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 have a replacement, it may be a smart move. |
| 2 | That was ugly. Something is wrong here. To the bench, he goes. |
| 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 bring on the panic!
Week 4 Panic Meter
Mark Andrews (TE – BAL) | Panic Meter: 0
We do this weekly with tight ends. The player pool isn’t deep enough to have concern over one quiet week from Andrews. He’s proven to be a vital option in the red zone for Baltimore, and you should expect that to continue going forward.
Mike Davis (RB – ATL) | Panic Meter: 3
Atlanta is committed to using their top weapons on offense, and Davis isn’t one of them. Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – ATL) is the RB (you know what I mean) to roster for the Falcons. He out touches Davis weekly, and the production is incomparable. Coming into 2021, fantasy analysts described Davis’ floor amongst the safest at the position. Unfortunately, the bottom fell out from under him early, and there are no signs it will return in the future, barring an injury. He’s as close to the Cut List as you can get.
Sam Darnold (QB – CAR) | Panic Meter: 3
Benched in Week 7 isn’t a good look for your fantasy QB. The position is shallower than in years past but still deep enough to stream weekly. Sam Darnold is nothing more than a streamer. His early-season performances are a thing of the past. They were propped up by unsustainable rushing TDs, anyway. P.J. Walker (QB – CAR) cannot be wholly ruled out to take over the starting gig from Sam either. And who knows? Deshaun Watson (QB – HOU) rumors are swirling today.
Allen Robinson (WR – CHI) | Panic Meter: 3
What else is there to say? I’ll leave this here for your digestion.
Allen Robinson and Justin Fields have played 23 quarters of football together (just less than 6 games). In that time, Robinson has seen:
• 28 targets
• 18 receptions
• 205 yards
• 0 touchdowns17-game pace: 53 catches for 606 yards
– Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) October 25, 2021
Odell Beckham (WR – CLE) | Panic Meter: 3
After a two-catch, 23-yard performance against Denver on Thursday night, OBJ managers felt hurt. Their once bounce-back stud again left much to be desired. His shoulder is ailing. His quarterback is injured, as well. There isn’t a connection between himself and Baker Mayfield (QB – CLE) at all. All signs point to benching Beckham. That’s what we are recommending too.
Julio Jones (WR – TEN) | Panic Meter: 4
Typically, the 4‘s would just be listed below. However, Julio is a more prominent name, so let’s dedicate a few extra words to why you should cut him from your fantasy team. Father Time will find us all one day. For Jones, the time is now. He’s dealt with lingering health concerns, including a hamstring that limited him to 29 snaps on Sunday. He ran the same number of routes as Josh Reynolds (WR – TEN). While the Titans have a dangerous offense, Julio Jones is no threat to opposing defenses. Instead, his Hall of Fame career is becoming a threat to those fantasy managers hanging on. To those who remain, say your goodbyes and head to the waiver wire for a player you can count on.
Cut List | Panic Meter: 4 – Rondale Moore (WR – ARI), Justin Fields (QB – CHI), Josh Gordon (WR – KC).
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Aaron Pags is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Aaron, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyTriage.
