Fantasy basketball can feel just like everyday life — full of surprises and stress. When your star player slumps, it’s easy to panic and question your draft choices. In this article, we’ll check our panic meter, spotlighting players who might have you worried about your team.
Let’s dive in!
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Note: Panic scale is from 1-5 🔥
Desmond Bane — Orlando Magic
Magic trick gone wrong?
There’s no sugarcoating this one— Bane has been flat-out disappointing since arriving in Orlando. He’s outside the top 120 in points leagues, and it’s even worse in 9-cat formats, falling outside the top 200. Bane was expected to flourish as a floor-spacing, playmaking 3-point specialist, but it’s not panning out that way early on.
He may have hit rock bottom the past two games, averaging 7.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 21.2 minutes. It’s not unreasonable to consider that it takes time for players to gel in new environments. Bane is accustomed to playing with a ball-dominant point guard, but perhaps a ball-dominant point forward requires a longer adjustment period.
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Bane’s numbers are down in every category except offensive rebounds, so at this point, it can’t get much worse. All that said, my panic meter is moderate — and if I had a strong team, I’d look to buy low.
Panic Meter: 🔥🔥
Paolo Banchero — Orlando Magic
The shot selection overreaction
Bearing some of the blame for the Magic’s early-season struggles has been Banchero’s inefficiency. Let’s be honest — he’s not a good jump shooter. It’s the shot he takes most often, and he’s never shot over 40% in any season of his career. That said, look at these positive developments that are holding through Wednesday:
If Paolo continues to emphasize getting downhill, driving to the hoop and settling for fewer jumpers, the efficiency will improve. Additionally, Banchero has been increasing his rebounding rate, averaging 2.0 more rebounds per game this season than in 2024-25. His stocks per game (1.9) is also up year-over-year for now. I was bullish on his growth this season and I’m sticking to it.
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Panic Meter: 🔥
Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies
Morant’s joy (and pain)
The Grizzlies’ season is hanging on the fragile frame of Morant. The injury list is brutal: Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Zach Edey are all down, leaving limited depth in the backcourt and frontcourt. Without Ja being fully locked in, things could unravel quickly. Morant said he’s not playing with “joy” and has been looking less aggressive and engaged during games.
Last year, he didn’t like the offensive system because he had the ball in his hands far less than in previous years. He averaged 68 touches per game. This year, he’s back around his average of 77 touches per game, but the Grizz are 3-5 with Morant getting to the rim less and settling for more jumpers (not a good sign).
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Morant frankly has to play better and with more effort. If it doesn’t arrive, we may face a frustrating situation that inevitably leads to a trade request.
Panic Meter: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Cooper Flagg — Dallas Mavericks
The rookie with some rope
Let’s pump the brakes on the early Cooper Flagg panic. Yes, the Mavericks are 2-6, but Flagg hasn’t looked completely overwhelmed — he’s been a legit secondary playmaker behind D’Angelo Russell, boosting his assist numbers and showing advanced feel for an 18-year-old forward initiating the offense.
The scoring has been shaky, shooting just 39% from the field, but that appears to be correcting. On Wednesday, he dropped 20 points, 9 boards, 2 assists and 5 stocks, showing flashes of the Duke phenom we expected. He’s trending the right way, and in fantasy terms, his floor is stabilizing. Hold tight, as he’s creeping back into the top 100 in 9-cat leagues.
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Panic Meter: 🔥
Cam Johnson — Denver Nuggets
The struggle is real
Cam Johnson has gone ice cold in Denver. He’s posting nearly career-low numbers across the board, averaging just 8.6 PPG on 38% shooting from the field, 28% from 3, with a noticeable drop in volume and confidence. Whether it’s a lingering shoulder issue or a slow adjustment to Denver’s altitude, something is off.
Johnson’s not contributing in steals, and the dip in efficiency and volume makes him a liability across formats. Yet somehow, he’s still rostered in 79% of leagues. That number’s too high. I’ve dropped him in 12-team formats, and you probably should too.
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Panic Meter: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
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