TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Egor Demin

Won't Play Versus Denver
Cam Thomas

Resting on Thursday Night
Aaron Judge

Appears to be Past his Elbow Issues
Bo Nix

Expected to Resume Training in 4-6 Weeks
Dan Vladar

Returns to Flyers Crease
Denton Mateychuk

Back in Action Wednesday
Stephen Halliday

Unavailable Versus Avalanche
Ross Colton

Won't Play Wednesday
Devon Toews

Still Out Wednesday
Simon Holmstrom

Expected to Return Wednesday
Ryan Pulock

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Michael Penix Jr.

Thinks he'll be Ready by April
Evan Carter

Establishes a Goal to Steal 30 Bases
Edouard Julien

Traded to the Rockies
Cleveland Browns

Browns Hiring Todd Monken as Next Head Coach
Jack St. Ivany

to Miss Up to Eight Weeks After Surgery
Cody Glass

Exits Early Tuesday Night
Anton Lundell

Expected to Be Available Thursday
Jordan Kyrou

Jake Neighbours Knocked Out of the Lineup Tuesday
Elias Lindholm

Hurt in Tuesday's Win
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Exits With Injury Tuesday
Ondrej Palat

Devils Send Ondrej Palat to the Islanders
Collin Murray-Boyles

Listed as Questionable for Wednesday's Game
Jock Landale

Available for Wednesday's Tilt
Kel'el Ware

in Danger of Missing Another Game
Sahith Theegala

Off to Much Better 2026 Start
Davion Mitchell

Iffy for Wednesday
Gary Woodland

an Intriguing Option at Torrey Pines This Week
Norman Powell

Questionable Wednesday
Tyler Herro

Remains Out Wednesday
CJ Abrams

Giants Offer "Aggressive Pitch" for CJ Abrams
Andrew Putnam

Hopes to Keep Momentum Rolling This Week
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic to Be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Matthieu Pavon

Seeks to Return to 2024 Form at Torrey Pines
Luke List

Still Looking For Birdies at Torrey Pines
Jake Knapp

Faces Stiff Challenge at Farmers Insurance Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

Needs to Play Better at Torrey Pines
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Could Struggle at Farmers Insurance Open
J.J. Spaun

A Steady Option At Farmers Insurance Open
Andrew Novak

Looking For More Success At Torrey Pines
Denny McCarthy

A Wild Card At Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa

Looks To Keep Resurgence Going At Torrey Pines
Joe Highsmith

Struggling Heading Into Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark

Looks To Carry Momentum Into Farmers Insurance Open
Tony Finau

Aims To Turn Things Around At Torrey Pines
Darius Garland

Won't Be Available Wednesday
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Bounce Back at Torrey Pines
Franz Wagner

Won't Play Wednesday
Draymond Green

Expected to Return Wednesday
Kawhi Leonard

Available Against Jazz
Jordan Goodwin

Starts Against Nets
Peyton Watson

Back for Nuggets Tuesday
Paul Goldschmidt

Yankees Expressing Interest in Re-Signing Paul Goldschmidt
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Ready to Rock Tuesday Night
Jamal Murray

Active Versus Pistons
Bo Bichette

Won't Play in World Baseball Classic
Aaron Wiggins

Moves to Starting Lineup Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bobby Portis Replaces Giannis Antetokounmpo in Starting Unit
Joel Embiid

Ready to Take on Bucks
Paul George

Returns to Action Tuesday
NFL

Bill Belichick Won't be First-Ballot Hall of Famer
Leo Carlsson

to Miss Olympics
Alex Turcotte

Unavailable Tuesday
Carlos Correa

Won't Play for Puerto Rico in World Baseball Classic
Dylan Holloway

Remains Out Tuesday
Marco Rossi

to Return After Olympics
Thatcher Demko

Won't Return This Season
Sam Malinski

Inks Four-Year Extension With Avalanche
Bryan Rust

Slapped With Three-Game Suspension
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Continue Incredible Run at Torrey Pines
Jason Day

has a Good Chance to Keep Momentum This Weekend
Keegan Bradley

has Good Course History at Torrey Pines
Billy Horschel

Isn't a Great DFS Option at Torrey Pines
Aaron Rodgers

Mike McCarthy Says he Wants Aaron Rodgers to Return
Will Zalatoris

Has a Shot to Challenge at the Farmers Insurance Open
Drake Maye

Expected to be Fine for Super Bowl
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Brian Daboll as New Offensive Coordinator
Buffalo Bills

Bills Promote Joe Brady to Head Coach
CFB

Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi Signs with Michigan
CFB

Darian Mensah Reaches Settlement with Duke, Expected to Land at Miami
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Not Drawing Interest on Open Market?
Shedeur Sanders

Named as Pro Bowl Replacement
Framber Valdez

Among Many High-End Pitchers on Free-Agent Market
Jose Altuve

Won't Participate in World Baseball Classic
Harrison Bader

Agrees With Giants on Two-Year Deal
Paddy Pimblett

Drops Decision
Justin Gaethje

Becomes the New Interim-Lightweight Champion
Song Yadong

Suffers Unanimous Decision Loss
MMA

Sean O'Malley Gets Back In The Win Column
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Extends His Win Streak
Derrick Lewis

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Officially Hire Mike McDaniel as Offensive Coordinator
Nathan Eovaldi

Doesn't Expect Any Limitations in Spring Training
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates in NFC Championship Game Win
Matthew Stafford

Plans to Return in 2026
CFB

Arthur Smith to Become Ohio State's Offensive Coordinator
Bo Nix

Sidelined for 12 Weeks With Broken Ankle
Jose Altuve

to Mainly Play Second Base
Yu Darvish

Considering Retirement
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Finalizing Deal to Make Mike McCarthy Their Head Coach
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Signs Seven-Year Extension With Guardians
Gunnar Henderson

is Fully Healthy Heading into Spring Training
Tyreek Hill

Dolphins Expected to Release Tyreek Hill
Paddy Pimblett

Set For Interim Lightweight Title Fight
Justin Gaethje

An Underdog At UFC 324
Song Yadong

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Sean O'Malley Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Derrick Lewis

Returns At UFC 324
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Philip Rivers

Interviewing for Bills Head-Coaching Job
NFL

Fernando Mendoza Officially Declares for NFL Draft
CFB

Arch Manning Undergoes Foot Surgery
Dalton Kincaid

Played Through Torn PCL
CFB

College Football Playoff Expected to Remain a 12-Team Field in 2026

RANKINGS

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