Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart. -- Alan Alda

Did you panic when Aaron Rodgers failed to throw for 190 yards and a touchdown during two of his first three games last season? He ended up the second best point producer amongst signal callers.

Did you quiver with fear when Eddie Lacy failed to rush for 50 yards in his first four outings? He finished sixth in running back points in a PPR setup.

Did you genuflect with a moment of silence asking for help when Demaryius Thomas produced a total of 141 yards over his first three games? He finished the year second at the wide receiver position in points.

Did you throw your arms up in disgust when Jason Witten had only ten receptions for 95 yards through three weeks? In the end he caught 64 passes for 703 yards and five touchdowns. It wasn’t a great effort by any means, but he was the sixth most productive tight end in PPR from Weeks 4-16.

Those are but four examples of stars that started slowly, righted the ship and produced impressive numbers. Even though I know you are skeptical, you should realize that elite players will produce if they are healthy. But what do you do when a player isn’t elite and has a slow start to the season? There are many areas to consider before you panic.

(1) Is the player healthy?

(2) Was weather an issue?

(3) Was his offensive unit healthy?

(4) Were the matchups difficult?

(5) Did the game flow dictate the player’s offense changing up their game plan significantly?

Even the best of the best players struggle at times. So don’t panic and do a dump trade after three games if Andrew Luck has only thrown for four touchdowns or if Calvin Johnson has 129 yards receiving.

Another aspect of having patience is the fact that the fantasy season is 16 weeks long (in most cases). In a traditional setup, the regular season goes through 13 weeks with Weeks 14-16 left for the playoffs. Therefore, getting off to a hot start is certainly preferable. So how much patience do you show with your fourth wide receiver or running back? Should you immediately dump them if they have a slow first couple of weeks? After all, you have to win now. While this is true, you still need to exercise some level of patience. If Player A gets hurt and Player B is now looking at 15 carries a week, of course you add Player B. However, If Player C catches four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 does that mean you have to add him? Did you jump to add Allen Hurns last year after he posted those numbers in Week 1? If you did then you know you got 47 receptions with 631 yards and four touchdowns. Yippee. Did you buy into the Chris Ivory hype after his Week 1 effort of 102 yards and a touchdown? He scored five more times on the ground and averaged 48 yards rushing a week over his final 15 games.

Remember, a player needs talent, a role and the matchups to have success. Just because a guy does or doesn’t produce the first couple of weeks of the season doesn’t mean that the story is written on his season long performance.