Fantasy Football Panic Meter After Week 6: Xavier Worthy, Saquon Barkley and More

It's time to dive back into the fantasy football panic meter series.

We'll offer up a panic meter ranking from 1-10 to let you know how worried you should be about certain guys - 10 is the highest level of concern.

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Wide Receivers

Puka Nacua and Xavier Worthy are a couple fantasy wideouts I want to discuss today.

Nacua was injured in week 6, so he didn't live up to his lofty standards. He only had 28 yards on two grabs and three targets.

His status for week 7 is in question, but he doesn't look like he'll be out for a long time. With Nacua starring early in the season, and now dealing with an injury, it begs the question if you should be looking to sell him high in case this injury nags him all season.

Nacua played in all 17 games in his rookie season, but only logged 11 games last year. Again, this injury shouldn't keep him out for long, but if you want to capitalize on his fantasy value, now might be the time. His value has already dropped with the injury concern now lingering, and if he misses a week or more, that value will keep dropping.

I'd still only put my panic meter at a 3 for Nacua. I expect him to fully bounce back from the injury and continue to star the rest of the season. If you are worried about him though, then now is an ideal time to sell him high - you'll get an elite return for him, and not have to worry about his injury any more. It's a risk to move on from him, but teams not in great shape should heavily consider it.

Worthy only had 20 yards on two catches and four targets this week, but he did score to salvage his fantasy day. He also rushed once for six yards.

He also underperformed in week 5, and now has to deal with the return of Rashee Rice. Worthy will drop back to WR2 for KC, and with Travis Kelce still around, there's concern about Worthy's fantasy value moving forward.

I'm definitely worried about Worthy's fantasy outlook moving forward as well, and would be looking to sell him high in case Rice immediately leaves him and the team's other skill players in the dust. I'd put Worthy's panic meter way up at a 5.

I see him in the same light as Jameson Williams, who is a boom-or-bust guy. Worthy could be that for the rest of the season, so if you can't afford inconsistent fantasy showings, it's time to bail on Worthy.

Running Backs

Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs are two running backs I'd like to discuss after week 6.

Barkley had a stellar matchup in week 6 against the Giants, but only went for 67 yards on 14 touches, and failed to find the end zone to post another underwhelming fantasy score.

The Eagles' offense has been out of whack most of the season, and Barkley has been surprisingly quiet offensively most weeks. The fantasy owners who spent an early pick on him are probably treading water, or needing a jolt after a slow start.

I still think Barkley will get going eventually, but still am pretty worried about him, so I'd put his panic meter at a 6 for now. He's not in danger of losing his role obviously, but until he delivers better fantasy results, we have the right to be panicked about him.

Gibbs had a surprisingly down game against the Chiefs. He rushed 17 times for 65 yards and caught one of his two targets for no yards.

It was his second-lowest yardage output of the season, and first time he hasn't scored at least once since week 1. However, it's the second straight week he's been at or under 65 rushing yards, and that's a bit concerning.

He has some tough matchups ahead too, although I still expect Gibbs to deliver good fantasy results with his receiving stats factored in. These random down games could pop up here and there though, so I'd put his panic meter at a 4.

If you needed a fantasy jolt, trading Gibbs or Barkley could be the way to go.

Tight Ends

Brock Bowers and David Njoku are the two tight ends we'll discuss today. 

Bowers didn't play again in week 6, but his availability and fantasy shortcomings are becoming an issue, so it's fair to discuss him.

Bowers has really struggled since week 1, with his injury hampering them since then. It's left his fantasy owners without an early-round pick, and it's something that could affect him on and off all season, so it's definitely a concern.

I'd put his panic meter way up at a 6. A lot of that is due to not knowing his availability going forward, but that's a big part of fantasy football.

If you need more fantasy help, trading Bowers now might be the best route for your fantasy squad. Cut your losses and see if you can jumpstart your season by moving on from the ultra-talented tight end.

Njoku suffered an injury in week 6, so his status going forward is one to watch. He had 28 yards on three catches and six targets before leaving the game.

Even more concerning is that Harold Fannin had his best game as a pro, and could seemingly overtake Njoku at any time. Njoku is 29 years old and probably doesn't fit the Browns' long-term plans, so that's another thing to keep in mind as the season progresses.

I still think Njoku has more in him as a pass catcher, but playing on a poor offense and now dealing with an injury, his panic meter is up at a 6 for me. His results have already been inconsistent this season, and he's not the locked-in weekly starter we all expected him to be.

I'd look to trade him away now, or find a reliable tight end replacement if Njoku was your top guy in case he continues to deliver inconsistent results or misses time.

Quarterbacks 

Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields are quarterbacks who are worth discussing going into week 7.

Like Bowers, Jackson missed another game in week 6. He hasn't played since week 4.

His fantasy owners are hurting right now, and with the Ravens falling further and further out of contention, things are getting messy with Jackson. He's expected back for the team's next game, but if the team keeps losing, the team could eventually shut down Jackson to protect him from a bigger injury going into next season.

It's crazy to trade Jackson right? I don't think it is, and I'd heavily consider it. I'd look to move him for an average fantasy QB and then another starting-level player at another spot. That could really bolster your fantasy team.

My panic meter with Jackson is also at a 6. If Baltimore keeps losing, that number could continue to grow.

Fields was atrocious in week 6, throwing for just 45 yards, but being sacked nine times for 55 yards, so he was in the negatives for net passing yards. He rushed seven times for 31 yards.

It was his worst full game of the season, and now rumors are floating that he could lose his starting job as the Jets still haven't won. The matchup he faced this past week was brutal, so I'm not totally out on Fields just yet.

He actually has a favorable outlook for the rest of the season, so now is actually a time to buy low on him - it won't cost much. Fields as a second fantasy QB is the best place for him for now, and I see much better days ahead.

I'd still put his panic meter at a 7 right now. Down showings mixed with the thought of him maybe being benched contributes to that mark.