Luke Probasco, Volume Pigs, and I scanned all the box scores over the past week in order to unearth the waiver wire gemstones in college fantasy football.
Week 8 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
As a child in the Seventies, I read Superman comics and will never forget the stories of Bizzaro and his world. The fascinating tales made me think about alternative possibilities and perspectives.
After an enjoyable day on Saturday, I could not help but think of my favorite Superman arcs with Bizzaro. After eight weeks of the season, Army, Navy, BYU, Indiana and Iowa State are all undefeated with a combined 34-0 record while last year’s CFP participants—Michigan, Alabama, Washington, and Texas—have a 19-9 mark.
There is a legitimate argument that the two Heisman favorites are among the Group of 5 programs (Boise State and Army), not the Power 4 teams. The apex athlete in the nation is a two-way competitor at Colorado harking back to the Golden Age of sports. Are college football fans in a multiverse of possibilities? Without question, I am enjoying the chaos on the gridiron every week and here to assist college fantasy footballers in navigating the challenges on the waiver wire…Let’s Go!
Quarterbacks
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 9%
Total Fantasy Points: 170.4
FPPG: 24.3
PFF Grade: 81.3
In the Eighties, Baylor football resided in the Southwestern Conference, and LB Mike Singletary was the best player who I remember. Not until Art Briles took over the program in 2008 did the Bears gain much national attention. By 2013, Briles’ squad had gained the notice of the college football universe with his wide-open passing game. Regrettably, it has been a decade since College Fantasy Football diehards could rely on a Bears’ signal caller (Bryce Petty in 2014) to produce fantasy points in lineups.
Over the past month, Sawyer Robertson has earned the right to be rostered on CFF teams. He has totaled 145 fantasy points (FPs), averaging 36.3 per game, and is CFF QB10 during the hot streak. The former Mississippi State Bulldog has passed for 1,004 yards and posted a 13-to-3 TD:INT Ratio. A dual threat, the redshirt junior has also scampered for 151 yards and two scores.
On Saturday, Sawyer returned to his hometown Lubbock, TX, and led the Bears to a 59-35 victory over Texas Tech in front of his family and friends. He tossed five aerial strikes and passed for 274 yards. In the next two weeks, Baylor hosts Oklahoma State and TCU before a bye week. Sawyer is the primary field general available in most CFF leagues this week.
Notebook: “If I sit here and say this game (Texas Tech) was more important, then that implies the other ones aren’t important, and that’s not the case. But it was cool having everybody in the stands and to have that kind of game and get out of here with a win,” Robertson said (lubbockonline.com)
Jacurri Brown, UCF (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 8%
Total Fantasy Points: 62.6
FPPG: 15.7
Jacurri Brown has shown himself well in his first two starts and now the former Miami Hurricane and South Georgia product gets BYU. The Cougars have been good on defense but were fairly amicable to Oklahoma State’s advances this past Saturday, namely Ollie Gordon running the ball. Brown is a quarterback, for sure, but most of his value comes via his legs. In fact, he had double the rushing than passing yardage versus Iowa State.
Notebook: “Brown was a three-star recruit by 247 Sports and Rivals, and Rival had him as the No. 5 national dual-threat quarterback recruit in the Class of 2022. He threw for 1,500 yards and ran for 1,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons,” wrote Dan Rorabaugh (news-journalonline.com).
Cole Snyder, Eastern Michigan (Probasco)
Fantrax Rostership: 3%
Total Fantasy Points: 144.1
FPPG: 20.6
PFF Grade: 74.6
Cole Snyder has had an up-and-down season for Eastern Michigan. I wanted to highlight him this week, as they take on the Akron Zips. Cole Snyder is averaging 32 pass attempts per game and Zips’ quarterback, Ben Finley, is averaging 31.9 pass attempts per game–It looks like a shootout in Akron, Ohio this Saturday. Over Snyder’s last three games, he is averaging 37 pass attempts and 241 yards passing. Synder has also been running the ball lately. He has 53, 37, and 48 yards on the ground (sack yardage included) in those three games, with a touchdown on the ground in each game.
