Shazam!  The middle of the NFL season is upon us! Week 8 gave us redemption songs, and relentless will power until the last play.  Sorry Bears one last dig!  The second half of the season is shaping up to be special, hold tight!  Let’s go back and reward some of the phenomenal performances of the first half of the season.  As always, these are players that provide points not only on their offenses but also in the return game.  At the end of the year, we will crown our Boosting Return Game Champion or better known as the “Boosty.”  These two players are on the watchlist. 

Calvin Austin III

Changes come and go, and so do quarterbacks in the NFL.  The last time we talked about Calvin Austin III he was taking a 56-yard pass from Justin Fields to the house!  In case you forgot, Justin Fields was once the starter for the Steelers.  Fast-forward to the present and Russell Wilson is now the starting Steelers quarterback.  Kalif Raymond was given consideration, but Austin did something on Monday Night Football (MNF) against the Giants only two other players did on MNF in the last 20 years.  He scored a receiving and punt return for a touchdown!  The Steelers have a bye week upcoming in Week 9 and when they return to the field the Commanders are next.  In Week 8 the Commanders punted the ball seven times and they punt over three times per game.  In addition, the Commanders have given up 912 yards, which is the most kickoff return yards in the NFL.  In the Scott Fish Bowl (SFB) you get one point for every five return yards, remember that. Check those waivers as Austin will probably be ignored because of the Steelers being on bye the week.  But when he and the Steelers return this matchup will be a tasty one.

KaVontae Turpin

The lone bright star for the Cowboys recently is KaVontae Turpin and his ability to use his ultra-electric speed to breeze pass defenders while returning kicks.  Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel believes so much in Turpin’s ability that he’s been lined up several times as the lone return man.  Fassel’s trust has turned into Turpin averaging 161 total return yards in the last two weeks. Imagine having a weapon like that on your roster in SFB or leagues with return yardage points. Remember the Cowboys are still without Bradin Cooks, though Turpin will not see a lot of snaps on offense.  He still gets opportunities to rack up points on offense as well.  In Week 9 the Cowboys travel to Hotlanta to face a Falcons team that only attempted one punt in Tampa Bay.  What’s interesting is the Falcons when playing at home attempt three punts per game.  The Falcons are most likely aware of Turpin’s abilities and will have a game plan. Right now Turpin is my pick for the 2024 Boosty Champion.  Go look right now at those leagues allowing points in the return game and grab Turpin if available.