👉 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

Jordan Walker

to Run More in 2026?
Mitch Spence

Royals Acquire Mitch Spence From A's
Tylor Megill

Moves to 60-Day Injured List
Christian Encarnacion-Strand

May Miss First Few Spring Games
Seth Lugo

Throws a Bullpen on Thursday
Keibert Ruiz

Cleared From Concussion Restrictions
Ryan Bliss

Back in Action at Spring Training
Lars Nootbaar

Will be Delayed in Reporting to Camp
Nabil Crismatt

to Have Elbow Surgery
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Working to Improve his Defense
Nathan Lukes

Davis Schneider Likely to Platoon in Left Field
Jordan Binnington

Records 26-Save Shutout Against Czechia
Connor McDavid

Ties Canadian Record With Three Assists in Olympic Debut
Addison Barger

Moving to Outfield Full Time?
Josh Morrissey

Hurt in Olympic Opener
Robert Williams III

Will Not Play Against Utah
Braxton Garrett

Reaches 95 MPH During Live BP
Deni Avdija

Sidelined vs. Jazz
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Multiple Weeks
Naji Marshall

Gets Upgraded to Probable
Ian Anderson

to Miss All of 2026 After Shoulder Surgery
Myles Turner

Will Not Play Thursday
Caleb Martin

is Downgraded to Doubtful
Gunnar Henderson

Leaves Camp Due to Personal Matter
Noelvi Marte

to Work in Center Field in Camp
New York Knicks

Jeremy Sochan Heading to New York
Sal Stewart

Drops Weight Heading into First Full MLB Season
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Eligible for 2026 Season
Kyle Kuzma

Cleared to Play Against Thunder
Ryan Rollins

Remains Sidelined Against Thunder
Keston Hiura

Dodgers Sign Keston Hiura to a Minor-League Deal
Shaedon Sharpe

Sidelined Against Utah
Nick Castellanos

Drawing "a Lot of Interest"
Hunter Dobbins

Not Running or Fielding Yet
Jeff Criswell

to Open 2026 Season on 60-Day Injured List
Scoot Henderson

Available Again on Thursday
Deandre Ayton

Ruled Out on Thursday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Resting on Thursday
Jalen Williams

Will Not Play Thursday Against the Bucks
Deni Avdija

Listed As Questionable on Thursday
Lauri Markkanen

Will Rest on Thursday Against Portland
Keyonte George

Will Not Play Thursday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Will Likely Miss the Rest of the Season
CFB

BYU's Parker Kingston Charged with Felony Rape
Joel Embiid

to Be Re-Evaluated After All-Star Break
Caleb Martin

Iffy for Thursday's Game
Naji Marshall

Uncertain to Face Lakers
Cameron Young

Looking for Pebble Beach Success
J.J. Spaun

Looks to Turn Things Around at Pebble Beach
Collin Morikawa

Eyes Turnaround at Pebble Beach
Jake Knapp

Brings Hot Form to Pebble Beach
Nick Taylor

in Good Form Going into Pebble Beach Event
Viktor Hovland

Carrying Momentum Into Pebble Beach
Tommy Fleetwood

Set for 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Harris English

Looks to Build on Steady Form at Pebble Beach
Justin Rose

Tuned in for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Keegan Bradley

a Boom-or-Bust Play at Pebble Beach
Maverick McNealy

Playing Well with Pebble Beach Looming
Russell Henley

Carries Momentum to Pebble Beach
Shane Lowry

Makes 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Michael Kim

Putting Well with Pebble Beach on the Horizon
Billy Horschel

a Little Rattled After Consecutive Missed Cuts
Ben Griffin

Solid But Not Spectacular Early in 2026
Wyndham Clark

Has Question Marks Heading to Pebble Beach
Daniel Berger

Heating Up at the Right Time for Pebble Beach
Jordan Spieth

Looking For a Return to Form at Pebble Beach
Juuse Saros

Starting Wednesday
William Nylander

Iffy for Olympic Opener
Martin Necas

Ready for Thursday
Drake Maye

Says his Shoulder Injury was Significant
Xander Schauffele

Trying to Get the Motor Going at Pebble Beach
Hideki Matsuyama

Trying to Overcome Sunday Collapse
Kenneth Walker III

Runs Away With Super Bowl MVP Honors
Vinicius Oliveira

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Mario Bautista

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kyoji Horiguchi

Dominates At UFC Vegas 113
Amir Albazi

Gets Dominated At UFC Vegas 113
Rizvan Kuniev

Earns His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 113
Marc-Andre Barriault

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Gets His Third Win In A Row
Las Vegas Raiders

Klint Kubiak Confirms he Will be Next Raiders Head Coach
Jonas Rondbjerg

Out for Olympics
Brad Marchand

Good to Go for Olympic Opener
Gabriel Landeskog

Healthy for Olympics
Jack Hughes

Cleared for Olympics
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Returns to Super Bowl After Injury Scare
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Being Evaluated for Concussion, Questionable to Return
James Pearce Jr.

Arrested Following Police Chase
Quinn Hughes

Enters Olympics in Red-Hot Form
NHL

Juho Lammikko Returns to Switzerland
Pavel Zacha

Misses Olympics
Travis Kelce

Undecided on Playing Future, Leaning Towards Returning in 2026?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF