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

Week 9 Boom and Bust Candidates

There are only five-six weeks remaining in the fantasy football season, so the time to make your move up the standings is now. With bye weeks and injuries hampering everyone at this time of year, it’s crucial for owners to maximize their points at every position.

This weekly boom and bust candidates list shows you who will most likely have big days and awful ones, based on statistical trends and matchup opportunities. While some obvious starts and sits will make the list, this is more focused on the not so obvious ones.

Potential Booms for Week 9

Quarterbacks:

Eli Manning, QB, Giants: Coming off of a six TD pass performance a week ago in New Orleans, it would be tough to bench Eli Manning regardless of the match up. But against a Tampa Bay team that has surrendered 1,017 passing YDs and nine passing TDs in the last three games, this is a no-brainer.

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers: Philip Rivers enters Monday night’s contest with five consecutive games with at least 20 fantasy points. He has been on an incredible tear as of late and is at home facing a very vulnerable Chicago Bears. Keep rolling with Rivers.

Running Backs:

Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots: If you were lucky enough to snatch Dion Lewis off the waiver wire early this season, you’ve ended up with a RB2 and border line RB1, based on production. His pass catching ability and elusiveness have made him a weekly must start, and nothing changes against a Washington team that has struggled to stop the run (531 rushing YDs allowed) over the last three weeks.

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers: Last week Doug Martin broke his string of three consecutive 100 plus yard performances, posting just 71 rushing YDs on 23 carries. At home against a Giants team that has allowed over 100 YDs to running backs in each of the last four weeks, the Muscle Hamster is a good candidate to get back over the century mark.

Wide Receivers:

Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders: Amari Cooper was stranded on Revis Island last week, but should return with a vengeance against the Steelers in Week 9. Pittsburgh has allowed three TDs to receivers over the last three weeks and 624 receiving YDs to the position over that stretch as well.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: All signs point to a big game against Tampa Bay on Sunday for OBJ. The Bucs have given up at least one TD to wide receivers in every game this season and have allowed 200 or more receiving YDs to the position in five of their seven games played so far. Following OBJ’s best performance of the season, fantasy owners can expect more of the same.

Tight Ends:

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Buccaneers: Provided he’s able to get onto the field this week against the Giants, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t have a big game. Only the Raiders have been worse than the Giants in defending TEs this season, and if last week’s performance against the Saints is any evidence, the Giants secondary is very suspect.

Benjamin Watson, TE, Saints: Three touchdowns in his last four weeks and a career game last week against the Giants has Benjamin Watson looking like he wants to join the TE1 discussion. He’ll get to continue his campaign to do so at home against a mediocre Tennessee Titans defensive front. With the way the Saints offense has looked over the last few weeks, I’m all in on Watson.

Defenses:

Atlanta Falcons: This is less about Atlanta and more about the state of the 49ers offense. The Niners have given up double digit fantasy points to their last two opponents, and with the benching of Colin Kaepernick, things only stand to get worse.

Denver Broncos: Last week’s performance against the Green Bay Packers was an eye-opener. They haven’t scored fewer than nine points in any game this season and have at least 11 points in six of their seven games played. With Andrew Luck tossing interceptions left and right, and the Colts overall looking awful on offense, this is a beautiful match up for Denver.

Potential Busts for Week 9

Quarterbacks:

Andrew Luck, QB, Colts: I know. You’re frustrated with your second round pick looking no better than a waiver fill in. If his name were not Andrew Luck, he would’ve certainly been dropped by most fantasy owners. Many of you will have no choice but to keep rolling with Luck, but don’t expect a big game, with Denver’s defense shutting down QBs all season long.

Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars: Though the Jets passing defense looked pretty average over the last two weeks, it’s probably still smart to stay away from Bortles at MetLife Stadium this Sunday. He has thrown five picks in his last three games and the Jets will be looking for a statement performance after suffering back-to-back one-sided losses.

Running Backs:

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars: Six teams on byes coupled with the scarcity of the running back position make Yeldon tough to bench. Though the rookie runner is coming off of his best game as a pro two weeks ago, and should be fully rested following the bye, if you have other options, look elsewhere. The Jets are still one of the best teams in the NFL against running backs.

Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders: Full disclosure: I had Murray on the busts list last week and he made me look foolish by running for 113 YDs against the Jets. This week’s matchup against the Steelers is equally bad on paper, as Pittsburgh has allowed just one rushing TD the entire season.

Wide Receivers:

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts: Apparently, Andrew Luck has forgotten how to throw the football. Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was fired, and oh yeah, they’re playing the best defense in the NFL this week. You probably drafted Hilton in the second or third round and may not have any better options, but if there’s any way you can avoid starting him, do whatever you can.

Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Allen Robinson has delivered up to this point on the promise he had entering the season. He has four TDs over his last three weeks and has consistently been a Top 10 wide receiver this fall. This week he draws Darrelle Revis, and we all know what that means. Steer clear if you can.

Tight Ends:

Julius Thomas, TE, Jaguars: Not only is Julius Thomas likely to be below 100 percent coming off of a groin injury, he’s also facing a Jets defense that has been very good against TEs this season. New York has allowed just two TDs to TEs and one of them was Rob Gronkowski.

Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys: With limited options at the position, you may still have to role with Witten, but the Cowboys TE has been very average this season. Additionally, Philly has been great against TEs, giving up just one TD and no 100 YD games to the position all year.

Defense:

Carolina Panthers: After seeing what Denver was able to do to the Packers last week, you may be feeling good about starting Carolina this week at home against Green Bay. Just remember that last week marked the first time any defense has scored double digits against the Packers all season. The chances of two bad Aaron Rodgers games in a row don’t seem high.

Diamonds in the Rough:
At some point in the season, especially later on, bye weeks and injuries can make us a little desperate. This list of players will be handy one-week plugins.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: It looks like Kirk Cousins will have his full complement of receivers, with DeSean Jackson likely to return this week. An early blowout in New England could force him to throw a lot.
Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins: At a scarce position, Chris Thompson could provide value as a pass catching threat out of the backfield. He has been decent in PPR formats and the Skins will likely be throwing a lot.
Dontrelle Inman, WR, Chargers: Those looking for help at WR could benefit from the likely increase in targets to Dontrelle Inman, with Keenan Allen now out for the season.
Charles Clay, TE, Bills: After a string of disappointing performances, Charles Clay may be available on the wire. If you need a TE in a pinch, you could do much worse than Clay, who will have Tyrod Taylor back at QB this week.
Miami Dolphins Defense: A disappointing start to the season left this defense in the fantasy doghouse for most. But a decent matchup against the Bills may be what the doctor ordered.

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