In October at high schools throughout Connecticut, the second Wednesday is PSAT day for juniors, and I proctor the exam for over four hours. It is an opportunity to begin my research for weekly college fantasy football sleepers.
While the students silently worked, I identified ten players, who are possibly available in your season-long CFF leagues. Matt Hicks and I breakdown the upcoming College Fantasy Football slate on the CFF Week 7 show presented by the Rookie Big Board, and CFF fanatics in the Twitterverse provide insight and analysis for potential starters.
Enjoy my fellow CFF diehards!
Scholar’s CFF Serendipitous Starters: Week 7
QB Cooper Legas, Utah State at Colorado State
O/U 46, Utah State -11.0
Opponent Defense: 403 yards per game and 35.6 ppg.
@Fantrax Ownership: 3%
The matchup with Colorado State is not a great one for Utah State. Yet, Cooper Legas is a dual-threat signal caller and is playing well since taking over the helm of the offense two games ago. Legas has scored 64.9 fantasy points with 403 passing and 128 rushing yards, He has also accounted for six total touchdowns. Against the Rams, Legas is a good option as a second quarterback in leagues.
QB Drew Pyne, Notre Dame vs. Stanford
O/U 53.5, Notre Dame -17
Opponent Defense: 224.6 passing yards and 10 P-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 4%
After the Fighting Irish lost their first two games of the crusade, former starter Tyler Buchner lost the starting assignment. Against California, Drew Pyne stepped behind center and guided Notre Dame to its first win of the season despite passing for less than 200 yards.
Nevertheless, Pine remained the starter, and Notre Dame has won three straight. In the past two weeks, the sophomore signal-caller has passed for over 250 yards and tossed three touchdowns in each contest, scoring nearly 50 fantasy points combined. Stanford has only one victory this year and is traveling against a superior opponent. Pine can be a viable CFF starter against the Cardinal on Saturday.
QB Holton Ahlers, East Carolina vs. Memphis
O/U 58, ECU -5.0
Opponent Defense: 301 passing yards and 14 P-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 32%
The Pirates are a bully offense. East Carolina dominates weaker opponents on the schedule: Campbell (FCS), Navy, and South Florida. Holton Ahlers, and the entire unit, has struggled against tougher competition, losing to North Carolina State and Tulane.
Depending on the scoring system, Holton Ahlers ranks among the Top 30 CFF quarterbacks. Taking a closer look, his three biggest scoring outputs came against the aforementioned defensively-challenged opponents with 30.6, 22.6, and 48.1 fantasy points. Memphis does not pose a challenge in the secondary, and Ahlers is in position to post another 30-point performance for CFF diehards.
RB Brian Battie, South Florida vs. Tulsa
O/U 54.5, USF +12
Opponent Defense: 239.7 rushing yards and 13 R-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 10%
In the Week 3 waiver wire gemstones column, I featured Brian Battie and recommended picking him up. At the time, he was rostered on only 2% of CFF teams. He has risen to 10% ownership but is still wildly available despite playing well.
In four games this year, Battie has surpassed 13 fantasy points with a season-best 23.7 versus Florida. He averages 6.4 yards per carry while scampering for 473 yards on 74 attempts and scoring four times. He has also corralled eight passes for 28 yards. CFF owners cannot ignore the matchup versus a bottom five-ranked run defense.
RB Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison at Georgia Southern
O/U 67, James Madison -12
Opponent Defense: 224.2 rushing yards and 14 R-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 14%
The Dukes are undefeated, ranked No. 25 in the AP poll and nearly a two-touchdown favorite on the road this week. While QB Todd Centeio and WR Kris Thornton are the prime playmakers on the offense, Percy Agyei-Obese has become an invaluable asset in the sixteenth-ranked offense: The Dukes produce 488.6 total yards and score 44.2 points per game.
At 6’0” and 213-pounds, Agyei-Obese has moved up the career rushing rankings at James Madison this season. In two of the past three games, the graduate student has logged over 20 fantasy points, and he established a season-best 27.8 last week against Arkansas State with 158 yards and two scores. I picked up the Dukes’ leading rusher on two teams this week and placed him in my Flex position.
RB Mike Washington, Buffalo at UMass
O/U 47, Buffalo -17.0
Opponent Defense: 179.2 rushing yards and 16 R-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 16%
It appears that the Bulls are implementing a timeshare between Ron Cook, Jr. and Mike Washington. Cook has two more carries than Washington (85-83) this year. Even so, Washington looks like the more impactful fantasy player over the last three weeks, scoring 22.4, 13.7, and 28.5 points.
At 6’2” and 215-pounds, the redshirt freshman leads the team in rushing yards (409) and touchdowns (6). UMass has clearly improved against the run this season, but still not an elite unit. Washington has an advantageous matchup to ramble for over 100 yards for the second consecutive game.
WR Tre Harris, Louisiana Tech at North Texas
O/U 68, Louisiana Tech +6.5
Opponent Defense: 267.5 passing yards and 12 P-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 6%
My Twitter friend @FantasyFBS continues to discuss Bulldogs’ quarterback Parker McNeil, and the improved aerial assault at Louisiana Tech. When I looked for high O/U games this weekend, the Louisiana Tech-North Texas game stood out with nearly a 70-point projection.
At 6’2” and 204-pounds, Tre Harris popped on the two rosters as a great sleeper option. He has scored double-digit points in every game and eclipsed the 20-point barrier twice this season. The redshirt sophomore has registered 25 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 15 ypc. Harris is a nice Flex option against the Mean Green.
WR Jaylin Lane, Middle Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky
O/U 67, Middle Tennessee +8.0
Opponent Defense: 243.8 passing yards and 8 P-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 13%
In the past two weeks, there are not many more targeted receivers in the country then Jaylin Lane, who has garnered 30 targets and logged 19 receptions for the Blue Raiders. He also totaled 238 receiving yards and a touchdown.
For the season, Lane has 43 targets, averaging 10.9 per game, and 30 receptions for 469 yards with two scores. Las Vegas projects a high-scoring game between MTSU-WKU, and Lane likely garners another game with double-digit targets as a home underdog.
WR Shocky Jacques-Louis, Akron vs. Central Michigan
O/U 59, Akron +13.5
Opponent Defense: 240.2 passing yards and 13 P-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 6%
In the strange but true category: Konata Mumpfield transferred to Pittsburgh after a nice freshman campaign at Akron, and Shocky Jacques-Louis, a former Panther, moved to Akron to catch passes for the Zips. Some members of the CFF community forecasted a productive campaign for Mumpfield while Jacques-Louis went overlooked during the offseason.
Well, Jacques-Louis has become the more valuable fantasy performer this year. He has snatched 37 passes for 509 yards and a touchdown. Last week against Ohio, the senior earned 14 targets for 11 receptions and 152 yards. Do not overlook a former Power 5 playmaker playing in the MAC in this enticing matchup and an underrated quarterback in DJ Irons this week.
WR Isaiah Winstead, East Carolina vs. Memphis
O/U 58, ECU -5.0
Opponent Defense: 301 passing yards and 14 P-TDs
@Fantrax Ownership: 20%
In Week 7, the Pirates welcome a defensively challenged Memphis secondary to town. While C.J. Johnson is rostered in over 48% of fantasy leagues, teammate Isaiah Winstead is available in 80% of leagues despite scoring nearly as many fantasy points (114.1 to 111.5) as Johnson. Winstead has not reached the promised land as many times as his teammate (7 to 2), but he has more receptions (43) and yards (565). The other Pirates’ playmaker is a PPR machine if a CFF diehard needs a wide receiver this week.
Twitterverse on Fire!
CFF Positional Battles for Week 7 Matchups
Who Ya Got at Quarterback?
- Jason Bean, Kansas: 35%
- Holton Ahlers, ECU: 32%
- J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: 21%
- Michael Pratt, Tulane: 12%
“Jason Bean kept it rolling when Jalon Daniels went down for the Jayhawks…four touchdowns in an emergency performance….Bean keeps brewing in Norman!!” @NinoBrown_T2T
“Holton Ahlers for me. I have been posting all year about the value of these ‘older’ QBs like Ahlers.” @aceholesrule
“I’ll go with Holton Ahlers. Memphis bottom 10 in passing defense. The weekly get on the Parker McNeil train reminder as well…this offense is just getting cranking.” @FantasyFBS
Who Ya Got at Running Back?
- Brenden Brady, UTSA: 20%
- Richard Reese, Baylor: 36%
- Mike Washington, Buffalo: 14%
- Audric Estime, Notre Dame: 30%
“Fresh off a bye week with 400 yards and seven touchdowns on 72 attempts already loaded this season, I’ll take Richard Reese! The Mountaineers only allow 3.22 yards per carry but Reese and the Bears will inflate that number.” @NinoBrown_T2T
“Audric Estime for me. This hard-running kid seems on the verge of doing some special things. It could start as early as this week.” @aceholesrule
Who Ya Got at Wide Receiver?
- Isaiah Winstead, ECU: 18%
- Chimere Dike, Wisconsin: 20%
- Jared Brown, Coastal Carolina: 44%
- Shocky Jacques-Louis, Akron: 18%
“It was a slow build-up for Chimere Dike…but just when Batman (Graham Mertz) needed Robin (Dike) to show up he did. He has 10 receptions for 185 yards and three scores was the breakout for Dike. Now the receiver gets the Spartans’ Defense that allows almost 300 passing yards per game.” @NinoBrown_T2T
“Jared Brown won the poll, but it is Jacques-Louis for me. It is MACtion time, and I am not going to miss out!” @aceholesrule
CFB on Prize Picks
Pick 3 (John Laub)
QB D.J. Uiagalelei OVER 21.5 Fantasy Pts.
RB N. Singleton UNDER 79.5 Rush Yards
WR K. Boutte OVER 10.5 Fantasy Pts.
DFS CFB DraftKings Fantastic Four (Day)
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opponent | O/U | Salary | Proj. Points | PV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | K. Rourke | Ohio | WMU | 58 | $6,200 | 26.2 | 4.2 |
| RB | K. Miller | TCU | OKST | 68.5 | $6,200 | 21.4 | 3.5 |
| RB | R. Sanders | ARK | BYU | 66.5 | $6,500 | 23.6 | 3.6 |
| WR | S. Wiglusz | Ohio | WMU | 58 | $5,000 | 16.8 | 3.4 |
| Totals | $23,900 | 88 | 3.7 |
DFS CFB DraftKings Fantastic Four (Night)
| Pos. | Player | Team | Opponent | O/U | Salary | Proj. Points | PV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | D. Maye | UNC | Duke | 67 | $6,600 | 26.5 | 4 |
| RB | A. Estime | ND | STAN | 53.5 | $5,600 | 17.2 | 3.1 |
| WR | C.J. Johnson | ECU | MEM | 58 | $5,500 | 16.5 | 3 |
| WR | K. Boutte | LSU | FLA | 50.5 | $4,700 | 17.8 | 3.8 |
| Totals | $22,400 | 78 | 3.5 |
Rookie Big Board presents College Fantasy Football
- Marvelous Matchups
- Fantastic 4: CFF Sleepers
- CFB DFS Fantastic 4
- CFB Prize Picks
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