College Fantasy Football: Week 10 Waiver Wire Gemstones

I must confess: Game 7 of the World Series dominated my sports-watching Saturday night. For one evening, baseball took center stage over college football. I have watched the World Series since 1977, when the Yankees defeated the Dodgers, and this year’s Fall Classic ranks among the best that I have seen. In any case, I still watched plenty of college football over the weekend, and Chris Battistel joins me to help readers identify the top players on the College Fantasy Football waiver wire this week. Let’s Go!

Editor’s Note: Next week, the CFF Fantrax team switches from a waiver wire column to CFF sleepers for readers to build lineups during the playoffs.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Gemstones

Quarterbacks

Alonza Barnett, James Madison (Laub)

Fantrax Ownership: 35%
Total Fantasy Points: 235
FPPG: 29.4
PFF Grade: 72.4

Alonza Barnett—overlooked by CFF coaches during the offseason—has always had the potential to shine, much like a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. His journey, from an ACL tear last November to his recent outstanding performances, is a testament to his determination, resilience, and talent. As seen in his recent games, his dual-threat abilities make him a valuable addition to any CFF roster.

In the first two games of the 2025 campaign, Barnett and Matt Sluka, who played for coach Bob Chesney at Holy Cross, both saw action for the Dukes. By the third, Barnett started and has returned to last year’s form in the past two outings. The dynamic signal caller has scored a whopping 113.5 Fantasy Points (FPs).

His recent performances have been nothing short of spectacular. Against Old Dominion two weeks ago, Barnett earned the CFF Player of the Week with four rushing touchdowns, 153 rushing yards, 295 passing yards, and two aerial strikes, producing 63.1 FPs. He followed up the unforgettable performance with another outstanding outing versus Texas State. Last Tuesday evening, he scored 50.3 FPs on five total touchdowns (4 passing and one rushing).

Despite a slow start, Barnett is currently CFF QB30 for the season and QB3 since October 11. The question remains: why is he still widely available on the waiver wire? With a more enticing schedule than an all-you-can-eat buffet in Vegas, matchups against Marshall, Appalachian State, Washington State, and Coastal Carolina in the next month, now is the time to acquire Duke’s quarterback on CFF rosters. This is the readers’ chance to gain a strategic advantage over their competition for the CFF playoffs.

Notebook: “Zo [Barnett] did a phenomenal job. He understands this offense inside and out and does an excellent job. He understands the alert game, the protection checks, and everything that comes with it.” Coach Chesney stated in early October. (breezejmu.org).

Scotty Fox, West Virginia (Battistel)

Fantrax Ownership: 1%
Total Fantasy Points: 81.4
FPPG: 11.6
PFF Grade: 54.8

With six of the top ten scoring QBs on bye this week and four of them sitting inside the top five, Scotty Fox is the perfect fill-in starter for Week 11. The 6-2 and 213-pounder was a four-star recruit and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the nation last year.

After leading West Virginia to an upset over Houston, Fox has quietly settled into a reliable fantasy option. Since being handed the starting job two games ago, the freshman signal caller has produced  53.4 FPs, totaling five touchdowns (3 passing and two rushing), passed for 458 yards, and rushed for 51 yards. Against the Cougars, Fox went 3-for-8 on throws over ten yards for 103 yards and a touchdown. When kept clean, he went 13-for-18 for 157 yards and another score—nothing flashy, just efficient football that keeps his fantasy scoring floor intact.

Colorado lines up this week, and opposing quarterbacks have been eating against that defense, averaging 26.2 FPPG along with 202 passing yards and 2.5 passing touchdowns. With so many heavy hitters on bye, if CFF diehards need a steady performance to get into the playoffs, Fox is right there with a cake matchup.

Honorable Mention Quarterbacks

JC French, Georgia Southern

Fantrax Ownership: 15%
Total Fantasy Points: 201.3
FPPG: 25.2
PFF Grade: 67.0

Noah Fifita, Arizona

Fantrax Ownership: 30%
Total Fantasy Points: 234.1
FPPG: 29.3
PFF Grade: 85.3

CFF Diehards on Fire!

With over 30 teams on bye again, who is the top quarterback available on the waiver wire for a pivotal Week 11 matchup?

• Darian Mensah, Duke: 33%
• Noah Fifita, Arizona: 17%
• Cale Hellums, Army: 19%
• Joe Fagnano, UConn: 31%

“Cale Hellums: Twenty carries is a given, and he is a high-floor guy. Great fill-in for the upcoming week.” @aceholesrule

“Duke’s defense is allowing 27.16 FPPG to opposing QBs, which is the most of the teams these QBs are going to go up against in Week 11. I should mention that I picked up Joe Fagnano this week.” @ProbascoLuke

Running Backs

Demon June, North Carolina (Laub)

Fantrax Ownership: 11%
Total Fantasy Points: 83.3
FPPG: 10.4
PFF Grade: 72.3

On Halloween, my role in the family has been to answer the door and distribute candy to the neighborhood kids for the past decade—I really enjoy seeing the costumes and smiles on the faces of the trick-or-treaters. Last Friday, I had the North Carolina-Syracuse game on in the living room while answering the door.

While a great deal has been written and discussed regarding Coach Bill Belichick and his disappointing first season at Chapel Hill, NC, let’s not dwell on the team’s poor on-field performances and overall record. Instead, let’s focus on the positive turn of fortune for Demon June and the possible fantasy production he could deliver down the stretch.

Fortunately, I caught both big plays by Jones. The freshman sprinted for a 44-yard gain at the end of the first half and scored on a 72-yard reception on the first drive of the second half. These were not just ordinary plays; they were game-changing moments that showcased his potential. When the evening ended, June had accumulated 173 yards from scrimmage, producing 32.2 FPs, to propel North Carolina to its first ACC victory and third win of the season. It’s these kinds of performances that make college football so thrilling and unpredictable.

At 5-11 and 215 pounds, June enrolled early at North Carolina and was a three-star recruit last year. He earned a varsity letter in all four seasons of high school and dashed for over 4,700 yards with 84 touchdowns. The Jacksonville, NC native was also named Conference Player of the Year twice. His impressive high school career and early enrollment at North Carolina mark him as a rising star in the making.

In 2025, June rushed for over 100 yards in two games and garnered double-digit carries three times for the Tar Heels. The eye-ball test concludes that the freshman is the best back in the backfield and warrants more touches over the final month of the campaign: Will coach Belichick agree? This week, North Carolina hosts Stanford, followed by a road trip to Wake Forest. June could be in store for a bigger workload, and CFF coaches need to watch his progress closely.

Notebook: “It just felt good to see the hard work paying off. Once you practice it so much, it becomes second nature. Big shout-out to the O-line. They’re the ones who got that play going. I just made a guy miss, broke again, and when another came up, I threw the stiff arm and kept going,” June voiced after his breakout performance on Halloween (sportingnews.com).

First career receiving touchdown for the rook 🤌

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/QFWGihabiV

— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 1, 2025

Jekail Middlebrook, Middle Tennessee (Battistel)

Fantrax Ownership: 29%
Total Fantasy Points: 144.6
FPPG: 18.1
PFF Grade: 77.5

Just a few short weeks ago, in this same Fantrax waiver article, I wrote about adding Jekail Middlebrook to rosters, and I hope readers listened. Since then, he has averaged 23.3 FPPG, which makes him the CFF RB7 in FPPG during that stretch. He has been the focal point of this Blue Raider offense both on the ground and through the air. He’s accounted for 74% of the team’s total carries and holds a 16% target share, second most on the team. He is still rostered in under 50% of leagues. That’s criminal.

Back in Week 5, I mentioned that the next three matchups would be very exploitable, and they indeed proved to be just that. Now, as we enter Week Eleven and start shifting into playoff positioning, the same applies here. Florida International is up this week. They are giving up 158 rushing yards per game to running backs this season. Shomari Lawrence just had his best game of the year against them with 24.1 FPs in his first 100-yard outing. Middlebrook is lined up to continue this CFF RB1 run. A pass-catching playmaker, Middlebrook has 32 receptions for 305 yards and a touchdown in addition to gaining 521 rushing yards and four scores.

Looking ahead, Middle Tennessee faces Western Kentucky, Sam Houston, and New Mexico State to close out the fantasy season. Those three defenses have combined to allow 181.9 rushing yards per game. With his workload and how consistently he is being used as a pass catcher, Middlebrook is going to be undeniable for the rest of the year.

