Fantasy Football Panic Meter: Devonta Smith, Alvin Kamara, CJ Stroud (Week 8)

Welcome to the Panic Meter.

If you’re new here, each week we highlight several underperforming players and assign them a grade that corresponds to the appropriate level of panic for that player/performance.

Below is a scale with grades between 0 and 4 and a general strategy that corresponds to that specific grade.

Let’s get to this week’s breakdown.

Fantasy football panic knife

PANIC METER	STRATEGY/ACTION PLAN
0	Last week wasn’t ideal, but it can be considered an anomaly. There is no need to panic.
1	Panic is spreading. It’s not time to sound the alarm yet, but it is something to be aware of. The player in question should still be considered a starter, but is currently under observation.
2	Officially panic, take things week by week, think about a plan B, explore trading options, or possibly opt for a more reliable option.
3	Fire sale. Actively seeking a trade while the player in question still has value. You are no longer a trustworthy starter. A borderline drop candidate in some cases.
4	Disconnect all connections. Smash the drop button so hard that the man ends up in the Shadow Realm.

DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI) | Panic indicator: 0

DeVonta Smith flopped in Week 7 with just one catch for -2 yards. Yes, it was brutal. No, you shouldn’t panic. This can be considered an anomaly. The Eagles took control of this game early and went for the run. The truth is that Smith didn’t have to do much. He was a victim of his team playing good football. He has scored double-digit PPR points in every other game this season. Continue rolling it out with confidence.

Alvin Kamara (RB – NO) | Panic indicator: 1

With both Derek Carr and Chris Olave injured and Rashid Shaheed out for the season, Denver focused solely on Alvin Kamara in Week 7. He totaled 24 yards, his lowest total yardage output in a game entire NFL career. It was also his third straight game with fewer than 65 total yards. There’s no reason to panic about Kamara – he’s still seeing a ton of volume. However, if the Saints fail to keep the defense honest, this low yardage trend could continue.

The panic is very low at the moment. The reason it exists at all is because its potential is currently limited. Regardless, he remains a must-have for RB1.

Diontae Johnson (WR – CAR) | Panic indicator: 1

Diontae Johnson had his worst game of the season in Week 7. Although Carolina trailed or was stuck in a passing situation the entire game, Johnson only scored three times and finished the game with one catch for 17 yards. For Johnson, the panic isn’t because of an unusually bad game, but because Andy Dalton is completely untrustworthy.

It was a mixed bag for Johnson with the Red Rifle at the helm. He scored more than 10 and scored a touchdown in three of five games with Dalton, but averaged fewer than 25 yards and six PPR scores in the other two games. Keep the panic button pressed for now, but keep it handy in case this issue persists.

CJ Stroud (QB – HOU) | Panic indicator: 2

CJ Stroud has been extremely disappointing this season to say the least. Last week, he completed 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards and finished the game with 5.34 fantasy points. Things can’t get much worse for a player widely considered one of the top five fantasy quarterbacks this season. Sure, Joe Mixon had another outstanding day on the ground (25 carries, 115 yards and two touchdowns), but that doesn’t excuse the fact that Stroud failed to reach 100 passing yards in four quarters of football.

He is currently averaging just 15.1 points per game this season and has only scored more than 20 points in a game once. If Stroud is on your team, panic is probably nothing new. At this point he is only eligible to start in deep leagues. In terms of talent and weekly improvement, he is worth keeping in your squad, but he should be considered as a replacement for the future.

Sam LaPorta (TE – DET) | Panic indicator: 3

Sam LaPorta let managers down again, finishing Week 7 with 3.5 PPR points. It was his second straight game with just one catch, but that doesn’t mean his subpar play is anything new. He has only managed to exceed 50 yards twice this season and has been targeted five times, just once in a game (back in Week 1) and has a single game with double-digit PPR points this season. At this point, he is the fourth option in the Lions’ passing game. At this point we are well past panic.

The only reason LaPorta isn’t out for good is the fact that Jameson Williams may be suspended. LaPorta could see an increase in volume. But even then, it’s better to grab someone like Cade Otton off the waiver wire.

Cutting list | Panic indicator: 4