🖥 CYBER WEEK - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
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: Wild Card Round

The NFL regular season might be over, but the under-the-radar booms and busts will not stop until a team wins the Super Bowl!

The wacky Wild Card weekend is upon football fans and fantasy players. This gives fantasy football addicts four games to concentrate on and a larger player pool to work with than later in the playoffs when there are only two games when the AFC/NFC Championship weekend happen and just one the week of the Super Bowl.

Here are some under-the-radar booms and busts for the first 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:

 

Wild Card Round Under-the-Radar Booms

Mohamed Sanu (WR, ATL) at LAR

Sanu proved he was a playoff performer last postseason when he caught two touchdown tosses from Matt Ryan in three games during Atlanta’s run as a Super Bowl runner-up. He led the Falcons with five touchdown catches this season and has become more of a red-zone threat than Julio Jones. The Rams’ 13th-ranked pass defense could be a little overrated due to a schedule that was not loaded with high-powered passing attacks (only three games versus top-10 passing offenses, and one was against San Francisco pre-Jimmy Garropolo). In a game that could turn into a shootout the O.K. Corral would love to host, Sanu should be able to have 60-75 yards and score a TD.

Jonathan Stewart (RB, CAR) at NO

Stewart missed Carolina’s final regular-season contest with a tight back and rolls his ankles as easily as a baker rolls out dough. While fantasy players may be shy about using Stewart in a tough road playoff game against an improved New Orleans defense, you have to give some credence to what Stewart has done in the past against the Saints. Stewart has scored six touchdowns over his past eight games against his division rival. Even though Stewart’s 3.4 yards per carry this season is the lowest of 10-year career and he splits time and touches with rookie runner Christian McCaffrey, his past history against the Saints (and recent history since he scored against them this year) cannot be discounted. Carolina could lean on Stewart a little more this weekend due to his past playoff experience as well.

Albert Wilson (WR, KC) vs. TEN

Wilson is Alex Smith’s fourth-best option in Kansas City’s passing attack behind Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and top tailback Kareem Hunt, but he could come up with a couple big plays of his own this week against Tennessee’s 25th-ranked pass defense. Wilson is coming off the best game of his career (10 receptions for 147 yards versus Denver) and has been getting targeted more often by Smith in recent weeks (22 targets in first seven games, 40 targets in last six games). If Tennessee shifts its coverage to Hill and Kelce and leaves the improving Wilson one-on-one against one of its lesser cornerbacks, the Chiefs might look to send a couple more passes Wilson’s way.

 

Wild Card Round Under-the-Radar Busts

Charles Clay (TE, BUF) at JAC

Kelvin Benjamin has been a bigger flop this year than Blade Runner 2049 and has done nothing to revitalize Buffalo’s woeful passing attack. When quarterback/scrambler Tyrod Taylor needs a first down, he looks to his tight end. But while Clay has been the Bills leading receiver with 558 yards and has 169 yards over his past three games, do not expect him to run roughshod over Jacksonville’s top-ranked pass defense.  The Jags have only allowed one tight end to have more than 19 yards against them in a game over their last five contests. Even if Buffalo gets blown out and has to pass a ton in the second half, it is difficult to fathom Clay having a decent day against the secondary in football.

Sammy Watkins (WR, LAR) vs. ATL

Watkins is not getting the volume of targets that many probably predicted he would get with the Rams, but he has been making the most of the passes thrown his way, catching four touchdowns over his last five games. Do not be surprised to see the Rams call more conservative plays and lean heavily on MVP candidate Todd Gurley in their playoff game against the experienced Falcons, though. Jared Goff had a super sophomore season, but this will be the toughest test of his young career. With Goff possibly throwing a little less and Watkins having to share the target wealth with now-healthy receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, the

Allen Hurns (WR, JAC) vs. BUF

Hurns returned after missing a month-plus due to injury and has three receptions for 38 yards last Sunday. That is all well and good, but while he was absent Jacksonville’s receiving corps was bolstered and boosted by the emergence of rookies Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook. Throw Marquise Lee into the pass-catching mix and the fact that the Jaguars will probably pound Leonard Fournette into Buffalo’s 29th-ranked rushing defense and keep the chances of Blake Bortles throwing the game away to a minimum and this is a fantasy recipe for a two-catch, 25-yard game for Hurns.

