Steve and Zack's Panic Attack: Week 4

The calendar has flipped to October, which means it's officially spooky season.

Ghosts. Monsters. Old Witches. D'Andre Swift watching Kyle Monangai get 30 carries. You know, the terrifying stuff.

And since we're already in the Halloween spirit, I finally watched Obsession this week. If you haven't seen it, the entire movie revolves around a One Wish Willow: break it, make one wish, and you get exactly what you asked for.

That sounds great, until it isn't, which feels pretty appropriate for fantasy football, and the most likely suspect of my chronic migraines. We wished for the TreVeyon Henderson takeover. We wished for another Brian Thomas Jr. breakout season. We wished for Bo Nix to take another step forward. Careful what you wish for.

Week 4 also means something more important: we're officially running out of "small sample size" excuses. One bad week is noise. Four weeks is a trend. Some of these guys might still give us exactly what we wished for. Others? We've all seen how that movie ends.

Grab your flashlight: It's time to find out if anyone new belongs in the Panic Room.

QUARTERBACKS

Tyler Shough

Week 4: 30/48, 286 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Fantasy Points: 15.4

New Orleans got their asses kicked, but Shough did enough to keep us from sounding any alarms. He threw 48 times, didn't turn the ball over, and eventually worked his way to 286 yards and a touchdown. Despite losing Travis Etienne and still being without 2026 1st Round pick Jordyn Tyson, there's still plenty to love in New Orleans. For a QB in the spookiest city in the United States, he's the QB I'm least frightened about on this list. 

Some of his production came after Atlanta had already put the game away, but fantasy points don't ask what time they arrived. They just want to know “Who dey” is gonna put them up!

Nothing spectacular. Nothing terrifying. Nothing to be panicked about.

Panic Meter: 1/10

Daniel Jones

Week 4: 143 passing yards, 1 INT; 1 rushing TD

Fantasy Points: 11.0 PPR

Was Jones good? No. Do I care very much? Also no.

Indianapolis beat Washington 30-13 while Jonathan Taylor handled 20 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Jones salvaged his fantasy day with a rushing score, and the Colts simply weren't forced into an aggressive passing script. I’ve never been a big Daniel Jones “guy”, but I need him to feed these receiving options.

He hasn't topped 235 passing yards through four games, so the ceiling is something to watch.  Don’t read into Sunday’s box score too closely. JT got them up early, and they game managed from there.  There was no need to involve the passing game much.

Panic Meter: 4/10

Geno Smith

Week 4: 119 passing yards, 1 TD

Fantasy Points: 8.8 PPR

The Jets ran 32 offensive plays. Chicago ran 89.

That's so ridiculous that I'm willing to throw a decent portion of this game away. New York possessed the ball for only 17:15, went 0-for-7 on third down, and finished with 157 total yards.

The problem is that this isn't just about Geno. It's about whether this offense can consistently create enough volume to support Geno, Garrett Wilson, Kenyon Sadiq and the backfield.

I'm not benching everyone after that shalacking. I actually think the Jets' offense possesses a lot of value the rest of the season, but given Geno's history as a middling journeyman QB and the Jets’ offensive woes the last few years, I'm absolutely monitoring the situation.

Panic Meter: 6/10

Bo Nix

Week 4: 25/42, 214 passing yards, 1 TD; 2 carries, 10 yards

Fantasy Points: 11.6

The 300-yard thing isn't really the problem.

Through four games, Nix has thrown for 131, 288, 186, and 214 yards. He's sitting at 819 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions, and the rushing floor we used to be able to lean on has basically vanished: 14 carries for 25 yards all season.

That's 1.8 rushing yards per game from a quarterback who ran for 430 yards as a rookie and 356 last season. This has created a situation where we’re getting mediocre passing production with little to no rushing production to bail owners out.

I'm not dropping Bo Nix in a Superflex league or pretending the talent disappeared overnight. In one QB leagues, however, he's getting dangerously close to being a name we're starting because of what he was, not what he's giving us right now. Odds are, you took him late enough in drafts that you shouldn't have to worry about losing value by dropping and pivoting.

