Another week has passed us by in the amazing world of college football! We in the CFF world were treated to some more amazing monster performances and we didn’t even have Jeanty on the field this week!
Bryson Dailey continues to defy all CFF logic and has ascended to QB1 on the CFF season as a triple option QB. Runnning backs like Bhayshul Tuten, Mario Anderson and Jaden Baugh (?) went scorched earth putting up 4+ touchdowns each. Chandler Morris and DT Sheffield are proving to be one of the deadliest stack in the sport week to week as well!
With that, we must turn the page to the next week and take away what we can from this week’s games. Many leagues are only three games away before their playoffs begin, so time is running out to stack up your teams! This week’s crop of waiver options aren’t the most impressive we’ve seen to this point, that comes with the territory of it being later in the season. However, if your roster is still in need of plugging some holes at certain positions, you’ll find something for everyone’s taste in this group.
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
As has been the case the last few weeks, double-check the honorable mentions below first before taking on the risk that is our two featured recommendations. Guys like Sawyer Robertson and Caden Veltkamp have provided steady options for their respective CFF managers and deserve to be rostered by this point.
Colton Joseph – Old Dominion – Ros: 2%
When Old Dominion first made the switch to quarterback a few weeks ago, I was skeptical that Joseph would be a relevant CFF option. After all, Old Dominion’s offense to that point had been mediocre at best, and they just happened to get into a shootout with Coastal Carolina. However, since then, Joseph has made me a believer in his producing against other Sun Belt competitors.
In the last three weeks that Joseph has started, he’s solidified himself as a new dual-threat force in the Sun Belt. He’s seen 10+ carries in each of these three games, finishing with 68, 98, and 111 yards, respectively, in his last games. He also has found the endzone with his legs four times during that stretch.
Joseph’s passing could certainly use some work, as he’s been held under 150 yards passing each of his last two games against Texas State and Georgia State. The Georgia State performance is particularly worrying, as Georgia State is 99th in the country in Defensive Passing Team Performance, according to our numbers at C2C Winning Edge.
However, Joseph’s upcoming schedule should provide some relief. His next games against Georgia Southern and Appalachian State have him facing teams ranked 110th+ in that same metric. His legs will not be limited, as both teams are 120th+ in Defensive Rushing Team Performance. Joseph is a good plug-and-play over the next three weeks as managers struggle to get around bye weeks.
Jacurri Brown – UCF – Ros: 8%
One of the bigger disappointments this year has been KJ Jefferson as QB of Gus Malzahn’s UCF Golden Knights. After seeing the success of John Rhys Plumless under Malzahn, Jefferson’s dual-threat ability seemed to fit the system like a glove. Well, here we are after Week 8, and Jefferson’s highest rank in the season was QB32 after Week 5, which quickly dropped down to QB62. A change at QB was made after Jefferson’s poor performance against Florida in favor of true freshman EJ Colson, which lasted for about five minutes before expected backup QB Jacurri Brown entered the picture.
Brown has performed more like what we expect a Gus Malzhan QB to perform, and it has been to UCF’s benefit. Brown’s first start involved him throwing 20 times for 207 yards and 84 yards on the ground, finishing with roughly 20 fantasy points on the day.
This past week, against a stout Iowa State defense, Brown both progressed and regressed. Brown’s passing day was atrocious, completing just 8 of 20 passes for 62 yards. However, Brown gave the Cyclones absolute fits on the ground, rushing 13 times for 154 yards and 2 TDs. The combination of Brown and Harvey on the ground opens this UCF offense back up in a way we haven’t seen since the start of the season.
Brown’s passing *has* to improve. There’s no hiding that. However, if he can get close to what Plumlee was able to do in his final year, Brown’s fit within this system could be a massive boon for CFF managers down the stretch. Lest we forget, when Plumlee was healthy, he consistently averaged a top-12 finish in CFF weekly. The unfortunate part for Brown is that his upcoming schedule has some road bumps, with BYU and both Arizona Schools on the schedule. There’s no reason to believe Brown and UCF can’t put up points versus that stretch, especially if they were able to put up 35 vs Iowa State, but it’s certainly not an ideal slate.
Tayven Jackson – Indiana – Ros: 4%
At first, I wasn’t going to include this recommendation, as I figured Kurtis Rourke would be back sooner rather than later. However, we’ve now got confirmation that Rourke will be out an “indefinite amount of time” and that Tayven Jackson will be the starter.
Normally, playing CFF, when a starter goes down, and a change is made at QB, you grab the backup with a bit of caution. You have to ensure the skillsets of the new starter fit what the offense had been doing up until that point, verifying they are a true plug-and-play for your old starter. With Curt Cignetti, we don’t have to worry about that.
Cignetti, as one of my partners, Nate Marchese, would say, is a kingmaker at the quarterback position. In the last two years, Cignetti has taken literal crap and turned it into gold. Both Todd Centeio, formerly of Colorado State, and Jordan McCloud, formerly of Arizona and USF, were thought to be complete zeroes in value. Still, then they started in a Cignetti offense and finished as top 20 QBs for CFF, despite their many, many limitations.
I even doubted that Cignetti would get his offense up and running in Year 1 at Indiana and that Rourke would be successful with the step-up in competition. Not only has he proven my doubt wrong, but he and the Hoosiers are 7-0, and Rourke was a top 14 quarterback in CFF going into the bye week. Needless to say, I’m done doubting Cignetti, his system, and whoever he has back there under center. I trust that Cignetti will play to Jackson’s strengths if there is any difference between him and Rourke.
I would be concerned about Indiana’s upcoming schedule, but I just watched the Hoosiers absolutely dismantle Nebraska’s sixth-ranked defense. So, on paper, a three-game stretch against Washington (27th), Michigan State (56th), and Michigan (18th) would scare me; I trust this staff to get the job done. Jackson is a clear pickup if you’ve been relying on Rourke.
Honorable Mentions
- Sawyer Robertson – Baylor – 10%
- Ben Wooldridge – Louisiana – 23%
- Caden Veltkamp – Western Kentucky – 30%
- Kevin Jennings – SMU – 14%
Running Backs
AJ Turner – Marshall – Ros: 13%
Well, this has been a long time coming. One of my greatest strengths as a CFF analyst is I have a system where I target volume and stick with it. This has served me well over the years, but in many instances, it causes me way too long to come around on certain players because they don’t get the opportunities I want. Such is the case with a guy like AJ Turner of Marshall.
Now, if you’re a veteran of CFF, you don’t need to be reminded of the recent history of epic Marshall running backs like Rasheen Ali, Khalan Laborn, and Brenden Knox. However, this year, under Seth Doege, the Thundering Herd was expected to become more like the lightning herd and air the ball out in an all-new air raid scheme. Suffice it to say that hasn’t worked out fully. Because the Marshall staff are stubborn like me, they’re only now coming to the conclusion they should have made weeks ago: AJ Turner is our best player, and we need to feed him.
Turner has been on an absolute tear recently, and if he could get more volume, he wouldn’t be rivaling Jeanty in efficiency, but he might make Jeanty look over his shoulder. Despite never having a game above 15 carries, Turner has finished with 95+ yards in five out of seven games so far this season and has averaged 10+ yards per carry in four. This past week, the staff finally made him a featured part of the game plan, giving him a season-high in carries and letting him find the endzone four times.
The staff clearly still wants to throw the ball as much as they can, but with Stone Earle and Braylon Braxton’s limited passing ability, their hand might be forced to feature Turner more if they want to be bowl-bound. Marshall’s upcoming schedule includes a bye this week before welcoming a surprisingly stingy UL Monroe team to town. It then wraps up with a beautiful matchup against a flailing Southern Miss squad in week 11.
Delbert Mimms – Eastern Michigan – Ros: 11%
As we’ve seen over the last few weeks, true volume-based RB plays in CFF are hard to come by this late in the season, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Delbert Mimms, a transfer from NC State, was someone we watched during the off-season as a potential “big fish, small pond” candidate (Shoutout: Mitch Hardt) in the MAC this year. While it has taken Mimms a minute to get going, the last three weeks indicate Mimms has finally arrived.
Mimms has seen 23+ touches in all three games in the last four weeks. He’s piled up 95+ yards in each of those games with his rushing and receiving combined. He’s managed to find the endzone three times during that stretch as well, and if Eastern Michigan’s offense continues to score like it has been, Mimms will get more opportunities going forward.
Mimms’ upcoming schedule with the Eagles is a bit up and down. This week, he has a golden opportunity to pile up some stats against a weak Akron defense ranked 115th in Defensive Rushing Team Performance. After that, he gets a date with Toledo, who is 14th in the same stat, so maybe sit him that week.
Elijah Young – Western Kentucky – Ros: 9%
Someone check me into an insane asylum because I’m recommending a Western Kentucky running back. Just like I can get stuck on volume, I can also get stuck on system history. The Western Kentucky running back has been CFF poison the last few years as WKU tried to replicate the offensive success they saw under Zach Kittley. However, as they move farther away, one player seems to be getting a ton of benefit from the latest WKU OC hire: Elijah Young.
Elijah Young is undoubtedly one of these players who is transcending system history due to his veteran status with Western Kentucky and because he’s one of Hilltopper’s best weapons, both on the ground and through the air. In the last three games, Young has gotten 20+ carries in two and 85+ in two. His one game he didn’t, he still got 16 carries and 60 yards. We haven’t seen a WKU RB get that volume in a long time. The closest I could find in recent memory was Gaej Walker in 2019.
The touchdown opportunities are a concern, as Veltkamp loves to keep the ball around the goal lines. However, WKU has some incredible upcoming matchups against Kennesaw State and New Mexico State, who are 110th+ in Defensive Rushing Team Performance. A benefit of Young, as well, is his receiving work. In two of his last three games, Young has been targeted five times. So even if WKU gets pass-happy for stretches, that doesn’t knock Young out of the game plan.
Honorable Mentions
- Elijah Gilliam – Fresno State – 6% (Watch for Malik Sherrod injury news)
- Justice Ellison – Indiana – 14%
- Ahmad Hardy – UL Monroe – 19%
Wide Receivers
Darius Lassiter – BYU – Ros: 3%
I still can’t wrap my head around what BYU is doing this year. This was a team many, including myself, had left as an afterthought. Maybe you like LJ Martin (which, btw, check out his stats in his first game back healthy), but otherwise, you were passing on the Cougars. Well, we can no longer ignore them. Jake Retlaff has been solid as a quarterback, and recently, it seems he’s found himself a number on target: Darius Lassiter.
Lassiter has been a key part of this team all season, but in recent weeks, it has been taken to another level. We’ve seen Lassiter get targeted 9+ times in all three games and finish with 100+ yards in two. It’s been a 50/50 shot whether he’d find the endzone, but given his role as the top option, the opportunities will continue to come. Lassiter was particularly effective when BYU was forced into a shootout, as Lassiter’s biggest games came against Baylor and Oklahoma State.
As we advance, Lassiter figures to be a solid flex option in your lineups. This weekend’s game against UCF is particularly enticing. UCF’s defense is very Jekyll and Hyde., They’ve been borderline elite versus the run (17th in the country in Defensive Rushing Team Performance). Still, their secondary has been a major problem all year long (UCF is 100th in the country in Defensive Passing Team Performance). If this holds up and throwing the ball is the only way BYU can effectively move the ball, Lassiter may be in for his biggest performance so far. After that, they face Utah after the bye, which is a less-than-ideal matchup for CFF purposes.
Eric Rivers – FIU – Ros: 10%
We all love guys who can take over a week and almost single-handedly put our matchups away in CFF. However, there’s also consistency in finding guys who you know aren’t going to bust on you each week fully. Eric Rivers of FIU fits this to a tee.
Rivers has been scarily consistent the last couple of weeks. Over his last five games, his targets have varied between 6-13, but he always finishes the game between 91 and 101 yards, with a 50/50 shot at a TD. Rivers fills in the deep threat roll for this Panthers team, averaging 18.1 yards per catch and his average depth of target (ADOT) being as far as 15 yards down the field. The crazy thing is Rivers could have had an even bigger performance over the last few weeks. He’s registered six drops in that time, two of which were 20+ yards down the field and almost certainly were TDs if he held on.
Rivers, this weekend, faces his toughest test in recent memory against a tough Sam Houston secondary, and it’s expected to be a low-scoring affair between the two. After that, though, Rivers and FIU get an incredible finish to the season that could prove vital in playoff weeks. These are the defensive passing team performance rankings of their remaining schedule after this week:
- New Mexico State – 105th
- Jacksonville State – 95th
- Kennesaw State – 121st
- MTSU – 134th (dead last)
Tru Edwards – Louisiana Tech – Ros: 6%
Okay, I will fully admit that I have not watched a single minute of Louisiana Tech football this year. This is a team I’d completely written off, and based on their offensive performance, which is 100th in the country, I wasn’t entirely wrong to do so. However, it appears that receiver Tru Edwards is forcing me to take another look at the Bulldogs, and from what I see, there are some things to like here with him.
Edwards has been the target hog for the Bulldogs for a bit now. He has 42 targets on the season, almost doubling the next closest receiver in Jay Wilkerson. However, until recently, those targets hadn’t translated to actual production outside of the game against NC State. The major difference recently has been the switch to Evan Bullock at QB. Bullock’s competition percentage is 10% higher than either Turner or Baker, who came before, and he’s willing to push the ball a little further downfield. Overall, he’s just giving his receivers a better chance to come down with the ball consistently.
This leads to Edwards’ last two games. He’s seen 19 targets during that stretch and, in both games, has hit 110+ yards and at least a touchdown. At 2-4, Louisiana Tech doesn’t have a ton to play for, but their upcoming schedule could afford them a bowl trip if they over-perform expectations. To do that, the Bulldogs will have to rely on Edwards more and more. Much like Rivers, a CUSA-centric schedule will benefit Edwards, as Louisiana Tech will face many of the same opponents as FIU, outside of a trip to Arkansas during the semi-finals week, which is rough.
Honorable Mentions
- Kris Hutson – Washington State – 19%
- Jackson Meeks – Syracuse – 24%
- Luke Floriea – Kent State – 18%
Tight Ends
Jack Endries – California – Ros: 25%
When looking for reliable TE options in CFF, tight ends leading their team in targets are a great place to look. However, we do not often see a clear top target at the position emerge this late. This makes me question the sustainability going forward, but as we’ve seen today, sometimes coaches (and analysts) take a while to adjust their approaches. The late-blooming TE option here is Jack Endries of California.
I referenced it, but Endries now leads Cal’s receiving weapons in targets in 32, 23 of which have come in the last three weeks. It’s very clear that Ednries has become a significant point of the gameplan. He’s hit 100+ yards and 8+ targets each of his last two games while also finding two touchdowns in his last three games. Cal’s upcoming schedule doesn’t scream shootouts or mismatches for TEs, but so long as Endries continues to be the top target for Mendoza, that’s all you need for a good option at the position.
Honorable Mentions
- Blake Bosma – Western Michigan – 3%
