Welcome back from another insane week of college football! We saw not one, not two, but six top 25 teams go down this weekend, and we almost got a seventh if not for some late heroics by the ref-I mean-the Hurricanes. It was the kind of weekend that reminds you just how much you love this sport and the CFF sphere was no different!
Ashton Jeanty once again did Ashton Jeanty things. Tyler Huff and Tre Stewart made Kennesaw State look like how I play KSU on Heisman in CFB 25. We had some out-of-the-blue performances from the likes of Braylon Braxton, Colton Joseph, and Hahsaun Wilson! Overall, it was a perfect way to spend a Saturday.
For those of you still on the hunt in your CFF leagues, congratulations, we’re about halfway to the playoffs! You only need to survive about 4-5 more weeks! Luckily, there are plenty of options to bolster your pursuits, including a plethora of QB reinforcements still available from previous weeks, some actual honest-to-God options to be excited about at the running back position, and some high-upside WRs worth taking some chances on!
With all that being said, let’s look at who you could be grabbing off the waiver wire to either continue your dominance or turn your season around! All players mentioned are sub-30% rostered in Fantrax CFF leagues.
Quarterbacks
Below, I’ll provide breakdowns on three QBs I haven’t touched on in this article series to this point. I think all three are worth looking at, but if I’m being straight with you, my audience, the value at QB is in the guys we’ve discussed in previous weeks. Take a look at the honorable mentions below. It is filled with the likes of Hajj-Malik Williams, Tyler Huff, and Kevin Jennings. All three are guys who are hitting their stride and are widely available (<21% rostered). I’d personally check for those three before pursuing the QBs I’ve laid out below. However, I am quite excited about the three I’ll be breaking down today as well, so long-story-short, if you’re looking for QB help, you’re in luck this week.
Spencer Petras – Utah State – Ros: 4%
When Blake Anderson was relieved of his duties close to the start of the season, we knew there would be some growing pains for Utah State despite trying to keep things the same as they were, system-wise, under Anderson. It didn’t help that Spencer Petras went down with an injury in the first game of the season. Now, we’ve seen Petras back for two weeks against Temple and Boise State, and the results have been extremely encouraging for CFF.
Petras’ return against Temple left something to be desired on the TD front, having only scored two on the day, but his volume and passing production indicated there was a solid floor to build upon moving forward. On the day, Petras threw 44 times for 293 yards. He then followed it up with his performance this past week against Boise State, where he put up 372 yards passing and 3 TDs on 41 attempts.
While Petras is not a runner, his passing volume makes up for it and if we can come to expect 300 yards on average from him each week, he makes an incredible floor play in CFF. It also helps that Utah State’s defense should continue to make sure Petras is playing from behind, moving forward in Mountain West play. Speaking of Mountain West play, Petras’ upcoming schedule includes UNLV (98th vs. pass), New Mexico (109th vs. Pass), and Wyoming (95th vs. Pass). A perfect storm is brewing for a guy once thought to be CFF poison at Iowa.
Brendon Lewis – Nevada – Ros: 22%
I’ve been putting this off for as long as I could, but I can’t anymore. Brendon Lewis is a legitimate option for CFF purposes, and I can’t believe I’ve typed those words into existence. I had no trust in this Nevada team coming into the season, and they have proven me wrong at every turn. I underestimated the hiring of Matt Lubick as offensive coordinator (formerly Co-OC at Kansas), and he’s been a major catalyst for this offense. As the season goes along, Lewis is looking like many of us were hoping Jalon Daniels would look like.
Despite one major stumble vs Minnesota, Lewis has arguably been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the country for CFF. Over the last four weeks, we’ve seen three 30-point games from Lewis. His passing leaves something to be desired, as he hasn’t hit 250+ yards since Week 2 of the season, but his legs make up for it, with 60+ rushing yards against every G5 opponent he has faced.
Much like Petras, Lewis will continue to benefit from a softer Mountain West schedule, although the immediate matchups aren’t the greatest, including Oregon State and Fresno State next. Regardless, a dual-threat Moutain West QB who has shown he can play some hero ball in a shoot-out is always worth rostering in CFF.
Zeon Chriss – Houston – Ros: 11%
Wait, Houston’s offense is alive? I thought we’d left it for dead back in Week 1? Well, that is the power of a QB change. With potential first-round QB Donovan Smith benched, the Cougars decided to give Louisiana transfer Zeon Chriss a shot at the starting job. Chriss came in and clearly took advantage of an unprepared TCU defense. Chriss’ passing was pedestrian, with only 141 yards and a touchdown to show on 18 passing attempts. However, Chriss is much more comfortable using his legs, and that has given the Houston offense a spark it desperately needed. In one game, Chriss has already surpassed Donovan Smith’s rushing total for the year, having gained 97 yards on 11 attempts.
We also know this isn’t a fluke, as Chriss has gotten rushing packages all year long even with Smith starting. Going forward, I like the potential that Chriss brings to the Cougars offense and since we know nothing else with working for this offenese, Chriss should remain the catalyst through which this offense continues to run, making him a fun addition to your CFF team.
Honorable Mentions
- Tyler Huff – Jacksonville State – 15%
- Hajj-Malik Williams – UNLV – 21%
- Kevin Jennings – SMU – 7%
- Sawyer Robertson – Baylor – 4%
Running Backs
We are blessed with some real options at running back on the waiver wire this week. Two running backs, in particular, strike me as must-adds for rosters, while the rest are great investments to see how they shake out over the next few weeks.
Tre Stewart – Jacksonville State – Ros: 6%
When Jacksonville State lost Ron Wiggins to injury for the year, the race to find his replacement was immediately underway. Veteran Anwar Lewis seemed like a prime candidate, or maybe Georgia transfer Andrew Paul. Neither have taken advantage of their opportunities, leading to the rise of Tre Stewart as the undisputed workhorse.
Stewart has slowly been building momentum for his role, starting out as part of a committee. Then, about three weeks ago against Eastern Michigan, we saw our first look at Stewart as the workhorse when he had 17 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown. Not the most inspiring statline, but it was an indicator of what to expect moving forward. He followed that up with a 16 carry, 96 yards, and 2 TD game vs Southern Miss. Then, in and of itself, probably should have landed him on people’s waiver lists last week. But then, Stewart had the mother of all games this past weekend, with 24 carries, 134 yards, and 4 TDs, totaling 37.4 fantasy points.
The staff has made it crystal clear what Stewart’s role is moving forward, and given his trajectory, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more monster games from him down the stretch. The one concern I have is his lack of receiving work, which indicates a big drop off should Jacksonville St fall behind in a game. That’s not to say he can’t provide receiving production, but we just haven’t seen it!
Tawee Walker – Wisconsin – Ros: 17%
With Chez Mellusi’s sudden departure from the Badgers’ program this past week, it opened up the door for Tawee Walker. Walker and Mellusi have been a 1A-1B for the Badgers for a good chunk of the season when both are healthy. Now, without Mellusi to pair with him, Walker was the clear top option for the Badgers this past weekend vs Purdue. On the day, Walker put up 94 yards and 3 TDs on 19 carries.
Walker is getting a second chance as a bell-cow back for a Power 4 program after he was unceremoniously downgraded despite almost single-handedly carrying Oklahoma against Kansas in 2023. It’s safe to say that after his performance against Purdue, he shouldn’t be losing this opportunity any time soon. Phil Longo is not shy about using a bell-cow back, and Walker looks primed to be his next one. Of course, a tough Big Ten schedule leaves some pause for Walker’s upside down the stretch, but for right now, he’s a must-add for teams struggling with RB issues, given the upside he could have in this role.
Jaylon Jackson – Iowa State – Ros: 1%
I’m going to do something a little different with this next recommendation than I normally do for these articles. Usually, when I recommend players, I go for guys who I think have immediate impacts, whether that is just short-term or short- and long-term. However, Jaylon Jackson strikes me as a value to grab off waivers right now, but I wouldn’t start him just yet. Let me explain.
First and foremost, the Abu Sama dream is dead. He’s been awful at times and even in his better games, he’s inconsistent on a down-to-down basis. We in the CFF community have seen it and now the Iowa State coaching staff is seeing it, having downgraded Sama to RB3 (!) this past week vs Baylor.
Meanwhile, Jackson, the Eastern Michigan transfer, has stepped up in a big way. Over the past four weeks, Jackson has provided the consistency this offense has needed from the HB position, and the scary thing for his opponents is that he’s getting better. Jackson has averaged 5.3, 6.9, and 7.1 yards per carry over the last three weeks. This culminated in a fantastic performance vs. Baylor, resulting in 15 carries for 107 yards and 2 TDs.
So why am I viewing this as an investment play rather than a full play? Despite Jackson’s solid production in the last couple of weeks, he still isn’t in a workhorse role. Abu Sama still gets carries, and Carson Hansen has been performing well on his own right (15-97-0 this past week). However, we know what Matt Campbell can do with a top running back once he finds his guy. If you don’t know, ask some of your CFF veteran buddies who had Breece Hall and David Montgomery a few years ago. If Jackson continues his trajectory, he could be in for an incredible finish to his career, especially if he can break away from Hansen. That upside is too tantalizing to leave on the waiver wire. Invest now and watch him over the next few weeks.
Honorable Mentions
- Avery Morrow – Colorado State – 8%
- Isaac Brown – Louisville – 11%
- Jaden Nixon – Western Michigan – 28%
Wide Receivers
If there’s a theme of the week for wide receivers, it has to be “mistaken identity”. There are plenty of positions we theorize should have consistent production year to year. During the off-season, and a bit into the season as well, we’ve taken shots on guys we think are emerging as the next-up guys for those systems. However, either through performance or injury, sometimes we have the wrong guy, and as the season goes along, we find out the truth about who we should invest in. Our three wide receivers fit that bill today, so let’s dive in!
Javon Tracy – Miami, OH – Ros: 6%
Man, I was convinced we had found the next Jack Sorenson/Mac Hippenhammer when Cade McDonald began to emerge. While McDonald still has the eyes of Brett Gabbert (he saw 13 targets this past week), his performances just haven’t matched what he was able to do in the first two weeks of the season, when he hit 100+ yards in each. Since then, McDonald hasn’t hit 60+ yards.
The receiver who has been putting up some production recently is Javon Tracy. Tracy is the opposite of McDonald, as he’s been on a trajectory upwards since Week 2. He started the season with 3-4 targets a game and has quickly risen to 7 and 11 targets each of his past two games. This past week, he put up a very Hippenhammer-like line of 10 receptions, 119 yards, and a TD.
As we get into MAC play, things will shake out between Tracy and McDonald, but I’m willing to bet the sophomore who’s only gotten better since the season began is a great place to put your bets on this Redhawks offense moving forward. The upcoming schedule against Eastern Michigan, Ohio and Central Michigan provide tons of opportunities for Tracy to continue to stretch his wings.
Jackson Meeks – Syracuse – Ros: 4%
I paid attention to this Syracuse offense probably more than any other CFF analyst did this summer, probably to an unhealthy degree. It was clear through interviews that McCord needed two things to feel comfortable in this passing game. One was a reliable slot receiver, which he has in Trebor Pena. The other was a big play outside guy he could rely on. Based on interviews, I had assumed this would be Georgia transfer Zeed Haynes, whom McCord always brought up in interviews, and the staff could not stop praising. Unfortunately, Haynes got banged up in Week 1, was taken out in Week 2, and hasn’t returned since. In his place, another Georgia transfer has stepped up: Jackson Meeks.
While it took a while for McCord and Meeks to establish some connection (Meeks was not one of the starting four receivers with whom McCord got extended reps in practice), the last two weeks have made it clear these two have made that connection. McCord has sought out Meeks 11+ times in each of their last two games for a total of 18 catches, 228 yards, and 2 TDs. So long as Haynes remains out, Meeks shall remain McCord’s top outside option, which so far has shown to have some big play potential moving forward. Even if Haynes comes back, I’m not sure this coaching staff or McCord will want Meeks off the field, given how well he’s performed.
Trech Kekahuna – Wisconsin – Ros: 6%
One of my biggest whiffs this year was my love of Will Pauling. After an incredible finish in 2023, which saw Pauling performing at a potentially elite CFF level, I was ready for the sequel. Since then, Luke Fickell has made it his mission to try to get fewer targets to Pauling, and that has massively handicapped Pauling’s CFF production despite playing in one of the most consistent CFF positions, the Phil Longo slot. It does not help that Pauling’s average production per catch has also taken a hit. He’s averaging two whole yards less per catch than last year. Then, this past weekend, Pauling took a big hit and was sidelined the rest of the game, his status moving forward very much in question.
In the wake of Pauling’s injury, a CFF Dynasty favorite emerged in Trech Kekahuna, and to say he took advantage of his opportunity would be an understatement. Kekahuna finished the day with nine targets, resulting in 6 catches for 134 yards and 2 TDs. As much as I’ve liked Pauling, based on this performance and whispers in the off-season, Kekahuna just might be a much more talented, albeit inexperienced, receiver. We’ll have to keep an eye on this situation over the next few weeks as Wisconsin plays Rutgers, Northwestern, and Penn State, but there’s a decent chance Kekahuna usurps Pauling as the coveted Phil Longo slot.
Honorable Mentions
- Jaden Williams – Texas State – 12%
- Jakobie James – UMass – 15%
Tight Ends
Taylor Thompson – James Madison – Ros: 7%
Much like running backs, I have some honest-to-God tight ends to recommend you all. While the offense he plays for might be Jekyll and Hyde-ish, the consistent work Taylor Thompson is providing for the James Madison Dukes at Tight End cannot be ignored. Over the past three weeks, Thompson has seen games of 4, 7, and 9 targets. He didn’t find the endzone this past week, but Thompson is someone Alonza Barnett looks for in the red zone and clearly, based on volume, someone this offense will rely on to score. He’s currently second on the team in targets, behind only Cameron Ross. It is difficult to find good tight ends this far into the season who are this involved in their team’s offensive game plan, and if Thompson continues, we could be seeing a Top 10 rest-of-season TE option emerging before our eyes.
Honorable Mentions
- Dorian Flemings – Georgia State – 15%
- Blake Bosma – Western Michigan – 1%
