Boom or Bust?

Boom or Bust?

By Jeff Paur RealTime Fantasy Sports

Every season there seems to be a group of players that are a bit unknown for fantasy teams. We like to call those players the boom or bust players. There always are a decent group of guys that can make or break a fantasy team. If they come through, your team performs. If not, you could be in store for a long season.

For us, it is alright to take a player or two like this. But don't overload your team with players that have high upside but aren't sure things. And if you want to just play it safe, avoid these guys altogether. But remember, sometimes you have to take chances to win in fantasy football.

Below are some of the boom or bust players of '08. These guys all have high ceilings, but also could implode. The pros and cons of each player are listed with them to help you better decide if you want them on your roster. Have fun figuring out if you want to draft them.

Matt Leinart, QB, Cardinals. Leinart hasn't exactly lived up to the hype so far. His older, more established teammate (Kurt Warner) has actually outplayed him when given the chance. But the Cardinals are sticking with Leinart as their starter. He is the future of that team. Leinart has tons of upside in this offense, mostly because of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. He just needs to play more consistent football. If all goes well, Leinart can near 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. If not, Leinart could find his way to the bench, watching Warner guide the Cardinals.

Lee Evans, WR, Bills. Evans is the ultimate boom or bust player, mostly from week to week. He'll get you a 150-yard game and two touchdowns a week and go without a catch the following week. Evans had a huge year in '06, but struggled last season. So the potential to be a more consistent, top fantasy player is there with Evans. Consistent play from the quarterback position and the Bills offense could go a long way towards Evans being a more reliable fantasy option.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers. We aren't ready to anoint Williams as a surefire No. 1 fantasy back. If he was, he would have grabbed the starting role from DeShaun Foster the last few seasons. Instead, he split carries with the inconsistent Foster and the Panthers used a draft pick on Jonathan Stewart this season. But Williams certainly has the potential to be a top back. He has great speed and can move a pile with his strength. Williams seems like a candidate to be a make or break back for fantasy teams. He won't last too long in drafts, so you will need a high- to mid-round pick to get him. If Williams falters in a starting role, teams that wasted a third or fourth round pick on him will be very unhappy.

Vince Young, QB, Titans. If Young can improve his passing just a little, he can be a fantasy force. But that is a big if, considering the Titans didn't do a whole lot to improve their receiving corps and Young has less than 2,600-passing yards in each of his first two seasons. But the upside is that Young completed 62 percent of his passes last season and in two seasons, Young has nearly 1,000-rushing yards and 10-rushing touchdowns. Young is an exciting, intriguing talent for fantasy teams, but isn't a sure thing.

Todd Heap, TE, Ravens. Heap had two productive seasons before going through another injury-plagued season last year. He also played in just six games in '04. Heap did play two full seasons the following two years, averaging 74 receptions for 810 yards and seven touchdowns. As you can gather, Heap is a top option when playing. But missing over half the games in two of the last four years makes Heap a big question mark.

Travis Henry, RB, Broncos. Henry was a bust last season, but heads into this year with similar expectations. He is the starter on a team that churns out 1,000-yard backs like no other. And don't overlook that Henry broke the 100-yard mark in three of the first four games last season before spraining his knee and doing little the rest of the year. Henry has three 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, so he certainly has the potential for big things in the Broncos offense if the pieces fall into place.

Donte' Stallworth, WR, Browns. Most thought Stallworth would have a breakout season last year after signing a big contract with the Patriots. But he was hit or miss and eventually lost out on a lot of playing time to Jabar Gaffney. He was released and signed with the Browns. The Browns have a few less weapons to compete with at receiver than the Patriots. And Stallworth should move right into a starting role, opposite Braylon Edwards. Stallworth has never had a 1,000-yard season, though, so don't pencil him in for that. But the potential is there for him, starting for a good offensive team and opposite a emerging star. But it also wouldn't be a surprise to see Stallworth perform similar to last season.

Matt Schaub, QB, Texans. Schaub was very good at times last season, but also couldn't stay healthy during his first season as a full-time starter. Schaub averaged more than 200-passing yards per game and had nine touchdowns in 11 games last season. He also threw nine interceptions and missed five games with various injuries. And Sage Rosenfels played well in his place. The Texans won't hesitate to use Rosenfels if Schaub struggles or can't stay healthy. But Schaub can produce big numbers in an improving offense if he can stay healthy and build on his good games last season.

Reggie Brown, WR, Eagles. Brown was almost a non-factor early in the season, but got it going after a slow start and finished pretty strong. Brown had touchdowns in two of the lat three games and 288-receiving yards in the month of December. But for the third straight season, Brown failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark. He plays in a good offense, though, an offense that throws often. This seems to be a make or break year for Brown. If he has some struggles, the Eagles could look at some other, younger options at receiver.

Justin Fargas, RB, Raiders. Fargas was a huge surprise last year, becoming the Raiders starter and breaking the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. And he did this in just seven starts. He got a big contract this offense, but the Raiders used their first-round pick on Darren McFadden, who should take over the starting job in due time. Fargas has been in the league a few years and struggles to stay healthy at times. Can he hold up as the starter over the course of a full season? Fargas also isn't a spring chicken at 28 years of age. He certainly has some question marks heading into his first season as the Raiders full-time starter.

Ben Watson, TE, Patriots. Watson isn't really an injury risk, but more of a guy that gets overlooked at times. The Patriots have so many weapons offensively that Watson can get lost in the shuffle at times. But he can also come up big on any given week. He had a 100-yard game last season and scored five touchdowns in the first five games of last season. The big question is: can Watson be depended on as an every-week starter for fantasy teams?