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Ryan analyzes four fantasy football boom or bust options to target in FFPC best ball drafts. These players often have huge spike weeks and can have a massive best ball impact in 2024.
Best Ball season is in full swing as NFL training camps open up all over the league. While many home drafts and custom leagues wait until later in the preseason, Best Ball edges are found in the players who have ADPs that may not align with what their seasonal value will look like. The Best Ball format, where the site you play on will automatically fill in your best roster, is extremely conducive to taking chances on boom-or-bust options that might be riskier in traditional leagues.
Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) is one of the top best ball sites around in 2024. If you have played on FFPC, you have noticed slight nuances to its scoring system that must be considered when drafting best ball teams. The first scoring quirk to consider is that quarterbacks get one point for every 20 yards passing instead of the traditional 25 yards. This means pocket passers get a little more of a bump compared to other best ball tournaments where rushing quarterbacks rule. Secondly, FFPC is a tight-end premium site. That means tight ends get 1.5 points per reception, while all other skill positions receive one point.
In this piece, I will be looking at one player at each skill position that is a perfect boom-or-bust option in best ball drafts on FFPC. These players might not have a spike week every week, but when they hit, they hit big. For expanded best ball rosters, these types of players are ideal to roster at their ADPs. For each player, I will include their current FFPC ADP as well as where they stand in RotoBaller's Best Ball rankings.
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Fantasy Football Boom-or-Bust Options to Consider In FFPC Best Ball Drafts
Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
FFPC ADP: 137.3
RotoBaller Rank: 127
Before injuring his Achilles in Week 8 of 2023, Kirk Cousins was on a career-best pace with Minnesota last season and was QB6 in total fantasy points through Week 7. Even with that sustained success in Weeks 1-7, there was plenty of variation in his game leading up to injury. Armed with T.J. Hockenson and Justin Jefferson, Cousins put up four games of at least 20 fantasy points but also two games under 12 points.
Cousins is a notoriously fantastic player indoors, and someone who is just average playing outside in the elements. For his career, Cousins averages a 69.3% completion rating, 277.8 yards per game, and a 105.8 quarterback rating in a dome. That's compared to 65% completion, 254.1 yards, and 93.2 rating when playing outdoors. This year, Cousins will play 12 games indoors and has a new offensive arsenal and game plan to provide plenty of spike weeks, even if some duds are mixed in throughout the season.
Drake London’s fantasy production is going to skyrocket with Kirk Cousins under center in 2024: pic.twitter.com/NCInE2KZOr
— Moody (@EricNMoody) June 4, 2024
Despite ranking near the bottom of the league in passing plays and pass rate over expectation in 2023, I could not be more excited about the potential for the Falcons' offense. Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder are gone. Raheem Morris and Cousins are in. And already, the team is talking about taking its offense to a new level with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts.
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
FFPC ADP: 24.6
RotoBaller Rank: 20
De'Von Achane might be the picture in the dictionary for a fantasy football boom-or-bust option heading into 2024. He plays on an explosive Miami Dolphins offense, generates tons of yards per play, and is fast enough to break any run or reception open at any time. His range from the lowest fantasy point game to the highest fantasy point game in 2023 might be the greatest of any back, which makes him the ideal option in this format.
an Orbit motion into a lead block for the End Around to Devon Achane - who was aligned at WR to start the play. pic.twitter.com/JvQHiMmOEW
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 24, 2023
In 2023, Achane was fourth overall in fantasy points per game in half-PPR formats (16.1 points) but was just 24th in overall fantasy points (177.2). Some of that is due to six games missed with an injury. But other variables include five games over 21 fantasy points, but also five games under 10. Achane had a 49.3 fantasy point game and a one-point game. He was all over the map.
But when he plays and is involved heavily in the offense, fantastic things happen. Achane was first in the position in fantasy points per opportunity (1.36), first in yards per touch (7.7 yards), and first in breakaway run rate (12.6%). Diminutive in size but large in athleticism, Achane might already be the best game-breaker in fantasy football. If he has 250 opportunities this season, he could be the number one overall fantasy player.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
FFPC ADP: 108.6
RotoBaller Rank: 107
Could this finally be the year we get at least 15 or 16 games out of Jameson Williams? The prolific wide receiver out of Alabama missed 11 games in 2022 while he recovered from ACL surgery. After receiving a suspension for non-football gambling, he also missed four games in 2023. His overall numbers in 2023 don't look impressive (354 receiving yards and two scores in 12 games), but he showed at the end of the season just how massive his talent is.
After never seeing more than three targets in Weeks 1-14, Williams averaged 4.2 targets per game in Weeks 15-21, AKA the weeks that matter most. He ended his season with a 72% route share and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers to set up what could be a much bigger role in the Detroit Lions offense. Gone are Josh Reynolds and Craig Reynolds, so there is no competition for Williams as the WR2 in this high-powered offense.
Williams is one of the best receivers at getting separation and coming down with the ball in traffic. He had the second-best contested catch rate among all wide receivers last year (75%) and the 19th-best cushion against receivers. Add in his 15.6-yard average depth of target (fifth-highest in the league) and Williams has the chance to put up some week-winning type of games if he can just stay on the field all season.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
FFPC ADP: 48.2
RotoBaller Rank: 61
George Kittle had perhaps his most consistent season in 2023, but he should still be considered a high-end boom-or-bust option at tight end because of his injury history and the plethora of options the San Francisco 49ers have at their disposal. Kittle was the TE5 in fantasy points per game as well as total fantasy points, even with five games below five fantasy points on his ledger.
In terms of talent and opportunity, Kittle still tops the charts among his peers at the tight end position. In 2023, Kittle had the most deep targets among tight ends (also leading to some of his boom-or-bust nature) and led the position in receiving yards. He is always one of the best in yards after the catch among tight ends, and 2023 was no different. His 483 yards were third among his peers, and his 315 unrealized air yards.
George Kittle so far tonight:
- 2 catches
- 2 TDs49ers pull out the trickery for this one. Kyle Shanahan in his bag.pic.twitter.com/dUHYxyYWmf
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 9, 2023
With Brock Purdy under center, Kittle led tight ends in yards per target and yards per reception. Those numbers do have a tendency to regress, but in Best Ball formats, we are looking for opportunities that will lead to massive weeks. In his current situation, there aren't many tight ends who offer the explosiveness of George Kittle.
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