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 pick the players below for this week’s games, and we each get 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 opinion, 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 17 WEEKS 

Ben: 55-48

Aaron: 50-55

Jacob: 49-54

Note – This is the last fantasy football projections post for us this season

This weeks (18) possible choices:

(All based on ESPN projections)

QB Josh Allen 26.3 pts vs. NYJ

QB Taysom Hill 18.2 pts @ ATL

QB Carson Wentz 15.0 pts @ JAX
QB Derek Carr 16.1 pts vs. LAC

RB Alvin Kamara 17.1 pts @ ATL
RB Elijah Mitchell 13.7 pts @ LAR
RB Devin Singletary 16.0 pts vs. NYJ
RB Sony Michel 14.0 pts vs. SF

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown 15.4 pts vs. GB

WR Mike Evans 15.2 pts vs. CAR
WR Mike Williams 11.5 pts @ LV
WR Cristian Kirk 14.5 pts vs. SEA

TE Darren Waller 13.1 pts vs. LAC

TE George Kittle 14.6 pts @ LAR

TE Mo Alie-Cox 4.4 pts @ JAX
TE Adam Trautman 3.9 pts @ ATL

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Jacob’s Picks Week 18

(Total Record 49-54) 

What a fun 18 weeks this has been. Although I might not be able to catch up to Ben as he is the clear frontrunner in our total records, with an above-average week in picks I should be able to get the job done and lock myself in the number two spot. Due to this being the first-ever year with a week 18 schedule, I am confident and excited to see what this final week can do for my record.

QB Derek Carr 16.1 pts vs. LAC – BOOM

With the Raiders still in contention for a playoff berth, they will need to rely heavily on their star QB to get them the win this week. This has been the recurring theme for the Raiders ever since they let go of their head coach midway through the season. With this possibly being the last time Carr suits up in a Raiders uniform, I think he gets the job done this week by going over his point total.

QB Josh Allen 26.3 pts vs. NYJ – BOOM

Averaging almost 24 fantasy points this year, it is safe to say that Josh Allen will go over his point projection against one of the worst teams in the league with the Jets. The Jets have allowed a league-high of 69 percent of QB’s going over their projected point total. This to me is one of the safer picks this week in fantasy as the Bills are trying to solidify themselves in a top 4 playoff spot this week with a win.

RB Alvin Kamara 17.1 pts @ ATL – BOOM

Kamara is quite literally the only true consistent offensive weapon that the Saints have, In my opinion, makes him a candidate to go over this week in his point total. With a Saints win this week they could still make the playoffs baring a 49ers loss. I think Kamara and the Saints get it done this week as they try to push for one of the final spots in the NFC playoff picture.

RB Elijah Mitchell 13.7 pts @ LAR – BOOM

Although I don’t see the 49ers getting a win this Sunday against the Rams, I do think that Mitchell goes over his point total due to the number of touches he will get in this game. The 49ers love to run the ball and with Mitchell having a great game last week after having a 3-week hiatus due to injury, I see him getting the job done.

WR Mike Williams 11.5 pts @ LV – BOOM

With a playoff berth on the line with a win against the Raiders this week, there is no reason why Mike Williams shouldn’t get his fair share of targets this week. This is going to be one of the more high-scoring games of the week in my opinion and because of that, I see Mike Williams going over his projection. 

WR Cristian Kirk 14.5 pts vs. SEA – BOOM

With Hopkins being out for the past three weeks, Kirk has really come on as Kyler Murray’s favorite target. With Kirk and Ertz getting nearly two-thirds of receptions on offense, this is a good recipe for Kirk to get over his projection. With the Cardinals playing the Seahawks this week I am confident that Kirk and Murray’s connection will continue to flourish against one of the worst secondaries in the league.

TE George Kittle 14.6 pts @ LAR – BUST

Kittle has only had 9 receptions in the past 3 games for the 49ers. With Kittle being arguably one of if not the best tight end in all of football, you can always see him going over his point projection. But this week I am going to stick with the trend that he has been on, therefore I see him busting this week against the Rams.

TE Mo Alie-Cox 4.4 pts @ JAX – BUST

Although the Colts are playing the worst team in football this week with the Jaguars, I don’t see Alie-Cox having that big of a role in the passing game this week. With only having caught 4 touchdowns this season and a lack of receptions, I find it hard to believe that anything different will happen this week against the Jaguars. 

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Ben’s Picks Week 18

(Total Record 55-48) 

Welcome back after a long winter break. This is the last week of the NFL’s regular season and you know what that means. One last week to stay on top. I honestly don’t remember how I did three weeks ago, but I know I have the best record still, and I hope to finish the year strong.

QB Carson Wentz 15.0 pts @ JAX – BUST
Just one of a ton of teams with a must-win game. The Colts need this win to cement their spot in the playoffs, and I think they do so. Colts RB Jonathon Taylor has a knack for going crazy against bad teams, and he will continue to do so in week 18. I don’t think the Colts need to push the ball downfield against the worst team in football, so Wentz will not reach his 15.0 point projection.

QB Derek Carr 16.1 pts vs. LAC – BUST
Derek Carr is a tough one. He is probably a fringe top 12 QB in the NFL but is not the same in fantasy. He has barely cracked 10 points the last couple of weeks, and the Raiders find themselves in a season-defining divisional matchup against the Chargers to make the playoffs. I don’t think he surpasses his 16.1 mark but gets close. 

RB Elijah Mitchell 13.7 pts @ LAR – BOOM
Elijah Mitchell has been one of many pleasant surprises out of the 2021 draft. As a late-round pick, he may very well be the best rookie RB, with strong YPC and YPG stats. He has been running the ball well every game, and the 49ers love divisional matchups. I see him booming. 

RB Devin Singletary 16.0 pts vs. NYJ – BOOM
Singletary, considered a bottom-tier RB, has surprised in the last few weeks. He has been great, racking up tons of points, most of which through the air. The Bills likely won’t need to push the ball downfield against the Jets, so look for Singletary to have a solid week and contribute. 16.0 points is right where I see him landing. 

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown 15.4 pts vs. GB – BOOM

St. Brown has been nothing short of fantastic in the past five weeks. Waking up late in the season, the 2021 draft pick has jumped into the conversation for best rookies of late, and he is coming off a 35 point game in week 17. He will get targets, and against a great Packers team expect good things. 

WR Mike Evans 15.2 pts vs. CAR – BUST
For whatever reason, I never feel comfortable with Mike Evans. Maybe it’s because of his lack of upside, but in fantasy, you will never see me eye him at the beginning of the year. With Antonio Brown gone he may see more volume, but not enough against a decent Carolina defense. He may do great, but I don’t like Evans this week. 

TE George Kittle 14.6 pts @ LAR – BOOM

George Kittle hates the NFC West. I say this because he manages to destroy division rivals’ defenses every chance he gets. This week, he could spoil the Rams hopes at the division by getting an important win and jumping them into the 6 seed. I see it happening, and the 49ers dominating on Sunday. 

TE Mo Alie-Cox 4.4 pts @ JAX – BUST
Mo Alie-Cox is not a pivotal part of the Colts offense. Who knows why we chose him this week, but I flipped a coin to decide. Put him in your lineups with caution.

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Aaron’s Picks Week 18

(Total Record 50-55) 

Well, this is it. One final week to cap off a fun, 18 weeks of fantasy football projections. Right now, I am ahead of Jacob, barely, but behind Ben by 6 games or so. It will take a near-perfect week to finish with a winning record and some help from Ben to finish atop the standings, but I am not ruling anything out. 

QB Taysom Hill 18.2 pts @ ATL – BOOM

This week, it is win or go home for the Saints. Yes, they need some help from the 49ers as well, but bottom line, the Saints need to take care of their business and that is beating the Falcons this Sunday. For that to happen, Taysom Hill is going to have to play one of the best games he has ever played and I have full confidence in his ability to do so. This past week against the Panthers, I saw flashes of the Saints offense with Hill that I hadn’t seen all season. Taysom booming is a good bet this week in a true win or go home scenario.

QB Carson Wentz 15.0 pts @ JAX – BOOM

The Colts, like the Saints, are also in a win-or-go-home scenario. Because of that, I think Carson Wentz is going to have a great game against the Jags. Well see how many points Jonathan Taylor takes away from Carson, but I do think that Carson Wentz puts up 200-250 yards and 3 passing TDs. He booms. 

RB Devin Singletary 16.0 pts vs. NYJ – BOOM

Singletary has been one of the best RBs in fantasy over the last couple of weeks. I think he continues that this week against a struggling Jets team. It is also important to note that the AFC East is still up for grabs. The Bills need to win to lock down the division and a better playoff spot. Singletary will need to have a big game in order for that to happen. 

RB Sony Michel 14.0 pts vs. SF – BOOM

With #1 RB Darrell Henderson being out at the RB position for the Rams, Sony Michel has really taken over as the #1 RB over the last couple of weeks and has done a great job doing so. Like the Bills, the Rams need to win in order to lock up their division (NFC West). Expect the run game to have a big impact on the game vs the 49ers this Sunday. It is also being reported that Cam Akers, the Rams RB who has been out all year with an Achilles injury is set to make his return this week. We will see if that impacts Michel’s workload but I can’t imagine it will too much. Because of that, this selection is of lower confidence in terms of Michel getting enough of a workload to boom. 

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown 15.4 pts vs. GB – BOOM

You talk about a revelation, Amon-Ra St. Brown has been that guy for the Lions. He has been one of the better WRs in the game the last couple of weeks and has definitely made an impact on a team that is looking for wins. I think St. Brown booms this week and he goes out with a bang to end the season. The Lions play the Packers this week and I think that gives the offense and St. Brown, yet another incentive to end the season the right way and beat their division rival Green Bay Packers.

WR Cristian Kirk 14.5 pts vs. SEA – BUST

This is a tough projection because there is no doubt in my mind that Kirk and the Cardinals will be playing in a meaningful game this Sunday. The question is whether he gets enough touches or not. I am leaning toward no. This is because of the Cardinals having too many options at the WR position and the fact that the Cardinals run game is extremely existent in any given game. This is a lower confidence selection. 

TE Adam Trautman 3.9 pts @ ATL – BOOM

This might be the lowest point total we have had in a projection for any player this year, but I am all for it. Adam Trautman has had flashes this year, but not enough to be projected more points than he is this week. In a win or go home situation for the Saints, I think Taysom Hill (who I already have booming) finds Trautman and he booms his 3.9, yes his 3.9 point projection total. 

TE Darren Waller 13.1 pts vs. LAC – BUST

Darren Waller returns from injury this week in a true win or go home game for the Raiders. It’s simple: If the Raiders win, they are headed to the playoffs as the 7th and final seed. If the Chargers win, the Chargers are headed to the playoffs as the 7th and final seed. Because this is about the Raiders and Darren Waller, I don’t think he booms. There are too many scenarios in which he doesn’t boom, but it won’t be for a lack of targets. I don’t think Waller booms because of his return from injury and I’m not sure of the player that he will be, much less how many targets he will get.