Will and Declan’s Booms and Busts is a weekly fantasy football column that focuses on helping you decide who to start and sit in your lineup. We base our projections on ESPN PPR scoring.

Week 9 Prediction Results:

Booms

Ben Roethlisberger, QB – Our Projection: 21.2 & Actual: 25.04

Marvin Jones Jr., WR – Our Projection: 20.6 & Actual: 13.3

Chase Edmonds, RB – Our Projection: 24.3 & Actual: 11.8

Busts

Todd GurleyII II, RB – Our Projection:  10.8 & Actual: 13.5

DJ Chark, WR – Our Projection: 6.8 & Actual: 27.6

Terry McLaurin, WR – Our Projection: 9.6 & Actual: 24.5

Week 10 Projections

Booms

Tua Tagovailoa, QB – Miami Dolphins (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)

Rookie and fifth overall pick Tua Tagovailoa has shown flashes of excellence in his first two NFL starts. Last week, Tagovailoa compiled 248 passing yards, 35 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a nail biting win against the Arizona Cardinals. This was a big win for Miami, and Tagovailoa’s improvement and ability to finish games is exciting for Dolphins fans. His leadership and talent is exactly what the Dolphins were looking for when drafting Tagovailoa, and they will look to continue their four game win streak in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers’ secondary was looking strong at the beginning of this season, but injuries to top defensive backs Derwin James and Chris Harris Jr. has caused them to drop to rank 24th in points allowed to quarterbacks. Another strong game for the Tagovailoa is very feasible with this good matchup. 

ESPN PPR Scoring Projection: 16.2

Our Projection: 23.6 

Robert Woods, WR – Los Angeles Rams (vs. Seattle Seahawks)

Robert Woods’ most recent performance was a 28.4 PPR point day in Week 8, where he netted a rushing and receiving touchdown, along with seven receptions for 85 yards. Woods comes off his bye week fresh and ready to build on this game with his Sunday matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who was ranked as the worst fantasy defense versus wide receivers in the NFL. Last week, lead receiver for the Bills, Stefon Diggs, put up 20.8 PPR points against the Seahawks without having a touchdown, a promising sign for a versatile player like Woods. Woods will see a high volume of opportunities on Sunday, as the game looks to shape up to be a high scoring affair with Seattle’s strong offense. Although teammate Cooper Kupp often takes away targets from Woods, this game there should be plenty to go around for the two talented receivers. Woods has a clear opportunity to put up huge numbers this week with lots of touches and a weak defensive opponent.

ESPN PPR Scoring Projection: 16.1

Our Projection: 20.9

Allen Robinson II, WR – Chicago Bears (vs. Minnesota Vikings)

Allen Robinson II has continued his years of high fantasy production this season, now catching passes from Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles. Robinson is WR9 on the season and one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL, averaging 16.2 points per game. With a 20.8 percent target share, Robinson averages 9.6 targets per game, the fourth highest among all NFL wide receivers. This gives him a high floor in a great matchup against a struggling Minnesota Vikings secondary. The Vikings have given up 16 touchdown passes this year, which is the most among all NFL defenses, and they rank 30th in points allowed to opposing wide receivers. According to Mike Clay of ESPN, Minnesota has allowed 38-plus fantasy points to the opposing wide receiver unit for five straight weeks. Last year in two games against the Vikings, Robinson combined for 16 receptions and 148 yards on a total of 19 targets, and he will likely recreate similar production on Monday night. 

ESPN PPR Scoring Projection: 16

Our Projection: 21.2

Busts

Joe Burrow, QB – Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

Burrow has, without a doubt, been great in his rookie season for the Bengals, notching 300 passing yards in each of the five games so far. However, Burrow’s success has its caveats, as all but one of these 300 yard games have come with an interception for Burrow. Burrow’s turnover problem will prove costly against a great Steelers’ defense that has the capability to overwhelm the Bengals’ miserable offensive line. The Bengals’ projected offensive struggles will also be exacerbated by an excellent Steelers’ secondary led by the All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Steelers’ defense is the sixth best defense against quarterbacks in fantasy, holding their past three opponents to less than 17.5 points each, including reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. The Bengals’ offensive line has not helped Burrow all year. Facing a powerful pass rush,  Burrow will be forced into uncomfortable situations time and time again, likely to turn the ball over and fall short for fantasy owners in Week 10.

ESPN PPR Scoring Projection: 17.8

Our Projection: 12.2 

Devin Singletary, RB – Buffalo Bills (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

Second year running back Devin Singletary’s promising rookie season last year gave fantasy managers hope for a breakout year in 2020. This hope was diminished when the Buffalo Bills drafted running back Zack Moss in the third round, and many people assumed that this pick displayed their lack of trust in Singletary as a workhorse back. In games when Moss has been healthy, the two backs have had a relatively equal amount of touches, but Moss is getting most of the red zone rushes. This season, Moss has four touchdowns in six games, compared to one touchdown in nine games for Singletary. Touchdowns are very important for the success of running backs in fantasy, so this is very discouraging for Singletary owners. This week, Buffalo faces the rising Arizona Cardinals, who have been average on the defensive end of the ball, ranking 16th best in defending the run. The lack of red zone touches and high production will harm Singletary’s output, so he should be left out of fantasy lineups this week. 

ESPN PPR Scoring Projection: 9.4

Our Projection: 5.8

Mike Evans, WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Carolina Panthers)

Mike Evans is one of the top receiving talents in the NFL, yet his production lately has been disappointing. With only two 100 yard games all season, Evans has fallen short of what many anticipated from a third round pick in fantasy drafts. Since Week 6, Evans has just 12 total receptions, averaging a measly 8.65 PPR points per game. Evans’ matchup against the 10th ranked Panthers fantasy wide receiver defense, while not favorable, will not be the main prohibitor for his production. Instead, Evans’ production will be limited by his teammates: newly acquired Antonio Brown figures to grow his role in the Bucs’ offense, on top of Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski taking up targets. Evans is going to continue to suffer from the number of options that Tom Brady has to throw to, as well as the possibility of a run heavy game plan from Tampa Bay as Carolina’s defense is ranked 28th against fantasy running backs. Despite being arguably a top-10 NFL receiver, Mike Evans will struggle to earn enough targets in the Bucs’s stacked offense to provide a strong fantasy week.

ESPN PPR Scoring Projection: 12.0

Our Projection: 6.9