Snyder is coming off a game where he threw for 300 yards, three touchdowns and added 48 yards on the ground with a touchdown to boot. I expect Eastern Michigan to put points up on the Zips as they are allowing 37.43 points per game to their opponents. If CFF owners need a streaming option this week, I believe Snyder is a solid option.
Honorable Mention Quarterbacks
- Kevin Jennings, SMU
Fantrax Rostership: 14%
Total Fantasy Points: 147.4
FPPG: 21.1
PFF Grade: 89.0 - Jake Retzlaff, BYU
Fantrax Rostership: 17%
Total Fantasy Points: 194.2
FPPG: 27.7
PFF Grade: 86.3
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Does your CFF roster need a boost at quarterback? Who Ya Got on the waiver wire?
- Jake Retzlaff, BYU: 9%
- Sawyer Robertson, Baylor: 29%
- Kevin Jennings, SMU: 42%
- Ben Wooldridge, UL-Laf: 20%
Scholar’s Selection: I started Kevin Jennings in three leagues, and he has scored 112.1 FPs in the past four games. If I can’t acquire the Mustangs’ quarterback, I want Sawyer Robertson, who I feature above.
“Kevin Jennings for me. He has really taken the Pony’s by the mane and ran with the starting job.” @aceholesrule
“Kevin Jennings has over 20 fantasy points in his last four games. He is averaging 29.5 points in his last three.” @ProbascoLuke
“You can’t go wrong with Kevin Jennings or Sawyer Robertson. Jennings likely offers more consistency, but Robertson has nothing but green lights for opponents finishing out the season.” @eliotmays
Running Backs
Elijah Gilliam, Fresno State (Probasco)
Fantrax Rostership: 6%
Total Fantasy Points: 93.7
FPPG: 13.4
PFF Grade: 67.5
Starting running back Malik Sherrod has been banged up and may miss a few more games. In his absence, Gilliam had 20 carries for 66 yards and two rushing touchdowns last weekend. He also led the team in receiving yards with two receptions for 74 yards. In Sherrod’s absence two games ago, Gillam had 120 yards rushing, four receptions, and a touchdown. That was good for 22.8 fantasy points. When Sherrod missed the New Mexico game, Gilliam had 54 yards rushing, four receptions, and a touchdown (16.9 pts).
In Week 9, Fresno State has San Jose State. The Spartans shut down Wyoming on the ground in Week 8, but gave up 100 yards and two touchdowns to Avery Morrow and Colorado State in Week 7. I would think the Bulldogs try to slow down this up-tempo Spartan offense by relying heavily on Gilliam in the ground game.
AJ Turner, Marshall (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 14%
Total Fantasy Points: 126.4
FPPG: 18.1
PFF Grade: 88.8
In Week 8, Marshall won its third game in the past four and is now 4-3 on the season. Analyzing the schedule, the Thundering Herd lost to Virginia Tech and Ohio State in September. In the past four contests, Marshall is scoring 34.3 ppg. and the ground game with AJ Turner is cranking out yards. The redshirt sophomore has garnered 50 carries for 463 yards and four scores. Have the Herd returned to stampeding opponents?
Pacing the Herd to a 35-20 win over the Panthers last Thursday, Turner detonated for 207 yards from scrimmage and four scores. For the season, he averages 10.1 ypc., scampering for 717 yards, which is tied for fourteenth in the nation. As a member of the Sun Belt, Marshall is in the East Division and has an enticing upcoming schedule: UL-Monroe, Southern Mississippi, and Coastal Carolina. As the CFF playoffs near, the 6’0” and 195-pound Marshall ball carrier could be the missing piece to bring home a CFF championship.
Notebook: “My O-Line, I couldn’t have done it without them. They put me in the best position to be successful. I believe I’ve got one of the best O-Lines in the country,” Turner said after his performance against Georgia State (herdzone.com).
AJ TO THE HOUSE !!! pic.twitter.com/u8eINEAQp0
— Marshall Football (@HerdFB) October 18, 2024
Honorable Mention Running Backs
- Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State
Fantrax Rostership: 19%
Total Fantasy Points: 83.4
FPPG: 11.9
PFF Grade: 72.9
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Who is the top playmaker to acquire on the CFF waiver wire?
