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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Wild Card Weekend fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint.
The regular fantasy football season is over but the games don't stop now. Whether you play in a playoff fantasy league or set DFS lineups, you'll want to avoid potential landmines.
Below are my five fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint, for Wild Card Weekend of the 2024-25 NFL season. Hopefully, this will help you set winning fantasy lineups this week. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Brian Robinson Jr. (RB, WAS) at Tampa Bay (Sunday)
Two things are true: The Tampa Bay run defense was dominant in the final stretch of the regular season while also not playing against many high-caliber running backs.
Chuba Hubbard is the best of the bunch but Sincere McCormick's 78 rushing yards is the highest mark since Week 10. McCormick is the only runner to top 50 rushing yards.
Brian Robinson Jr. is the next back to face Vita Vea and Tampa Bay's front seven. Not only are the Bucs stuffing the run, but they're also one of the worst pass defenses in the league (243.9 yards per game, the fourth most). The matchup drastically favors the passing game.
Vita Vea is listed at 347 lbs
KaVontae Turpin is listed at 153 lbs 😅 pic.twitter.com/cEZ65GkHft— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024
Robinson scored a good chunk of his fantasy points via touchdowns. He hasn't scored in four weeks, averaging 3.1 yards per carry or fewer in three contests. Austin Ekeler is the primary pass-catching running back.
Najee Harris (RB, PIT) at Baltimore (Saturday)
Pittsburgh's offense has averaged 14.25 points during its four-game losing streak, maxing out at 17 on two occasions. The Russell Wilson-led squad is putting up an average of 258 yards and below 200 twice. What was once a promising, dangerous football team may be the weakest of the postseason squads.
The @steelers have averaged 3rd & 8-and-a-half during their 4-game losing streak
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 9, 2025
Ravens-Steelers matchups typically produce low-scoring affairs. Baltimore surrendered the seventh-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. It’s a matchup that doesn’t suit Najee Harris’ strengths.
If anything, Jaylen Warren is the running back to utilize this weekend. However, all Pittsburgh players are difficult to trust on Wild Card Weekend. They are projected to score the fewest points, according to oddsmakers.
Mike Evans (WR, TB) vs. Washington (Sunday)
He’s a future (first-ballot?) Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, and record-breaking wide receiver. But every hero has a kryptonite.
Mike Evans’ kryptonite is cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Their battles have been well-documented (the memes are plentiful this week). These rivals lined up across from each other twice a year during Lattimore’s time in New Orleans.
He’s now a member of the Washington Commanders and the two will meet in the postseason for the second time. In 2021, Lattimore held Evans to one catch for three yards (and a touchdown).
Evans averages 3.4 receptions and 51.6 yards against New Orleans in his career. The numbers are lower when specifically looking at the matchup with Lattimore. Evans had two catches in the first go-around.
Mike Evans has averaged 2.6 catches for 43.6 yards in 13 games head-to-head vs Marshon Lattimore
— Jason McCourty (@JasonMcCourty) January 9, 2025
Evans isn’t necessarily a must-avoid but there is a history of poor performances against Lattimore that should give pause.
Amari Cooper (WR, BUF) vs. Denver (Sunday)
There are a few ways to attack the Denver defense and the secondary isn't typically one of them. Pat Surtain II has been a shutdown corner. Riley Moss is no slouch, either.
Pat Surtain vs. Notable Players in 2024:
DK Metcalf ... 24 routes ... 3 rec. ... 29 yds.
George Pickens ... 11 routes ... 1 rec. ... 16 yds.
Mike Evans ... 24 routes ... 1 rec. ... 8 yds.
Garrett Wilson ... 28 routes ... 2 rec. ... 22 yds.
Zay Flowers ... 4 routes ... 0 rec.… pic.twitter.com/24Sfklbqur— Tyler Gorse (@Tyler_Gorse_) January 7, 2025
Surtain probably won't shadow a receiver on Sunday. There's no clear top receiver (especially on the outside). He'll take turns matching up against Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman. Khalil Shakir occupies the slot. Cooper has played 16 slot snaps in Weeks 13-17.
The other factor is Cooper being a part-time player. Since he arrived in Buffalo midseason, his highest snap share is 54%. He's been below 50% in half of his games. The stat lines reflect that.
So, in his limited snaps, Cooper will see the best coverage corner in the league. That's not a receiver worth sticking in lineups.
Jordan Love (QB, GB) at Philadelphia (Sunday)
Jordan Love left Week 18 early due to a right elbow injury and opened the week with a limited practice session. He fully practiced on Thursday. His most explosive receiver, Christian Watson, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Injuries are hitting Green Bay at an inopportune time.
Jordan Love throwing the football at practice. So is Malik Willis.
No Zayne Anderson (concussion) or T.J. Slaton (ankle) for the #Packers on this Thursday.
Everyone else on the active roster, besides Christian Watson (ACL), is outside. pic.twitter.com/69ZimTBoRN
— Dominique Yates (@RealDYates) January 9, 2025
Nevertheless, we expect Love to be on the field as he leads the seventh-seeded Packers into Philadelphia. Three quarterbacks have had fantasy success (more than 20 points) against the Eagles since their Week 5 bye. Two are mobile, top-5 fantasy quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels). The other was Matthew Stafford. That’s it.
Love hasn’t run this year, whether due to lingering issues from early season injuries or a choice by the coaching staff. Fantasy points will have to be scored through the air against the secondary that allowed the fifth-fewest points to the position. The Eagles run a lot of man defense, which Love has struggled against.
No thanks. With soft pass defenses still in the postseason, there’s no reason to plug Love into DFS lineups.
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