Hello everyone. The voices behind this column and our podcasts are Ben Horwitz, Aaron Stalkfleet, and Jacob Williamson. We are current seniors and involved in various things (and sports) at City. Our shared love of football and aggressive competitiveness is what initially inspired this column. Each week we plan to put out a different fantasy football prediction/analysis for the next NFL week. We appreciate your support and will be competing to see who has the best analysis.

This week we are doing a Boom/Bust analysis. We randomly picked the players below for this week’s games, and we each got to predict whether we think they will go above(Boom) or below(Bust) their ESPN fantasy projections. We each pick two players from each position group. We make picks based on matchups, personal opinions, and player projection. After the first week, we will be keeping track of our personal records of our predictions throughout the season. 

OUR RECORDS THROUGH 3 WEEKS

Ben: 11-8

Aaron: 9-10

Jacob: 7-11

This weeks (3) possible choices:

(All based on ESPN projections)

QB Tom Brady 20.1 pts

QB Matthew Stafford 19.4 pts

QB Baker Mayfield 17.2 pts

QB Sam Darnold 16.3 pts

RB Austin Ekeler 17.9 pts

RB Najee Harris 16.5 pts

RB Saquon Barkley 15.7 pts

RB Chuba Hubbard 14.8 pts

WR Justin Jefferson 17.2 pts

WR Diontae Johnson 15.2 pts

WR Mike Evans 14.3 pts

WR Brandin Cooks 17.0 pts

TE Jonnu Smith 9.1 pts

TE Dallas Goedert 8.8 pts

TE Dalton Schultz 6.0 pts

TE Austin Hooper 7.5 pts

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Aaron’s Picks Week 4

(Total Record 9-10)

Interesting week for me last week (week 3) going 3-5. Missed Gibson by 3 or so. Wilson is a fluke in terms of him only putting up 16. Gronk and Logan Thomas were missed by a close margin. As for Allen Robinson, what a terrible performance and frankly, a terrible pick. 

QB Tom Brady 20.1 pts – BOOM

This is a no-brainer. Tom Brady returns to New England for the first time since leaving the team. You can bet on him performing well and showing the Patriots faithful what they have been missing the last number of years. Tom Brady booms big time this week! Not to mention he is the #1 QB in points scored. This is a higher confidence selection.

QB Matthew Stafford 19.4 pts – BOOM

A battle of undefeated this week as the Rams and Matthew Stafford face off against the Cardinals. Stafford has quietly had a great season and Sunday should allow for him to continue his hot streak. Expect a high-scoring game with two offenses who want to run up and down the field. First one to 31 wins this game. Stafford plays a big part in the points that the Rams will need to score in order to beat the Cardinals and he booms big time. This selection is of higher confidence.

RB Saquon Barkley 15.7 pts – BUST

This one seems pretty obvious. Barkley faces off against a top 5 run defense in the Saints this upcoming week. However, should he find some usage in the passing game, this 15.7 could be closer. Consider Barkley low volume this week as he tries to come back from a hamstring injury that has left him below 100% this season. Barkley busts. This selection is of higher confidence. 

RB Najee Harris 16.5 pts – BOOM

Najee’s upside seems evident this week vs the packers. He has scored 47 combined the last two weeks and with Big Ben struggling, look for Najee’s workload to increase. This is a higher confidence selection. 

WR Mike Evans 14.3 pts – BUST

This is an interesting decision. Evans has been on a hot streak his last two starts. That alone would make one think a boom is an obvious choice this week. However, I have always been cautious of projecting Tamba Bay personnel in projections, especially at the WR position. With so many options for Tom Brady to throw to, you never know who is going to step up and get all of the points. For that reason and that reason alone, Evans busting is more of personal preference rather than from a logical football standpoint. It should be noted that unlike the previous 4 selections being of higher confidence, this selection of Evans busting is on the lower end of the scale of confidence. 

WR Justin Jefferson 17.2 pts – BOOM

Justin Jefferson has enjoyed a nice year so far and there is no reason to think it won’t continue this week. This week, the Browns come to town. Although they bring a stellar defense, Jefferson and Cousins have been every bit as good. It will be interesting to see if Thielen takes over in the game this week or if Jefferson does. Regardless, both will be heavily involved in the passing game, and Jefferson as aforementioned should be in an advantageous position to boom.

TE Jonnu Smith 9.1 pts – BUST

Jonnu has been extremely underwhelming this season and a bust vs the Buccaneers this week seems like a sure bet. Smith’s upside at the current moment is as low as it gets and until he produces, be very careful on starting him in any of your leagues. This selection is of high confidence. 

TE Dallas Goedert 8.8 pts -BOOM

Dallas Goedert booming this week is tricky. But, I am leaning towards it. He had a lot of targets this past Monday night against the Cowboys but only caught two passes. He did have a surprising 66 yards on those two catches as well. 8.8 projected points seems realistic for Goedert who is looking to be Jalen Hurts future number 1 receiving option.

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Jacob’s Picks Week 4

(Total Record 7-11)

Overall, happy how last week went with going 4-3. Hoping to continue to improve this week with these picks.

QB Matthew Stafford 19.4 pts – BOOM

Couldn’t write a better start for Stafford with his new team. Scoring a whopping total of 93 points in his first 3 games combined. I expect McVay and his coaching staff to have another great game plan this week against the Cardinals.

QB Sam Darnold 16.3 pts – BOOM

Off to a great start this year with a new team, expect Darnold to do really well this week against a Cowboys defense who has been struggling to get things going so far this year.

RB Saquon Barkley 15.7 pts – BUST

One of the bigger stories this year is the star running back for the Giants in Saquon Barkley. Coming back from a torn ACL a year ago, Barkley has struggled to find the grove that both he and his team desperately needs. I don’t see him succeeding at all this week against one of the top defenses in the New Orleans Saints.

RB Austin Ekeler – BOOM

Ekeler has been a huge contributor to the Chargers success and success for many fantasy owners. Having scored 22 pts in both of his past two games definitely expect him to be a big part of this Chargers offense as they continue to roll. 

WR Diontae Johnson 15.2 pts – BUST

 Diontae Johnson has been one of the most reliable targets for Rothlisberger this season, however, my gut is telling me that the steelers will continue to struggle. Especially on offense, I expect the Steelers to continue to not impress especially against a Packer secondary who has been very good as of late.

WR Justin Jefferson 17.2 pts – BOOM

After having the greatest season for a rookie wide receiver of all time, expect Jefferson to continue on the roll that he has been on. The Vikings offense has been heavily reliant on both Jefferson and Theilen. Expect one or both of them to have big games. 

TE Austin Hooper 7.5 pts – BOOM

Hooper has been off to a slow start to begin the season. He scored his first TD last week and caught 10 of his 11 targets. Definitely look to see his volume improve this week against a lack lust Vikings defense.

TE Dalton Schultz 6.0 pts – BOOM

Schultz has been a top target for the Cowboys this season scoring 3 touchdowns in his past two games combined. One of Prescott’s favorite red-zone targets makes him a guaranteed boom this week against the Panthers and their depleted secondary. 

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Ben’s Picks Week 4

(Total Record 11-8)

Last week was rough. Went 2-6 on the predictions, but to be honest, got unlucky on a few. I did hit on both of my QB predictions, however, I missed both TE picks by 2 points each, and missed Gibson by a few. My WR predictions were just bad, so we look to improve.

QB Baker Mayfield 17.2 pts – BOOM

Gut feeling, I think Mayfield and the Browns perform offensively. The Vikings have given up tons of points through week 3 and the Browns have enough talent to keep that streak up. Baker has been slightly underwhelming thus far, but I see him getting at least a couple of touchdowns in a game that could turn into a shootout between two high-powered offenses. Hopefully, the run game is stifled so Cleveland’s backfield doesn’t steal Baker’s thunder.

QB Matthew Stafford 19.4 pts – BOOM

Stafford and the Rams are shaping up to be the best team in the league. They are performing on all cylinders, and with what looks to be a high-scoring game between two undefeated teams in Arizona on Sunday, Stafford looks to thrive. His connection with Cooper Kupp has been stellar and the Rams will most likely look to get other weapons involved this week. They are going to need to score this week, and Stafford will produce.

RB Chuba Hubbard 14.8 pts – BUST

Simply put, I never like to put that much faith in a backup RB who has to fill in, let alone a rookie. Don’t get me wrong, I think Hubbard is a solid player and in a few years could look to possibly lead a backfield somewhere, just not this week. Carolina plays a Cowboys defense that has been surprisingly stingy against the run so far, and I think the Panthers will need to push the ball downfield to keep up. Don’t count him completely out, but I don’t agree with a 14.8 projection.

RB Austin Ekeler 17.9 pts – BOOM

I usually hate taking the boom on a player that has such a high projection, but Ekeler is my exception. He is a fantasy football machine, and in a rivalry game against the Raiders this week he will most likely see huge volume. The Raiders have been one of the best teams in the league thus far, but I have the Chargers stealing a win from them this week, and finally being the team to figure out the Raiders defense. Ekeler will hopefully be a big part of the passing game, so in a PPR (point per reception) league, he is a must-start.

WR Mike Evans 14.3 pts – BOOM

I hate when we decide to take Buccaneer players. Every week it is a toss-up, and even more so for a player like Evans. He has had two big weeks in a row and in Tom Brady’s homecoming game I have Evans succeeding once again. If he can find the end zone, he can easily surpass his low 14.3 projection. However, this is not in full confidence, as he could just as easily find himself with little volume and production depending on the flow of the game. 

WR Brandin Cooks 17.0 pts – BUST

Last week I trusted the Bills defense, and they let me down. But that won’t stop me from believing in them again. Both of the players who ended up passing their projections last week did so because the Bills had such a commanding lead. There is every chance that Cooks has another huge week, but my gut tells me he comes in just under his projection. This might be the biggest toss-up of the year, but I’m sticking with my gut, let’s hope he takes the under.

TE Dalton Schultz 6.0 pts – BOOM

The TE choices for this week are not pretty. Of the choices, Schultz was the easiest for me. He had a huge Monday night game against the Eagles, where he surpassed 25 pts, something that usually only elite TE’s can do. He is not even close to being elite, but I do think he will reach his very low projection of 6.0. I see him coming in around 10 pts with 4 receptions.

TE Dallas Goedert 8.8 pts – BOOM

Again, not my first choice for TE’s this week, but we work with what we have. Last week I bet against my TE’s and it came back to bite me, and you won’t catch me making that mistake again. The Chiefs defense has been simply awful so far, and I think there will be lots of room for Goedert to have an impact in another game that looks to be high-scoring. I see him coming in around 12 pts, although there is also a good chance for him to have a weak performance.