Fantasy Football Panic Meter After Week 1: Joe Burrow, Jahmyr Gibbs, Marvin Harrison Jr., Travis Kelce and More

Week 1 of the NFL season is now in the books, and many are turning their attention to week 2 and beyond.

In an 18-week regular season, things are magnified. A player could star one week and do pretty much nothing the rest of the season. Another could have a great fantasy season outside a game or two.

That’s what this FantasySP series is based on. In one part of the series, we’ll address some poor performances from the past week and whether or not it’s time to panic with those players. The other part of the series will focus on players who turned in big performances and determine whether or not to expect more of those in the future, or chalk it up as a one-week outlier.

As you can tell from the title of this story, this is all about players who underperformed in week 1 and what to make of those guys going forward.

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Quarterbacks

At quarterback, I want to discuss Caleb Williams, Deshaun Watson and Joe Burrow this week.

Williams is the only quarterback on this short list that won in week 1. His team didn’t win because of him though.

Williams completed just 14 of his 29 passes for 93 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown or interception, and his long pass was only 13 yards. Williams missed some open receivers and the offense just looked disjointed.

It was the first game for Williams, but he certainly didn’t instill a lot of hope into fantasy owners with his performance. It’s unfair to give up on him after a game, so I’d say the panic meter is maybe a 3/10 at this point. Don’t drop Williams yet if you drafted him as a backup option.

Watson and the Browns got crushed by the Cowboys on Sunday. Watson played into the poor showing, throwing two picks. He completed just 24 of his 45 passes for 169 yards and one score. Watson added 39 rushing yards on five carries to help offset the pick a bit.

Still, this was another poor showing for a quarterback who has struggled since joining the Browns. I’d say the panic meter is at 4, and probably pretty close to 5, at this point. If Watson’s struggles continue, I would not be surprised at all if the team replaces him. Time is running out for Watson in Cleveland, and he shouldn’t even be on fantasy owner’s radars in standard leagues at this point. 

Burrow and the Bengals couldn’t get much going offensively in an upset loss to the Patriots on Sunday. He completed 21 of his 29 passes, but for just 164 yards. Burrow didn’t throw a touchdown or pick, and he added 15 rushing yards on four carries.

Burrow was playing for the first time after missing the end of the 2023 season, so there was some rust to knock off. He was without Tee Higgins and had a limited Ja'Marr Chase too. It might be a touch unfair, but I’d say the panic meter on Burrow is 3, because fantasy owners spent an earlyish pick on him and expect more (regardless of who is available alongside him).

Running Backs

At running back, D'Andre Swift, Rachaad White and Jahmyr Gibbs are the players I want to focus on.

Swift struggled to get going in his Bears’ debut. He had 30 rushing yards on 10 carries and failed to haul in his lone target. 

Chicago’s offense was really a disaster in the opener, and Swift only lost four carries to other running backs on the team. The slow start is concerning, but I’m not panicking too much with Swift - I’d officially say he’s at a 2/10 on the panic meter.

White was the lead back for the Buccaneers on Sunday, but he was far less efficient than rookie Bucky Irving. White had 31 rushing yards on 15 attempts, while Irving had 62 yards on nine carries. White did have 75 receiving yards on six catches and targets, while Irving had 14 yards on two receptions and three targets, to finish with a more respectable line.

I figured Irving would cut into White’s work at some point this season, but didn’t see it coming in week 1. The rookie’s efficient game will get him more work going forward for sure, and that’s concerning if White can’t get rolling. I’d say White is a 4/10 on the panic meter.

Gibbs had a fine fantasy night, with 74 total yards and a touchdown on 15 touches, but it’s David Montgomery’s statline that scares me. Montgomery had six more rushing attempts (17-11) and finished with 93 total yards and a score on 18 touches total.

Gibbs and Montgomery split the workload in 2023, and it worked for the Lions’ offense. We all expected Gibbs to be more involved this season, but in week 1, it looked like more of the same from 2023. Gibbs did outsnap Montgomery 31-30, but after taking Gibbs early in fantasy drafts, this is definitely a bit concerning, so I’d say he’s at a 3/10 on the panic meter. Gibbs can still be a big fantasy asset in that role (like he was in 2023), but he probably will be below his draft value.

Wide Receivers

At wide receiver, there were three highly-drafted guys who really disappointed. Those wideouts are Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Drake London.

St. Brown is the clear No. 1 wideout for the Lions, but he got just six targets all night. That was less than Jameson Williams, the same as Gibbs and just one more than Sam LaPorta. ARSB had just three grabs for 13 yards in total.

With so many offensive weapons, fantasy owners like St. Brown because he still gets a decent amount of single coverage, which should lead to big games. The first game didn’t go according to plan, but I’m not all that worried about him in the long run, so I’d put his panic meter at 2/10.

Harrison was maybe the most highly-touted rookie outside Williams this season. In his first NFL game, he had just one catch on three targets for four yards though.

Harrison was fourth on the team in targets and tied for sixth in catches. I’m not super concerned with a talent like Harrison, but I’m sticking him at a 2/10 on the panic meter because so many of his teammates outperformed him. Did we overhype Harrison, or was this just a one-game blip we’ll laugh at by the end of the season?

London was a part of my most overhyped draft player list this preseason. Then he came out and went for 15 yards on two catches and three targets in the first game, so through a week, my opinion was spot on.

Two teammates had more targets, and three had more catches than London. The more concerning thing might be how Cousins looked. I’ll stay unbiased here and say London is a 3/10 on the panic meter, even though I really think he’s over a 4.

Tight Ends

Most tight ends struggled in week 1, so the options here were plentiful. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews and Evan Engram are the ones who stand out to me though.

Andrews was greatly outplayed by fellow Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely in week 1. Andrews had 14 yards on two catches and targets, while Likely went off for 111 yards and a touchdown on nine catches and 12 targets.

Four teammates had more targets than Andrews, and with the best pass catcher on the team being at the same position, there’s definitely a lot to panic about. I’m not ready to give up on Andrews, but another poor showing or two might do the trick. His panic meter is at 5/10 right now.

Kelce was also outperformed by a tight end on his own team, but what concerns me more is that Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy looked like the team’s best playmakers. Kelce had three catches on four targets for 34 yards.

The connection between Kelce and Patrick Mahomes is one of the best in the game, and I’m not giving up on them unless these performances continue for like a month. I’m still putting the panic meter at 3/10 for the 34-year-old Kelce.

Engram was a PPR monster in 2023, but had just four targets and one catch in week 1. His grab went for five yards.

Jacksonville didn’t run many offensive plays, and Engram tied for the team lead in targets, so I expect things to work more in his favor going forward. I’d say his panic meter is somewhere between a 1 and 2.