X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Boom and Bust Candidates for Week 16: Blake Bortles, Doug Martin, A.J. Green, & More

Championship week is here, so pat yourself on the back if you’ve made it to the final game of the season, it’s not an easy journey to make. But if you’ve gotten this far, you may as well complete the trip and go all the way to the championship, you don’t want to wait a whole offseason to get back to this point.

During the last week of the season, selecting the perfect lineup requires a delicate balancing of starting players with low risk and high reward potential. To help you find these players, we’ve compiled a list of potential booms and busts for Week 16 to hopefully help you bring home the championship.

Potential Booms of the Week

Quarterbacks:

Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions: After a disappointing start to the season, Mathew Stafford has come alive down the stretch. Over his last four games Stafford has a TD:INT ratio of 12:1 and has scored at least 16 fantasy points in each of those games. San Francisco has been better against QBs lately, but Stafford is the best QB they’ve faced in about a month.

Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars: Keep riding with the second-year signal caller in championship week. A matchup against the Saints should make any fantasy owner’s mouth water, as New Orleans has the worst passing defense in the league and has allowed at least three TD passes in six of their last eight games. Bortles has also played well at the end of the season, topping 22 points in each of the past four weeks.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers: The Steelers have one of the most explosive aerial attacks in the game and are playing one of the worst pass defenses in the game. QBs have averaged 19.3 fantasy points per game against Baltimore. Start Big Ben with confidence.

Running Backs:

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers: Doug Martin has shown a respectably high floor this season and enormous explosive potential. That’s exactly what you need to lock up a championship this week. It also helps that Martin is facing a Bears defense that has shown some weakness against the run (three 100 plus YD games in last five weeks).

Charcandrick West, RB, Chiefs: Charcandrick West has been somewhat inconsistent since taking over for the injured Jamaal Charles. Still, facing Cleveland’s second worst rushing defense in the league makes West a safe play to get some big points on Sunday. The Browns have allowed at least 100 YDs rushing to RBs in nine games this season.

Wide Receivers:

Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: You’d be crazy to sit him at this point in the season no matter who he was facing, but Allen Robinson draws the Saints on Championship week and owners should be rejoicing. Robinson has scored or gone over 100 YDs receiving in each of his past 10 games and the Saints have allowed at least one TD to a receiver in 11 straight contests.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Redskins: We can play up the revenge angle with DeSean Jackson returning to face his old team, but the Eagles are just bad on defense and Jackson has been lighting it up recently. Jackson has four TD catches in his last five games and the Eagles have allowed 10 TD passes to WRs in their past five games.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Jets: You can’t get much more consistent than Brandon Marshall this season. He has caught at least one TD in 10 games and has topped 100 YDs in eight games. New England is decent against WRs, but Marshall has shown he is pretty matchup proof this year.

Tight Ends:

Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers: Greg Olsen has been targeted by Cam Newton often enough to feel safe and Atlanta has shown it’s vulnerable against TEs. The Falcons have given up 29 receptions for 336 receiving YDs and a TD to TEs over the last five weeks. While those aren’t awful numbers, it shows that Olsen will have a high floor and a potentially high ceiling on Sunday.

Defenses:

Denver Broncos: When it comes to picking fantasy defenses, you want to pick on backup QBs. AJ McCarron may turn out to be a great QB someday, but it’s not likely to start on Monday night against Denver. The Broncos gave up three TD passes to both Roethlisberger and Tom Brady in the last month, but overall they’ve allowed just five QBs to have multiple TD passes.

Kansas City Chiefs: Kansas City’s defense has scored double-digit points in eight of the last 10 games. The unit is absolutely on fire and draws a home match against the Cleveland Browns, one of the league’s worst offenses. What more can you ask for?

Potential Busts of the Week

Quarterbacks:

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons: Matt Ryan has topped 17 points just once in the past five weeks and has been generally unimpressive throughout most of the season. Despite giving up big TDs to Eli Manning and Drew Brees over the last three weeks, Carolina’s defense remains among the best in the league and has held opposing QBs to single-digit points six times this season.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: While it would be tough to bet against the reigning MVP during championship week, you also have to face facts. Aaron Rodgers has been good this season, he hasn’t been MVP like and has looked very ordinary at times. Arizona has one of the best pass defenses in the league and should certainly limit Rodgers’ effectiveness.

Running Backs:

Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons: It’s likely that Devonta Freeman has been a fantasy savior for many owners, coming out of nowhere to reach RB1 status. The back has scored in double figures 10 times this season and enjoys extremely high usage. But starting him against Carolina is risky, as seen in Week 14, when he was held to 40 rushing YDs on 12 carries in Carolina.

Todd Gurley, RB, Rams: Todd Gurley is another RB who is difficult to bench during championship week. But when you consider that he will be in Seattle facing the best rushing defense in the league, it may not seem that difficult after all. The Seahawks have allowed four rushing TDs this year, neither of which came at home.

Wide Receivers:

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: You probably don’t have anyone better to turn to, but A.J. Green will have a tall order facing the Denver Broncos. Not only has Green been somewhat of a boom or bust player, he also has a backup QB throwing him the ball and the Broncos have the best passing defense in the game.

Randall Cobb, WR, Packers: At this point, Randall Cobb can be considered little more than a flex player. He hasn’t topped 100 YDs since Week 2 and he has two TDs since Week 4. Oh yeah, he’ll be in Arizona facing Patrick Peterson and one of the league’s elite passing defenses. No thank you.

Tight Ends:

Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs: It’s easy to try and pick on the Browns, but they actually have played well against TEs this season. They have not given up a TD to a TE since Week 9, facing a healthy Tyler Eifert. Since then, no TE has topped 53 YDs. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce has just one TD in his last six contests.

Defenses:

New York Jets: The Patriots have not been the explosive offense they were early in the season, but this is still a bad match up for any defense, regardless of how well they’re playing. There are definitely better options than the Jets on the waiver wire.

Diamonds in the Rough

There is no next week, so you can’t afford to trust your season to unreliable players and you can’t wait on injured stars to return. At do or die time in the postseason, sometimes a waiver wire hero is what you need. We’re here to help.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: The Eagles are awful on defense, and Kirk Cousins has 20 or more fantasy points in four of his last six games.
Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs: Alex Smith is about as safe of a play as you can have at QB, especially against the Browns, who have allowed two or more TDs to 10 different QBs this year.
Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins: Banking on Morris in the championship game is a roll of the dice, but he has at least 11 carries in three of the past four games and the Eagles run defense is nothing to write home about.
Rueben Randle, WR, Giants: With Odell Beckham Jr. out with a suspension, Ruben Randle should see an uptick in targets.
Jordan Cameron, TE, Dolphins: Jordan Cameron has a nice matchup on paper against the Colts, who have allowed two TDs to TEs in the last four games.
Miami Dolphins Defense: Indianapolis has allowed four of the last five defenses it’s faced to score double-digit fantasy points.

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Andrés Muñoz

Andres Munoz Secures Save No. 10, Tied For League Lead
NFL

Dallas Could Still Add Wide Receiver Help Prior To 2025 Season
Jordan Romano

Earns The Save In Extras On Sunday
Justin Martinez

Shaky In Recording Third Save
Pete Fairbanks

Notches Sixth Save On Sunday
Luis Urías

Luis Urias' Home Run Wins It For The A's In Extras
Shedeur Sanders

Struggled During Pre-Draft Process
Elijah Moore

Visiting With Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Ogbah Signs With Jaguars
Derek Carr

Undergoes MRI Exam
Hunter Renfrow

Signs With Panthers
Rafael Devers

Blasts Another Home Run
Eddie Rosario

Braves Sign Eddie Rosario, Option Jarred Kelenic To Triple-A Gwinnett
Boston Red Sox

Brandon Clarke Earns Call To High-A
Boston Red Sox

Hayden Mullins Joining Double-A
Kristian Campbell

Stuffs Stat Sheet In Win
Franklin Arias

Promoted To High-A
Nolan Jones

The Only Source Of Offense Sunday
Jordan Sprinkle

Heading To High-A
Braden Montgomery

Promoted To High-A
J.P. Crawford

Launches Second Homer
Chayce McDermott

Struggles In First Rehab Start
Anthony Volpe

Picks Up Two More Knocks In Nightcap
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Erik Swanson

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Wade Miley

Exits Rehab Outing On Sunday
Yordan Alvarez

Smacks Third Home Run
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Roman Anthony

Dealing With Foot Injury
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Max Brosmer

Minnesota Adds Insurance With Max Brosmer

Donovan Edwards Inks Deal With Jets
Nick Nash

Signs With The Falcons
Cam Ward

Xavier Restrepo Reunites With Cam Ward In Tennessee
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
William Nylander

Posts Two Assists In Losing Effort
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Jake Sanderson

Keeps Senators Alive With Overtime Winner
Mackenzie Blackwood

Records First Postseason Shutout
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores First Goal In Nearly Three Years
Ivan Barbashev

Gives Vegas Vital Win
Nikita Kucherov

Records Three Assists In Game 3 Win
Troy Stecher

Cleared For Sunday
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Quinn Ewers

Dolphins Select Quinn Ewers In Seventh Round
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Riley Leonard

Drafted By Colts Saturday
Will Howard

Steelers Select Will Howard In Sixth Round Of NFL Draft
Kyle McCord

Eagles Add Kyle McCord To Quarterback Room
Ollie Gordon II

Miami Adds Ollie Gordon II To Backfield
Oronde Gadsden II

Chargers Add KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Oronde Gadsden II To Offense
DJ Giddens

Colts Add DJ Giddens To Backfield
Jaydon Blue

Dallas Cowboys Draft Jaydon Blue In Fifth Round
Jordan Watkins

49ers Add Jordan Watkins To Offense
Shedeur Sanders

Browns Trade Up To Select Shedeur Sanders In The Fifth Round
Sam Howell

Seahawks Trade Sam Howell To Vikings
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Jrue Holiday

Classified As "Day-To-Day"
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF