👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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


Booms/Busts Week 1: Late Games

By the time the NFL slate reaches the late games, a good part of your matchup will likely be decided. Maybe you are trying to make a gallant comeback after your opponent had Rob Gronkowski on Thursday. Or maybe your team will be comfortably ahead and you just need to pad that lead enough to help you sleep easy on Sunday/Monday night. Anyway, here are my picks for who will boom and bust in the late games (which includes the annual two Monday Night Football games in Week 1, a reminder that God loves us).

Editor’s Note: If you’re looking for a new, awesome, highly customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, something more capable than Yahoo, better looking than CBS, and built from the ground up with fantasy football in mind, play free fantasy football with our friends at Fleaflicker. Sign up your league on Fleaflicker, and get a Full Season Premium Subscription for FREE.

 

Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!

Week 1 Booms

QB Sam Bradford, PHI: Count me among the many that believe the Eagles are going to put up a ton of points this season. Chip Kelly quarterbacks have been fantasy producers and they were players that Chip did not handpick for his system. New Falcons coach Dan Quinn is looked at as a defensive guru, but his unit will have it's hands full with the fast-paced Eagles offense. Bradford has much more talent than previous Eagles QBs Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez and going from a Brian Schottenheimer offense in St. Louis to a Kelly offense in Philadelphia is like the difference between night(man) and day(man). I think Bradford will be a Top 5 QB this week and for the season, on his way to winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.

 

QB Eli Manning, NYG and Tony Romo, DAL: I fully expect both quarterbacks to put up numbers in this NFC East battle featuring mediocre defenses. These games usually devolve into furious finishes that rely on passing during the 2 minute drill. Romo, in particular, will be asked to shoulder more of the load than last year thanks to DeMarco Murray's defection to Philly. Both are viable QB1s.

 

RB Doug Martin, TB: Martin is a mix of last year's Lamar Miller and Mark Ingram, in that his name brings up bad memories for owners from previous seasons. The man they once called Muscle Hamster had rough 2013 and 2014 campaigns after setting the league on fire as a rookie back in 2012. Fantasy owners that want to live in the past can point to those disappointments as a reason to avoid Martin altogether. But anyone who watched the preseason saw that the Bucs running back was running with speed and power again after losing 15 pounds in the offseason. A Week 1 matchup against a poor run defense in Tennessee is exactly what the doctor ordered for Martin owners nervous that they drafted a lemon.

 

Calvin Johnson, DET and WR Julio Jones, ATL: I am lumping these two together because everybody expects them to boom week in and week out. This is more for players of daily games.  If you are going to pay for receivers, pay for these two.  Johnson has gotten over the ankle issues that plagued him last season and has been rested all preseason. The only thing scarier than Megatron is a rested, hungry Megatron.

Jones has always had the talent to be the highest-scoring receiver in fantasy, but has never been able to bust through his ceiling due to system issues or other mouths in the offense that had to be fed. Those two issues no longer apply. Atlanta's offense under Kyle Shanahan is an all-you-can-eat buffet for the X receiver, which happens to be the position Jones plays. Harry Douglas is now in Tennessee, Roddy White is old and banged up, and Tony Gonzalez remains retired. Matt Ryan will go at his favorite target early and often against a porous Eagles secondary that was lit up by passing attacks all of last season and did not get the upgrades needed to make them competent.

 

WR John Brown, ARI: This is a name that isn't as obvious, despite some preseason hype. I personally wrote about Brown in the preseason as someone that could play the T.Y. Hilton role in Bruce Arians' offense, so I'll keep this simple. Brown put up respeactable numbers as a rookie with bad quarterbacks throwing him the ball for most of the time. He gets back Carson Palmer in a home game against a Saints defense that varies between terrible and abysmal. Larry Fitzgerald is the bigger name and the safer play, but based on Brown's usage in the preseason and his raw tools, I expect him to be the highest scorer out of the Cardinals receivers on Sunday.

 

WR Stevie Johnson, SD: Ever since Vincent Jackson left, figuring out who will be the leading Chargers receiver in a given week has been a guessing game. Keenan Allen looked to be the rock in 2013, but disappointed in 2014. Antonio Gates continues to produce, but father time will one day catch up with him and he is suspended the first four games on this season. Malcom Floyd and Ladarius Green consistently underperform, and Green is unlikely to suit up on Sunday due to a concussion. Someone will need to catch those targets from Philip Rivers. Enter Johnson, who is a better fit in the slot with the Chargers than he was lining up for the 49ers last year. Johnson put up good numbers with the Bills despite bad QB play, so pairing with Rivers could lead to a bonanza. I would comfortably start him as a WR3 or Flex if you are in a pinch.

 

Bucs Defense: Many people will be scared off by Tampa's rough season that left them with the number 1 pick, but this defense has real appeal, especially in Week 1. Gerald McCoy and LaVonte David are legitimate studs and Lovie Smith's Bears were the kings of forcing turnovers. All that being factored in with Marcus Mariota making his first NFL start on the road leaves the Bucs defense as a real sleeper for fantasy leagues.  Sure Tampa's offense worries you, but they aren't exactly going up against the 85 Bears.

