I am honored to be joined by Volume Pigs naming the foremost players on the college fantasy football waiver wire this week…Let’s Go!
I cannot believe what I witnessed at the Rent over the past three games: UConn has won three consecutive home contests, scoring 158 points. I am stunned by how well the offense is executing despite playing two very different quarterbacks (Nick Evers and Joe Fagnano). I had a front-row seat for WR Skyler Bell’s three-touchdown performance, and he is now CFF WR18 for the season.
When I returned, my favorite chair awaited me to watch college football until midnight. Absolutely loved the Wisconsin-USC, TCU-Kansas, and Georgia-Alabama games. I dare any NFL fan to highlight three better fantasy football contests to watch this past weekend.
While I was sitting at home, I have to admit to a little jealousy that some of my best friends in the CFF Universe visited historical college fields. Eric Froton and JD Yonke saw the Wisconsin-USC and Oregon-UCLA games live from Los Angeles. And Jared Palmgren witnessed the Georgia-Alabama contest from the stands with his sister. Nevertheless, it is time to comb the CFF waiver wire as the dreaded bye weeks inch closer.
Week 5 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Bryson Daily, Army (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 15%
Total Fantasy Points: 124.8
FPPG: 31.2
PFF Grade: 91.0
It might be strange, but when I have had a stressful week at school, there is nothing better than watching college football. It is relaxing and allows me to re-energize. On Thursday, I needed some time to unwind and sat down in the living room with the Army-Temple game. By the end of the evening, I came away really impressed with QB Bryson Daily.
Last week, Luke Probasco featured Navy QB Blake Horvath, and he is now rostered on over 55% of CFF teams. This week, I expect a similar increase in rostership of Daily. Against the Owls, the senior from Abernathy, Texas rushed for 152 yards and three scores, producing 35.9 Fantasy Points (FPs). In the past three games, he has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each contest and crossed the finish line six times. For the season, Daily is CFF QB29.
In his career, the Cadets’ Captain has five 100-yard rushing performances, and the outing marked the fifth multi-rushing touchdown game. At 6’0” and 221 pounds, he has eight rushing touchdowns this season and 17 since enrolling at West Point. In the next three weeks, Army travels to Tulsa and hosts UAB and East Carolina, which are enticing matchups for the Cadets’ ground game.
Bryson Daily is rolling along.
3 Rushing TDs for the second-straight week.
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/CNz8STcleA
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) September 27, 2024
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 2%
Total Fantasy Points: 97.1
FPPG: 19.4
PFF Grade: 75.8
Since taking over the starting position from Dequan Finn, Robertson has shown himself well. In his first game versus Air Force, he finished with a decent 18.9 FPs. In his next two appearances against Colorado and BYU, he scored 33.6 and 43.1 FPs, respectively. He has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his three starts. He is an intriguing name for those in need of a CFF signal caller, but this week might not be smooth sailing versus a tough Iowa State defense.
Notebook: “Sawyer Robertson had a career-best day (against BYU), going 27-of-48 for 324 passing yards with three passing touchdowns. He recorded career-best marks in passing attempts, completions, yards, passing touchdowns and carries. Robertson is the first 300-yard passer since Blake Shapen (316) at Cincinnati (last year).” (baylorbears.com)
Honorable Mention Quarterbacks
Alonza Barnett, James Madison
Fantrax Rostership: 39%
Total Fantasy Points: 157.2
FPPG: 39.3
PFF Grade: 90.7
Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV
Fantrax Rostership: 7%
Total Fantasy Points: 51.9
FPPG: 25.9
6 FOR 6!
Hajj puts us up on the board first 🔥
📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/1cV5TddsRp
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) September 28, 2024
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
With a plethora of bye weeks right around the corner, who is the most enticing signal caller on the CFF waiver wire this week?
- Kurtis Rourke, Indiana: 19%
- Bryson Daily, Army: 21%
- Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV: 53%
- Ben Wooldridge: UL-Lafayette: 7%
Scholar’s Selection: It looks like CFF diehards are overlooking the Hoosiers’ offense and its fantasy potential. New coach Curt Cignetti has implemented his high-octane offense, and Indiana is the ninth-ranked unit in the nation, averaging 513 yards and 48.8 points per game. QB Kurtis Rourke has produced over 30 FPs in three games and completed 11 aerial strikes in 2024. I’ll grab the Hoosiers’ signal caller at a discount this week.