 

More Wild Card 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

CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
Aaron Rodgers

Appears to be Healthier Heading into Week 14
Jalen McMillan

Expected to Have his 21-day Practice Window Opened
Mike Evans

' Practice Window Opened, Returning to Practice on Wednesday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Carrying Questionable Tag vs. Houston
Steven Adams

Questionable To Face Kings
Tre Jones

Expected To Suit Up Against Nets
Alexander Wennberg

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Lonzo Ball

Nearing Return After Two-Game Absence
Michael Callahan

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
P.J. Washington

Could Miss Third Straight Game
Michael Rasmussen

Makes Early Exit Tuesday
Scott Wedgewood

Exits Early With Back Problem
Daniel Gafford

Trending Toward Another Absence
Evander Kane

Expected to Be Fine After Skate Cut
Tyler Seguin

Injured Versus Rangers
Sean Monahan

Expected to Play Thursday
Norman Powell

Questionable for Wednesday
Duncan Robinson

Uncertain to Face Bucks Wednesday
Kevin Porter Jr.

Iffy for Wednesday
Coby White

Out Wednesday
Darius Garland

Available Wednesday
Paolo Banchero

Misses 10th Consecutive Game
Quentin Grimes

Unavailable on Tuesday
Paul George

Available to Play on Tuesday
LaMelo Ball

Expected to Play on Wednesday
Brandon Miller

Ruled Out for Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis

Sidelined Again for Wednesday
Kyshawn George

Upgraded to Available on Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Expected to Suit Up Wednesday
Nathan Walker

Out for Eight Weeks
Lian Bichsel

to Sit Out 6-8 Weeks
Viktor Arvidsson

Activated From Injured Reserve
Warren Foegele

Remains Out Tuesday
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Probable for Wednesday
Valeri Nichushkin

Available After Eight-Game Absence
Gabriel Landeskog

Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog Cleared for Tuesday
Jamal Murray

Questionable for Wednesday
Tyson Foerster

to Miss 2-3 Months
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Says he's Fine After Suffering Hip Contusion
Omarion Hampton

Likely to Return in Week 14
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
CFB

Florida Hiring Brad White as Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers "Hopeful" Brandon Aiyuk Will Play in 2025
Brayden Point

Without Timetable for Return
Jake Walman

Still Out Tuesday
Mason Appleton

Misses Tuesday's Contest
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Good to Go Tuesday
Conor Garland

Out on Tuesday
Petr Mrazek

Considered Day-to-Day
Tyson Foerster

Hurt in Monday's Loss
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Carted Off With Hip Injury on Monday Night
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?
CFB

Kentucky Hires Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein As Head Coach
Davante Adams

Not Dealing With a Serious Injury
Kyler Murray

Surgery Not on the Table for Kyler Murray
Marvin Harrison Jr.

in Danger of Missing Week 14?
CFB

Kalani Sitake the Top Target for Penn State Coaching Job
Justin Herbert

Having Hand Surgery on Monday
Kyler Murray

Cardinals Won't Open Kyler Murray's Practice Window This Week
Sauce Gardner

Not a Candidate to Go on Injured Reserve
Jayden Daniels

Not Cleared for Contact, Decision on Week 14 Status Delayed
CFB

Josh Heupel Says He's Not a Candidate for Penn State Head Coach Job
Trey Hendrickson

Doubtful to Return in Week 14
Tee Higgins

Still in the Concussion Protocol
Drake London

"has a Chance" to Play in Week 14
J.J. McCarthy

in Line to Start in Week 14?
Aaron Jones Sr.

Not Dealing With Serious Shoulder Injury, Likely Day-to-Day
Sam Darnold

Dealing With Ankle Injury, "Should be Good" for Week 14
CFB

Will Stein, Brian Hartline the Top Candidates for Kentucky Job?
CFB

Nebraska Fires Defensive Coordinator John Butler After One Season
CFB

UCLA Expected to Hire Bob Chesney as Next Head Coach
Sauce Gardner

Officially Week-to-Week with Strained Calf
CFB

Lane Kiffin to Make $13 Million Salary, Ties Kirby Smart
CFB

Buster Faulkner, Joey Halzle Candidates for Florida Offensive Coordinator Job?
CFB

Kentucky Officially Fires Mark Stoops
CFB

Lane Kiffin to be Introduced as LSU's Next Head Coach on Monday
CFB

Florida Poised to Land Jon Sumrall as Next Head Coach
CFB

Alex Golesh Taking Over Auburn Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Arkansas Expected to Hire Ryan Silverfield as Next Head Coach
Zack Wheeler

Likely to Return in May
Ryan Helsley

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Orioles

RANKINGS

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