Treasure what you experienced yesterday. From an objective standpoint, that was one of the craziest Saturdays we’ve ever seen in college football, and going forward, those kinds of days won’t have nearly the impact they once did thanks to the new 24-team playoff. One could argue it’s already diminished. Can you imagine a day like yesterday when only four teams made the playoffs? Things turning topsy-turvy would be an understatement.
Hopefully you did not end up like 5 of the top 7 teams yesterday and lose your matchup. But if you did and you’re desperately looking for those final pieces to help you make your league’s playoffs, we’ve got some guys for you!
That said, here’s who you could grab off the waiver wire coming out of Week 7! All players mentioned are rostered at a sub-30% rate in Fantrax CFF leagues.
Quarterbacks
Owen Eshelman – Washington State – Ros: 1%
Quarterback changes are one of the few ways QB options emerge this late in the season, and that’s exactly what’s happening with Owen Eshelman. Kirby Moore and staff tried for weeks to get Caden Pinnick working, but unfortunately the offense struggled in every game. In addition to taking over play-calling duties, Moore also took over as signal caller. Calling it a night-and-day difference would be an understatement. Wazzou still lost handily, but it was easily the Cougars’ best offensive fight all season.
Eshelan looked great, especially on the ground. He ran the ball 15 total times (including three sacks for -13 yards) and garnered 136 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It’s unclear whether that should be expected every week, but given Kirby Moore’s offensive mind and the evidence that this level of rushing production is within his range, it’s not enough for me to worry too much right now.
Eshelman’s passing does raise some concerns. It’s great that Eshelman threw 49 passes, but that pretty clearly was due to game script. Even then, he averaged only 5.9 yards per attempt. So despite passing 50 times, he didn’t break 300 yards. If that volume scales down, I worry his passing will limit his upside. The good news is that even with this offense looking better, I expect Wazzou to keep playing from behind. Easily the best QB to pick up this week if you’re struggling at the position.
Jacurri Brown – Rice – Ros: 11%
In a year where triple option QBs like Cale Hellums, Jake Gutierrez, and now Evan Medders are going bananas, Rice QB Jacurri Brown says, “Why can’t I join the party?” While Rice doesn’t technically run the triple option, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking they do, based on Brown’s stats each week. His passing is very limited, with no games above 125 yards this year and no multi-TD games through the air.
Meanwhile, his rushing is very reminiscent of a triple-option QB. He’s had 95+ rushing yards in all but two games. He missed that mark in two games: Notre Dame (no surprise there) and East Carolina (no idea what happened there). He’s not a flashy QB by any stretch, but if you’re looking for someone to plug in at the spot, you could do a lot worse than Brown.
In four of the last five weeks, Brown has managed to get you 25+ fantasy points in some way, shape, or form. Now, that one week he doesn’t make that mark could be disastrous, but that’s the risk you’re gonna have to run with him. However, the good news is his remaining schedule is awesome. Every opponent for the rest of the season ranks 80th or worse against QBs, and three of five are 100th+.
Ajani Sheppard – Temple – Ros: 4%
If you’re tired of starting guys who bust out on you at the worst times, consider Sheppard. He doesn’t lead a great Temple offense, so scoring will always be a question mark, but he can consistently produce and keep your team from underperforming.
Over the last five weeks, Sheppard has had 20+ fantasy points in four of those games, and the one time he didn’t hit that mark, he got 17 points. While his passing is inconsistent, his rushing is what really keeps him producing. Over his last five games, he recorded 10+ rushing attempts in four and 65+ rushing yards in three. Getting four touchdowns on the ground in that same stretch certainly doesn’t hurt. Not a sexy option, but one that can fill a hole, especially in a deeper league.
Honorable Mentions
- Evan Medders – Air Force – 8%
- Rickie Collins – Kennesaw State – 9%
- Jackson Gutierrez – Navy – 26%
Running Backs
Aidan Laughery – Illinois – Ros: 8%
Injuries continue to affect college fantasy seasons, including the Fighting Illini. Ca’lil Valentine sustained an injury and is out for the year. This opens the door for Aidan Laughery to take over the backfield. Laughery looked capable in his first stretch in this role. The shift gives him a subtle yet real lift in fantasy share going forward.
Against Michigan State, Laughery tallied 21 touches, with 4 receptions on 7 targets. He totaled 94 yards and found the end zone once. If a player can handle around 20 touches weekly, you may want to start him when options at this position are thin. His next tests are Oregon and Nebraska, which aren’t ideal, yet Maryland presents a tempting spot-start window.
Cyncir Bowers – UConn – Ros: 15%
It’s been fun over the last couple of weeks to figure out who is legit with their increased volume going forward and who is just on a hot streak. TJ Engleman and Dominic Knicely look legit right now; meanwhile, Jonaz Walton and Tylik Hill look like victims of a hot hand going cold. Which one is Cyncir Bowers for UConn? We’ll find out this week against UMass.
In the meantime, we have to highlight what Bowers has been doing in the Huskies’ last few matchups. He’s seen 18+ touches in each of the last two games, which have produced back-to-back 100-yard games and 3 TDs over those two games. I worry about the hot-hand effect here, but as of this writing, Bowers doubles the next running back in carry share and touchdowns in this offense.
