Last week, we were panicking on Saquon Barkley and Ladd McConkey. Just like De'Von Achane and Travis Etienne Jr. the week before, they suffered injuries in Week 4, which is worrisome for them and their fantasy managers.
Meanwhile, Tetairoa McMillan bounced back in a big way, and despite ceding some snaps to Mike Washington Jr., Ashton Jeanty continues to see a massive workload. Colston Loveland saw a season-high nine targets but is still looking for his first touchdown of the season.
As a reminder, this article will highlight the duds from the previous week. I'll provide a score (0-5) on the panic meter. Zero means no panic whatsoever, while five means alarm bells are going off. Let's see who's on the panic meter heading into Week 5.
Week 5 Panic Meter
Jeremiyah Love - RB, Arizona Cardinals
Panic Meter:
2/5
After getting a bell cow workload in Week 3 (64% snap share, 26 touches, 81.2% RB opportunity share), Love reverted back to being in a timeshare with Tyler Allgeier in Week 4 (45% snap share, 15 touches, 60% RB opportunity share). Then after the game, Love talked about the team managing his ankle injuries and how this would be the longest year of his life.
The Cardinals don't have their bye until Week 14, and they just lost starting LT Paris Johnson Jr. for the season with a torn bicep. They get a favorable matchup at home vs. the Lions in Week 5, but Love's workload could be managed throughout the season with the Cardinals far away from being a legitimate contender. However, he's still the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so maybe coach Mike LaFleur fully unleashes him at some point during the season.
Dalton Kincaid - TE, Buffalo Bills
Panic Meter: 2/5
Kincaid looked like a league winner after two weeks, averaging 112.5 yards on seven targets per game. His snap share (70%) and route participation rate (66%) were both up from 2025. But in his last two games, the snap share (63%) and route participation rate (56%) both dropped. That was likely due to game script, but the problem is, Buffalo could be in many more positive game scripts going forward.
But it wasn't only game script, as all three of DJ Moore (12), Khalil Shakir (11), and Keon Coleman (9) out-targeted Kincaid in the last two games. Per Fantasy Points Data, Kincaid also trailed the trio in first read target share (12.9%) in Weeks 3 and 4. Kincaid is a highly efficient target earner, but it might be more of a roller-coaster ride than originally anticipated earlier in the season, especially with Coleman coming on strong of late.
Parker Washington - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Panic Meter: 1/5
Washington, like Kincaid, started hot, but has since cooled down. He averaged nine targets per game in his first two games of the 2026 season, but just four in his last two. We're going to chalk that up to random chance, as Washington has been cooking since Week 9 of the 2025 season. He's been one of the best in terms of efficiency, right up there with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua.
Brian Thomas Jr. isn't earning significant targets while playing only half the snaps and Travis Hunter is barely playing on offense. That leaves Jakobi Meyers and Brenton Strange as Washington's primary competition for targets. The only reason he gets a panic meter score of 1 as opposed to 0 is because the Jaguars are attempting just 26 passes per game through the first four games. The defense and run game have both been well above average, leading to fewer pass attempts for Trevor Lawrence.
Bucky Irving - RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Panic Meter: 4/5
Irving produced just 6.1 fantasy points in his first game with rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels. He toted the rock 16 times but didn't see a single target for the first time this season. He also ceded goal line work to Sean Tucker and Kenny Gainwell, both of whom found paydirt in Week 4. Between the 20s work with no targets isn't a positive development for Irving's fantasy value.
Coming into the 2026 season, the knock on Irving was the presence of a separate pass-catching back (Gainwell) and goal-line back (Tucker). Last week, we saw that come to fruition. With Daniels under center for the foreseeable future as Baker Mayfield works his way back from a dislocated right thumb, things probably won't get much better for Irving. Not to mention offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Tuesday coming out of the team's Week 4 game that the Bucs want to get Tucker and Gainwell even more involved.
D'Andre Swift - RB, Chicago Bears
Panic Meter: 1/5
The Bears handed Swift a well-deserved $27.5 million contract extension just before the 2026 season. He followed that up with a career performance in Week 1, finding the end zone three times on his way to 32.4 fantasy points. But since then, Swift has averaged just 10.4 fantasy points per game in his last three games. Then, in Week 4, he was benched following a fumble. That led to double the carries (30) for Kyle Monangai, who racked up 146 yards and two scores on the ground.
Swift and Monangai both look awesome in this Bears offense. The problem for Swift, however, is that Monangai is just as capable of a runner. The Bears will continue to start Swift, but at any point in time, coach Ben Johnson could decide to go with Monangai's hot hand. At the same time, that could be Swift, too, if Monangai isn't running well or is having ball security issues. No need to panic here, start Swift with confidence and hope he doesn't fumble away his opportunities in future games.
Despite the "Monangai Game" in Week 4, Swift is still averaging nearly 20 touches per game for a team that's moving the ball up and down the field with ease.
Bonus names: Saquon Barkley (3/5), Cam Skattebo (2/5), Ladd McConkey (3/5), David Montgomery (4/5)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Week 5 panic meter