- Terrance Carter, UL-Laf: 16%
- Amare Thomas, UAB: 16%
- AJ Turner, Marshall: 35%
- Darius Lassiter, BYU: 33%
Scholar’s Selection: I like all four players and highlighted Darius Lassiter last week in the waiver wire column and placed him in the Flex on two teams. I always want to hoard backfield depth and will place a nice FAB bid on AJ Turner, who is my No. 1 desire.
“AJ Turner for me. What if Marshall has remembered they are a fantasy RB FACTORY?” @aceholesrule
“Since Jalen Kitna has taken over, Amare Thomas has been on fire. He has averaged 10 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown a game since Kitna has been behind center.” @ProbascoLuke
“AJ Turner for sure. Even though the quarterback position has been in flux, Turner has continued to be a consistent playmaker and a highly efficient one at that.” @eliotmays
“Love me some Amare Thomas, but AJ Turner has been electric all year since taking on the starting role three weeks ago. He is averaging 8.3 ypc. with four touchdowns and 339 yards. He single-handedly defeated Georgia State last week. Plenty of thread on the sophomore tires…Buckle up!” @_NinoBrown_
Wide Receivers
Trent Walker, Oregon State (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 4%
Targets: 72
Fantasy Points: 99.6
FPPG: 14.2
PFF Grade: 68.7
Speaking of volume, Trent Walker has double-digit targets in four of his last five games. He’s seen no less than five targets in a game on the year, and it appears the Beavers’ staff want to get him the ball as he’s also seen some carries along the ground. In PPR-scoring formats, he is a nice floor player.
Notebook: “I’ve been sitting in those (receivers) meetings for four years. I’ve learned from great guys ahead of me. (When) I came in the room was stacked. (Receivers coach Kefense Hynson) does a great job of teaching everyone, not just who’s playing right now. I tried to take in as much as I could from each meeting,” Walker reflected in September (portlandtribune.com).
Tru Edwards, Louisiana Tech (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 3%
Targets: 43
Fantasy Points: 99.7
FPPG: 16.6
PFF Grade: 69.8
As soon as I saw Tru Edwards play, I immediately wondered if he is related to Troy Edwards. Sure enough, he is the son of the 1998 Biletnikoff Award winner. I will never forget the amazing season the elder produced for the Bulldogs: He logged an incredible 140 catches for 1,996 yards and 27 touchdowns…Can readers imagine those numbers in 2024?
While no one can live up to the standards established by the former first-round pick of the Steelers, Tru is working hard to gain the attention of NFL scouts during his final season on campus. Last Tuesday, the 6’3” and 201-pounder registered his third 100-yard outing and recorded his first career multi-touchdown game, corralling nine passes for 110 yards. In the past five games, Edwards is hot with 32 catches for 445 yards and four touchdowns.
In high school, Edwards ran track and field and was a regional champion in the 110m hurdles, and competed in the triple jump and 4×400 relay. Afterward, he attended Navarro College, a JUCO program, in 2019 and 2020. The redshirt senior performed return duties in addition to playing wideout for the Bulldogs. During his second year on campus, he earned NJCAA All-America honorable mention and led the team with 39 catches for 434 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. Tru’s football journey took him to Hawaii in 2021 before landing at Louisiana Tech like his father.
In the next three weeks, the Bulldogs host UTEP and Jacksonville State and travel to Sam Houston, and Edwards will continue to click downfield with new starter Evan Bullock throwing the pigskin.
Notebook: “As of now, Tru Edwards’s NFL draft projection remains uncertain but (he) is cautiously optimistic. His stats and growth over the last few seasons make him an intriguing prospect for NFL teams. If he continues to excel and demonstrate his skills in key games, he could attract interest from teams looking for promising wide receivers.” (collegenetworth.com)
Another touchdown (It's Tru)!
📺 ESPNU pic.twitter.com/GQqsmu8Xzv
— LA Tech Football 🏈 (@LATechFB) October 16, 2024
Adrian Norton, Akron (Probasco)
Fantrax Rostership: 9%
Targets: 55
Fantasy Points: 100.1
FPPG: 14.3
PFF Grade: 69.5
Other than Week 1, Adrian Norton has scored double-digit FPs in every contest. He averages seven targets and 76 yards per game. The Zips have been throwing the ball a lot this season. They average 35 passing attempts to 25 rushing attempts per game. Norton is leading the Zips in receiving yards with 541. The next closest is 277 yards.
Akron has Eastern Michigan in Week 9. Like I said in the Cole Snyder write-up, I expect this one to be a sneaky high-scoring game. In Norton’s last five contests, he has seen 11, 9, 9, 7, and 13 targets. If the Zips are going to pull this one out, expect Norton to get involved early and often in Week 9.
Amare Thomas, UAB (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 37%
Targets: 54
Fantasy Points: 106.9
FPPG: 15.3
PFF Grade: 65.8
I don’t know if Amare Thomas is available in your league, but if he is, I’d consider picking him up. The second-year player now has games of 12, nine, and 10 targets, of which he has corralled into 20 receptions for over 200 yards and four scores. He is averaging over 15 FPPG, even on a dysfunctional program that is UAB, which may be a testament to the true sophomore’s talent more than anything.
The Blazers get a nice stretch of games coming off their upcoming bye. Readers will notice that in particular, since Jalen Kitna has come in at QB, the rapport has been strong, and Thomas’ output has trended up. Let’s hope the trend is here to stay.
Honorable Mention Wide Receivers
- Darius Lassiter, BYU
Fantrax Rostership: 4%
Targets: 52
Fantasy Points: 96.0
FPPG: 16.0
PFF Grade: 76.1
DARIUS. LASSITER. 🤯#Big12FB | #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/37wEoKbinn
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) October 19, 2024
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
It is time to think outside of the box for the Heisman: Who Ya Got as a longshot for the award?
- Bryson Daily, Army: 53%
- Kaleb Johnson, Iowa: 20%
- Dylan Sampson, Tennessee: 16%
- Cade Klubnik, Clemson: 11%
Scholar’s Selection: If I had a ballot today, Bryson Daily would get my second place Heisman vote behind Ashton Jeanty. The Cadets’ field general has upcoming games against Notre Dame and Navy, and if Army wins both and concludes the campaign undefeated, Daily should capture the award…Fantasy would become reality.
“Voted for Bryson Daily. If Army beats Notre Dame in November, watch out. I think he has a shot at getting to NYC. Also, I wanted to pick Klubnik here. Guy has been stealthily killing it this season.” @mattpow1
“Bryson Daily by a mile. I really hope he wins. It would be a big middle finger to the NIL/portal chaos our beloved game is currently in the midst of.” @aceholesrule
“It has to be Bryson Daily based on his stats. This is some real ‘Captain America’ type season for Daily.” @ProbascoLuke
“It’d be hard not to pick Bryson Daily here. He is the Army offense. There’s not too many players that could elevate a team single-handedly like he has done this year.” @eliotmays
“Bryson Daily deserves consideration but Kaleb Johnson is getting overlooked as the running back of the year due to Ashton Jeanty. Johnson is in the Big Ten, facing stacked boxes every week and racking up numbers, averaging 7-plus ypc. this season with four games over 20 carries. Workhorse! He has 13 touchdowns…come on man and put some respect on his name. He is tied for second on the Hawkeyes with 16 receptions as well. A one-man band!” @_NinoBrown_
CFF All-Americans: Week 8
QB Bryson Daily, Army: 58.9 points
QB Ethan Garbers, UCLA: 50.1
RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech: 53.6
RB Mario Anderson, Memphis: 50.0
WR DT Sheffield, North Texas: 46.4
WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech: 36.9
WR Jalen Royals, Utah State: 35.8
TE Blake Bosma, Western Michigan: 32.5
Flex AJ Turner, Marshall: 45.7
CFF Player of the Week: Bryson Daily, Army
THAT'S A TUTEN 🎩 TRICK #ThisIsHome | 📺 on @espn | @bhayshul pic.twitter.com/ZCAHEKQfxm
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) October 18, 2024