Ja’Kyrian Turner, Pittsburgh (Laub)

Fantrax Ownership: 12%
Total Fantasy Points: 101
FPPG: 12.6
PFF Grade: 72.0

Desmond Reid has not lived up to the first overall pick in college fantasy football drafts over the summer. Unfortunately, his lack of availability and performance has impaired two of my CFF teams, in which I selected the Pittsburgh runner. While watching the Panthers, Ja’Kyrian Turner caught my eye against Boston College five weeks ago when he scored 17.9 FPs.

On Saturday versus Stanford, Turner logged his first 100-yard rushing game of his campus tenure, gaining 127 yards on 22 attempts. He also recorded a career-high 163 all-purpose yards in the win, adding 36 receiving yards. For the fourth time this year, he paced the Panthers in rushing. In 2025, he scampered for 401 yards, caught 13 passes for 119 yards, and scored six times.

Since October 1, Turner is CFF RB11 with over 85 FPs, recording double-digit FPs in four of the past six games. A true freshman, he enrolled at Pittsburgh in January as a three-star recruit out of Florida and was rated as one of the country’s top 100 athletes. At 5-9 and 180 pounds, the speedster ran an unverified 4.32 in the 40-yard dash in high school and averaged 7.3 ypc as a senior. With a quick burst and impressive acceleration, Turner finds lanes and sprints upfield with underrated contact balance. Grab Turner now for a playoff push.

Notebook: “Ja’Kyrian is tough. He is physical, and he’s a Des Reid 2.0,” Coach Pat Narduzzi declared (247sports.com).

Honorable Mention Running Backs

Evan Dickens, Liberty

Fantrax Ownership: 10%
Total Fantasy Points: 125
FPPG: 17.9
PFF Grade: 88.2

Steve Chavez-Soto, San Jose State

Fantrax Ownership: 8%
Total Fantasy Points: 63.8
FPPG: 15.9
PFF Grade: 77.9

CFF Diehards on Fire!

Do you need a playmaker off the waiver wire this week in college fantasy football with so many teams off?

• WR CJ Williams. Stanford: 18%
• RB Evan Dickens, Liberty: 18%
• WR Jackson Harris, Hawaii: 40%
• RB Jordan Marshall, Michigan: 24%

“Jackson Harris for me. The Hawaii offense continues to roll, and Harris is a great fill-in.” @aceholesrule

“My vote would have been Jordan Marshall, but Michigan is on a bye this week. So I went with Jackson Harris. He has over 100 yards receiving in 4 straight games with 111.4 fantasy points in PPR leagues during that stretch.” @ProbascoLuke

Wide Receivers

CJ Williams, Stanford (Battistel)

Fantrax Ownership: 25%
Targets: 77
Fantasy Points: 132.6
FPPG: 14.7
PFF Grade: 74.7

After four straight games of double-digit FPs, CJ Williams got himself back on track after that dud against Miami. He put up 31.2 FPs on nine targets this past weekend and should continue the pace he was on before the Hurricanes game heading into Week 11. The Stanford playmaker is another pure volume chase for me, similar to Shelton Sampson. CJ Williams can be that safe floor Flex option while CFF managers let their heavy hitters chase the explosion weeks.

Over his last six games, he is averaging 89.3 receiving yards per game. Not world-breaking, just steady and sound. Removing the outlier Miami game, the average jumps to 105 receiving yards per game. That is 10.5 FPs a week strictly from yardage. A solid floor, something Stanford receivers have provided for years.

North Carolina is on deck this week. The Tar Heels have locked things down against opposing receivers in their last two games, but before that, they were getting hit. Jacob De Jesus put up 29 FPs, Tj Moore had 21.8, Jordan Dwyer went for 28.6, and Javen Nicholas posted 23.2. All of them saw seven or more targets. In half of North Carolina’s games this season, wide receivers have scored twenty or more FPs.

Given how central Williams is in this Stanford passing attack, he should land in that range again. He does have the quarterfinal bye, which makes him more of a piece to get you there rather than someone you start in that round. For the semis, he draws a manageable matchup with Cal, and for the finals, he draws Notre Dame. Not ideal, but one where volume can still prevail, especially if the game gets out of hand for Stanford. If the Cardinals abandon the run game in those matchups, Williams can still be productive.

Notebook: Two weeks ago, Williams stated his goals for the team: “It’s the best time of the year, right? So we want to get to a bowl game. That’s my ultimate goal for this team. I want to leave this place better than I found it. I want to get to a bowl game. I mean, it’s been a little bit since Stanford’s been to one. That’s the ultimate goal.” (si.com).

Jackson Harris, Hawaii (Laub)

Fantrax Ownership: 33%
Targets: 61
Fantasy Points: 137.1
FPPG: 17.1
PFF Grade: 76.9

Coming out of high school, Jackson Harris was a four-star recruit who enrolled at Stanford in 2023. He played for two seasons in Palo Alto, CA, before transferring to Hawaii. At Stanford, Harris did not see the field often and wanted to improve his pass-catching skills and increase his on-field opportunities. So far, so good as a member of the Rainbows.

In 2025, Harris has garnered 61 targets and secured 35 for 601 receiving yards and seven scores. A homerun hitter, he has averaged 17.2 ypc on a healthy 15.7 aDOT and a good 2.22 yards per route run, according to PFF. At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Harris lines up outside on over 90% of his snaps and profiles as a classic boundary receiver.

In the last four games, the Rainbows’ playmaker has thrived against Mountain West opponents. He has produced over 19 FPs in every game, including two outings with over 30. He has reached the endzone six times and eclipsed 100 receiving yards in three contests. In Weeks 13 and 14, Hawaii plays UNLV and Wyoming, which should be easy pickings for the aerial assault and Harris.

Notebook: “Jackson Harris is a special player. I’m looking forward to everybody getting to see what he has been working on, and he’s come with an attitude of just wanting to get better. He’s been growing within our offense, but he’s a talent, and I can’t wait to watch him play (this year),” Coach Timmy Chang uttered during training camp (spectrumlocalnews.com).

Jack Jack over the top 🎯

📺 CBSSN#BRADDAHHOOD x @jackssonharriss pic.twitter.com/Mpk4DecX9q

— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) November 2, 2025

Shelton Sampson, Louisiana (Battistel)

Fantrax Ownership: 12%
Targets: 41
Fantasy Points: 73.2
FPPG: 12.2
PFF Grade: 71.0

Since returning from the injury he sustained in September, Shelton Sampson has been a breath of fresh air for this Ragin’ Cajun passing attack. Fifteen targets, eleven catches, 212 yards, and three touchdowns while averaging a healthy 18.9 yards per reception and 25.1 FPs. Sampson is precisely what CFF diehards need from a waiver add this late in the season. The guy misses a month and still returns to lead his team in targets, yards, receptions, and touchdowns. There just wasn’t much rage in this Cajun expansive receiver room without him.

Now, the drawback is the playoff bye. Sampson will be unavailable in the quarterfinals, and that is something to factor in. Even so, CFF coaches should not let that stop them from adding the one dynamic piece in this offense. Texas State is on deck. Looking at how opposing outside receivers have performed against the Bobcats recently, Sampson is lined up for another strong outing. Outside wide receivers over the last four weeks are averaging 22.8 FPPG against Texas State. Some CFF fanatics might remember what DJ Epps did to them. Sampson is not a one-week wonder.

Peaking ahead to the playoffs, Sampson does sit during the quarters, but the CFF semifinals and finals shape up nicely. Arkansas State is in the semis and has a rivalry game with Louisiana-Monroe in the championship. Both are matchups where CFF coaches will want Sampson in lineups as they chase the crown.

Honorable Mention Wide Receivers

Amare Thomas, Houston

Fantrax Ownership: 27%
Targets: 60
Fantasy Points: 146.3
FPPG: 16.3
PFF Grade: 76.0

Nik McMillan, Buffalo

Fantrax Ownership: 8%
Targets: 68
Fantasy Points: 105.4
FPPG: 11.7
PFF Grade: 67.7

CFF All-Americans: Week 10

• QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech: 50.6 FPs
• QB Alonza Barnett, James Madison: 50.4 FPs
• RB Caleb Hawkins, North Texas: 47.5 FPs
• RB Evan Dickens, Liberty: 45.7 FPs
• WR Skyler Bell, UConn: 40.9 FPs
• WR Danny Scudero, San Jose: 40.5 FPs
• WR David Amador, UTSA: 40.1 FPs
• TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt: 33.6 FPs
• Flex Jordan Marshall, Michigan: 40.0 FPs

CFF Player of the Week: Caleb Hawkins, North Texas

Wait, how many TDs did @CalebHawk2025 score today?#GMG🦅 | @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/DdC2MAMbFG

— UNT Football (@MeanGreenFB) November 1, 2025