Panic Meter: 7/10

Justin Herbert

Week 4: 189 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 40 rushing yards; 1 lost fumble

Fantasy Points: 5.6 PPR

The rushing helped fantasy managers. Everything else was ugly.

Herbert turned it over three times as Los Angeles fell to 0-4, and he's now thrown exactly one touchdown in each of the Chargers' first four games. This team has been a fantasy abomination! A real Hills Have Eyes, hide them in the cave so we don't have to look at them, abomination.

I'm questioning how long we can keep separating the quarterback from the environment around him when that environment is determining our fantasy points.

Panic Meter: 9/10

RUNNING BACKS

Braelon Allen

Week 4: 14 carries, 59 yards; 2 catches, 8 yards

Fantasy Points: 8.7 PPR

This is actually encouraging considering the Jets possessed the ball for approximately twelve minutes and a lunch break. I know many of us dumped a lot of FAAB or burned waiver priority to pick up the heir apparent to Breece Hall, only to be rewarded with what equated to essentially a big plate of disappointment.  Well, friends, put those sorrows in a sack!

With Breece Hall out, Allen still got 16 touches and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. The Jets only ran 32 plays total. That's a 50% share of the entire offense!

If I'm worried about anything, it's the offense, not Allen's opportunity. As long as Geno can continue to manage and facilitate this offense efficiently, I'm starting Braelon.

Panic Meter: 2/10

Cam Skattebo

Week 4: 18 carries, 58 yards; 1 catch, 8 yards

Fantasy Points: 8.6 PPR

No backflips, no touchdowns, nothing exciting in the receiving game, no worries. Only 3.2 yards per carry is about as attractive as a Sanderson sister after dark.  However, that Arizona defense is better than they are getting credit for.

18 carries? Thank you very much.

I'm considerably more interested in a running back continuing to receive that workload than I am in one inefficient Sunday. This is a great buy low opportunity if you have any Skattebo managers who are worried about the Giants' offense; do it now before he has a Nabers week and pops off.

Panic Meter: 2/10

Jeremiyah Love

Week 4: 14 carries, 63 yards; 1 catch, -8 yards

Fantasy Points: 6.5 PPR

Again: don't confuse a disappointing fantasy score with a disappearing role.

Love averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and we're one week removed from a 26-touch performance. Nothing about Sunday screams that his opportunity is vanishing.

I'd rather buy the frustrated manager's Love shares than become the frustrated manager selling them. The recent comments about his “body being sore” do bring up some concerns, but it's nothing more than a rookie RB getting used to a full time NFL workload. Full time! Workhorse! Three down back!

Panic Meter: 3/10

Blake Corum

Week 4: 5 carries, 14 yards; 1 catch, 7 yards

Fantasy Points: 3.1 PPR

Here's where expectations matter. Corum gave us 12 carries for 79 yards in Week 2. Since then, he's totaled only 11 carries for 29 yards. That's not a player I'm confidently putting into a lineup. However, that's a player I'm rostering because his value could explode if the backfield changes.

There's nothing wrong with being a premium handcuff. Just don't mistake one for a weekly starter like I had to do last week. (It’s tough out in these streets)

Panic Meter: 4/10

Bucky Irving

Week 4: 16 carries, 61 yards; 0 targets

Fantasy Points: 6.1 PPR

Sixteen carries? Fine.

The passing game usage? That's what I'm watching.

Bucky opened the season with seven receptions for 48 yards. Then four receptions. Then two. Sunday: zero.

His receiving involvement has declined every single week. I'm nowhere close to abandoning a lead back getting 16 carries, but part of the reason we liked Bucky so much was the possibility of a true three-down fantasy profile. Add in Jaylon Daniels, Baker likely being out for a month, and the Tampa Bay offense looking like a handful of candy corn (gross), and I’m starting to sweat a little, folks!

If the targets are disappearing, his margin for error gets considerably smaller.

