Steve and Zack's Panic Attack

Welcome in to Steve and Zack's Panic Attack, where we tell you who to panic on, and who to have some patience on moving forward. Week 1 is always a crapshoot as offenses get adjusted to new systems and knock the rust off after a long offseason. Let's look at some of the weeks biggest letdowns, and assess the situation to determine what your panic level should be if you roster these players. Let's get into it!

Patriots @ Seahawks

Romeo Doubs (🪿🥚)

• 3 targets, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• In a game where the Patriots lost AJ Brown to an ankle injury, Romeo Doubs caused more interceptions than receptions. Your first Week 1 🪿🥚GOOSE EGG 🪿🥚! While Doubs wasn't necessarily projected for a huge role, with Brown missing most of the game it was reasonable to expect Doubs to be the primary beneficiary. Instead, Mack Hollins seemed to be a more favorable target for Drake Maye and the Pats for the remainder of the game.
• Panic Meter: 8/10. Not 100% panicked yet, but Doubs doesn't look like he is going to live up to his big offseason contract at the moment. Shades of Rams Allen Robinson / Giants Kenny Golladay / Jaguars Gabe Davis.

49ers @ Rams

The Rams Offense

• Matthew Stafford
  • 15/25 passing, 155 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT.
• Davante Adams
  • 6 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards
• Terrance Ferguson (🪿🥚)
  • 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• The entire Rams offense seemed to collapse in the bright lights of Antarctica… I mean Australia (shoutout DK Metcalf who doesn't believe in Antarctica). The Rams were expected to be a powerhouse on offense and defense this year, and they got SMACKED on Thursday Night. Outside of Puka and the RBs, the Rams were unable to get much of anything done against the Niners. The Stafford-Adams connection didn't show up as advertised, and we got our second 🪿🥚GOOSE EGG🪿🥚 of the week from Terrance Ferguson, who McVay hyped up as the WR3 essentially all offseason. Instead, Ferguson ran a ton of routes and ended the game with only 1 target to show for it.
• Panic Meter: 2/10. Overall, it was a bad showing in an international division matchup, but I expect the Rams to rebound nicely as soon as week 2 against the Giants. Expect the Rams to return to form soon.

Falcons @ Steelers

Drake London 

• 4 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards, 1 rush, 6 yards
• The Falcons basically only threw to Bijan Robinson all game as Cooper Rush rushed them to their utter demise against the Steelers. Drake London was basically invisible today, but assuming either Tua or Penix returns to the field soon, it's hard to fully worry about a player of his caliber.
• Panic Meter: 5/10. His value is clearly reliant on QB play, more so than some other stud WRs… as long as Cooper Rush starts, London will basically be a scary flex play week to week. Pray for Tua, Penix, or even Jack Strand if you have London.

Kyle Pitts (🪿🥚)

• 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• Speaking of invisible, KYLE PITTS WHERE WERE YOU? If Pitts didn't record a target today, I am not sure I would’ve known he played football today. To be fair, the same comment on Drake London applies here: QB is the issue, not Pitts.
• Panic Meter: 6/10. A bit more scared than Drake London, but still some hope for return to form assuming we get a different QB out there for the Falcons.

Ravens @ Colts

Josh Downs

• 4 targets, 2 receptions, 37 yards
• Keenan Allen is a Killer of Joy. All my love and affection for Josh Downs came crashing down this week when Keenan Allen seemed like he got every meaningful target in this game. In general, the Colts offense just seemed crushed by the Ravens defense, so it’s hard for me to be fully out on Downs who played 48/54 snaps (89%) and ran a route on most of those. 
• Panic Meter: 3/10. Keenan Allen involvement scares me more than Downs having a down week. Should be fine and likely pretty playable most of the season, albeit likely not a top WR like some of us hoped. 

Bears @ Panthers

Colston Loveland (🪿🥚)

• 2 targets, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• If I told you the Bears would score 59 points this week, every single person would have expected Colston Loveland to be a big part of that. Instead, literally everyone else seemed to be good and the Bears basically ran all over the Panthers, with Swift AND Monangai breaking 100 yards rushing, and 6 total team rushing touchdowns between Swift, Monangai, and Caleb. Hilariously, Cole Kmet caught a touchdown while Loveland barely even saw a football and recorded our FOURTH MAJOR 🪿🥚GOOSE EGG🪿🥚 OF WEEK 1. However, I do not expect this to continue moving forward.
• Panic Meter: 1/10. Loveland is incredible and he led the Bears’ pass catchers in total routes run, but inexplicably only got 2 targets and 0 catches. I expect a bounce back as soon as week 2. Don’t Panic.

Jonathan Brooks

• 4 rush attempts, 14 yards, 2 targets, 1 reception, 48 yards
• Chuba Hubbard was clearly the better back this week in Dave Canales’ backfield. Brooks barely saw the field and only received 5 total touches. If not for a 48 yard reception late in the game, Brooks would’ve scored 1.4 fantasy points today. For a guy who has been hyped up all offseason as a potential starting RB, he was anything but that this week. 
• Panic Meter: 8/10. It seemed like Chuba was the hotter hand this week, but if Brooks doesn't get more touches relatively soon he may end up being  less valuable than Devin Singletary on a week-to-week basis. It might be panic time on Brooks, but let's all hope it was a week 1 hot hand fluke if you are a Brooks believer.

Browns @ Jaguars

Quinshon Judkins

• 12 carries, 33 yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
• The Browns basically couldn't play any form of offense or defense this week, so Judkins putting up a dud seems to just be a symptom of the Browns’ struggles. Unfortunately, the Browns will probably struggle most of the season, so this may not change anytime soon. It was good to see Judkins somewhat involved in the passing game, even if Raheim Sanders took a good portion of those passing down snaps. 
• Panic Meter: 4/10. Judkins is a very talented RB, but he is coming off of a major injury and he plays for the Browns. He might end up being somewhat touchdown-dependent this season, but he remains a hold in dynasty and should still be considered a talented back with upside.. Not sure if it’s truly panic time yet, but maybe keep an eye out.

Harold Fannin

• 3 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards
• Fannin came into this season off of a fantastic rookie year, headlined by a high target share and target count. Unfortunately, the Browns only threw the ball 22 times this week despite trailing by multiple scores for basically the entire game. The Browns are going to play from behind a lot this year, so Fannin should rebound soon with some more positive game scripts for the Browns potential passing attack (although this week was more of a lack there of).
• Panic Meter: 1/10. Fannin will be fine. It is not worth panicking about him as of yet. Be patient. The Browns SUCK.

Jets @ Titans

Tony Pollard

• 7 carries, 35 yards, 2 targets, 1 reception, -1 yards
• The Titans seemed to favor their passing attack today… and they sucked just like the Browns. Unfortunately for Tony Pollard, he  is just not  involved enough in the Titans passing attack, as evidenced by an uptick in Tyjae Spears’  snap count this week. The Titans expect to play from behind a lot this year, but I think Pollard will get more than 8 touches most weeks. In positive news, Pollard’s 7 carries led the Titans this week, so he is still seemingly the preferred back on early downs. 
• Panic Meter: 3/10. The Titans suck, so it's hard to expect Pollard to get a lot of rushing work most weeks. However, he is the primary running back in that offense for now, so there is still some hope. Don’t panic, but keep an eye out for some better RBs for your fantasy teams.

Buccaneers @ Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase

• 4 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards
• Ja’Marr Chase literally does this every single year. In week 1’s over the last 4 seasons, Chase’s statlines are: 
  • 2026: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards, 0 TDs
  • 2025: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 26 yards, 0 TDs 
  • 2024: 6 targets, 6 receptions, 62 yards, 0 TDs
  • 2023: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 39 yards, 0 TDs
• Panic Meter: 0/10. Chase will be fine. He is arguably the best WR in the NFL, and the Bengals have one of the best offenses.. I have zero concern for Ja’Marr Chase, and neither should you. If someone in your dynasty league has Chase and has any concern, go try to buy him below his max value.

Cardinals @ Chargers

Marvin Harrison Jr.

• 3 targets, 1 reception, 33 yards
• I am not feeling good about this one. The Cardinals offense threw 37 passes and MHJ only got 3 of those passes in his direction.To add insult to injury, he only caught 1 of those 3. The Cardinals offense ran through Trey McBride, Kendrick Bourne (that's not a joke), and Michael Wilson, along with their RB duo. I am more than worried about Marvin Harrison Jr.’s outlook at this point. If we don't see some improvement and fast, it might be a rough one.
• Panic Meter: 9/10. I AM SCARED DAWG. PANIC. There is no reason MHJ should end a game with 3 targets when the Cardinals throw this much. 

Quentin Johnston

• 6 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
• QJ felt like a pretty safe start going into this week.. Unfortunately, he produced next to nothing. With Ladd McConkey exiting about midway through the game, most would have expected QJ to step up, but alas, he did not. When Ladd exited, the Chargers offense basically came to a standstill for the remainder of the game. QJ will need to rebound, especially if Ladd is dealing with a serious injury (still waiting on more information from the Chargers).
• Panic Meter: 7/10. It was not encouraging to see QJ struggle against what should have been a weak Cardinals secondary. Additionally, it might be concerning how involved Tre Harris was in this game, as he and QJ basically split opportunities. QJ is likely someone I am not interested in starting in my fantasy lineup unless Ladd misses time. 