 

Week 1 Busts

QB Drew Brees, NO: The Post-Jimmy Graham Era begins in Arizona. The Saints have rebuilt their roster to resemble a running team, with Mark Ingram leading the way. C.J. Spiller has officially been declared out this week, leaving Brees one less reliable option in the passing game. Former LSU teammates Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu hope to make Brees look like the turnover prone QB he was last year. If you have a better option than the Saints signal caller, I would consider it.

 

RB Joique Bell, DET: The amount of love Bell received in drafts this summer flummoxed me. His ADP as the 27th running back just seems short-sighted.  He was injured for almost all of the preseason and never has shown all that much talent. I expect Ameer Abdullah to get a fair share of reps in his inevitable rise to becoming the Lions starting back. Joique's hype is a product of worthless depth charts that are thrown out the door once on-field production begins. Avoid him this week and for the entire season.

 

RB Carlos Hyde, SF: Retirements, defections and turnover. Those were the three key words for the 49ers this offseason. Hyde looks around now as the lead running back in San Fran, but surrounded by much less talent. I believe the Vikings are a playoff team this year, led by Norv Turner's offensive system and Mike Zimmer's defensive knowledge. I expect the Niners to be down early and have to turn to Colin Kaepernick and the passing game earlier than they would like.

 

RB Bishop Sankey, TEN: Nothing in Sankey's tape from last season was all that exciting. I broke down how much I like the Bucs defense earlier in this piece, so that is strike one against Sankey. I truly believe David Cobb would be getting the lion's share of the carries if he was healthy. Having a running quarterback usually helps the starting running back's numbers but I think Sankey is too limited talent-wise and matchup-wise to be worthy of anything more than a Flex flier.

 

WR Mike Evans, TB: Hamstring injuries are tricky business, and there is nothing worse than watching your player struggle to a 0 as he limps around or re-aggravates something. Dealing with a rookie quarterback making the first start of his career is scary as well. I would avoid Evans altogether if you have another player that can contribute similar numbers. When he's healthy, he's a stud but that will likely not be the case this Sunday.

 

WR Roddy White, ATL: People are still drafting and starting Hot Rod because of previous seasons' performances. White is now a 33-year-old receiver coming off a season where he failed to put up 1,000 yards despite being in a pass-happy offense and opposing defenses focusing on Julio Jones. As I said earlier, Jones is now by far the focal point of the new offense and White is battling elbow problems. While the Eagles do present a potential tasty matchup, I would pass on White.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

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




REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking to Shake Off Poor Major Showing at TPC Craig Ranch
Joel Dahmen

is of No DFS Consideration This Week in Dallas
Pierceson Coody

is Not The Fun DFS Play He Used to Be
Tank Bigsby

Is Tank Bigsby a Worthy Dynasty Stash Entering 2026?
Hunter Henry

Profiles as a Dynasty Sell-High Candidate Entering 2026
Gerrit Cole

to Make Season Debut on Friday Against Rays
Matthew Golden

Can Matthew Golden Re-Establish His Dynasty Value in 2026?
Jalen Coker

a Prime Buy-Low Dynasty Target
Dak Prescott

Remains a High-Floor Dynasty Quarterback
CeeDee Lamb

Is CeeDee Lamb's Dynasty Value Poised to Rise in 2026?
Keon Coleman

Joe Brady Likes What he's Seen From Keon Coleman
Deshaun Watson

Hitting it Off With Todd Monken?
Jacoby Brissett

Not Present for First OTA Practice
Tua Tagovailoa

Michael Penix Jr. Splitting First-Team Reps at OTAs
Rashee Rice

Tests Positive for Marijuana, Violating his Probation
Cam Skattebo

Says he'll be Ready for Week 1
De'Von Achane

Present for Start of OTAs This Week
Malik Washington

an Affordable Trade Target in Dynasty Leagues
Patrick Mahomes

Is Patrick Mahomes Still a Top-Five Dynasty Quarterback?
Michael Trigg

Is There a Spot for Michael Trigg in Dallas?
Seth McGowan

in the Mix for Playing Time as a Rookie?
Audric Estimé

Audric Estime Droppable in Dynasty Leagues?
Drake Baldwin

Braves Place Drake Baldwin on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Kyren Williams

Have Timeshare Concerns Sunk Kyren Williams' Dynasty Value Too Low?
Ja'Marr Chase

Is Ja'Marr Chase the Most Valuable Player in Dynasty?
Javonte Williams

' Unusual Career Path Has Left Him Undervalued in Dynasty Leagues
CFB

Ezavier Crowell has Immediate Opportunity at Alabama
CFB

Mark Bowman a Day 1 Impact Player for USC?
CFB

Bill Belichick Says Relationship with First North Carolina Team "Wasn't Great"
Alex Caruso

Erupts for 31 Points in Game 1 Loss to Spurs
CFB

Kemario Taylor a Breakout Candidate at Quarterback
Jalen Williams

Productive in Comeback Game
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss the Undisputed Top SEC Quarterback Entering 2026?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Records First Double-Double of Postseason
CFB