“Hajj-Malik Williams, BABY! Look, we thought UNLV would be led by a slick dual-threat quarterback…we were right. It just took five weeks to see him start!” @aceholesrule
“I voted for Kurtis Rourke. Indiana is scoring 48.8 ppg. Rourke is throwing the ball 25-plus times a game for 262 yards and two touchdowns. If you make the CFF championship game, Purdue is a mouth-watering opponent for the Hoosiers.” @ProbascoLuke
Running Backs
Star Thomas, Duke (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 15%
Total Fantasy Points: 84.6
FPPG: 16.9
PFF Grade: 77.4
As a UConn basketball fanatic, Duke is the bane of my fandom. Of course, losing in the fourth quarter to the Blue Devils on the gridiron also hurt. While watching, I noticed that Star Thomas (transfer from New Mexico State) gained 122 rushing yards. Was it a sign of future performance or a one-game outlier?
After logging a third 100-yard outing, Thomas is clearly the alpha dog in the Blue Devils’ backfield. He rushed for 166 yards on 30 carries against North Carolina, adding two catches for 45 yards and scoring twice. In the last three games, Thomas has registered 15.6, 23.1 and 35.1 FPs. For the season, he is CFF RB25. Thomas must be picked up in CFF leagues with Georgia Tech and Florida State in the next two weeks.
STAR THOMAS x2! 😈 pic.twitter.com/sA5XIM87ym
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 28, 2024
Eli Heidenreich, Navy (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 34%
Total Fantasy Points: 87
FPPG: 21.8
PFF Grade: 92.6
For the time since 1945, both Navy and Army are 4-0. The two programs are tied atop the AAC and look poised for a memorable matchup in December for the 125th time. The Midshipmen have the fifth-ranked rushing attack in the country, averaging 287 yards and four touchdowns per game while scoring 46 ppg.
Examining the Navy offense, points run through QB Blake Horvath and RB Eli Heindenreich. Thus far, Heindenreich is the leading pass catcher not runner on the team. The junior plays the versatile “snipe back” in the updated version of the classic Wing T offense. He has recorded 15 catches for 348 yards and five touchdowns and rambled for only 72 yards on 14 carries. The versatile weapon has produced outings of 22.2, 20.9, 19.8 and 24.1 FPs.
It is risky taking a ball carrier who relies on catches to produce fantasy points. However, CFF managers who desperately need backfield help could get a boost from Heidenreich in PPR formats. Navy’s schedule has one possible speed bump ahead with Notre Dame and the Army game is after the CFF season concludes.
Notebook: “Not many other schools in the country can offer the pairing of elite academics and big-time football like we do. There is no other school in the world that develops individuals quite like the United States Naval Academy,” Heidenreich stated in an offseason interview (navysports.com).
Honorable Mention Running Backs
Jaden Nixon, Western Michigan
Fantrax Rostership: 4%
Total Fantasy Points: 63.7
FPPG: 15.9
PFF Grade: 80.8
Micah Ford, Stanford
Fantrax Rostership: 1%
Total Fantasy Points: 30.4
FPPG: 7.6
PFF Grade: 67.9
This freshman is BUILT. FORD. TOUGH. 😤#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/7GiqeFa3V6
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 29, 2024
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Who is your priority playmaker on the CFF waiver wire this week?
- WR Ja’Kobi Lane, USC: 20%
- RB Star Thomas, Duke: 18%
- RB Caden Durham, LSU: 50%
- WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State: 12%
Scholar’s Selection: I featured Caden Durham in the CFF Week 3 Waiver Wire column and acquired the freshman runner on three teams. It is shocking that he is still available in over 70% of leagues. If Durham is still hanging around, grab him immediately despite the Tigers enjoying a bye this week.
Top 5 Fastest #CFB Players From Week 5️⃣:
T3. Caden Durham (@LSUfootball) – 21.2 MPH 🏃@CadenDurham29 the true freshman, takes this one to the house!! 🏠#LSUFootball #Football #Speed #CadenDurham pic.twitter.com/jWg7UwOW51
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 30, 2024
“Star Thomas for me. Small fish in a bigger pond normally does not work, but Thomas has made his presence felt in the Blue Devil backfield.” @aceholesrule
“Caden Durham! LSU needed a playmaker this season, and once John Emery, Jr. went down, the door for Durham cracked open. He has since kicked that door in. As a true freshman, he is averaging 8 ypc. and has some ‘shake & bake’ to him. Durham also doesn’t shy from contact, and this week, he showed off his receiving skills with a 71-yard receiving touchdown to open up the GAME… Cold-blooded!” @_NinoBrown_
Wide Receivers
Raylen Sharpe, Fresno State (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 1%
Targets: 38
Fantasy Points: 70.3
FPPG: 14.1
PFF Grade: 75.2
There were many opinions in the offseason prognosticating who would be the Fresno No. 1 receiver this year. It’s not hard to see why. In the past, the Bulldogs’ WR has been a lucrative position for CFF. Mac Dalena and Raylen Sharpe appear to be the top two oscillating in and out of that role on a weekly basis. However, Sharpe is coming off his strongest game of the year with 16 targets. The touchdown production hasn’t been there, but if his role keeps expanding (he was an FCS transfer this offseason), CFF fanatics are looking at a potential hidden gem.
Dante Wright, Temple (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 45%
Targets: 45
Fantasy Points: 104.4
FPPG: 20.9
PFF Grade: 80.1
It seems like Dante Wright has played college football for over a decade. In 2019, he first stood in the spotlight as a freshman at Colorado State, earning Fall Academic All-Mountain West and Freshman All-American honors. Wright recorded his most productive campaign with 57 catches for 805 yards and four scores. He also gained 214 rushing yards with two touchdowns on 17 carries. Over the next three seasons, the Rams’ playmaker only played in 13 games and seized only 63 passes for 853 yards.
In 2023, Wright transferred to Temple and has been one of the Owls’ best receivers. Last year, he snatched 39 passes for 507 yards and four scores. To kick off the current campaign, the graduate student obtained a single-digit uniform number, which is a Temple tradition given to those who lead by example on-and-off the field. Four weeks ago, he set a career best in receptions with 11 at Navy and recorded a career-long 91-yard reception versus Utah State two games ago.
Wright has garnered double-digit targets in three games this season and produced over 20 FPs in four consecutive contests. He has 34 catches for 450 yards and four scores after five games and is ranked as CFF WR10 for the season. With UConn, Tulsa and ECU on the schedule in the next four weeks, Wright will continue to be peppered with targets.
Notebook: “I really try not to think about who’s throwing me the ball in those throwing sessions (in the offseason). I just want to catch everything that comes my way. That’s my job. I just want to make the quarterback look good. No matter who is back there throwing me the ball, I’ve got to catch it,” Wright stated (247Sports.com).
Jakobie Keeney-James, UMass (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 1%
Targets: 36
Fantasy Points: 78.6
FPPG: 15.7
PFF Grade: 68.2
In the offseason, I forecasted that UMass WR Anthony Simpson could lead the FBS in touches in 2024. As of now, that seems to have turned out hilariously wrong–my sensors for CFF value were in the right place. Fellow UMass wideout Jakobie James now has 20 or more points in PPR formats in three of his last four games. He doesn’t get any usage in the run game the way Simpson did last year, but he’s still proven to be a valid option at receiver for those in need.
Honorable Mention Wide Receivers
Skyler Bell, UConn
Fantrax Rostership: 12%
Targets: 32
Fantasy Points: 95.4
FPPG: 19.1
PFF Grade: 78.9
TOUCHDOWN!!
Bell with his second of the day! 😤 pic.twitter.com/dhHpwoxpis
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) September 28, 2024
Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
Fantrax Rostership: 25%
Targets: 27
Fantasy Points: 65.1
FPPG: 16.3
PFF Grade: 67.5
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Who is the biggest DEVY riser after five weeks of the college football season?
- WR Tre Harris, Mississippi: 15%
- QB Cam Ward, Miami: 39%
- WR Travis Hunter, Colorado: 24%
- RB Dylan Sampson, Tennessee: 22%
Scholar’s Selection: In the offseason, I ranked Travis Hunter outside of my Top 10 WR prospects in the upcoming Draft. I was worried that he might prefer cornerback as a professional. After four games, I believe that Hunter might favor playing receiver, and at worst, demand lining up on both sides of the ball as a professional. The Buffaloes’ difference maker is now my WR No. 6 in 2025.
“I have to say Cam Ward. He declared for the Draft and must not have liked his prospects (or he did it for leverage). I heard in the preseason that Ward received a sixth-round grade. Deciding to come back, the decision easily has catapulted his stock into a second or possibly first-round Draft pick.” @Rand_U_
“I’d have to go Dylan Sampson on this one. He averaged over six yards per carry with nearly 100 yards per game (just four yards short versus Oklahoma) and 10 touchdowns. He is Robin to Nico’s Batman. Sampson has easily jumped 10-15 spots in DEVY rankings this season with another year to go! The 2025 version of Ashton Jeanty?” @_NinoBrown_
“Dylan Sampson for me. I was high on him but not this high! Dude can play at the next level. @aceholesrule
CFF All-Americans: Week 5
- QB Alonza Barnett, James Madison: 53.2 points
- QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama: 50.6
- RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: 51.6
- RB Caden Durham, LSU: 36.7
- WR Skyler Bell, UConn: 39.3
- WR Christon McCray, Kent State: 35.8
- WR Tez Johnson, Oregon: 35.1
- TE Harold Fannin, Bowling Green: 42.8
- Flex Star Thomas, Duke: 35.1