👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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

Week 12 Boom and Bust Candidates: Drew Brees, Odell Beckham Jr., LeSean McCoy & More

We’re at the point of the season where just one more win may get you into the postseason, and just one more loss may keep you out. It may be the most wonderful time of the year as far as holiday season, but in fantasy football land, this is the end of the line for a lot of owners who’ll make the wrong decisions. Let’s hope that’s not you.

To be extra sure, we’ve created a boom/bust list of players who are most likely to have superb showings on Sunday or Monday, and the others who will disappoint and end many fantasy playoff hopes. Good luck.

 

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!

Potential Booms of the Week

Quarterbacks:

Eli Manning, QB, Giants: It has been a very up and down season for the younger Manning, but an extra week of preparation for the Redskins makes Manning a great play this Sunday. He has thrown 10 TDs in his last three games and the Redskins have allowed nine TD passes in their last three games.

Drew Brees, QB, Saints: Over the last three games, the Texans have been downright nasty against QBs, allowing just one passing TD and an average of 194.7 passing YDs per game. Still, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton and Marcus Mariota are not Drew Brees. I like the future hall of famer to get back on track this week.

Running Backs:

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars: Despite not topping 100 YDs since Week 7, T.J. Yeldon has still gotten a lot of touches and offers fantasy owners a high floor and ceiling in any given week. Facing the San Diego Chargers, who are giving up the most fantasy points to RBs in the NFL, Yeldon should be a lock for a huge game.

Chris Ivory, RB, Jets: Chris Ivory did not look great last week against the Texans, gaining just 36 rushing YDs, but then again, no one on the Jets did. This week, the power back gets a home matchup with a Miami Dolphins squad that has allowed 465 rushing YDs and four rushing TDs over the last three games. Expect a nice score from Ivory.

Wide Receivers:

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: A big game for Eli generally means a big game for OBJ. The second-year wideout has over 100 receiving YDs in each of his last three games and gets a gift matchup against the Redskins in Week 12. Washington has allowed 39 receptions, 513 receiving YDs and five receiving TDs to WRs over the last three weeks.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: The 49ers are near the bottom of the league in pass defense. Larry Fitzgerald torched them for 134 YDs and two TDs in Week 3. Fitzgerald has at least 90 receiving YDs in six games this season. In their last two games, the Niners have surrendered 28 receptions, two TDs and 316 YDs to WRs.

Tight Ends:

Gary Barnidge, TE, Browns: Fantasy owners certainly missed Gary Barnidge last week, as the TE has grown into a true stud at the position this season, scoring seven TDs so far. Don’t let Baltimore’s defense against TEs (only two TDs allowed this season to the position) scare you off. Barnidge is matchup proof.

Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins: Entering Week 11, Jordan Reed had scored five TDs in the previous three weeks and was looking like a Top 5 TE. Things stalled a bit in Week 11 against Carolina, but they’ve been shutting everyone down. Reed is clearly Kirk Cousins’ favorite target, and the Giants have shown some vulnerability against TEs (363 YDs three TDs in last four games).

Defenses:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers have put up double-digit fantasy points in each of the past two weeks and face an Indianapolis team that has allowed defenses to score at least nine in three of the past four weeks.

Kansas City Chiefs: Since Week 5, few defenses have been better than Kansas City’s. They haven’t allowed a team to score more than 18 points in any game during that stretch and have racked up at least 10 fantasy points in five out of six games since then.

 

Potential Busts of the Week

Quarterbacks:

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons: Let’s face it, Matt Ryan has been an underachiever this season. Generally considered a top 10 fantasy QB, Ryan had his first three TD game of the season last week. Minnesota has been great against QBs, allowing just one 300 YD passing game since Week 3 and no three TD performances all season.

Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals: After an unbelievably strong start to the season, Andy Dalton has slowed down somewhat in recent weeks. In two of his last four games, he’s posted single digit fantasy football performances and he has also turned the ball over four times in the last four weeks. The Rams have allowed multiple passing TDs just twice this season and 300 YDs passing just once.

Running Backs:

LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills: The elusive RB has played well as of late, but draws an unfortunate matchup against the seemingly impenetrable Chiefs defense. With Kansas City having allowed just a single 100 YD game and one rushing TD to RBs since Week 5, things don’t look good for LeSean McCoy this game.

Frank Gore, RB, Colts: The Buccaneers have a sneaky good defense and have not given up a rushing TD since Week 4. While Frank Gore has been solid this season, he has been largely unspectacular (no 100 YD rushing games, only four TDs). He doesn’t offer much reason to believe he can rise above a bad matchup.

Lamar Miller, RB, Dolphins: The Jets have one of the best run defenses in the league (one rushing TD allowed, three games with 100-plus rushing YDs allowed) and have already shown they can shut Lamar Miller down. Though these Dolphins appear to be a different team than the Week 4 version the Jets crushed, Miller still looks like a good candidate to put up a second consecutive dud.

Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks: Thomas Rawls looks ready to become the next fantasy RB star following his impressive 209 YD performance against the 49ers last week. But hold your horses a bit. First, he was at home facing the sorry 49ers. Second, he’s squaring off against a much better Pittsburgh defensive front in Week 12. Though they’ve shown some cracks in the armor recently, the Steelers have been among the best units against the run this season.

Wide Receivers:

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: A.J. Green has been another fantasy bust this season, with two impact games the entire year. St. Louis has been strong against WRs, limiting them to 346 receiving YDs and one score over the past five weeks. In a game that could see Dalton struggle, Green is not a strong play this week.

Sammy Watkins, WR, Bills: Last week’s tilt with the Patriots looked like a great game for Sammy Watkins to explode. Instead, he put up another sub-par performance with just 39 receiving YDs. Even against a suspect Kansas City secondary in Week 12, Watkins is not someone you can trust anymore.

Tight Ends:

Jordan Cameron, TE, Dolphins: Jordan Cameron actually got in the end zone last week, but still only had two receptions for 21 YDs. His season high in receptions is four. At a very shallow position, it’s hard to get picky about TEs, but when you add in the fact that the Jets have given up 15 receptions, 124 receiving YDs and no scores to TEs since Week 7, it’s clear Cameron is a bad start.

Defenses:

Denver Broncos: It seemed like a risky idea to start the Broncos against the Packers in Week 8 and they scored 11 fantasy points. Then in the following two weeks it seemed they had favorable matchups and have totaled just seven. Heading into a game against the Patriots, there’s no way I trust the Broncos defense. No defense has scored more than six against New England in 2015.

 

Diamonds in The Rough

Are injuries putting your week and potentially your season in danger? Look to the waiver for a one-week savior. We’re here to guide the way:

Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers: You can’t expect five TDs from him again, but he has at least 12 fantasy points in every game this season and the Colts allow an average of 16.8 fantasy points per game to QBs.

David Johnson, RB, Cardinals: Though he has limited upside because of his usage, David Johnson could sneak in some points based on the matchup against the 49ers.

Dwayne Harris, WR, Redskins: Dwayne Harris has seen his production increase over the last few weeks and is worth a shot against the soft Redskins defense.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings: It would be foolish to expect a repeat of last week’s performance, but Rudolph could get into the end zone against the Falcons, who have allowed six TDs by TEs this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DEF: As stated earlier, the Buccaneers have been a strong under the radar defensive option in fantasy. Indy’s offense is in disarray and has given up at least one turnover in seven out of 10 games this season.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




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

Ryan Gerard

Can Continue Rolling at Texas Children's Houston Open
Pierceson Coody

Bounces Back at Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard

Trying to Get Back on Track at Texas Children's Houston Open
Michael Thorbjornsen

Playing Well Heading to Texas Children's Houston Open
Harry Hall

Looking for Consistency at Texas Children's Houston Open
Brooks Koepka

Continues Building Momentum
Odell Beckham Jr.

Plans to Play in 2026
RJ Harvey

Ready for a Year 2 Jump?
Baker Mayfield

Buccaneers Expected to Discuss Extension With Baker Mayfield This Offseason
Brian Robinson Jr.

Falcons to Sign Brian Robinson Jr.
Joey Bosa

a Good Fit for the 49ers?
Lavonte David

Hanging Up his Cleats
Maxx Crosby

Dealing With Degenerative Knee Condition?
Roki Sasaki

to Stick in Rotation Despite Spring Struggles
Kevin McGonigle

Makes Tigers Opening Day Roster
Scottie Scheffler

Withdraws From Texas Children's Houston Open
James Reimer

Picks Up Victory Against Rangers
San Francisco 49ers

Denzel Boston Visiting With 49ers on Tuesday
Matthew Stafford

a Great Option for Those in Win-Now Mode
Breece Hall

Dynasty Ceiling Capped in New York?
Jaylen Waddle

Restructures his Contract With Broncos
Ryan Pepiot

Placed on Injured List to Open the Season
Trevor Siemian

Signing With the Falcons
J.J. Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt Likely to Hit Leadoff on Opening Day
Connelly Early

to Make First Start on Sunday
Tucker Kraft

a Post-Injury Buy-Low Candidate
Jakobi Meyers

Vying for Top Spot in Jacksonville Receiver Room
Jayden Higgins

Faces Obstacles in Second Season
Sam LaPorta

New Offensive Philosophy Could Help Sam LaPorta Get Back into Top Tier
Jaylon Tyson

Unavailable Against Magic
Noah Gray

Remains Buried on Kansas City Depth Chart
Jarrett Allen

Still Out Tuesday
Anthony Black

Remains Out Tuesday
Jalen Suggs

to Miss Second Consecutive Game
Kon Knueppel

Probable Tuesday
Nique Clifford

Kings Plan to Re-Evaluate Nique Clifford in One Week
Moses Moody

Stretchered Off With Knee Injury
Luke Clanton

Might Have a Problem in Houston
Sam Stevens

Happy to See Houston This Week
Keith Mitchell

Tries to Rebound After The Players Championship
Will Zalatoris

Returning This Week at Houston
Wyndham Clark

Trending in the Wrong Direction Heading to Houston
Shane Lowry

Seeking Better Luck in Houston This Weekend
Kurt Kitayama

Poised to Bounce Back at the Houston Open
Jake Knapp

More Suited for a Course Like the Houston Open
Tony Finau

Continues Playing Well Heading to Texas Children's Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler

Returns to Action for Texas Children's Houston Open
Sam Burns

Looks to Carry Momentum Into Houston
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong Finalizing Long-Term Extension
Shane Pinto

Opens Scoring Versus Rangers
Milwaukee Bucks

Bucks Waive Cam Thomas
Kyle Kuzma

Won't Play Against Clippers
John Collins

Misses Monday's Action
Kawhi Leonard

Available Monday Night
Caleb Martin

Brandon Williams Remain Out Monday
Brandon Ingram

a Late Scratch Versus Jazz
Sahith Theegala

to Rebound at Texas Children's Houston Open
De'Anthony Melton

Moses Moody, De'Anthony Melton Available Monday
Kristaps Porzingis

Ready to Rock Monday
Cody Williams

Ruled Out Monday
Immanuel Quickley

Jamal Shead Starting With Immanuel Quickley Out
Stephan Jaeger

Hopes to Jumpstart Season at Texas Children's Houston Open
Collin Murray-Boyles

Rejoins Raptors Lineup
Adam Scott

Hopes to Get Back on Track in Houston
Drake Powell

Slated to Miss Monday's Matchup With Portland
Peyton Watson

Ruled Out Tuesday
Blake Snell

Targeting a May Return
Obi Toppin

Cleared to Play Against Magic
Hunter Greene

Reds Place Hunter Greene on 60-Day Injured List
Blake Whiteheart

Returns to the Browns
J.J. Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt Makes Cardinals Opening Day Roster
NFL

Ty Simpson Expected to be a First-Round Pick
Jake Bobo

Seahawks Match Offer Sheet for Jake Bobo
Tommy DeVito

Becomes QB2 in New England
Nick Pivetta

to Start on Opening Day for Padres
Brandon Woodruff

Makes Brewers Opening Day Rotation
Zack Wheeler

to Start Rehab Assignment on Saturday
Carson Benge

Makes Mets Opening Day Roster
Seiya Suzuki

to Start the Season on the Injured List
Lerone Murphy

Suffers His First Loss
Dennis Santana

Won't be Pirates' Primary Closer
Movsar Evloev

Edges Out Lerone Murphy
CFB

Notre Dame Ranks No. 1 in Returning Production for 2026
Michael Aswell

Jr. Drops Decision At UFC London
Michael Aswell

Luke Riley Outclasses Michael Aswell Jr.
Sam Patterson

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Michael Page

Wins Lackluster Decision
Austen Lane

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Spencer Strider

to Start the Season on Injured List
Iwo Baraniewski

Delivers 28-Second TKO
Lawson Crouse

Picks Up Three Points in Overtime Win
Filip Forsberg

Takes Predators Past Blackhawks
Alex Ovechkin

Scores 1,000th Career Goal
Nate Schmidt

Exits Early Due to Illness
Matt Grzelcyk

to Miss Four-Game Road Trip
Mikko Rantanen

to Return to Full Practice
A.J. Greer

Handed a Three-Game Suspension
Troy Terry

Wins it for Anahiem
Tyler Reddick

Overcomes Adversity for Fourth Victory of the Season At Darlington
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Darlington Victory Despite Domination
Ryan Blaney

Recovers From Pit-Road Struggles to Score Career-Best Darlington Finish
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Finish Fourth at Darlington
Kyle Larson

Decent Performance Ends with Technical Issues At Darlington
Ilya Sorokin

Earns Shutout Over Columbus
Ethen Frank

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Grayson Rodriguez

to Open Season on Injured List
Brett Pesce

Questionable to Return This Season
Stefan Noesen

Done for the Season
Yan Kuznetsov

Misses Fourth Consecutive Game Sunday
Connor Zary

Out Sunday
Mike Trout

Returns on Sunday
Anthony Duclair

Misses Sunday's Game
Ryan Pulock

Unavailable Sunday
Nick Lodolo

Exits Early With a Blister
Jeremy Peña

Astros Not Ruling Out Jeremy Pena for Opening Day
Cristopher Sánchez

Phillies Sign Cristopher Sanchez to a Six-Year Extension
Tyler Reddick

the Clear Favorite at Darlington
Kyle Larson

a High-Risk, High-Reward Driver at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Is Getting Better at Darlington
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not Slowing Down at Darlington
Chris Buescher

Should be a Top-10 Contender at Darlington
Austin Cindric

a Sleeper at Darlington
Erik Jones

Quickest in Practice at Darlington
Morgan Geekie

Records Three Assists Against Red Wings
Steven Stamkos

Notches Three Points in Win Over Golden Knights
Cole Caufield

Records Career-High Five Points in Saturday's Win
Denny Hamlin

Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Chase Briscoe

Is One of the Top DFS Options of the Week for Darlington
William Byron

Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Christopher Bell

Could Christopher Bell be Considered A Decent DFS Option for Darlington?
Chase Elliott

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Darlington This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano

May Not Have the Speed to Warrant A Darlington DFS Lineup Spot
Ross Chastain

Should DFS Players Trust Ross Chastain at Darlington?
Kyle Busch

Could Kyle Busch Be A Worthy DFS Option for Darlington?
Brad Keselowski

May be A Contriarian DFS Tournament Option At Darlington
Lerone Murphy

Set For UFC London Main Event
Movsar Evloev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Michael Aswell

Jr. An Underdog At UFC London
Luke Riley

Set For UFC London Co-Main Event
Sam Patterson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Michael Page

Set For Welterweight Bout
Austen Lane

In Dire Need Of Victory
Iwo Baraniewski

A Favorite At UFC London
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF