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

Under-the-Radar Booms/Busts: Divisional Playoff Round

Some football fans and experts label the Divisional Playoff round the best weekend of NFL football of the year, and it might be the best weekend for playoff fantasy football as well.

Many of fantasy football’s top performers in 2017 will be on the field this weekend. But while Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Zach Ertz and Adam Thielen should be fantasy forces in their playoff games, fantasy players in postseason leagues and DFS contests will be counting on secondary players from playoff teams’ supporting casts to come up huge to help them win this week.

Here are some under-the-radar booms and busts for the second week of NFL playoff action to help you set a winning lineup. Good luck RotoBallers!

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

 

Divisional Playoff Round Under-the-Radar Booms

Matt Ryan (QB, ATL) at PHI

The defending NFC champions and Super Bowl blowers are favored this week against the conference’s No. 1 seed, yet Ryan’s price tag in DFS contests in many formats is lower this week than all playoff QBs except for Nick Foles and Blake Bortles. While Philadelphia’s front seven has helped make its run defense tops in the league, the Eagles pass defense is only 17th and can be exploited. The experienced Ryan will not be rattled by Philadelphia’s hostile home crowd and should be able to connect on some big plays with Julio Jones. Ryan throwing for 275-300 yards and two-to-three touchdowns would not be a shock.

Jerick McKinnon (RB, MIN) vs. NO

McKinnon’s fantasy value has slid downhill quicker than Lindsey Vonn does. Latavius Murray now gets the bulk of the carries and the red-zone duty, which has neutralized McKinnon’s stats and rendered him average fantasy-wise. This could be the weekend he bounces back, though, as he is the niftier of Minnesota’s two main backs and is the better pass catcher, and the Saints had tons of trouble containing Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey last weekend (117 total yards and a TD). McKinnon has the potential to break a couple big plays, especially in the passing game, and be the perfect low-priced buy for DFS players.

Delanie Walker (TE, TEN) at NE

New England’s defense rebounded after a horrendous start to the season to hold 10 of their last 12 opponents to under 20 points. The Patriots pass defense was the Achilles heel all year long, however. While most offenses were forced to throw boatloads of passes in second halves against the Pats because they were trailing, the bottom line is that New England was ranked 30th in pass defense and not just because they had to defend against more passes than most teams did. Walker racked up the most yardage (74 yards) last week in Tennessee’s wild card win than he had in any game since the middle of November. Look for Marcus Mariota to look for his favorite and most experienced target a lot this Saturday evening, especially when the Titans are playing catch-up late in the game and passing on every down.

 

Divisional Playoff Round Under-the-Radar Busts

James White (RB, NE) vs. TEN

Fantasy owners were treated to the Dion Lewis Show the last couple games of the regular season while White and Rex Burkhead recovered from injuries. White will return this weekend, but the problem is that Burkhead will be back as well, and that Lewis has played so well in their absences that he will probably remain New England’s top tailback and get the most touches out of the lot. The Patriots could plan to throw on every down against Tennessee’s 25th-ranked pass defense, which would benefit White if that was indeed the case, but more likely Tom Brady and company will balance out the offense and the playing time for its running backs, limiting White’s worth.

Ted Ginn (WR, NO) at MIN

Ginn put a hurting on his old Carolina Panthers team last week when he caught four passes for 115 yards including an 80-yard touchdown in New Orleans’ wild card victory. The going will be 1,000 times tougher this weekend against Minnesota’s second-ranked pass defense, though. The Vikings secondary allows receivers to get 100 yards about as easily as my wife allows me anywhere near the remote when The Property Brothers are on TV. Only Detroit’s Marvin Jones Jr. had a 100-yard game against them. Ginn has also not been one to string great games together this season. He has not scored touchdowns in back-to-back weeks and in the four games he played in after he had 70-yard games this year he only had 199 receiving yards combined and failed to reach the end zone.