Packers @ Vikings

Packers RBs

• Lloyd: 13 carries, 37 yards, 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• Brooks: (Started Game) 7 carries, 29 yards, 1 target, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• The Packers DESPERATELY missed Josh Jacobs this week. MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks struggled to find any footing in this game and split snaps pretty evenly (Brooks 37 snaps / Lloyd 30 snaps). At this point, I don't think it is smart to start either one of these RBs moving forward unless we see one of them take on a bigger role. Lloyd’s only positive is he had a bigger opportunity share than Brooks.  Of the 42 passes thrown by the Packers, only 2 were thrown to the RBs, so there is not much of a receiving role to bank on yet. 
• Panic Meter: 7/10. I do not want either of these guys in fantasy, but if I had to choose, I'd prefer Lloyd. I have relatively no confidence in a Packers RB unless Josh Jacobs returns to the team, or unless one of these guys separates themselves from the other backs in the RB room.. 

Jayden Reed

• 7 targets, 3 receptions, 20 yards
• The Packers threw 42 times in this game, and Reed got 7 of those targets, which was good for 3rd on the team behind Golden and Watson. Unfortunately, Reed (38/67 snaps) saw a much lower snap share than Golden (55/67 snaps) and Watson (53/67 snaps). This snap share distribution likely continues throughout the season, so with Reed’s low ADOT and tertiary WR role, it may be a lower upside season than some expected for him.
• Panic Meter: 5/10. The good news is: The Packers’ passing attack  basically only features 4 guys. The bad news is:Reed seems to be 4th in the pecking order.. It isn’t quite time to panic, but maybe temper expectations moving forward.

Jordan Addison (🪿🥚)

• 2 targets, 0 receptions, 0 yards
• Addison played a lot of snaps and ran a lot of routes, but he recorded the 5th 🪿🥚GOOSE EGG🪿🥚 of Week 1. In a game where the Vikings scored 39 points, they only threw 24 total passes and featured a pretty efficient and effective run-centric attack, outside of peppering Justin Jefferson with targets. Addison will have  more productive games; don’t worry too much.
• Panic Meter: 2/10. While his lack of targets was concerning, he was very involved in the offense and will have better weeks than this. Not time to panic yet. 

Dolphins @ Raiders

De'Von Achane

• 11 carries, 36 yards, 5 targets, 4 receptions, 30 yards
• Didn’t Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley say he wanted to give Achane 40 touches? Well, that didn't happen. Achane struggled to find much room against the Raiders this week. The Dolphins seem to have no offensive line, and they gave both Achane and Malik Willis  no time to create any semblance of a rushing play. However, De’Von Achane is one of the most talented RBs in the NFL, so this may just be a blip in an otherwise high end fantasy season. 
• Panic Meter: 2/10. The Dolphins are going to continue to suck this year, but Achane should provide better fantasy production moving forward, given his predicted HEAVY workload this year. He is heavily involved in the passing game, so at worst he should provide a solid weekly floor with incredible upside. 

Commanders @ Eagles

Terry McLaurin

• 4 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
• Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams seemed to steal the show in this one. All offseason new Offensive Coordinator David Blough was hyping up Terry being heavily involved as a key piece in this offense, but we did not see that this week. The good news for Terry owners is he played by far the most snaps of any of the Commanders’ WRs and should be a clear bounce-back candidate in a lighter matchup next week against the Cowboys. 
• Panic Meter: 2/10. I am more concerned with the offensive line than I am with the Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams involvement. Terry is going to have some better weeks than this for sure. I am not ready to panic yet.

Cowboys @ Giants

George Pickens

• 6 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards
• After a truly incredible season last year, many hoped Pickens would repeat that stellar performance this season, especially in week 1 against a weak Giants secondary. Unfortunately, it seemed like Pickens rubbed his entire body and hands in butter as he  dropped a few passes that hit him pretty square in the body. I expect the Cowboys offense and Pickens to rebound moving forward now that they got their week 1 jitters out of the way.
• Panic Meter: 1/10. The Cowboys are going to have a lot of positive game scripts and Pickens should get his chances to shine this season. Week 2 against the Commanders should go better for Pickens.

Broncos @ Chiefs

Broncos Offense

• Bo Nix
  • 17/28 passing, 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT.
• Jaylen Waddle
  • 3 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards
• Courtland Sutton
  • 5 targets, 2 receptions, 11 yards
• JK Dobbins
  • 8 carries, 36 yards 
• The Broncos offense looked genuinely terrible. None of the WRs had any level of success. Bo Nix looked flustered. The whole offense looked like they didn't know their own plays. However, the Chiefs have a very good defense and generated a lot of pressure. It’s possible the Davis Webb play-calling experiment will be short lived.
• Panic Meter: 3/10. Not panicking quite yet, given the tough week 1 matchup, but it's worth being a little concerned that the Broncos basically couldn't get anything going this week. Let’s keep an eye out though with the Broncos ridiculously tough schedule this year.