Fantasy Football Boom-Or-Bust Week 1 Options: Jonathon Brooks Looks To Become A Breakout Star

The top fantasy football boom-or-bust options for Week 1.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (25) on the sidelines in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The most exciting and scary options in fantasy football are the boom-or-bust players. They can win you your week with one huge play, but they can also sink your entire lineup. You have to roll the dice on these guys. These are our top boom-or-bust fantasy football options for Week 1.

QB Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins

Willis enters the season as the ultimate boom-or-bust quarterback. He's a dual-threat option with elite rushing ability and an extremely small sample size as a successful passer. We know that he's going to be electric on the ground, but there is a real chance that he could be a disaster through the air.

This is a similar situation to what we've seen in the past with quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance. Sometimes it works out very well, and sometimes it turns out to be horrible. If you are in on Willis, there is no better time than now to roll with him against the Las Vegas Raiders.

RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

Brooks has immense talent but major injury concerns. That has only been exacerbated by a groin injury and soreness suffered near the end of training camp. Nevertheless, he has been cleared to play in Week 1.

He was an elite prospect with the talent to be a superstar, but injuries have also limited him to just nine carries since being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. There is a chance that he establishes himself as a superstar in Week 1, or he could be on a strict snap count.

WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

Pierce has always been a big-play wide receiver who sees limited volume. We do expect his volume to see a boost this season after the team moved on from Michael Pittman Jr. and gave Pierce a four-year, $114 million extension.

However, his snaps and targets will likely be limited in Week 1 after he missed almost all of training camp recovering from an ankle injury. We view him as a breakout star this season, but it will take a big play for him to break out in the season opener.

TE Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders

There is a wide range of opinions when it comes to starting Mayer this week now that Brock Bowers is out. Some believe he should be viewed as a high-end TE1 because he could step into Bowers's role and has limited target competition, while others only view him as an emergency start option.

There is certainly upside there, but he could also do next to nothing, similar to what we saw last season when he got his four starts. Two great games, one average game, and one terrible game. We view him as a low-end TE2 with TE1 upside.

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