Corey Davis (WR – NYJ) | Panic Meter: 2
The Jets are far from good, and while that shouldn’t matter for your fantasy team, it will start to feel like it will. Zach Wilson (QB-NYJ) has forced the ball Corey Davis‘ way. That’s good. However, he lacks the accuracy needed to make those opportunities worth something. As a result, the team can’t score. That isn’t good. It is going to take a Herculean effort from the Jets’ WR to help you win. It’s time to bench Davis and all of your Jets.
Julio Jones (WR – TEN) | Panic Meter: 1
Julio had a very nice Week 2, but will that be the anomaly or the expectation in 2021? Week 3, despite A.J. Brown‘s (WR-TEN) injury, was just another quiet day for Jones. He’s caught just 12 passes on the year. Tennessee installed a new offense this offseason that has been up and down through three games. The replacement for Julio would have to be in a great matchup, but he will slide down rankings this week.
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND) | Panic Meter: 1
Worried might be a better way to describe the fantasy managers of Jonathan Taylor through three weeks. Frank Reich hasn’t shown the confidence in his young RB to carry the load yet. JT has played in fewer than 50% of the snaps each week, including Week 3, where Nyheim Hines (RB-IND) out-snapped his counterpart. So if Reich isn’t trusting Taylor, maybe our trust shouldn’t be so high.
Damien Harris (RB – NE) | Panic Meter: 0
This week, Harris was on the injury report with a thumb but managed to dress for a battle with the Saints. He did very little, carrying the ball six times for 14 yards and reeling in two catches. Next week Harris will face the stingy Bucs, so he might be someone to bench depending on your other option, but he will rebound going forward. The Patriots have already shown he is their top RB, so the opportunities will keep coming for Harris.
Allen Robinson (WR – CHI) | Panic Meter: 0
While Robinson hasn’t impacted your fantasy team thus far, he is getting every opportunity to. He’s yet to top 35 yards but is the leading target in Chicago. Robinson has come through too often despite poor situations to panic at all. However, next week versus the Lions could be just what the doctor ordered.
Tyreek Hill (WR – KC) | Panic Meter: 0
Hill went 5 for 56 in Week 3, while his QB threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Tyreek’s been held in check the last two weeks. However, do not forget what he is capable of. It was only two weeks ago that Hill scored 31.6 fantasy points! There are only a handful of players talented enough to drop that number for your team.
DeAndre Hopkins (WR – ARI) | Panic Meter: 0
One player capable of scoring 30 is DeAndre Hopkins. He’s on the list because he hasn’t truly had a Nuk-like performance in 2021. It will come.
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Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with Starting Your Own Fantasy Football League or head to a more advanced strategy – like What is the Right Amount of Risk to Absorb on Draft Day? – to learn more.
Aaron Pags is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Aaron, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyTriage.
