To freak out, or to keep calm? That’s the question almost any fantasy manager will have about at least one player on their roster each week. It can be easy to overreact and lose control over a disappointing performance, but each week, we’ll dive into a few of fantasy football’s biggest names and help you decide if we should panic over a poor fantasy output or if we should stay the course and keep them in our lineups. Are there reasonable excuses for why the player had a down week or a few concerning performances? Is it an outlier, or is there something to their struggles and time to look for alternative options? That’s what we’ll aim to answer in Patience or Panic each week throughout the season.
You might be thinking, why is this being posted late in the week? Shouldn’t we decide to panic or be patient right after the previous week’s games? The goal is to look forward to the following week regarding lineup decisions, while being a few days removed from the emotions of a down performance.
In our final patience or panic post of the season, we’ll get into an elite quarterback and a second-year receiver with high expectations that have both been putting their fantasy managers in a difficult position as of late.
Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens
Similar to Justin Jefferson last week, it’s disturbing to be writing about Lamar Jackson in Week 14, but that’s our reality. The former two-time MVP has had a brutal stretch since Week 10, having averaged just 8.78 fantasy points over the past four weeks, based on ESPN scoring. For a player who was taken on average in the back end of the second round as the QB2 in 2025 drafts, it’s become one of the most disappointing developments in fantasy football this season.
Now, I don’t think Jackson just forgot how to play football at the prime age of 28 years old. It seems pretty obvious that Jackson isn’t fully healthy, having dealt with both a hamstring injury and knee soreness throughout the season. In 2024, Jackson averaged almost 50 rushing yards per game through 12 weeks, while he’s just averaging 29.3 rushing yards per game this season in nine games played. His mobility is clearly limited, one of the big reasons that his fantasy impact has been lessened this year.
Despite the concerns about Jackson’s fantasy viability, a few reasons exist to keep Lamar in your lineups in Week 14 at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. For one, the Ravens head into Week 14 with extra rest, having played Thanksgiving night. The additional days off seem to be helpful for Lamar, as he fully participated in practice on Wednesday, his first full participation on a Wednesday since Week 10, according to ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley.
The matchup against the Steelers is also an attractive one. Pittsburgh gives up the 10th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points, according to fantasypoints.com, and the 8th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, based on NFL.com. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have their backs against the wall in a divisional matchup with the Steelers, as first place and an upper hand in the AFC North are at stake. A loss would drop them to below .500, with upcoming matchups against the Bengals on the road (who they just lost to), an 11-2 Patriots team in Week 16, and the Steelers again in Week 18 in Pittsburgh. They also have to travel to Lambeau Field in Week 17, meaning it’s critical the Ravens come away with a win this week.
Extra rest, a good matchup at home, and a desperate need for a win lead me to go out on a limb and say patience is the way to go with Lamar Jackson in Week 14. If you’re still in the playoff hunt with Lamar on your roster, he still has a higher ceiling than streamable options like Jacoby Brissett and Sam Darnold, and a better matchup than Caleb Williams.
Verdict: Patience
Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears
The second-year receiver finds himself on this list for a second time this season, but this time, I’m not quite as confident with Odunze’s outlook for the upcoming week. Odunze has averaged just 6.3 PPR points over the last five games, good for just WR56 during that period, according to fantasypros.com. Odunze’s struggles can be dated all the way back to mid-October, as he’s averaging just 8.3 PPR points since the Bears’ Week 5 bye, while he averaged 19.9 PPR points per game from Weeks 1-4, according to JJ Zachariason.
Odunze’s been dealing with ankle and heel injuries throughout the season, and was estimated to be a non-participant in their Wednesday practice report due to a foot injury, although a full regular practice wasn’t held by the Bears. He’s missed multiple Wednesday practices, but hasn’t missed a game this season. The new foot injury is more of a concern, however, as it’s just another ailment Odunze has to work through. Injuries are clearly taking a toll on the former Washington Husky, despite his gameday availability not being affected so far.
The Bears travel to Lambeau Field for a tough matchup with the Packers in Week 14, who give up the 8th-fewest fantasy points to opposing offenses overall. A stingy defense in a difficult place to play, not to mention Odunze’s injury concerns, makes him a guy that is likely better left on your bench in Week 14, if he does end up playing.
Verdict: Panic
Alternative options: Lions WR Jameson Williams has a majorly advantageous matchup against the Cowboys defense, who bleed fantasy points to receivers. Even if Amon-Ra St. Brown plays, Williams is still the superior option to Odunze; just don’t forget to make sure Williams is in your lineups ahead of Thursday night. Speaking from experience, Odunze and Williams reasonably can be on the same fantasy roster, based on their ADPs.
Packers WR Christian Watson is another receiver who looks to be a quality alternative to Odunze. He’s been a waiver wire pickup this season due to a torn ACL he suffered at the end of 2024, but you’d never know it based on how well he’s been playing since his late October return. His 2.27 yards per route run and 26% target share throughout the past month are elite numbers, according to Fantasy Life’s Dwain McFarland.
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Featured image by Ethan Kaplan (@djfreddie10.bsky.social on Blue Sky and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)