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.
This week, we’ll focus on two struggling Running Backs who earlier in the season looked like they’d be great values for where they were drafted.
Jordan Mason, Running Back, Minnesota Vikings
Week 8 was a nightmare for Mason and the entire Vikings offense after they were blown out by the Chargers 37-10. The Vikings’ ball carrier came away with just three yards on four carries, a stat line that’s hard to believe considering how positive things were looking for Mason’s fantasy outlook just a few weeks ago. Aaron Jones Sr.‘s return, combined with a trailing game script, significantly reduced Mason’s usage in Week 8. Mason only came away with a 35% snap share, compared to Jones’ 54%, along with a route share of just 28% for Mason, the lowest since Week 1, according to JJ Zachariason.
Mason was likely never going to completely overtake the backfield from Jones after he returned, but his performance while Jones was on IR clearly didn’t inspire head coach Kevin O’Connell to give Mason a larger chunk of the work. The former 49er hasn’t had more than 60 rushing yards or 12 PPR points since his 23-point performance in Week 3 against the Bengals, according to Yahoo.
Also, Mason has never been much of a pass catcher in the NFL, and that trend has continued into 2025. He hasn’t topped more than three receptions or 15 yards in a single game this season, lowering his floor for fantasy managers. Now, Mason and the Vikings travel to Detroit, where they’ll face a Lions defense that gives up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to Running Backs. Decreased usage combined with a tough matchup makes Mason a difficult start in Week 9.
Verdict: Panic
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Running Back, Washington Commanders
The “Bill” hype train during draft season was real. After a huge Week 5 performance against the Chargers, it was looking like Bill would overtake the Commanders’ backfield, but for a variety of reasons, that still hasn’t happened.
The rookie 7th-round pick only came away with 25 yards on nine carries last week in Kansas City. He hasn’t averaged even four yards a carry since his big Week 5 outing, and he’s had no involvement in the passing game. Two receptions for six yards total in the last three weeks is a major detriment to his overall floor as a player for fantasy. Someone with that little involvement in the passing game needs touchdowns and high efficiency in the run game to make up for the lack of receptions, but that’s yet to occur.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels was hurt last week, possibly helping to explain Bill’s down outing, but Daniels played in Weeks 6 and 7 when his output was still disappointing. Daniels should be back in Week 9, but hamstring injuries can linger, bringing into question how effective the 2024 rookie of the year will be and if his stay in the starting lineup can last long term.
The Seahawks come to town in Week 9 for a matchup on Sunday Night Football. Seattle allows the fewest rushing yards per game at just 73.7, and also has given up just two rushing touchdowns in seven games, according to Sports Illustrated.
The difficult matchup, combined with Bill’s recent struggles and his lack of impact in the passing game, makes him a tough start in Week 9.
Verdict: Panic
Alternative options for both Mason and Croskey-Merritt: Rico Dowdle, Kimani Vidal
Obviously, you didn’t spend the draft capital on either of these players compared to guys we usually discuss in this article, but they weren’t throwaway picks either.
If you’re concerned about putting either Mason or Bill in your starting lineup, a logical alternative could be Rico Dowdle. Dowdle easily could be on teams that have either Croskey-Merritt, Mason, or even both, considering he was mostly a waiver wire pickup earlier in the season. Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales alluded to Dowdle getting more of the backfield work instead of splitting time with Chuba Hubbard.
A visit to Lambeau Field isn’t the most attractive matchup for Carolina, but it does appear that the Panthers’ coaching staff may be ready to make Dowdle their feature back. Based on the explosion weeks he had in Weeks 5 and 6, he can’t be ignored as a possible good alternative for Mason or Croskey-Merritt.
Chargers second-year RB Kimani Vidal also may be a good replacement in your starting lineup for Mason or Bill. A matchup against the Titans, who give up the third-most fantasy points to Running Backs, makes Vidal an attractive option. The Chargers may also find themselves in a leading game script where they can lean on Vidal in the ground game.
Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire | Featured image by Ethan Kaplan (@djfreddie10.bsky.social on Blue Sky and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)