🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

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.

 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

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"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nic Dowd

Out Against Lightning
Jake Evans

Good to Go Saturday
Gavin Brindley

to Sit Out at Least Two Games
Thomas Chabot

Available Against Sharks
Roman Josi

Returns From 12-Game Absence
Jake Walman

Out Saturday
Kawhi Leonard

Anticipated to Return on Sunday
J.T. Miller

Won't Play Against Mammoth
Brenton Strange

Activated Off Injured Reserve, Will Play vs. Arizona
Chris Godwin

Expected to Play in Week 12
Kawhi Leonard

Sidelined for Saturday's Game Against Hornets
Joe Burrow

Won't Be Activated This Week
Tre Mann

Dealing With Ankle Soreness
Jaden Ivey

Could Make Season Debut Soon
Tobias Harris

Listed as Questionable for Saturday
Aaron Gordon

Expected to Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Matas Buzelis

Leaves Friday's Game Early With Ankle Issue
Gabriel Vilardi

Has Two Goals in Losing Effort
Jordan Staal

Provides Two Goals in Friday's Win
Matt Boldy

Amasses Three Points in Impressive Road Win
Filip Gustavsson

Shuts Out Penguins Friday
Josh Doan

Pots Two Goals Friday Night
Alex Tuch

Tallies Four Assists in Big Win
Vinnie Hinostroza

Suffers Serious Injury Friday
Aaron Gordon

Won't Return to NBA Cup Meeting with Houston
Travis Kelce

Open to Returning in 2026?
Onyeka Okongwu

Could Miss Matchup With Pelicans
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Headed for a Divorce Soon?
D'Angelo Russell

Ruled Out Against Pelicans
Trey Hendrickson

Ruled Out for Week 12
Tre Jones

Cleared to Play Friday with Planned Minutes Limit
Jaden McDaniels

Cleared to Face Phoenix
Coby White

Ruled Out for Friday's Game Against Miami
Jarrett Allen

Ruled Out on Friday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Doubtful as Grizzlies Face Mavericks
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
Jaylon Tyson

Returning Versus Indiana
Darius Garland

Cleared to Play on Friday, Expected to See Limited Action
Marvin Bagley III

to Miss Friday's Game Against Raptors
Auston Matthews

Doubtful for Saturday
Rashod Bateman

Ruled Out for Week 12
Alexandre Sarr

Ruled Out for a Second Straight Game
Roman Josi

Could Return Saturday
Samuel Honzek

Out for Six Months After Surgery
Chris Godwin

Officially Questionable for Week 12
Sion James

Expected to Play Through Groin Issue Saturday
Jalen Chatfield

Available for Friday's Matchup
Andrew Wiggins

Labeled as "Day-to-Day"
Nico Sturm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Jason Zucker

Available Friday
Connor Hellebuyck

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Jaylen Warren

Cleared From Injury Report Ahead of Week 12
Brian Thomas Jr.

Ruled Out for Week 12
Kenneth Walker III

Listed as Questionable for Week 12
Trey Benson

Ruled Out For Week 12
Josh Jacobs

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Darius Slayton

Cleared to Return From Hamstring Injury in Week 12
Daniel Jones

"Good to Go" for Week 12
Alvin Kamara

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 12
Xavier Worthy

"Trending in the Right Direction," Officially Questionable
Isiah Pacheco

Out Against Colts
Drake London

Officially Ruled Out for Week 12
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Aaron Rodgers

Questionable to Play Against Bears
Rhamondre Stevenson

Expected to Return in Week 12
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Tagir Ulanbekov

Set To Open Up UFC Qatar Main Card
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?
Jose Altuve

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Alex Bregman

Red Sox Going for Either Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso?
CFB

James Franklin to be Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach
CFB

Fernando Mendoza the Clear Heisman Trophy Favorite?
CFB

Beau Pribula Has Chance to Face Oklahoma on Saturday
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt
Zhang Weili

Gets Outclassed
Valentina Shevchenko

Wins Unanimous Decision At UFC 322
Sean Brady

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Michael Morales

Remains Unbeaten
Leon Edwards

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates Becomes The First Man To Knock Out Leon Edwards
Beneil Dariush

Suffers Brutal First-Round Knockout Loss
Beneil Dariush

Benoit Saint Denis Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 16 Seconds
Josh Naylor

Mariners Finalizing Five-Year Contract

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP