Fantasy Football Panic Meter After Week 7: Chuba Hubbard, Kenneth Walker, Brian Thomas and More

After looking at some big-time fantasy football performances from week 7 (and sell-high trade candidates), let's dive back into the 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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Running Backs

I want to cover Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard together, and I'll add Kenneth Walker too.

Dowdle and Hubbard split the Carolina backfield in week 7, and neither back really stood out as a fantasy asset. Dowdle rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries, while adding a 17-yard catch across two targets. Hubbard had 31 yards on 14 carries and 24 receiving yards on two receptions and three targets.

Hubbard led the way in snaps, playing 38 to Dowdle's 33. That accounted for 54% and 46% of the team's total offensive plays. 

A split backfield is never what fantasy owners want to see, especially on a not-so-great offense. If Dowdle and Hubbard continue to split the workload, neither will be great standard league options.

I'd look to trade both of them away, even though the return isn't going to be anything special. You could maybe land a lead back with so-so results so far, or package one of the two backs with another player to upgrade at a certain spot.

There's some favorable games ahead for the Carolina backs, but I'd try to rid myself of the headaches and find other backs to utilize instead. Hubbard's panic meter is at a 7, while Dowdle's is at a 4.

Walker is the lead back in Seattle, or at least we think he is. He went for 66 rushing yards on 17 carries, while not being targeted in the passing game in week 7. Zach Charbonnet was the better fantasy asset after rushing for 49 yards and two scores on 12 carries, and adding six yards on two catches and targets.

Charbonnet ended up playing more snaps (37-32), and Walker wasn't even on the field for half of the offensive snaps. That's obviously not ideal.

His schedule ahead is also brutal, so even if he's the lead back, his fantasy outlook won't be great for many weeks. I'd look to sell Walker now before his value drops any more.

The return again likely won't be anything special, but maybe you can land a back with a better schedule ahead, or upgrade another position if you are set at running back.

Walker's panic meter is high at an 8.

Wide Receivers

Tetairoa McMillan and Brian Thomas are the wideouts I'm going to discuss this week.

McMillan was held to 33 yards on three catches and five targets this past week. He was at just 29 yards in week 6, but two touchdowns bailed out the fantasy owners who started him.

McMillan only has those two scores on the year, and he's only topped 75 yards once. He does have 60 or more yards in four games, but that's still not great for a clear No. 1 wideout.

Xavier Legette also looked good on Sunday, and Jalen Coker is back too, so there's a chance they steal looks and production away from McMillan. Throw in that there's a couple backs the team could turn to, plus an injury to starting QB Bryce Young and things don't look the best for McMillan.

He's trending toward being a flex option at best in standard leagues, even though he'll continue to start with several teams on byes each week. 

If you are skeptical of McMillan and need more from that roster spot, see what kinds of offers he'd go for by putting him on the trade block. If you can afford to bench him, then do that, as I think eventually he'll hit his stride.

McMillan's panic meter is at a 6, and it could really drop with another down showing.

Thomas went for 31 yards on just three catches and seven targets in week 7. He also picked up a shoulder injury in that contest.

Thomas has already underperformed this season, so another down showing and now an injury to deal with are things that will annoy his fantasy owners even more. He also doesn't have the best schedule ahead, so things aren't looking great for him right now.

I don't want to fully give up on Thomas, but if you drafted him early, there's a decent chance your fantasy team is really hurting for production right now. Trading him won't get you nearly the return it would have immediately after drafting him, but you should still be able to pick up a weekly starting option, and maybe someone who can help now.

It all comes down to the state of your fantasy team and if you can afford to wait a bit on Thomas. If you still believe in him, which I do to a degree, now is a great time to buy low on him.

Thomas' panic meter is at a 5, and it could also really drop in a hurry.

Tight Ends

Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert are the tight ends we'll discuss after week 7.

The first game with Rashee Rice went about as I expected. Rice led the Chiefs' pass catchers, and things were pretty balanced otherwise. Kelce was actually the No. 2 pass catcher, and he only had 54 yards on three catches and targets.

He's had a solid fantasy season, but hasn't lived up to his draft value. With Rice now back, it seems unlikely that things would improve for the aging tight end. With some brutal matchups ahead, I'd look into trading Kelce now.

On his big name alone, you are likely to get a decent return for Kelce. You could flip him for another tight end, or just stream the best options at that spot the rest of the season.

I'm down on Kelce with Rice back and the Chiefs' other play makers around, so I'd look to bail before he really has a down performance. His panic meter is at a 5 for me.

Goedert had arguably been the Eagles' top fantasy pass catcher through six weeks. The offense got rolling a bit in week 7, but Goedert only had 18 yards on three catches and targets.

The time to sell high was after week 6, so now you won't get a great return, and you might end up just dropping him soon. Some desperate fantasy teams looking for TE help could still covet Goedert though, so I'd still throw his name on the trade block to see what offers might come in.

I'd put his panic meter at a 4, and it could drop significantly with another down showing in his next outing.

Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams and Sam Darnold are the quarterbacks we'll discuss today.

Williams was 15-of-26 passing for 172 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in the Bears' win over the Saints. He lost two yards on four carries and luckily didn't lose either of his two fumbles.

The Bears are winning, but Williams hasn't been doing much as a fantasy asset in those wins. He's still got pretty solid fantasy numbers for the season, so it's still a time to sell high on Williams.

His schedule ahead is not easy either, so that's another reason why I'd be bailing on him. I'd put his panic meter at a 4, and it could continue to drop quickly if he doesn't get rolling soon.

Darnold has been a sneaky good fantasy asset this season, but he struggled on Monday night against the Texans. He was 17-of-31 passing for 213 yards, a touchdown and an interception - Darnold ran for a yard on three carries, and lost a fumble too.

It was a bad fantasy performance, but it also came in a very tough matchup. The road ahead doesn't lighten up a ton, but I'm still not super worried about Darnold at this point.

I'd only put his panic meter at a 2. I think he'll bounce back in the games to come, so don't be afraid to add and utilize him, especially in weeks where several teams are on byes - he's on his bye this coming week.