I have to make a confession: My wife’s cousin got married on Saturday evening, and I missed the night slate of games. The wedding was spectacular, and I enjoyed the celebration (and food). Even college fantasy football diehards must make exceptions and participate in family events. Nonetheless, I have two great teammates, Joe Goodwin and Volume Pigs, who helped me point out with the leading prospects on the waiver wire from games that I missed…Let’s Go!
Week 8 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Diego Pavia, New Mexico State (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 34%
Total Fantasy Points: 202.7
FPPG: 25.4
Over the summer, I featured Diego Pavia in the All-American CFF Sleepers article and selected him on the vast majority of my redraft and best-ball teams. I even drafted a team with Austin Reed (first-round pick) and Pavia (twenty-ninth round), and the Aggies’ dual-threat signal caller has outproduced Reed for the season. Wow!
In the past five games, Pavia has turned it on with his legs. He has scrambled for 96, 97, 46, 115, and 96 yards and scored four times on the ground. He has also tossed two touchdowns in each game and passed for over 1,000 yards. He has recorded 150.3 fantasy points. For the season, Pavia is CFF QB No. 6 and is the third-leading rusher among quarterbacks with 527 yards, trailing only Thomas Castellanos and Byrum Brown.
New Mexico State has won five of its eight games and scored over 25 points six times. In the next month, the Aggies play C-USA foes Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky. With his rushing ability, Pavia provides a nice floor and should not remain on the waiver wire much longer.
Notebook: The Aggies beat in-state rival New Mexico in mid-September, and Pavia started to flash his mobility in the victory: “One guy hurt us, give Diego Pavia credit. He hurt us with his feet…he got some tough yards up front and made us miss a couple of tackles,” New Mexico coach Danny Gonzales stated afterward.
BIG PLAY PAVIA
The @NMStateFootball QB would not be denied!
📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/KP6RXAO4So
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) October 19, 2023
Gavin Wimsatt, Rutgers (Goodwin)
Fantrax Rostership: 5%
Total Fantasy Points: 143.5
FPPG: 17.9
Gavin Wimsatt is a considerable asset in College Fantasy Football because of his ability to run the football. As a runner, he already has 73 rushing attempts, 362 yards, and seven touchdowns. Wimsatt has thrown for over 1,134 yards and seven more touchdowns as a passer. The high mark for Wimsatt was last week against Indiana when he ran the ball 16 times for 143 yards and three touchdowns.
Rutgers has been a revelation in the Big 10 and is already bowl-eligible, and Wimsatt has a lot to do with the team’s success. Although some tough matchups await the Scarlet Knights, including Ohio State, Penn State, and Iowa, Wimsatt can beat defenses in various ways and must be dynamic to give Rutgers a chance to win. At 6’3″ and 225 pounds, Wimsatt looks like the four-star recruit out of Owensboro, Kentucky, that he was recruited to be for Rutgers.
Notebook: “(Wimsatt) is a competitor, that’s one thing about him…He’s the leader of the offense, so he’s going to make sure we (play hard) every moment, and we get the offense going every time. The ceiling’s so high…he’s going to be a great quarterback,” teammate JaQuae Jackson stated (dailytargum.com).
Jordan McCloud, James Madison
Fantrax Rostership: 19%
Total Fantasy Points: 157.5
FPPG: 22.5
Notebook: Marshall coach Charles Huff praised McCloud’s performance this season: “He’s doing a really good job of letting the system create execution opportunities. He’s not having to try to do too much, which is the sign of a really good system. They’ve got answers. They’ve got complementary plays that come off of some of the things they do. And they’re very consistent. I think that helps (McCloud) execute more consistently week in, week out.” (richmond.com)
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Among college quarterback prospects, who has opened your eyes or risen up NFL Draft DEVY rankings the most this year?
- Jayden Daniels, LSU: 21%
- Michael Penix, Washington: 36%
- J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: 33%
- Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma: 10%
“J.J. McCarthy for me. I have felt for years, if his team let him cut it loose, he could be very good. I see NFL potential there.” @aceholesrule
“Michael Penix struggled yesterday, but he’s still had a great year. QB No. 3 in my opinion.” @Anthony_Russo97
Running Backs
Terion Stewart, Bowling Green (Goodwin)
Fantrax Rostership: 18%
Total Fantasy Points: 112.7
FPPG: 14.1
When Bowling Green has had success as a team, it has Terrion Stewart at the center. Last week against Akron, he ran the ball 19 times for 131 yards and three touchdowns. In a victory over Buffalo two weeks ago, Stewart ran the ball 25 times for 123 yards.
If there was a knock on Stewart’s game, it is that he is not involved in the passing game. However, the upcoming games against Ball State, Kent, Toledo, and Western Michigan will give Stewart the opportunities to shine. At 5’9″ and 225 pounds, Stewart is low to the ground and hits like a wrecking ball. CFF teams looking for a depth running back with great matchups to end the regular season should invest in Stewart.
Notebook: “I actually got that nickname in high school. There was a play, and as soon as I got the ball, somebody hit me, but I stuck him. And then, moved him out of the way, and then there were like three other people, and I’m just running for the touchdown. Then, my quarterback Javez Alexander, he just started calling me ‘The Bully’ after that,” Stewart reflected in September (bgfalconmedia.com).
Kaden Feagin, Illinois (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 16%
Total Fantasy Points: 106.2
FPPG: 8.8
Illinois’ coach Bret Bielema’s scheme has been very transparent over the years: Run the football with big backs preferably. He likely has found his next power back moving forward. With a plethora of injuries in the backfield, freshman Kaden Feagin has assumed the lead role over the past two games.
Against Wisconsin, Feagin rambled for 97 yards on 24 carries and scored once. The week before, he rushed for 84 yards and reached the end zone for the first time in college, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors versus Maryland. Two weeks before, he led the team with career highs for carries (11) and yards (85) at Purdue.
A three-star recruit by 247Sports, Feagin stands 6’3” and 250 pounds. He dominated at the high school level as a senior, totalling 2,300 yards, 37 touchdowns, 82 tackles, and two interceptions. He holds ALAH school records in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a single season and career. A track-and-field competitor, he placed second in the long jump at the 2021 IHSA state finals. After a bye week, Illinois has two good matchups against Indiana and Northwestern, and Feagin should be able to find open lanes.
Notebook: “To be quite honest, Kaden has been very impressive. Just the way he’s picked things up. And physically, he’s obviously a very gifted athlete,” coach Bret Bielema said in the spring (pantagraph.com).
Anwar Lewis, Jacksonville State (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 3%
Total Fantasy Points: 39.2
FPPG: 9.8
If fellow RB Malik Jackson is out on Wednesday, Anwar Lewis could be a solid play vs. a forgiving Florida International defense. He saw 21 total touches last week when Jackson went down, and converted those opportunities into 20.6 fantasy points.
Sione Vaki, Utah (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 8%
Total Fantasy Points: 67.6
FPPG: 9.7
Notebook: “You saw him (Sione) get out on that run, 70-plus yards, and so partly out of necessity and partly out of trying to find a way to maximize the best players on the football team,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after Vaki sprinted for 158 yards and two scores two weeks ago (ksi.com).
LOOK AT THAT MAN GO!!!
Sione Vaki in for his 2nd TD of the night! 🙌
📺 @CFBONFOX #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/88BxT4LTIp
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 22, 2023
Kanye Roberts, Appalachian State (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 2%
Total Fantasy Points: 48.5
FPPG: 8.1
In Nate Noel’s absence, Kanye ‘Yeezy’ Roberts saw a massive increase in workload, with 26 carries and four targets in App State’s game versus Old Dominion. His previous season highs were 11 carries and one target, so this was a pretty dramatic increase in his role. He ended up rushing for 109 yards and accumulating 16 more through the air but failed to reach the end zone unfortunately.
It doesn’t seem likely that that trend will continue if he sees another 30 opportunities next weekend. This play is purely dependent on the health of Noel, but if he misses time again, Roberts makes for an intriguing play in the short term. The Mountaineers play Southern Mississippi, who are almost dead last against the run this season.
Kye Robichaux, Boston College
Fantrax Rostership: 4%
Total Fantasy Points: 78.9
FPPG: 15.8
Notebook: “(Robichaux) is big and strong. And then you can see in the second half, he just starts to wear people out…Really glad to have him back,” Boston College coach Jeff Hafley said of his running back after rushing for 165 yards and two scores versus Georgia Tech (bcheights.com).
Kadarius Calloway, Old Dominion
Fantrax Rostership: 12%
Total Fantasy Points: 79.8
FPPG: 15.9
Notebook: “Kadarius Calloway was the No. 2 recruit in the state of Mississippi, and rated a four-star recruit by most scouting services, when he was a senior in high school. Just about every SEC team in the deep South coveted him…Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide beckoned, he became part of a Crimson Tide recruiting class rated the nation’s best. But then he did something shocking. He withdrew from Alabama and enrolled at East Mississippi Community College,” wrote Harry Minium (odusports.com).
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Among running backs and receivers, who is the most interesting target on the waiver wire?
- RB Terion Stewart, Bowling Green: 13%
- RB Makhi Hughes, Tulane: 39%
- WR Nic Anderson, Oklahoma: 42%
- WR Will Pauling, Wisconsin: 6%
“Makhi Hughes for me. Three 100-yard performances in a row and a tasty schedule down the stretch.” @aceholesrule
“Either Terion Stewart or Makhi Hughes. Both are in a great spot down the stretch. Voted Hughes, but now thinking Stewart might be even more of a workhorse.” @CFBWinningEdge
“I am on board with Nic Anderson. He got the most targets, yards and touchdowns in yesterday’s game…new WR No. 1 for Oklahoma?” JustinNottingh6
“Gotta be Hughes. It’s crazy a running back with his volume and production each week is still widely available this late in the season!” @CFF_Jared
Week 8 CFF All-Portal Team* (Goodwin)
RB Frank Gore, Southern Mississippi
Ownership: 100%
FPPG: 13.2
This is a tough one to write, considering many analysts had high hopes for Gore after his 2022 season, where he had 1,382 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. In 2023, Gore needs to be more consistent to enter starting lineups. Against South Alabama, Gore had 12 carries for 37 yards. Two weeks prior against Old Dominion, Gore had 29 carries for 66 yards. Managers hope Gore can replicate the game he had against Texas State, where he had 24 rushes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. However, those games have yet to be there. Although Southern Miss still provides some volume for Gore, he is no longer trusted to produce for CFF diehards.
WR Dorian Singer, USC
Ownership: 99%
FPPG: 7.2
Last year at Arizona, Dorian Singer averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game. This year, he averages 7.2. Teaming up with All-World Quarterback Caleb Williams, promised to make Dorian Singer an elite wide receiver and a household name. Instead, Singer has only logged 18 receptions for 214 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly, the targets are just not there for Singer. It appears Tahj Washington has become Williams’s preferred target, and that spells disaster for Singer on CFF rosters.
QB KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Ownership: 98%
FPPG: 18.2
KJ Jefferson was entering his third year as the signal caller for the Arkansas Razorbacks, as fantasy analysts loved the prospects of KJ Jefferson as an NFL-type quarterback. However, this season has produced multiple games below 10 fantasy points for Jefferson. On the season, KJ Jefferson ranks outside the top 75 in fantasy points per game and is not worth starting in fantasy lineups.
*Players who CFF managers should consider sending to their league’s free agent pool in order to upgrade rosters.
Wide Receivers
Nic Anderson, Oklahoma (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 14%
Targets: 23
Fantasy Points: 102.7
FPPG: 17.7
The volume versus efficiency debate will baffle some fantasy owners. Volume is the preferred option to bank on in order to rank and select players. Yet, there are always players who produce an abundance of fantasy points on high levels of efficiency, which forces fantasy diehards to take notice.
Nic Anderson, an efficiency monster, earned volume status for the first time this year against UCF. Before Saturday’s game, Anderson had 12 targets for the entire season and never logged more than four in any outing. Nonetheless, he had scored six touchdowns, making him a highly efficient fantasy player. With teammate Andrel Anthony out for the season, Anderson earned 10 targets—nearly doubling his season total—and corralled five for 105 yards and two scores against the Knights.
The redshirt freshman is the younger brother of Rodney Anderson (a CFF luminary in 2017) and earned three stars by 247Sports in high school. He was rated as the No. 15 WR prospect in the nation by ESPN. The Sooners have a nice upcoming schedule with Kansas, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia on the slate. As the CFF postseason approaches, Anderson looks like a difference-maker.
Notebook: “Just making sure we step up and fill those shoes so we don’t miss a beat on offense. That’s the most important thing. We have a lot of competitive depth, so I’m not worried about anybody not being able to do that,” Anderson said before the UCF game (soonerswire.com).
Daniel Jackson, Minnesota (Goodwin)
Fantrax Rostership: 11%
Targets: 56
Fantasy Points: 97.2
FPPG: 13.9
How could I recommend any wide receiver from Minnesota? The Golden Gophers are a running team and seldom throw the ball enough to make any receiver fantasy relevant. Well, when Minnesota does throw the ball, it’s usually in the direction of Daniel Jackson.
Last week versus Iowa, Jackson had 13 targets as he grabbed seven passes for 101 yards. He caught seven of the ten completed passes Minnesota had against Iowa. On the season, the Golden Gopher has 29 receptions on 56 targets for 387 yards and five touchdowns.
One advantage Daniel Jackson has moving forward is the schedule ahead. Unlike many teams in the Big 10, Minnesota only has one top 50 (Ohio State) defense left on their schedule, as they have Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin remaining on their schedule, rated 53rd or lower in defense. Although Jackson has limited potential for a huge breakout game, the team’s reliance on Jackson as their best receiver brings him value in deeper leagues.
Notebook: “I think Daniel’s done an incredible job of just committing to the playbook, but he’s always been smart. He’s doing a better job of taking care of his body. He’s always asking questions. He’s always developing not just his skill set, but also kind of his mindset. Jackson has just been incredibly consistent with the way he goes about his business and work,” Minnesota WR coach Matt Simon stated last April (247Sports.com).
Courtney Jackson, Arkansas State (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 3%
Targets: 31
Fantasy Points: 88.4
FPPG: 12.6
Since Jaylen Raynor took over the reins of the Red Wolves’ QB position, no other player has benefited more than receiver Courtney Jackson. After starting the season without a score higher than 12 points in his first three games, Jackson has now 17 or more points in three of his last four, and over 20 in two of his last four. Arkansas State enjoys a good matchup versus UL-Monroe this weekend. Not a bad option if you’re playing Raynor as a stack partner, but there are other Red Wolves’ playmakers who see solid volume also.
CFF All-Americans: Week 8
- QB Diego Pavia, New Mexico State
- QB Gavin Wimsatt, Rutgers
- RB Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
- RB Bucky Irving, Oregon
- WR Noah Smith, Sam Houston
- WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State
- WR Lincoln Victor, Washington State
- TE Jake Briningstool, Clemson
- Flex La’Damian Webb, South Alabama
CFF Player of the Week: Ollie Gordon
What’s that? Y’all wanna see all 4 of Ollie’s TDs? 😈 pic.twitter.com/BS1osKZA6n
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 22, 2023