Rocco Becht The "Unifier" of Penn State's Roster
Stephon Castle

Opens Conference Finals With Double-Double
Dylan Harper

Makes Outstanding Two-Way Impact in Game 1 Win
Victor Wembanyama

Dominates Game 1 Against Thunder
Mattias Samuelsson

Picks Up an Assist in Season-Ending Loss
Rasmus Dahlin

Nets Fourth Postseason Goal
Jakub Dobes

Records 37 Saves in Game 7 Win
Lane Hutson

Contributes Power-Play Assist in Game 7 Victory
Nick Suzuki

Extends Road Point Streak
Alex Newhook

Scores Series-Clincher in Overtime
Jackson Holliday

Orioles Reinstate Jackson Holliday From Injured List on Monday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Braves Reinstate Ronald Acuna Jr. From Injured List on Monday
Jose Altuve

Astros Put Jose Altuve on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Larry Nance Jr.

is Questionable for Game 1 on Tuesday
OG Anunoby

is Probable for Tuesday's Game 1
Luke Kornet

is Cleared for Game 1
New Orleans Pelicans

Jamahl Mosley Agrees to Become Pelicans Next Head Coach
De'Aaron Fox

is Ruled Out for Game 1 on Monday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Set to Start Game 7
Corey Seager

Going on Injured List With Back Injury
Tage Thompson

Can Match Franchise Record With Another Multi-Point Game
Nick Suzuki

Seeks More Road Success Monday
Lane Hutson

Riding a Five-Game Assist Streak Into Game 7
Filip Gustavsson

Needs Offseason Surgery
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Reinstated and Starting on Monday Against Twins
Melquizael Costa

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 117
Arnold Allen

Bounces Back
Daniel Santos

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
MMA

Dohoo Choi Wins His Third Consecutive Fight
Malcolm Wellmaker

Suffers His Second Loss In A Row
Juan Diaz

Scores Second-Round Submission
Christian Edwards

Defeated At UFC Vegas 117
CFB

Transfer Running Back Arnold Barnes Visiting Iowa State on Monday
Modestas Bukauskas

Gets Split-Decision Win
Jhostynxon Garcia

Expected to Join the Pirates on Tuesday
Tobias Harris

Goes Cold in Game 7 Loss
Quinn Hughes

Open to Signing Extension This Offseason
Jalen Duren

Finishes Game 7 with Quiet Line
Cade Cunningham

Endures Cold Shooting Night Sunday
Joel Eriksson Ek

Misses Second Round Due to Heel Injury
Sam Merrill

Catches Fire in Game 7 Win
Evan Mobley

Posts Versatile Double-Double in Game 7
Jonas Brodin

Sits Out Round 2 Due to Toe Injury
Donovan Mitchell

Guides Cavaliers Into East Finals
Sam Malinski

Practices Fully Sunday
Jarrett Allen

Scores 23 Points in Cavs' Game 7 Rout of Pistons
Josh Manson

Rejoins Practice
Kevin Huerter

Active on Sunday Night
Caris LeVert

Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert Available Sunday
Dean Wade

Max Strus Replaces Dean Wade in Starting Lineup Sunday
Colt Emerson

Mariners Promoting Top Prospect Colt Emerson to Major Leagues
Munetaka Murakami

Fantastic First Season Continues With Two More Homers
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Dazzles With 13-Strikeout Complete Game on Saturday
Blake Snell

to Undergo Elbow Surgery on Tuesday
Clay Holmes

Could Miss Around Three Months
Jose Altuve

Exits After Swing
Corey Seager

Absent With Back Spasms on Saturday
Jeremy Lauzon

Misses Saturday's Practice
Mark Stone

Doesn't Practice Saturday
Josh Manson

Misses Practice, Considered Day-to-Day
Brent Burns

Day-to-Day Ahead of Conference Finals
Cale Makar

Considered Day-to-Day
Trevor Story

Hits the Injured List With Groin Injury
Blake Snell

Likely to Need Elbow Surgery
Kyle Schwarber

on a Heater, Hits Two More Homers to Take Major-League Lead
Clay Holmes

Suffers Fractured Fibula on Friday Night
Blake Snell

Heads to 15-Day Injured List
Blake Snell

Scratched From Start on Friday for Undisclosed Reasons
CFB

Julian Sayin Looking To Build Off Of Strong Debut Season
CFB

College GameDay Set for First Three Weeks
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Aiming For Ohio State Receiving Records
CFB

Keshaun Singleton Projects as Auburn's WR1
CFB

Jeremiah Cobb Impresses New Auburn Staff
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Very Likely to Start for Georgia Tech
CFB

Charles Woodson Jr. Commits to Michigan
Melquizael Costa

Set For UFC Vegas 117 Main Event
Arnold Allen

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 117
Daniel Santos

Set For UFC Vegas 117 Co-Main Event
MMA

Dohoo Choi Returns At UFC Vegas 117
Juan Diaz

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Malcolm Wellmaker

Looks To Bounce Back
Christian Edwards

Set For His UFC Debut
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
CFB

Virginia Tech Lands Commitment from Four-Star QB Peter Bourque
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF