There are only five-six weeks remaining in the fantasy football season, so the time to make your move up the standings is now. With bye weeks and injuries hampering everyone at this time of year, it’s crucial for owners to maximize their points at every position.

This weekly boom and bust candidates list shows you who will most likely have big days and awful ones, based on statistical trends and matchup opportunities. While some obvious starts and sits will make the list, this is more focused on the not so obvious ones.

Potential Booms for Week 9

Quarterbacks:

Eli Manning, QB, Giants: Coming off of a six TD pass performance a week ago in New Orleans, it would be tough to bench Eli Manning regardless of the match up. But against a Tampa Bay team that has surrendered 1,017 passing YDs and nine passing TDs in the last three games, this is a no-brainer.

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers: Philip Rivers enters Monday night’s contest with five consecutive games with at least 20 fantasy points. He has been on an incredible tear as of late and is at home facing a very vulnerable Chicago Bears. Keep rolling with Rivers.

Running Backs:

Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots: If you were lucky enough to snatch Dion Lewis off the waiver wire early this season, you’ve ended up with a RB2 and border line RB1, based on production. His pass catching ability and elusiveness have made him a weekly must start, and nothing changes against a Washington team that has struggled to stop the run (531 rushing YDs allowed) over the last three weeks.

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers: Last week Doug Martin broke his string of three consecutive 100 plus yard performances, posting just 71 rushing YDs on 23 carries. At home against a Giants team that has allowed over 100 YDs to running backs in each of the last four weeks, the Muscle Hamster is a good candidate to get back over the century mark.

Wide Receivers:

Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders: Amari Cooper was stranded on Revis Island last week, but should return with a vengeance against the Steelers in Week 9. Pittsburgh has allowed three TDs to receivers over the last three weeks and 624 receiving YDs to the position over that stretch as well.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: All signs point to a big game against Tampa Bay on Sunday for OBJ. The Bucs have given up at least one TD to wide receivers in every game this season and have allowed 200 or more receiving YDs to the position in five of their seven games played so far. Following OBJ’s best performance of the season, fantasy owners can expect more of the same.

Tight Ends:

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Buccaneers: Provided he’s able to get onto the field this week against the Giants, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t have a big game. Only the Raiders have been worse than the Giants in defending TEs this season, and if last week’s performance against the Saints is any evidence, the Giants secondary is very suspect.

Benjamin Watson, TE, Saints: Three touchdowns in his last four weeks and a career game last week against the Giants has Benjamin Watson looking like he wants to join the TE1 discussion. He’ll get to continue his campaign to do so at home against a mediocre Tennessee Titans defensive front. With the way the Saints offense has looked over the last few weeks, I’m all in on Watson.

Defenses:

Atlanta Falcons: This is less about Atlanta and more about the state of the 49ers offense. The Niners have given up double digit fantasy points to their last two opponents, and with the benching of Colin Kaepernick, things only stand to get worse.

Denver Broncos: Last week’s performance against the Green Bay Packers was an eye-opener. They haven’t scored fewer than nine points in any game this season and have at least 11 points in six of their seven games played. With Andrew Luck tossing interceptions left and right, and the Colts overall looking awful on offense, this is a beautiful match up for Denver.

Potential Busts for Week 9

Quarterbacks:

Andrew Luck, QB, Colts: I know. You’re frustrated with your second round pick looking no better than a waiver fill in. If his name were not Andrew Luck, he would’ve certainly been dropped by most fantasy owners. Many of you will have no choice but to keep rolling with Luck, but don’t expect a big game, with Denver’s defense shutting down QBs all season long.

Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars: Though the Jets passing defense looked pretty average over the last two weeks, it’s probably still smart to stay away from Bortles at MetLife Stadium this Sunday. He has thrown five picks in his last three games and the Jets will be looking for a statement performance after suffering back-to-back one-sided losses.

Running Backs:

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars: Six teams on byes coupled with the scarcity of the running back position make Yeldon tough to bench. Though the rookie runner is coming off of his best game as a pro two weeks ago, and should be fully rested following the bye, if you have other options, look elsewhere. The Jets are still one of the best teams in the NFL against running backs.

Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders: Full disclosure: I had Murray on the busts list last week and he made me look foolish by running for 113 YDs against the Jets. This week’s matchup against the Steelers is equally bad on paper, as Pittsburgh has allowed just one rushing TD the entire season.

Wide Receivers:

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts: Apparently, Andrew Luck has forgotten how to throw the football. Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was fired, and oh yeah, they’re playing the best defense in the NFL this week. You probably drafted Hilton in the second or third round and may not have any better options, but if there’s any way you can avoid starting him, do whatever you can.

Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Allen Robinson has delivered up to this point on the promise he had entering the season. He has four TDs over his last three weeks and has consistently been a Top 10 wide receiver this fall. This week he draws Darrelle Revis, and we all know what that means. Steer clear if you can.

Tight Ends:

Julius Thomas, TE, Jaguars: Not only is Julius Thomas likely to be below 100 percent coming off of a groin injury, he’s also facing a Jets defense that has been very good against TEs this season. New York has allowed just two TDs to TEs and one of them was Rob Gronkowski.

Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys: With limited options at the position, you may still have to role with Witten, but the Cowboys TE has been very average this season. Additionally, Philly has been great against TEs, giving up just one TD and no 100 YD games to the position all year.

Defense:

Carolina Panthers: After seeing what Denver was able to do to the Packers last week, you may be feeling good about starting Carolina this week at home against Green Bay. Just remember that last week marked the first time any defense has scored double digits against the Packers all season. The chances of two bad Aaron Rodgers games in a row don’t seem high.

Diamonds in the Rough:
At some point in the season, especially later on, bye weeks and injuries can make us a little desperate. This list of players will be handy one-week plugins.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: It looks like Kirk Cousins will have his full complement of receivers, with DeSean Jackson likely to return this week. An early blowout in New England could force him to throw a lot.
Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins: At a scarce position, Chris Thompson could provide value as a pass catching threat out of the backfield. He has been decent in PPR formats and the Skins will likely be throwing a lot.
Dontrelle Inman, WR, Chargers: Those looking for help at WR could benefit from the likely increase in targets to Dontrelle Inman, with Keenan Allen now out for the season.
Charles Clay, TE, Bills: After a string of disappointing performances, Charles Clay may be available on the wire. If you need a TE in a pinch, you could do much worse than Clay, who will have Tyrod Taylor back at QB this week.
Miami Dolphins Defense: A disappointing start to the season left this defense in the fantasy doghouse for most. But a decent matchup against the Bills may be what the doctor ordered.

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