The Boom or Bust play is one of the most talked about aspects of fantasy football each week. Boom or Bust players can be used in the deep lineup leagues, when it appears you are a heavy underdog in your head-to-head matchup or even in Guaranteed Prize Pool Tournaments in DFS.

In this article, I will cover five of my favorite boom or bust plays for Week 7 of the fantasy football season.

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Quarterback

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers QB vs TB

Colin Kaepernick made his return to the 49ers starting lineup in week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, and his play wasn't exactly stellar, completing 13 of 29 passes for 187 yards and 1 touchdown. Despite the poor play in the passing game, he made up for it from a fantasy perspective with 66 rushing yards on 8 carries to make him the QB16 on the week with 19.95 fantasy points. If his first start is any indication, Kaepernick’s boom/bust weeks will be heavily reliant on his rushing production.

In week 7, he gets his first home start of the season against a porous Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has allowed 24 or more points in 4 of 5 games this season, the exception being a Derek Anderson-led Panthers team. With his second start in the Chip Kelly offense, I expect Kaepernick to be more comfortable and able to put up solid passing and rushing numbers to bring him to a QB1(top 12) week.

Verdict: Boom

 

Running Back

Duke Johnson, Browns RB at CIN

Duke Johnson hasn't been the back many were expecting when they were selecting him in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts this summer. Isaiah Crowell had secured that job as the Browns RB1 with a few big runs and 3 15+ PPR point performances in the first 4 games. In the last 2 games, Crowell has slowed down with a pair of 5 point games and Johnson has been the benefactor, putting up 17 points against the Titans last week.

This week, the Browns play the Bengals on the road and Duke Johnson will look to take advantage of a Bengals defense that has allowed the 10th most fantasy points to running backs. The Browns are 10 point underdogs this week, which means they should be passing early and often, meaning Johnson will likely get more snaps and touches than Crowell. With Corey Coleman still hurt, it really is only Terrelle Pryor and Duke Johnson getting the majority of targets in the Browns passing offense.

Verdict: Boom

 

Wide Receiver

Jordan Matthews, Eagles WR vs MIN

Eagles rookie Quarterback Carson Wentz showed his first real signs of weakness last week against Washington as he completed 11 of 22 passes for 179 passing yards and no touchdowns. Jordan Matthews production is dependent on Wentz playing well, but he did put up 10 PPR points despite the down week.

This week, Wentz and the Eagles offense will face their toughest test of the season as they face a Vikings defense that has made the likes of Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers and others look very bad. The Vikings defense has been stout in the first 5 games of the season, allowing 16 points or less in each game. Additionally, they have had an extra week to prepare for Wentz, Matthews and company, so I don't see anyone from the Eagles offense, including Matthews having a successful fantasy day

Verdict: Bust

 

Tight End

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans TE at DEN

C.J. Fiedorowicz was one of the week's most popular waiver wire pickups as he put up 20.5 PPR points against the Colts, his 3rd consecutive game with over 10 fantasy points. Fiedorowicz has had 4+ catches and 5+ targets in each of those games, so it hasn't just been a case of one touchdown or one big play, he is now a legitimate part of the Texans offense.

If the Denver defense does have a soft spot, it is against the tight end as they have allowed the 17th most fantasy points to tight ends, compared to allowing the fewest to wide receivers. However, despite that, I don't see Fiedorowicz as a good play this weekend as I believe Brock Osweiler and the Texans offense will be hard pressed to get anything going against of the top 2 defenses in the league.

Verdict: Bust

 

Hail Mary of the Week

In the Hail Mary of the Week, I will choose a Boom/Bust candidate who is available on the waiver wire or at the end of benches in most fantasy football leagues and could have a big week:

Adam Humphries, Buccaneers WR at SF

This week, the Buccaneers placed Vincent Jackson on IR, cementing Humphries role as the WR2 in the offense, with not much behind him. Even with Jackson playing, Humphries saw 25 targets in the first 3 games, and it looked like Jackson was returning to the WR2 role in the offense as he out-targeted Humphries 10-6 in the last two games. With Jackson back out of the picture, Humphries should see plenty of targets.

Additionally, Humphries and the Buccaneers offense have a plus matchup as they travel to San Francisco after their bye week to face a defense that has allowed 24 or more points in each week since week 2, including allowing 33 or more in 4 of those 5 games.