Man, this season just keeps getting better and better, and we all here get to enjoy college fantasy on top of it! Most teams are now deep into their conference schedules, so no, we’re getting a better idea of what we can consistently expect out of players down the stretch with far less extreme talent mismatches each week.
If you’re looking to push for the playoffs in your league, you probably already have an extremely solid squad available to you at this point. However, as the great philosopher of our time, Shuri from “Black Panther,” once said, “Just because something works does not mean it cannot be improved.” There’s always room to make your teams even better. At the very least, you can ensure the other contenders don’t get their hands on some of these sweet, sweet waiver options.
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
I have a couple of QBs who might interest folks who subscribe to the cult of MACtion, and who are good options in their own rights, but the value at QB still remains with folks I’ve discussed in this column before. Please take some time to scan the honorable mentions, as it is filled with guys who are still widely available and are winning people’s matchups as we speak. If you’re struggling at QB, this might be your last week to pick up some game changers for down the stretch, so don’t skip over the guys in the HM category! That being said, let’s check out some fun plays from the Mid-American.
Parker Navarro – Ohio – Ros: 6%
What a hell of a job Tim Albin has done with Ohio this year. This roster got absolutely raided this off-season of its best pieces on both sides of the ball, including starting QB Kurtis Rourke and RB1 Sieh Bangura. Despite that, Ohio is currently first in the MAC, and its only losses have come against Syracuse (whom Ohio gave quite a scare to) and Kentucky.
The emergence of Parker Navarro at quarterback has been at the center of this. Navarro competed with CJ Harris for most of the off-season before Harris transferred to be paid to hold a clipboard at Cal.
Since then, Navarro has taken this opportunity and ran with it. Literally. Navarro is your quintessential rushing QB for CFF purposes. He hasn’t had a game with over 204 passing yards so far this year, but what he can do on the ground is incredible. And now that we’re getting to MAC play, Navarro has taken off.
Over the last two games against Central Michigan and Akron, Navarro has rushed 13+ times for 110+ yards and a touchdown in each of his games. This isn’t an offense that has shown it can hit 40 points in a game so far this year, but if it ever does, Navarro’s ceiling could be limitless any given week.
Navarro’s upcoming schedule includes a trio of teams who have struggled greatly against the run, including Miami, OH (103rd in defensive rushing team performance), Buffalo (84th), and Kent State (132nd). There’s so much opportunity for Navarro to feast over the coming weeks that makes him a no-brainer add for teams struggling to find a consistent QB for the next few weeks.
Tommy Ulatowski – Kent State – Ros: 2%
One of my favorite interactions this off-season was when I was grabbing lunch with Chris Kay (@realestchriskay), Andrew Katz (@Andrewkatz), Heath Boyd (@heathboyd), and Kyle Franchise (@FranchiseKF). As you do with friends, we jokingly fake-debated over who should be ranked as the QB114 in CFF for the upcoming 2024 season. Our two candidates were Cade McConnell (Who I’m not sure even exists anymore) and Tommy Ulatowski. The Ulatowski fans amongst us are now getting our chance in the sun, even tho it took Devin Kargman doing down with injury for it to happen.
As we understand, Kent State players gain a lot more value every season once they exit the physical abuse known as their out-of-conference schedule. That remains true once again this year, although this offense may have more value than we were initially expecting.
We’ve seen two games with Ulatowski as the starting quarterback this year, and both have been great for CFF. Ulatowski scores 30+ points in 4-PT passing TD league formats. With Ulatowski under center, the Golden Flashes feel free to air the ball out, especially now against MAC competition. He’s seen 10+ yards per attempt, 340+ yards, and 3+ TDs in both of his starts.
There are some caveats to know, though. In both contests, Kent State played from behind, leading to more aggressive downfield shots from Ulatowski. I don’t expect that to change, as Kent State has the worst defensive performance rating in the country, according to our own Nicholas Ian Allen at C2C WinningEdge.
It does have to be noted that while Ulatowski’s numbers are impressive, these performances came against Eastern Michigan and Ball State, who rank 102nd and 133rd in defensive passing team performance. Their upcoming schedule includes Bowling Green (55th), Western Michigan (128th), and Ohio (60th), so managers may have to be strategic in their deployment of Ulatowski. Regardless, he’s been a pleasant surprise for CFF managers and helps raise the stock of this Golden Flashes passing attack moving forward.
Honorable Mentions
- Caden Veltkamp – Western Kentucky – 28%
- Tyler Huff – Jacksonville State – 31%
- Hajj-Malik Williams – UNLV – 28%
- Kevin Jennings – SMU – 10%
- Sawyer Robertson – Baylor – 6%
- Brenden Lewis – Nevada – 25%
- Spencer Petras – Utah State – 6%
- Ben Wooldridge – Louisiana – 23%
Running Backs
While nobody in this group quite reaches the “must-grab” nature that Tre Stewart and Tawee Walker had last week, there are some fun emerging options that are worth taking shots on for second-half breakouts. This is the time of year when coaches settle their rotations at positions more as they get deeper into conference play and know who their go-to guys are. This is especially true when running back, so let’s take a look at some of these potential emerging stars.
Savion Red – Nevada – Ros: 16%
It felt like it was only a matter of time before Savion Red would take over this Wolfpack backfield. Coming into the season, Red entered a backfield with intriguing options, including Ashton Hayes, Sean Dollars, and Boston College transfer Pat Garwo. However, after one injured Dollars, one transfer of Hayes to WR, and many booty performances from Garwo later, suddenly, this backfield has cleared out for the Texas transfer.
It also helps that Red was performing well on a down-to-down basis. Against opponents not named Minnesota, Red averaged 6.9+ per carry in every game for Nevada this season. Despite performing well, we just hadn’t seen the Nevada staff commit to Red as their go-to guy. In five games, the most touches he got was 13.
That all changed this past weekend against Oregon State. Against arguably Nevada’s hardest opponent to this point in the season besides Minnesota, the staff committed to Red and reaped the rewards greatly. The Wolfpack upset the Beavers, 42-37, on the back of a monster performance from Red. He finished the day with 23 carries for 137 yards and 4 TDs, finishing as the RB1 for this past weekend.
Going forward, it would be coaching malpractice not to continue to feature Red. It would also break the tendency of Matt Lubick, who saw the success a featured back could produce during his two years as an analyst at Kansas. The schedule for Nevada doesn’t scream opportunities for Red to feast. His next three games are against Fresno State, Nevada, and Colorado State, who are all right around the middle of C2CWinningEdge’s defensive rushing team performance metric. However, if Red keeps doing what he’s been doing, it will be more than good enough for CFF teams.
Ahmad Hardy – ULMonroe – Ros: 11%
In week 1, I listed Ahmad Hardy as a player to avoid on the waiver wire. Not only did I not trust a true freshman breaking out that early, but Hardy wasn’t even listed on the two-deep going into that game, so I was concerned he’d be quickly buried again.
Since then, Hardy has shown himself to be too good to keep off the field for this staff. Throughout the season, Hardy has seen 14+ carries in every game against G5 opponents for the Warhawks. He’s finished with less than five yards per carry in those games only once. He has a stellar rushing production profile for a true freshman, finishing with 80+ yards in four of his six games, despite his limited opportunities.
As the season progresses, Hardy seems to be the top candidate to become Bryant Vincent’s RB1, a coveted position in the CFF world. Recall names such as Jacory Croskey-Meritt, Dwayne McBride, and Spencer Brown. We’ve already seen Hardy get that treatment once in the game against Troy, where Hardy got 28 carries for 107 yards.
Hardy’s next two games against South Alabama and Marshall present some opportunities for big weeks before tougher matchups against Texas State and Auburn likely force him to the bench. Regardless, Hardy’s performance and potential role are too good to leave on the waiver wire.
Quintrevion “Tre” Wisner – Texas – Ros: 19%
Is this the first season under Steve Sarkisian where we don’t see his RB1 reach 1,000 yards on the season? It certainly seems that way as no one in this backfield has reached even 300 yards on the season and we’re halfway through the season. Injuries, inconsistent play and more contribute to all of that. Is any of it going to stop me from jumping on a potential emerging RB1 for the rest of the season for Texas? No sir it will not.
This offense misses CJ Baxter. Jaydon Blue seemed like the prime candidate to take over as the lead back for Texas in Baxter’s absence, but injury and an apparent fumbling problem have left him mostly sidelined right now.
Tre Wisner has hopped on that opportunity and is making his case to be the feature guy moving forward for the Longhorns. Over the last two weeks, despite only getting 14-17 touches per game, Wisner has been a consistent force for Texas.
Against Mississippi State, Wisner ran for 6.9 yards per carry, totaling 88 yards. He followed that up by being a catalyst for Texas’ offense in their drubbing against Oklahoma, running 13 times for 118 yards and a touchdown. He would’ve had two touchdowns had he not dropped the ball at the goal line. We still need to see Wisner get the quintessential Sarkisian RB1 workload, but given Blue’s troubles and Wisner’s recent performances, it’s hard not to be on that being sooner rather than later.
Honorable Mentions
- Avery Morrow – Colorado State – 30%
- Isaac Brown – Louisville – 19%
- Tre Stewart – Jacksonville State – 38%
- Tawee Walker – Wisconsin – 31%
- Josh McCray – Illinois – 8% (Watch for Kaden Feagin injury news)
- Elijah Gillam – Fresno State – 2% (Watch for Malik Sherrod injury news)
- CJ Campbell – Florida Atlantic – 18%
Wide Receivers
Last week’s WR recommendations were mostly a miss outside of Jackson Meeks, so I swear to you that I will do better this week. Lucky for us, quite a few WR options are emerging late in the season, some due to a more favorable schedule and others due to increased opportunities earned. Let’s check it out to see who we’ve got.
Luke Floriea – Kent State – Ros: 15%
I try not to repeat players on these columns, but it has been long enough that I think Luke Floriea is worth recognizing against, especially with him still being rostered at only 15%. While Floriea’s partner in crime, Chrishon McCray, remains the prized pig of this offense, Floriea has been productive in his own right.
I discussed Tommy Ulatowski earlier in this column, and he, in addition to Kent State finally reaching MAC play, has been a revelation for Floriea and McCray. The defenses are easier, and Ulatowski only has eyes for Floriea and McCray. Of the two games Ulatowksi has started, he has thrown the ball 56 times. Of those 56 pass attempts, 40 have gone to either McCray or Floriea.
Floriea plays in the slot for Kent State, but he isn’t treated like a slot normally would be. Normally, a slot means higher targets and shorter ADOT. Floriea is the opposite, getting fewer targets than McCray consistently but posting a higher ADOT of 19.0 and 24.3 in his last two games with Ulatowski compared to McCray’s 16.3 in both.
So, despite Floriea playing in the slot, you almost give him the expectations of an outside WR. This is great news, as that means he doesn’t need tons of targets to have big games. With Kent State consistently playing from behind, you know Floriea will be involved in every game for the Golden Flashes, and he’s a good bet to find the endzone, as he’s done so in every game against a G5 opponent.
Aaron Anderson – LSU – Ros: 27%
Kyren Lacy was who everyone, rightfully, aimed for during the off-season as the top target in LSU’s passing attack this season. However, plenty of discussion was about who the secondary option would be. While most aimed for the likes of CJ Daniels or Zavion Thomas, two guys who seem like they could replace Brian Thomas on the boundary, many forgot about the former 5-star living in the slot for the Tigers. With Lacy moving to mostly outside this season, a change from last year, it has allowed Aaron Anderson to produce for this Nussmeier-led passing attack.
Anderson is currently third on the team in targets behind Lacy (56) and TE Mason Taylor (43), but he’s been consistently involved every week with the Tigers. In no game has Anderson had less than six targets, and until this last week against Ole Miss, Anderson had brought in no less than five catches in each game. His lack of touchdowns was a bit of a concern, but the last two weeks have remedied that, with him getting a TD in each of them. Anderson is a no-brainer in PPR leagues and makes for an excellent floor play in CFF. In his last four games, Anderson has gotten 73+ yards one way or another. With SEC defenses continuing to send their best against Lacy, opportunities will continue to abound for Anderson, and he has the talent to grow beyond where he’s currently.
Matt Sykes – Rice – Ros: 3%
One of the first surprises of the CFF season was learning that Rice’s expected WR1, Landon Ransom-Goelz, was injured. Since the start of the season, we haven’t seen a trace of him. To confound us CFF folks even more, Rawson MacNeil is also down the depth chart. So, with a blank slate at the WR position, we’ve been waiting for a new receiver to chase in this offense, and with the rise of Matt Sykes, it looks like we have our guy.
While certainly not on the level of a Luke McCaffrey, if you like chasing volume like I do, Sykes is a guy for you. Over the last three weeks, Sykes has seen 11+ targets and 80+ yards in each game. It’s scary how consistent he’s been. Sykes is separating himself as a game-changer in this offense, which is why his targets have increased over the last few weeks.
Among the starting options at WR, Sykes is the most efficient with 12.2 yards per catch, compared to everyone else in the room, who all have less than 10 yards a catch. Sykes doesn’t have much run-after-catch ability, so it seems we shouldn’t expect too much higher of a production ceiling per game out of Sykes moving forward, but what he does now is more than good enough, especially in a PPR setting.
Rice’s upcoming schedule includes Tulane, UConn, and Navy. That’s not the ideal schedule for a G5 wide receiver, as all three are average to above average in defensive passing team performance, according to C2CWinningedge. It’s even more concerning when you see two of Sykes’ good performances come against UTSA and Charlotte, two teams well below average in the same metric. The saving grace is that Sykes performed well against Army, who is in the same range as Rice’s upcoming schedule, so that provides hope that he can continue his consistent stretch.
Honorable Mentions
- Jaden Williams – Texas State – 23%
- Jordan Tyson – Arizona State – 14%
- Jack Hestera – Utah State – 1% (Watch for Kyrese White injury news)
- Jackson Meeks, WR – Syracuse – 15%
- Dane Key, WR – Kentucky – 26%
Tight Ends
Terrance Carter – Louisiana – Ros: 8%
My tight end recommendation for today is a man who has quietly turned in a top 10 tight end season to this point. Terrance Carter isn’t the flashiest of plays at TE, but if you’re looking for a guaranteed non-zero position, he’s one of the best bets you can find.
Over the last four games, Carter has seen six targets in three of those games and subsequently put up 60+ yards each. Carter saved his best performance to this point in the season for last week, when he caught four balls for 107 yards and a TD.
Carter currently leads the Ragin’ Cajuns in targets, which is always a good role for a TE in CFF, even if you don’t trust the offense weekly. From a schedule standpoint, two of Louisiana’s upcoming matchups in Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State make for nice playable matchups. Texas State’s defensive performance numbers are easily the best of the three upcoming games, but given how potent Texas State’ offense, Louisiana is going to be forced to pass keep up and that will be a big benefit to Carter, even if his scoring opportunities might be limited.
Honorable Mentions
- Taylor Thompson – JMU – 14%
- Dorian Flemings – Georgia State – 15%
- Blake Bosma – Western Michigan – 1%