Nelson Agholor (WR, PHI) vs. ATL

Poor Agholor. The kid was having a breakout season after a couple years of being a fantasy flop and looking like one of the worth first-round picks in Philadelphia Eagles history until Carson Wentz’s torn ACL has put a dagger in Agholor’s fantasy value. Agholor has gone from deep threat to underneath outlet as he has averaged less than 10 yards per catch in each of his past four games. Nick Foles cannot throw downfield anywhere near as well as Wentz did, so it is hard to visualize Agholor doing more than five receptions for 50 yards against Atlanta’s underrated pass defense. His playmaking ability can only take him so far when Wentz is not the one throwing to him.

 

More Divisional Playoff 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

Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied For 10 at TOUR Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second at TOUR Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Christian Watson

Agrees to One-Year Contract Extension
Patrick Fishburn

a True Wild Card at Procore Championship
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Eric Cole

Attempts to Start Fresh in Napa Valley
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Kyle Stowers

Dealing With Strained Side
Kyle Tucker

Placed on Injured List With Calf Strain
Jauan Jennings

Considered Day-to-Day, has a Chance to Play in Week 2
Russell Henley

to Get Final Ryder Cup Prep in at Procore Championship
Sam Burns

Hoping to Keep Quality Form Going This Week in Napa Ahead of Ryder Cup
Jalen Carter

Receives One-Game Suspension, Will be Eligible for Week 2
Maverick McNealy

Will Show U.S. Team What They're Missing This Week at Procore
Scottie Scheffler

Making Unusual Start at Procore Championship for Ryder Cup Prep
Bo Bichette

Goes on Injured List With Knee Sprain
George Kittle

Placed on Injured Reserve
Max Homa

A Good Week at a Favored Silverado Resort is Desperately Needed for Max Homa
Tyreek Hill

Accused of Domestic Violence
Davis Riley

Has a Ton of Question Marks Ahead of Procore Championship
Emiliano Grillo

Returns to a Familiar Silverado Resort for Procore Championship
Brian Campbell

Strange Season Continues At Procore Championship
Jauan Jennings

Avoids Serious Shoulder Injury
Garrett Crochet

Shuts Out the Athletics
Royce Lewis

Launches Two Homers Monday Night
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
New York Knicks

Malcolm Brogdon on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
Tyler Glasnow

Fans 11 in Seven No-Hit Innings Monday
Slade Cecconi

Takes No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning Monday
Max Muncy

Batting Cleanup in Return to Dodgers
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Younghoe Koo

Falcons Auditioning Kickers, Could Replace Younghoe Koo
Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Says Broncos Need to be Better With Run-Pass Balance
Tank Bigsby

Eagles Acquiring Tank Bigsby From Jaguars on Monday
George Kittle

Likely Out 3-5 Weeks, Could Land on Injured Reserve
Chase Burns

to be Activated on Friday
Brock Purdy

Dealing With Multiple Injuries, Could Miss Week 2
Tyler Glasnow

Cleared to Start on Monday
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on Concussion Injured List
Christian Yelich

Returning on Monday
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Daniel Palencia

Cubs Place Daniel Palencia on Injured List With Shoulder Strain
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Returning on Monday
Sean Murphy

Done for the Year With Hip Labral Tear
Alec Bohm

Lands on Injured List With Cyst in his Shoulder
Trea Turner

Going on Injured List, Phillies Hope to Have him Back for Playoffs
Brock Bowers

Considered Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
Jonathan Taylor

is "Good" After Taking a Hit to his Neck in Week 1
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Kyle Stowers

Suffers Setback on Rehab Assignment?
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Michael King

Expected to Return on Tuesday
Russell Wilson

Remains the Giants Starter
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Xavier Worthy

Week-to-Week with Dislocated Shoulder
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Rhys McKee

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Axel Sola

Successful In His UFC Debut
Robert Ruchała

Robert Ruchala Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
William Gomis

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Derrick Henry

Scores Twice but has Costly Fumble on Sunday
Lamar Jackson

Shines With Three Total Touchdowns in Loss to Bills
Keon Coleman

Leads the Team With 11 Targets on Sunday
Josh Allen

Totals Four Touchdowns in Win Over Ravens
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates Targets in Seattle, Records 124 Receiving Yards in Week 1
Puka Nacua

Leads Rams in Targets, Catches, and Receiving Yards in Week 1
Jayson Tatum

"Moving Around Way Better"
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension

RANKINGS

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