But that carry share is still only just under 30% at the end of the day, so not quite the dominance we’d want to see. However, this offense runs the ball ~37 times a game on average, and in the most recent games, Bowers gets half of that. Hopefully it continues, and Bowers can ascend to the heights many Jason Candle RB1s have made it to in the past.
Owen Allen – Air Force – 19%
Yes, I’m doing this again. Yes, I am ready to be hurt again. The super-back for Air Force has long been a source of glee and frustration for college fantasy. On one hand, you can get the likes of Brad Roberts, who runs for 1500+ yards and is a must-start for fantsay. Other times, you get Dylan Carson, who got hot at the end of the season for two years straight and then fell flat on his face at the start of the next season. We’ve had our eye on Owen Allen taking over this role for a while now, and it looks like we’re finally getting the benefit.
In the Air Force’s last two games, Allen has had 13 carries and 19 carries, both resulting in 95+ yards and at least one touchdown. What I find interesting is that Allen’s reemergence is timed almost exactly with Szarka’s loss at QB and Medders’ acquisition at QB. The staff seems very reluctant to let Medders throw the ball, even as a starter. He’s had a whopping three pass attempts over his two starts so far. Compare that to Szarka, who routinely got 10+ pass attempts as a triple-option QB.
So how does Air Force become multi-dimensional without a pass game? It gives the defense multiple rushers to think about, and Allen seems to be the primary option Medders can give if he isn’t keeping it himself. I do worry about Air Force’s upcoming schedule. Wyoming and Army are both teams that can drag the game into a low-scoring affair that’ll cap Allen’s upside.
Honorable Mentions
- TJ Engleman – East Carolina – 25%
- Dominic Knicely – Coastal Carolina – 17%
- Jaziun Patterson – Michigan State – 18%
- AJ Newberry – Oregon State – 22%
- Messiah Burch – Buffalo – 19%
Wide Receivers
Branden Ganashamoorthy – Washington State – Ros: 1%
I saw this man’s first touchdown last night come across my feed, and my immediate thought was (sorry, not sorry), “We really are just making up names now.” Little did I know that I would be recommending this man the following morning for college fantasy usage. We already went over the changes in Wazzou’s offense and how they seemed to have made things better.
Another change seems to have been getting Ganashamoorthy much more involved. He was peppered with targets all night against Oregon State, culminating in 18. He turned that into 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. There is certainly worry this could be a one-hit wonder; if you look at his game log, nothing comes close to this performance. But given the change at QB and the offensive changes, I think it’s worth storing him on the bench and seeing what happens.
Sam Pickett – App State – Ros: 15%
I was right to point at App State and say there would likely be a WR worth grabbing, given Dowell Loggains’ recent history. What I was wrong about was who that would be. Sam Pickett has been the Mountaineers’ go-to target, with 7+ targets in each of his last few games. Last week, he got 8 targets for 5 catches, 78 yards, and a touchdown. He offers an excellent floor, especially in PPR leagues. In all but one game, he’s gotten 70+ yards and at least four catches.
That means in a full PPR league, you know, barring disaster, the absolute floor you have been getting from him is 11 points. Add a couple more catches and likely a TD, given his track record, and you’re happy with him almost every week. He does have one major blemish against Old Dominion, where he caught only 1 of 9 targets, but the likelihood of that happening again feels very remote.
Rodshaun Dorsey – Georgia State – Ros: 12%
I will be frank with you all: I don’t love Dorsey from a volume perspective at all. He’s only seen one game so far this season with 7+ targets, which I think is the bare minimum a WR should get on average. Add in only one game above 100 yards, and I bet you’re wondering why I even have him on here. The reason is simple: 7 TDs in 4 games.
Now, I know touchdowns aren’t a sticky stat, and without them, Dorsey’s fantasy scores would mostly be in the tank, no matter the scoring format. But it is crystal clear that when Georgia State is down in the red zone, they have a favorite target (which for some reason isn’t Grant Hollier, but that’s a rant for another day). What is also great about Dorsey is that after this week against Arkansas State, his schedule has four straight games against defenses ranked 80th or worse in WR production.
Honorable Mentions
- Isaiah Mizell – Arizona – 20%
- Isaiah Myers – Missouri State – 22%
- Oran Singleton – Tulsa – 10%
- Hunter Summers – Arkansas State – 13%
- Jonathan Stafford – Western Kentucky – 22%
Tight Ends
DaSaahn Brame – Tennessee – Ros: 15%
Ethan Davis was off to a really nice start to the year before it all came to a crashing halt in Week 2. While I don’t think Davis’ absence was a major reason the Tennessee passing attack struggled from there on out, I think it played a role. However, the Vols have seen a new impact player emerge in TE DaSaahn Brame.
Brame has been great, averaging 14.1 yards per catch as a tight end and is getting five targets per game right now. Not an elite volume number, but given his explosiveness and efficiency (he’s averaging 9.2 yards after catch as a tight end), it’s less concerning than it would be for other tight ends. Given how young he is, I’m very interested to see how much Brame’s role grows as the Vols’ season rolls on, especially after their bye week in two weeks.
Honorable Mentions
- Andrew Rappleyea – Penn State – 19%
- Cole Keller – James Madison – 22%
