👉 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


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

Eight Lineup Busts and Avoids for the Divisional Round

The second round of the playoffs is here, which means that this is the final week in which we'll have four games going. Below is a potential bust for each team this weekend.

Because there are so few teams in play, these players aren't necessarily potential busts in the same sense that they would have been if this was a regular season column. Instead, these are players who might not be the most appealing daily fantasy options due to match-ups and players who could perform worse than the rest of their team due to game flow and other factors.

Below are eight lineup busts and avoids for the Divisional Round of NFL action.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Top 8 Busts - NFL Divisional Round

Atlanta Falcons: Tevin Coleman, Running Back

The Eagles allowed the second-fewest points to opposing running backs during the regular season and Coleman hasn't had a "good" rushing game since November, though he salvaged one December game with a strong performance as a pass catcher. Coleman won't get enough touches against a strong Eagles front to produce much on the ground, but there's a chance he makes something happen as a receiver--despite allowing just six rushing touchdowns to running backs this season, the Eagles gave up five receiving touchdowns to backs, a mark that ties for second-most in the league.

Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Foles, Quarterback

The playoffs can be weird from a fantasy perspective. A few days ago, I wrote a piece here on Rotoballer and said Foles was a good bargain play on DraftKings. I still think that's true, but he's also the most likely player to bust for the Eagles just due to the fact that he's barely played for the Eagles this year. The team is likely to lean on the run game more than usual. The Falcons pass defense isn't great--they gave up the 13th-most points to fantasy quarterbacks, the most of any NFC playoff team--but it's a little tough to trust Foles against them. After playing well in his first start, he struggled in his second game and in the limited action he saw in Week 17. (Other bust candidates for the Eagles are the receivers--like, well, all of them--if Foles struggles. I'm not...umm...feeling great about Philly this week, but I do think there's a chance Foles performs solidly.)

Tennessee Titans: Corey Davis, Wide Receiver

The rookie couldn't produce in the first round, grabbing just four catches for 35 yards on seven targets. Kansas City was one of the worst defenses against wide receivers in the regular season, which makes Davis's no show troubling. New England isn't actually that much better, but Davis hasn't shown enough at the NFL level to warrant fantasy playing time this weekend.

New England Patriots: Rex Burkhead, Running Back

Rex Burkhead made some waves for New England during the regular season, but a knee injury held him out of the final two games of the regular season. He's expected to play this weekend, but he won't be at 100 percent and is unlikely to see many touches with the way Dion Lewis has been playing. Burkhead was already starting to cede touches to Lewis before his injury. Yes, Burkhead has five touchdowns in the last four games he's played, but that lingering knee issue is enough to keep him off my fantasy radar.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, Quarterback

I mean, this feels obvious, right? Bortles isn't going to be able to make things happen with his feet in consecutive weeks, which leaves us with a player who went 12-for-23 last week for just 87 yards. The Steelers defense is good, especially in terms of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. I think Jacksonville's playoff run is going to come to an end this week with a rough outing.

Pittsburgh Steelers: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Wide Receiver

I know the easy answer here is to just say that Ben Roethlisberger, who threw five interceptions when these teams met in the regular season, is a bad start, but Roethlisberger did throw for 312 yards in that game. I'm not expecting a repeat performance in the turnover category, though I do think the Steelers will find it a little harder to get the yards. Expect a large dose of Le'Veon Bell in the run game and Antonio Brown in the receiving game, with Smith-Schuster likely to take a little bit of a backseat. When these teams met earlier, Brown was targeted 19 times and Smith-Schuster just six.

New Orleans Saints: Ted Ginn Jr., Wide Receiver

Ginn was a huge part of New Orleans's Wild Card victory over the Panthers, catching four balls for 115 yards and a touchdown, but I don't see him reaching those heights again this week against Minnesota's strong pass defense. Ginn did catch four passes for 53 yards when these teams met back in Week 1, but it's hard to extrapolate too much from a meeting in early September when both teams looked vastly different. What I do know is that the Vikings have been shutting down receivers over the second half of the season. They haven't allowed a 100-yard receiver since Marvin Jones Jr. back in Week 12, and Michael Thomas will end up with more targets than Ginn.

Minnesota Vikings: Kyle Rudolph, Tight End

The Saints allow the fifth-fewest points to tight ends and Rudolph has been very, very touchdown dependent lately. Over the past three games, Rudolph has four catches for 26 yards. He's also been hobbled with an ankle injury, which helps explain why he's seemingly become only a red zone target. Rudolph is unlikely to get many chances this week to make plays. There's upside because wide receiver Adam Thielen is also on a cold streak, which could provide Rudolph with a few more opportunities, but I'm not sure the upside is worth the risk here.

 

More Divisional Round Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Joselyne Edwards

Scores Upset Win
Alexander Hernandez

Gets Dominated
Alexander Hernandez

Rafa Garcia Dominates Alexander Hernandez
Adrian Luna Martinetti

Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
Davey Grant

Gets Back In The Win Column
Manny Machado

Clubs Two Homers, Starting to Turn Things Around?
Kyren Williams

Becoming a Better Dynasty Value by the Day
Ben Sinnott

Is it Time to Move on From Ben Sinnott?
Sam Darnold

Still a Reliable Dynasty Hold
Brandon Hagel

Pops Up With Two Goals in Sunday's Win
Justin Fields

Could Dynasty Managers See One More Sell Window for Justin Fields?
Nathan MacKinnon

Records Three Points in Series-Clincher
Dallas Goedert

a Dynasty Bargain After Flurry of Eagles' Moves
Bowen Byram

Extends Goal Streak to Three Games
John Carlson

Delivers Two Assists in Game 4 Victory
Connor McDavid

Bags Pair of Power-Play Assists in 100th Playoff Game
Jason Zucker

Makes Early Exit in Blowout Win
De'Aaron Fox

Notches Game-High 28 Points Sunday
Joel Embiid

Returns With Double-Double
Jayson Tatum

Logs 30-Point Double-Double in Sunday's Win
LeBron James

Quiet in Game 4 Loss to Rockets
Julius Randle

Handed $35K Fine for His Part in Game 4 Altercation
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fined $50K for Game 4 Incident
Collin Murray-Boyles

Continues to Shine for Raptors
Deni Avdija

Returns to Form Sunday
Victor Wembanyama

Stuffs Stat Sheet in His Return
Austin Reaves

Won't Suit Up Sunday
Jonathan Isaac

Likely to Remain Out Monday
Isaiah Joe

Available for Game 4 Monday
Aaron Gordon

Uncertain for Monday
Jordan Goodwin

Considered Questionable for Monday's Elimination Game
Joel Embiid

Ready to Return Sunday
Mark Williams

to Remain Out Monday
Kevin Huerter

Listed as Questionable for Monday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Cleared to Play Sunday
Anthony Edwards

Faces Multi-Week Absence
Kevin Durant

Remains Out Sunday
Emil Andrae

Expected to Rejoin Flyers Lineup Monday
Matvei Michkov

Set to Be Scratched for Game 5
Radko Gudas

Remains Sidelined Sunday
Jason Dickinson

a Game-Time Decision Sunday
Maxwell Crozier

to Replace Declan Carlile Sunday
Alexander Nikishin

Diagnosed With Concussion
Viktor Arvidsson

Exits Early Sunday
Theo Johnson

a Dynasty Faller After Busy Giants Offseason
Kyle Monangai

Remains a Dynasty Hold
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Remains a Locked-in Dynasty Stud
Jonah Coleman

Could Have Immediate Impact as Broncos' Short-Yardage Back
Jerry Jeudy

Browns Say Jerry Jeudy Will Not Be Impacted by Rookies
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List Due to Left-Wrist Fracture
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Talladega?
Xavier Worthy

a Buy-Low Candidate for Dynasty Managers Following NFL Draft?
NASCAR

Is Bubba Wallace Playable in Talladega DFS Lineups?
Skyler Bell

Earning Comparisons to Elite NFL Wideout Following NFL Draft
Jayden Daniels

' Supporting Cast in Washington Remains Similar Following NFL Draft
Joe Burrow

Dynasty Value Remains Impacted by Injury Concerns
Josh Naylor

Absent on Sunday With Quad Tightness
Andrei Iosivas

Facing New Competition for Bengals' WR3 Role After NFL Draft
Tyjae Spears

Facing Competition in a Contract Year
Jaylen Wright

Remains an Appealing Handcuff Option Following NFL Draft
Ollie Gordon II

Fighting for a Roster Spot?
Ryan Helsley

Returns From Bereavement List on Sunday
Colby Parkinson

Facing More Competition Than Ever Before
Steven Kwan

Back in Sunday's Lineup
Brent Rooker

Activated and Starting on Sunday Against Rangers
Omarion Hampton

Faces Minimal Competition After the NFL Draft
Roman Anthony

Returns as DH on Sunday
Brandon Aiyuk

Commanders Interested in Brandon Aiyuk, Waiting for His Release
Tyler Reddick

Stay Away From Tyler Reddick at Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Shake Off The Bad Luck at Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Could Contend For Another Talladega Win
Kyle Busch

an Easy DFS Pick at Talladega
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. a High-Risk, High-Reward Pick at Talladega
Todd Gilliland

a Sleeper to Watch at Talladega
Brad Keselowski

Is Brad Keselowski Worth Rostering for Talladega Lineups?
Chase Briscoe

Could Chase Briscoe be A Sneaky Tournament Play for Talladega Lineups?
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Managers Trust Christopher Bell at Talladega?
Ty Gibbs

Is A DFS Risk for Talladega Lineups
Arturs Silovs

Steps in and Saves Pittsburgh on Saturday
Sidney Crosby

Helps Lead Pittsburgh to Road Win Over Philadelphia
Brock Faber

a Huge Factor in Minnesota's Overtime Victory
Matt Boldy

Evens Series Between Minnesota and Dallas in Big Way
Frederik Andersen

a Game-Changer as Carolina Closes Out Ottawa
Logan Stankoven

Scores Yet Again as Carolina Sweeps Ottawa
Desmond Bane

Nails Seven Triples En Route to 25 Points
Boston Red Sox

Red Sox Fire Manager Alex Cora and Other Coaches
Josh Manson

Not Expected to Play Sunday
Mason Lohrei

Set to Miss Game 4 as Healthy Scratch
Steven Kwan

Scratched With Neck Stiffness
Trey Yesavage

Returning From Injured List on Tuesday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Heading to the Injured List With Oblique Strain
MLB

Saturday's Mets-Rockies Game Postponed Due to Weather
Giancarlo Stanton

Exits With Leg Tightness on Friday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Scratched on Friday With Mid-Back Pain
Jackson Holliday

Receives Positive Test Results, Will be Shut Down for a Week
Jeff Hoffman

Out as Blue Jays Closer
Youssef Zalal

Set For UFC Vegas 116 Main Event
Aljamain Sterling

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 116
Joselyne Edwards

Set For UFC Vegas 116 Co-Main Event
Norma Dumont

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Alexander Hernandez

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 116
Rafa Garcia

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Adrian Luna Martinetti

Set For His UFC Debut
Davey Grant

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Francisco Lindor

Expected to Miss "Significant Time"
Francisco Lindor

Mets Officially Place Francisco Lindor on Injured List With Calf Strain
Michael Harris II

Removed Early With Quad Tightness
Francisco Lindor

Likely Headed to the Injured List
Michael Harris II

Continues to Heat Up With Two-Homer Game on Wednesday
CFB

Beau Pribula Leading Virginia Quarterback Competition
Marco Penge

Trending Down Entering Zurich Classic
Sahith Theegala

Eyes Another Strong Week at Zurich Classic
Brooks Koepka

Shane Lowry Teams Up with Brooks Koepka at Zurich Classic
Si Woo Kim

Adds Another Strong Finish at RBC Heritage
Luke Clanton

Hoping to Find Form in New Orleans
Scottie Scheffler

is Starting to Hit His Stride
Brooks Koepka

Looking for Progress in PGA Return With Partner at Zurich Classic
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Share Recent Form at Zurich Classic
CFB

Ashton Daniels Named Florida State's Starting Quarterback
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF