👉 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

CJ McCollum

Delivers Clutch Shot in Game 3 Win
Jordan Kyrou

Recoverying From Minor Knee Procedure
Roope Hintz

"Ways Away" From Returning
Jason Dickinson

Could Be an Option for Game 3
Adam Henrique

Misses Trip to Anaheim
Jake Sanderson

Dealing With Head Injury
Josh Manson

Evaluated for Upper-Body Injury
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Draft Jadarian Price at No. 32 Overall
Tennessee Titans

Titans Select Keldric Faulk After Trading Up to No. 31 Overall
Kansas City Chiefs

Peter Woods Selected 29th Overall by Chiefs
Tennessee Titans

Titans Acquire 31st Overall Pick From Bills
New York Jets

Jets Select Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30 Overall in NFL Draft
New England Patriots

Patriots Trade Up Three Spots, Select Caleb Lomu 28th Overall
New York Jets

Jets Trade Up Into First Round, Acquire Pick No. 30 From 49ers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Trade Up Three Spots, Select Chris Johnson 27th Overall
Houston Texans

Texans Trade Up, Select Keylan Rutledge 26th Overall
Chicago Bears

Dillon Thieneman Selected 25th Overall by Bears
Cleveland Browns

Browns Select Wide Receiver KC Concepcion With 24th Overall Selection
Dallas Cowboys

Malachi Lawrence Joins Cowboys at 23rd Pick
Los Angeles Chargers

Akheem Mesidor Selected 22nd Overall by Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Select Offensive Tackle Max Iheanachor With 21st Pick
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up to Take Receiver Makai Lemon at 20th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Monroe Freeling Goes to Panthers at No. 19 Overall
Minnesota Vikings

Caleb Banks Drafted by Vikings at 18th Overall on Thursday
Alex Lyon

Comes in and Shuts Down Boston
Detroit Lions

Lions Select Blake Miller With the 17th Overall Pick of NFL Draft
Jake Sanderson

Suffers Hand Injury While Blocking Shot
New York Jets

Jets Draft Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 Overall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers Draft Rueben Bain Jr. With the 15th Overall Pick
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Trade Down, Select Kadyn Proctor 12th Overall in 2026 NFL Draft
Jake LaRavia

Available for Game 3 Friday
Austin Reaves

Upgraded to Questionable on Injury Report
Spencer Jones

Starting in Game 3
Joel Embiid

Picks Up Doubtful Tag Before Game 3
Kevin Durant

Iffy for Friday Night Due to Ankle Issue
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Listed as Questionable for Game 3
Jaylen Clark

Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark Won't Play Thursday
Aaron Gordon

Ruled Out Thursday
Anthony Edwards

Cleared to Play Thursday
Jalen Williams

Week-to-Week Ahead of Game 3
Harrison Barnes

Available for Game 3
Victor Wembanyama

Traveling with Team Ahead of Game 3
Thomas Bryant

Cleared for Game 3
Milwaukee Bucks

Taylor Jenkins Set to Become Bucks Head Coach
Immanuel Quickley

Still Sidelined for Game 3
Ja'Kobe Walter

Good to Go for Game 3
Francisco Lindor

Expected to Miss "Significant Time"
Tyler Kleven

Available for Senators Versus Hurricanes
Josh Norris

Out With Undisclosed Injury for Thursday Night
Noah Ostlund

Will Return for Game 3 Against Boston
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
Jason Robertson

Scores in Sixth Straight Playoff Game
Matt Duchene

Records Second Consecutive Multi-Point Game
Sean Couturier

Contributes Two Assists in Game 3 Win
Jackson LaCombe

Ties Ducks Record With Three Points in Game 2
Alex Killorn

Racks Up Three Points on Special Teams
Connor McDavid

Finishes Pointless for Second Straight Game
Rasmus Sandin

Undergoes ACL Surgery
Paolo Banchero

Finishes Game 2 Loss With 18 Points
Cade Cunningham

Notches 27 Points, 11 Assists in Slow-Burning Win
Devin Booker

Settles for 22 Points in Game 2
Dillon Brooks

Leads Suns With 30 Points Wednesday Night
Michael Harris II

Continues to Heat Up With Two-Homer Game on Wednesday
Francisco Lindor

Leaves Wednesday's Game Early With Calf Tightness
JR Ritchie

Earns Promotion, Will Make MLB Debut on Thursday
Noah Ostlund

Could Return Thursday
Pontus Holmberg

Will Miss Round 1
Charle-Edouard D'Astous

Could Be an Option Friday
Wyatt Langford

Expected to Go on Injured List With Flexor Strain
Maikel Garcia

Leaves Early on Wednesday With Elbow Soreness
Roman Anthony

Day-to-Day With Sore Back
Juan Soto

Officially Back in Mets Lineup on Wednesday
J.T. Realmuto

Phillies Place J.T. Realmuto on Injured List With Back Injury
Lucas Giolito

Signs With Padres, Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup?
Ryan Helsley

Orioles Put Ryan Helsley on Bereavement List 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
Elly De La Cruz

Early-Season Breakout Continues on Tuesday
Wyatt Langford

Pulled Early on Tuesday With Forearm Tightness
Luke Clanton

Hoping to Find Form in New Orleans
Jackson Holliday

Leaves Rehab Game With Hand Discomfort
Corbin Carroll

Returns to Arizona's Lineup Against White Sox
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
Zack Wheeler

to Make Season Debut on Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Back in Leadoff Spot on Tuesday After Injury Scare
CFB

Ashton Daniels Named Florida State's Starting Quarterback
Juan Soto

Expected to Return on Wednesday
Tyler Reddick

Earns His Fifth Win of the 2026 Season at Kansas
Kyle Larson

Finishes as the Runner-Up at Kansas
Chase Briscoe

Rallies for A New Career-Best Finish at Kansas
Denny Hamlin

Leads the Most Laps at Kansas but Misses Out on Victory
Christopher Bell

Falls Out of Contention for Kansas Victory on Final Restart
Mike Malott

Scores Third-Round TKO Win
Gilbert Burns

Retires After UFC Winnipeg Loss
Charles Jourdain

Extends Winning Streak
Kyler Phillips

Drops Decision At UFC Winnipeg
Mandel Nallo

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss In His UFC Debut
Jai Herbert

Scores First-Round TKO Win
Karine Silva

Gets Dominated at UFC Winnipeg
Jasmine Jasudavicius

Dominates Karine Silva
Kyle Larson

Should not be Underestimated for the Win at Kansas
Denny Hamlin

Can Denny Hamlin Dominate at Kansas Again?
NASCAR

Christoper Bell Should Contend for First Win at Kansas
Tyler Reddick

Fastest in Practice and Qualifying for Kansas Race
Ryan Blaney

Could Score another Top-10 Finish at Kansas
Ty Gibbs

Poised to Continue Hot Streak at Kansas
Chris Buescher

Always Consistent, Has Speed Heading Into Kansas
William Byron

is A Solid DFS Option for Kansas Lineups
Carson Hocevar

Poised for Career-Best Run at Kansas
Chase Briscoe

Is Chase Briscoe Worth Rostering for DFS at Kansas?
Chase Elliott

Is A Favorable DFS Option for Kansas Lineups
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano be Considered Playable In DFS This Week at Kansas?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace is A Favorable Driver to Consider for Kansas Lineups
Ross Chastain

Is Ross Chastain A Worthy DFS Option for Kansas?
Brad Keselowski

Could Brad Keselowski be A Sneaky DFS Option for Kansas?
Daniel Suarez

Should DFS Managers Roster Daniel Suarez at Kansas?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF