Welcome to Blitz Sports Media’s Fantasy Football “Panic Meter”. Each week we will identify some of the disappointing performances from the prior week to identify if it is time to panic about a certain player. Below is the official Blitz Sports Media panic meter discussing the reasoning behind each panic meter level.
Let’s get into the week 1 duds we should be panicked about going forward.
Chris Olave WR (NO)
Panic Meter: 1.5
Olave is the first of three second-round WRs that find themself on this list. Unlike the other two receivers, Olave’s team won their game. He finished with 2 catches for 11 yards on 2 targets in the Saints 47-10 win over the Panthers. The positive game script did not help Olave receivers his normal target share and contributed to this dud. One thing that is concerning is that Derek Carr only found Olave 5 times for touchdowns last season, and it seems like he may not be a red zone threat again this season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. WR (ARI)
Panic Meter: 1
Harrison Jr. finished with 1 catch for 4 yards in the Cardinal’s loss to the Bills on Sunday. Fellow WR Greg Dortch had 6 catches for 47 yards on 8 targets and made himself a good waiver wire add this past week. Maserati Marv is still the most talented receiver in Arizona and should be in store for a bounce back game this week against the Rams.
Mark Andrews TE (BAL)
Panic Meter: 1.5
Mark Andrews played second fiddle to fellow TE Isaiah Likely last Thursday and found his way onto the panic meter. Likely went for 9 catches and 111 yards meanwhile Andrews finished with an uninspiring 2 catches for 14 yards. With injuries throughout the offseason, Andrews looked noticeably less explosive and was used to block on some passing downs. On the bright side, he played more snaps and ran more routes than Likely meaning he is due for a bounce-back week.
Derrick Henry RB (BAL)
Panic Meter: 1
Henry had a mediocre debut for the Ravens resulting in 10.6 PPR points and seeing less than 50% of snaps. Trailing a majority of last Thursday’s contest, the Ravens were not able to utilize Henry like they planned. The main reason that we should not panic about Henry is he received 13 of 14 possible carries. In a positive game script Henry will be on the field more often.
Drake London WR (ATL)
Panic Meter: 2
A majority of the fantasy football community was sold on Drake London improving with a new coaching staff and Kirk Cousins which resulted in a late 2nd round price tag in PPR leagues. Unfortunately, in week 1 it was the same old story with London. He finished with 2 catches for 15 yards on 3 targets as the Falcons offense as a whole struggled. Watching the film London struggled with separation and more concerningly he was not Cousin’s 1st read. London’s panic meter is creeping up and another week 2 dud could be the last straw for fantasy managers.
Amon-Ra St. Brown WR (DET)
Panic Meter: 1
Considered the safest-round pick heading into drafts, St. Brown surprisingly makes this list. Sunday night’s game against the Rams saw him finish with 3 catches for 13 yards on 6 targets. 3rd-year receiver Jameson Williams led the team in targets, catches, yards, and touchdowns last week. If anything Williams big game will open up the middle of the field for him as other teams will have to respect the Lions deep passing game more. St. Brown will be in for a big week 2.
Chase Brown RB (CIN)
Panic Meter: 3
One of the fantasy football community’s favorite sleepers heading into the season, Brown was disappointing in week 1. Brown finished with 6 total touches and 23 total yards in the loss but more concerningly only played 33% of snaps. Out of the gate it seems like fellow RB Zach Moss has won the starting job which hurts Brown’s fantasy outlook in 2024. Do not drop him yet, let’s see how a few weeks play out before cutting him.
Ja’Lynn Polk WR (NE)
Panic Meter: 4
The Patriots pulled off an upset over the Bengals despite their offensive struggles through the air. Polk, a sleeper, was viewed as a guy who could come in and win targets in a weak Patriots WR room. Instead in week 1 Polk had 1 catch for 6 yards. It seems like he is the 4th option currently in that offense and might be droppable come next week.