Panic Meter: 6/10

Alvin Kamara

Week 4: 7 carries, 23 yards, 2 TD; 5 catches, 35 yards 

Fantasy Points: 17.8 PPR points 

Here's exactly why we don't just read the fantasy score and move on. Two touchdowns? Beautiful. Seven carries for 23 yards? Slightly less beautiful.

Kamara did leave the game with a knee issue before eventually returning, so we're not going to pretend the final workload happened in a vacuum.  Even with that context, this is something worth watching. Touchdowns covered up an otherwise ugly rushing day, and at this point in Kamara's career, we want the receiving work and volume providing the floor, not hoping he falls into the end zone twice. The decline in his rushing efficiency over the last couple of years has been tolerable because of the PPR floor that he brings. Kendre Miller, who also didn't have a great night, is also still back there nipping at the old dawgs heels!

The knee gives him some benefit of the doubt. The box score doesn't give him a free pass.

Panic Meter: 6/10

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Week 4: 9 carries, 15 yards; 2 catches, 35 yards

Fantasy Points: 7.0 PPR

One long reception rescued this thing, but Big Bill the Platypus has not looked good. The rushing efficiency isn't getting any better, and the passing game involvement we thought we were getting with Rachaad White banged up is about as disappointing as Necco wafers in my Ninja Turtles pillowcase/candy pail.

JCM has now struggled to turn his opportunities into meaningful rushing production for multiple weeks. Austin Ekeler, fresh off a podcast, came out and looked more serviceable. That's especially important for a player whose fantasy value was largely built around the idea that increased opportunity would eventually lead to a breakout.

I'm not abandoning him, but now I need to see something happen with those touches. Jayden Daniels should be coming back as well to take away more rushing work. We may be looking at the next full time member of The Panic Room!

Panic Meter: 7/10

TreVeyon Henderson

Week 4: 14 carries, 42 yards; 0 catches

Fantasy Points: 4.2 PPR

Fourteen carries is progress, but it just feels like we’re running in quicksand here. Rhamondre Stevenson looks like he's running in quicksand, and TreVeyon can't seem to get out of it. Between that and the underwhelming Patriots offense, I’m starting to get super frustrated!

The problem is we didn't draft Henderson to celebrate 14 carries for 42 yards in Week 4. Rhamondre remained involved and found the end zone, while Henderson still hasn't delivered the backfield takeover fantasy managers were betting on. This isn't a talent panic; it's a timeline panic.

Every week that passes without Henderson separating himself makes it harder to keep saying "eventually”. At that point, he’s just clogging up a roster spot, or you're putting him in lineups and praying to Beelzebub he breaks one off.

Panic Meter: 8/10

David Montgomery

Week 4: 10 carries, 24 yards

Fantasy Points: 2.4 PPR

Montgomery's fantasy formula has never been complicated. Carries + touchdowns = profit. Rinse, wash, repeat.

So when the rushing production disappears, and the touchdowns aren't there to save us, there's not much to prop him up. He has only 43 rushing yards over the last two games, and he hasn't scored since his three-touchdown performance in Week 1.

I'm not declaring him dead, but I'm starting to feel a Woody coming on, and it looks like it's got some youth and vigor!

 For a player whose fantasy floor depends heavily on volume and touchdowns, I'm uncomfortable. The Texans’ offense isn't exactly a barn burner, and ‘ol Monty ain't getting any younger.

Panic Meter: 8/10

D'Andre Swift

Week 4: 15 carries, 58 yards; 2 catches, 16 yards; 1 lost fumble

Fantasy Points: 7.4 PPR

Why?! Why can't we have nice things? It’s not fair! It stinks, and I hate it!

If you only looked at the fantasy score, you might wonder why Swift is our highest-panic running back. Then you might look at me and wonder, “Well, Steve, why are you so frustrated?” Well, I have him on about 50% of my rosters. Then you look at what happened Sunday and pair that with the fact that I only lost in my home league by 8 points. Wooosaaaa… let's just breathe and count to 10! 1…2…

Ok, we’re back. My apologies.

