Congratulations to those of you who have moved on to the next round of the fantasy playoffs! As you prepare for your matchup, let’s analyze some players that could boom or bust this week, while also looking into players with very safe floors.
Boom
Akers has taken control of the Rams’ backfield over the past two games, receiving 22-plus touches in each contest. This week, the rookie back is primed to take on the league-worst Jets. Fire Akers up as a low-end RB1 with obvious upside this week.
As long as Kenny Golladay is sidelined, Marvin Jones has serious upside. Matthew Stafford’s Week 15 status is currently uncertain. However, even if Chase Daniel gets the start, Jones is primed to take on a bottom-four Titans pass defense. Detroit will likely be playing from behind for a large portion of this game, forcing them to look to the air. Jones should be due for a big game on Sunday.
After failing to score 18-plus PPR points heading into Week 12, Hilton has now done it in three-straight weeks. This week, the odds of him continuing that streak are solid, as the veteran receiver will take on a subpar Texans’ secondary. He may not earn “league-winner” status, but Hilton has come alive at the right time.
Bust
There are just too many factors working against Elliott this week. For one, he is not receiving his usual enormous workload, touching the ball less than 15 times in two of his last three games. The Cowboys’ offensive line is decimated, and fellow back Tony Pollard has significantly cut into Elliott’s volume of late. Pair all of that with Elliott’s Week 15 matchup against the 49ers, who boast an elite run defense, and you get a recipe for failure.
Parker has proven to be ineffective with Tua Tagovailoa under center in Miami, but that isn’t his only problem this week. The veteran receiver will also be lining up against reigning DPOY Stephon Gilmore on Sunday in a key divisional matchup. Gilmore has repeatedly locked up opposing No. 1 receivers this year, and I would expect the same result this week.
Gurley simply cannot be trusted at this point. His knee issues are clearly holding him back, and the Falcons have resorted to giving Ito Smith more touches over the past few games as a result. This week the Falcons take on a league-best Tampa Bay run defense, which should cement Gurley’s spot on your bench.
Safe Floor:
A few weeks ago, the notion of calling Taylor “safe” would have been absurd. However, he has served as the Colts’ workhorse for three-straight games and is consistently improving. Taylor has received at least 16 touches in all three of those contests and that trend should continue this week against the Texans, who possess one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Taylor should be locked into lineups as a rest-of-season RB1.
Allen Robinson
The Bears are horrible, but the one constant we can rely on from their offense is Mitch Trubisky force-feeding Allen Robinson. He has received 13 targets in two of his last three games, a trend which could easily continue this week against a poor Vikings secondary. Robinson has scored less than 10 PPR points just once this year, making him as safe an option as it gets at the wide receiver position.
Hunt returned to form last week against the Ravens, racking up 110 total yards and two touchdowns. He’s a safe play vs. the Giants due to his constant presence as Cleveland’s hurry-up/receiving back. Regardless of game script, Hunt will always see the field at some point during every Browns’ drive. You can trust him this week.
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