Fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner and rosters are essentially in place. We need to know now more than ever who we can or cannot trust going forward. Below are some of the boom and bust fantasy players from week 10 with analysis for the remainder of the season.
Boom
Tua Tagovailoa MIA QB 28.48 Points
Tua had his biggest game of the season in week 12 throwing for 317 yards and 4 TDs with no turnovers in a blowout win against the Patriots.
With a favorable schedule, it could be a sign of things to come. After the Packers next week, The Dolphins will face the New York Jets twice, Houston, San Francisco, and Cleveland to finish the season. Look for Tagovailoa to continue his success with a hot finish to the season. He is a low-end QB1 moving forward and could help your team to a hot finish in 2024
Caleb Williams CHI QB 26.9 Points
Against a typically strong Vikings defense, Caleb Williams had it all working on Sunday. He completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards and 2 TDs. He also added 33 yards rushing and a 2-point conversion to his totals.
Williams’ up-and-down rookie season will likely continue. In the coming weeks, he’ll Minnesota again, San Francisco, and Detroit twice. Williams should remain on your bench, but if you play the matchups – he could be a solid start again in week 15 at Minnesota.
Jaylen Waddle MIA WR 24.4 Points
It took Waddle 11 games to show up as the player expected heading into the 2024 season. He caught 8 of 9 targets for 144 yards and a TD – all season highs.
Waddle was started in just 35.5% of ESPN leagues and rightfully so. He’ll be hard to trust until he shows some consistent production. Right now, he is a flex starter at best but could be a major contributor heading into the fantasy playoffs if his production continues.
Bust
Christian McCaffrey SF RB 6.3 Points
Since returning to the lineup, McCaffrey has not produced like the #1 overall pick fantasy owners had hoped for. In his first 2 weeks, McCaffrey failed to reach 15 points each contest and has yet to reach the end zone. The going only got worse in week 12.
McCaffrey handled the ball only 14 times for 68 total yards and a lost fumble. No touchdowns once again. Of course, you cannot bench Christian McCaffrey but temper your expectations moving forward. This isn’t the same McCaffrey and they aren’t the same 49ers as years past.
Brock Bowers LV TE 5.8 Points
Contributing rookie tight ends are rare in fantasy football, but owners hit the jackpot when they rolled the dice on Brock Bowers. He has been the single bright spot for the Raiders‘ offense, until week 12.
Bowers hauled in only 4 of his 10 targets for 38 yards and no TDs. Week 12 should prove as an anomaly after his career-best game last week (24.8 points).
Bowers has a favorable schedule to end 2024, including a matchup next week against the fading Kansas City Chiefs defense.
Kansas City Chiefs DEF 2.0 Points
A no-brainer to start the Chiefs’ defense against the Panthers backfired on fantasy owners in week 12. The Panthers jumped all over the Chiefs top-10 scoring defense and finished with 27 points scored. Kansas City managed 2 sacks but caused zero turnovers.
They show some favorable matchups in the coming weeks, but it’s difficult to trust them at this point. Las Vegas has given them trouble in the past and they still have the Chargers and Texans on the schedule.
Start them if you must, but it’s worth a hard look at the waiver wire to stream defenses for the remainder of the season in lieu of starting the Kansas City Chiefs.
All points totals are from FanDuel Fantasy