Swift got stopped twice near the goal line, lost a fumble in the third quarter and essentially surrendered the rest of the game to Kyle Monangai. Monangai proceeded to finish with 30 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Thirty carries!

That is why we write this article. Seven fantasy points doesn't look terrifying. Watching another running back get 30 carries after you fumble? Now that’s terrifying!

Panic Meter: 9/10

WIDE RECEIVERS

Christian Watson

Week 4: 3 catches, 47 yards

Fantasy Points: 7.7 PPR

Why are you here? 😂

Watson didn't score for the first time this season and still led Green Bay in receiving. One quieter fantasy week doesn't undo what he did during the first three. As bad as the O-line has been, and the lack of a defense and running game…Watson is a WR1 for the rest of the season.

Say hi to Marv and BTJ, then please collect your belongings and exit the Panic Room.

Panic Meter: 0/10

Kalif Raymond

Week 4: 2 catches, 6 yards

Fantasy Points: 2.6 PPR

Guys. (this may have been a Zack request…)

It's Kalif Raymond. 

He's useful. He's capable of giving you spike weeks, but he’s exactly who you drafted him to be: a boom bust lottery ticket best suited for bestball lineups. If 2.6 PPR points from Kalif Raymond has you pacing around your living room questioning your fantasy season, we've got bigger roster-construction issues. 

Please reach out to one of our AngleRanks experts on socials, and we would be glad to help you with your issue further. Thank you.

Panic Meter: 1/10

Josh Downs

Week 4: 3 catches, 16 yards

Fantasy Points: 4.6 PPR

You know what Josh Downs was this week? Josh Downs was Sydney Sweeney in that damn Novig commercial (not a sponsor). Get us all hot and bothered over sports, yeah, sports, until we realize it's all just a mirage, a fever dream, a never ending cycle of torment that we can't seem to escape. 

Then we realize it's just a commercial!

Indianapolis threw for 143 yards and won by 17. Here's your analysis. Jonathan Taylor is a Clydesdale, and he was majestic! Downs entered this game coming off consecutive productive weeks.  The matchup was good, and our expectations were high. I'm not changing my opinion because the Colts realized Jonathan Taylor could just run Washington over.

Game script. Delete it.

Panic Meter: 2/10

Davante Adams

Week 4: 4 catches, 32 yards

Fantasy Points: 7.2 PPR

Puka Nacua.

That's it.

When a player has already demonstrated the ceiling we know Davante still possesses, I'm not turning one 32-yard Sunday into an existential crisis. If the targets start disappearing, come at me in the parking lot. Until then...

Panic Meter: 2/10

Jakobi Meyers

Week 4: 3 catches, 33 yards

Fantasy Points: 6.3 PPR

Jacksonville didn't exactly light up the passing box score, and Brenton Strange decided Sunday was apparently National Tight End Day 2.0 with seven catches for 95 yards.

I'm watching the Jaguars' receiving hierarchy because there are a lot of mouths here, but Meyers has earned more patience than this. Before the week started, I thought he was a sneaky little flex play given his involvement and red zone work.

Panic Meter: 3/10

Garrett Wilson

Week 4: 3 catches, 27 yards

Fantasy Points: 5.7 PPR

Garrett saw four targets. Kenyon Sadiq saw four. That's what happens when your entire offense runs 32 plays. I'm absolutely worried about what the Jets’ offense could do to everyone's ceiling. I'm not worried that Garrett Wilson suddenly forgot how to play receiver. Like I said with Braelon, Geno has that offense moving, at least from a fantasy standpoint. 

Panic Meter: 4/10

Parker Washington

Week 4: 1 catch, 7 yards; 3 rushing yards

Fantasy Points: 2.0 PPR

This one really grinds my gears, not because two fantasy points are inherently terrifying, but because Parker had established himself as a legitimate fantasy option through the first three weeks. Then came three targets Sunday, while Strange became Jacksonville's leading receiver. He did have a 40 yard play get called back, but it still wouldn't have helped keep him off the list this week. 

One week doesn't erase the previous three. This team continues to look good and Parker continues to be the number one passing option, but  Parker has moved from "omg, this is happening" back to "we may need another week." We will continue to chop wood and carry water.

Panic Meter: 4/10

Dontayvion Wicks

Week 4: 3 catches, 18 yards

Fantasy Points: 4.8 PPR

Wicks opened the season with 73 yards and a touchdown, followed it with a 74 yard performance, and has now cooled considerably. This is where fantasy managers sometimes confuse upside with floor.

I still want the player. I'm becoming much less comfortable needing him in my lineup every week. This is less of an indictment on Wicks, and more of a shunning of the Eagles' offense.

With Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby both banged up now, we could see Nick Sirianni decide it's time for Jalen Hurts to start airing it out more out of necessity. If he hits waivers or you can get him for a bag of chips, go for it.

Panic Meter: 5/10

Emeka Egbuka

Week 4: 2 catches, 13 yards

Fantasy Points: 3.3 PPR

The box score is going to look terrible on whatever fantasy platform you play on. However context matters.

Tampa was playing with an undrafted rookie quarterback in Jalon Daniels, and Egbuka had just seen nine targets the previous week. His first three receiving lines were 5/63, 3/16/1 and 5/62 before Sunday's dud.

Am I disappointed relative to where I drafted him? As Stone Cold Steve Austin would say “OH HELL YEAH!” Am I burying a year 2 wide receiver after one disaster with a rookie quarterback? No, but the smoke signals are starting to accumulate!

Panic Meter: 7/10

Makai Lemon

Week 4: 3 catches, 27 yards

Fantasy Points: 5.7 PPR

This one is more interesting than the raw numbers, and I hesitated to include Makai simply because rookies take time. However, given his draft cost, the opportunity he had for involvement in Week 4, and the general excitement surrounding him among the fantasy community, he belongs here. This was less like sucking on a lemon, and more like dipping the spoon in straight malic acid and sucking on it.

We're four weeks in and Lemon hasn't produced the immediate impact some people, or the Eagles for that matter, had hoped for. More importantly, we need to keep watching whether his role is actually growing, or whether other Philadelphia receivers are moving ahead of him.

In dynasty? I'm chilling.

In redraft? I can't keep indefinitely holding every talented rookie waiting for the breakout. It’s still early on in the season, so I'm not selling yet, but it's not looking great, and I'm not seeing the path to more involvement barring a significant injury.

Panic Meter: 7/10

Courtland Sutton

Week 4: 1 catch, 4 yards

Fantasy Points: 2.4 PPR

This isn't a Week 4 problem. Sutton's receiving lines this season: 2/11, 3/25, 3/46 and most recently 1/4. That's nine catches for 86 yards and zero touchdowns through four games. For perspective, Sutton finished last season with 74 catches, 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s where Bo and Sutton's entries start connecting.

Maybe Sutton hasn't suddenly fallen off a cliff. Maybe we're looking at a Denver passing game that simply isn't functioning well enough to support the fantasy expectations we carried into September.  Either way, Sutton managers don't particularly care whose fault it is, and neither do we. No panic, no mercy!

Nine catches in four games is nine catches in four games. I have a feeling we will see you again next week Sir. I’ll start making space for you.

Panic Meter: 9/10

Michael Pittman Jr.

Week 4: 2 catches, 15 yards on 4 targets

Fantasy Points: 3.5 PPR

So Michael Pittman apparently just dressed up as Michael Pittman and scared nobody. He now has seven receptions for 89 yards through his first three appearances with Pittsburgh. Rodgers loves DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson might be the best fantasy option in Pittsburgh, and they lost to the Browns.

That's the problem.

When you're 29 years old in a passing offense that isn't feeding you volume, "wait for the breakout" becomes a much harder argument. This isn't the first time Pittman has been droppable, and I'm not exactly sure what we're waiting for. 

We’re going to have to expand!

Panic Meter: 9/10

Brian Thomas Jr.

Week 4: 2 catches, 17 yards, 1 TD Fantasy Points: 9.7 PPR

This performance is just salt in the wound. BTJ has now gone nine receptions for 105 yards through four games. Meanwhile, Brenton Strange just went 7/95. This isn't one disappointing Sunday anymore.

BTJ is an immensely talented receiver who fantasy managers drafted to be an alpha, and right now the Jacksonville passing game is treating him like anything but one. The touchdown helped you survive Week 4 if you were still rolling the dice. It still doesn't erase Weeks 1-4.

Panic Meter: Locked in the dungeon with his best friend…

Marvin Harrison Jr.

Week 4: 1 catch, 12 yards, 1 TD

Fantasy Points: 8.2 PPR

Until he’s on a new team, Marv is non-existent to me! The touchdown saved your fantasy score, but itt did absolutely nothing to make me feel better about everything else. Zack and I have already written enough Marvin Harrison Jr. material to qualify for college credit, so we're keeping this brief.

Panic Meter: Get In the Dungeon and Stay there! Woof

TIGHT ENDS

Kenyon Sadiq

Week 4: 0 catches

Fantasy Points: 0.0 PPR

Yes, zero is technically bad. Nobody likes goose eggs; that's why you don't see them at the store. That's also why you don't trust a rookie after a one week pop performance on an offense that can’t sustain more than a couple of startable fantasy assets.

One week earlier? 7 catches, 105 yards and a touchdown. Beautiful, love it, big ‘ol jack-o-lantern grin! Sunday, he was trapped inside the same 32-play Jets disaster as everybody else. Pumpkins spoil so quickly. Young tight ends are volatile.

The Jets offense is concerning. Sadiq himself isn't sending me into cardiac arrest after one goose egg. Honk, honk, move along.

Panic Meter: 3/10

Dalton Kincaid

Week 4: 1 catch, 7 yards

Fantasy Points: 1.7 PPR

This one needs nuance cause it feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone (that's grandpa Black Mirror for the youths). It’s starting to feel like deja-vu. The analytics are still there just like they have always been, but the disappearances seem to be back as well.

Kincaid opened the season 5/130, then went 7/95/1. Since then? 2/38 and 1/7…gulp!

I'm not going to pretend Kincaid suddenly sucks. He still has 15 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown through four games. What concerns me is the trajectory and how this is the Josh Allen show, and everyone else is just along for the ride.

Having 12 of your 15 receptions come in the first two games is something I'm watching very closely.

One more disappearing act and the meter moves from zero to a hundred real quick.

Panic Meter: 4/10

Kyle Pitts

Week 4: 3 catches, 47 yards

Fantasy Points: 7.7

Progress! Last week, Pitts caught one ball for five yards and was the cover athlete for the week!  This week he caught three for 47 and is showing signs of life. At this rate, Kyle Pitts should be usable sometime around Thanksgiving.

The Falcons scored 45 points, piled up 420 yards of offense, and yet Pitts still finished with three receptions and no touchdown.

Yes, this was better. No, we're not moving him out of the Panic Room because he showed signs of life. Hopefully this is a trend in the right direction, and not just a pop game.

We weren't panicking because of one bad box score in the first place. We were panicking because his role had shrunk dramatically from what we saw last season. One mildly encouraging Monday night isn't enough to erase that.

Panic Meter: 8/10

Final Thoughts 

That is going to do it, ladies and gentlemen. As always, we appreciate every bit of love and support you throw our way. Hopefully, we helped you see something you might have missed, or at least gave you a chuckle or two. Either way, I hope you’ve been enjoying these as much as I have. Halloween isn’t here yet, but don’t get fooled by ghouls in disguise. Little green ghouls, buddy!

Don’t trust the box score. Know why, not just how. Or just let us do all the hard work and come back next week as we cover Week 5. Hopefully, we won’t need to add any permanent residents to the Panic Room, but the football gods are cruel and merciless.

Bye weeks are upon us. Waivers are thin.

Leaves rustle. Branches creak. Winds whistle. Wolves howl.

Don’t get caught alone in the streets...

or you’ll be left with nothing but tricks and no treats.

Happy spooky season. We’ll see you right here next time in The Panic Room. 🎃