While watching the West Coast late-night action, I became more and more upset that the PAC-12 will no longer be a component of my college football obsession. For well over a decade, Saturday evenings concluded with me sitting in bed watching the PAC-12 (and Mountain West) while scrolling on my iPad to see updated fantasy scores. College Fantasy Football will never be the same without the high-flying, defensively-challenged Conference concluding the weekend action.
Despite losing the PAC-12 next year, College Fantasy Football will still consume my fall weekends. But 2023 is not over, and I am joined by Joe Goodwin and Volume Pigs in spotting the prominent players on the CFF waiver wire…Let’s Go!
Editor’s Note: Next week we will change College Fantasy Football coverage from Waiver Wire players to CFF Sleepers based on upcoming matchups throughout the playoffs.
Week 9 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Ashton Daniels, Stanford (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 5%
Total Fantasy Points: 122.9
FPPG: 15.3
How can college football fans not love the late-night action among PAC-12 teams this year? It seems like every game has been must-watch football with nearly every team trotting out an explosive offense. When the season kicked off in August, I did not expect Stanford to provide so many fireworks.
While the Cardinal are 2-6 and in last place in the Conference, the offense has blasted off over the past three weeks while trying to compete. Stanford has scored 86 points and surrendered 130…a perfect mix for CFF production.
Ashton Daniels has orchestrated the offensive turnaround: He is the fifth most-productive CFF signal caller, averaging 28.8 FPPG. The sophomore quarterback has attempted an incredible 140 passes in come-from-behind mode. He has completed 85 throws (61%) for 1,031 yards and six aerial strikes. Daniels has also added a fantasy boost with his legs, scrambling for 113 yards and two scores.
In the next two weeks, the Cardinal will be underdogs on the road and likely to attempt over 45 passes in each game against Washington State and Oregon State. In Week 12 (CFF Championship), Daniels will suit up against California at home in a possible shootout.
Notebook: After the loss against undefeated Washington, coach Troy Taylor stated that “Ashton played a great game. He’s really tough. He made some great runs, timely runs. Made great decisions in the passing game and checks that you wouldn’t necessarily know about. Made a lot of great throws. His disposition is always the same. He’s really competitive, but his demeanor is always the same. Really proud of him, how he played.” (gostanford.com)
14 balled out Saturday 😤
⚫️ 448 total yards (2nd most by a Stanford QB)
⚫️ 3 total TDs#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/vVgbTU6IT2— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) October 29, 2023
Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State (Goodwin)
Fantrax Rostership: 17%
Total Fantasy Points: 186.6
FPPG: 23.3
In the last four weeks, Joey Aguilar has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers by averaging almost 29 points per game. Against Southern Miss, Aguilar completed 23 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns while adding 43 yards on the ground. During Appalachian State’s first possession in the fourth quarter, the sequence of plays highlights Aguilar’s potential in CFF:
- Completes a pass to Roberts for six yards
- Runs the ball for 20 yards
- Incomplete pass
- Runs the ball for 1 yard
- Completes a throw to Horn for a 49-yard touchdown
- During this possession, he runs for 21 yards, throws for 55 yards, and an aerial strike.
For the season, Aguilar has 2,173 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He is a great injury-replacement quarterback or bye-week replacement.
Honorable Mention Quarterbacks
Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State
Fantrax Rostership: 44%
Total Fantasy Points: 147.3
FPPG: 25.3
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Fantrax Rostership: 12%
Total Fantasy Points: 87.1
FPPG: 12.4
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
As the playoffs approach, who is the top target at quarterback on the CFF waiver wire?
- Chandler Rogers, North Texas: 40%
- Fernando Mendoza, California: 8%
- Garrett Greene, West Virginia: 40%
- Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State: 12%
“I’ll ignore the chalk here as I believe the consensus will say Chandler Rogers (as they should…lol). Yet, Joey Aguilar has been balling and flying under the radar. He has posted a 20:6 TD-INT ratio for the season. He is coming off a four-touchdown performance with 391 yards passing against Southern Mississippi. The schedule looks good outside of JMU for Aguilar.” @_NinoBrown_
“Fernando Mendoza is as fool’s gold as fool’s gold can get. Blew up against a USC defense that we all know is hot garbage and the schedule gets much harder. Outside of Stanford, he’s not a comfortable start in any of the remaining weeks.” @CFF_Jared
“Give me Joey Aguilar. I like the matchups down the stretch and with the uncertainty of RB Nate Noel from week to week, Appalachian State looks as if they are throwing more often.” @aceholesrule
Running Backs
Cam Edwards, UConn (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 3%
Total Fantasy Points: 68.3
FPPG: 13.6
Last week, I was hoping that if I had just included Edwards in the ‘other’ section of The Pig Market, he’d go under the radar, and I could scoop him in the one league I was hoping to. In the end, it was for naught, as someone else picked him up, and kudos to them, because Edwards—the true freshman—has now officially taken over the backfield duties for the Huskies.
The health and status of Victor Rosa, who didn’t play on Saturday, is probably playing a role in Edwards’ increase in usage. In fact, only one other runner saw a carry in Jalen Mitchell. But still, Edwards has really come on lately, and at the very least, until Rosa is full go, he makes an intriguing option. The unfortunate news is that the Huskies play Tennessee and James Madison back-to-back in the next two weeks, so it’ll be tough sledding. But they play Sacred Heart and UMass in the CFF playoff weeks (12 and 13), so Edwards could be a good stash for those weeks for those in need of running backs.
Notebook: “That was big time, especially for Cam coming in and not having many snaps at running back and producing. It seemed like every time he carried the ball he was getting five yards plus,” UConn wide receiver Geordon Porter said after the Utah State game (ctinsider.com).
TOUCHDOWN‼️@Camedwards0 30 yards to the crib! pic.twitter.com/xDc6gAwcAv
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) October 28, 2023
Kye Robichaux, Boston College (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 14%
Total Fantasy Points: 103.1
FPPG: 17.2
I wonder if I was the only CFF diehard who had the Boston College-UConn game on this Saturday. Even I switched off the matchup by the fourth quarter to view some of the other exciting games on the noon slate. Beforehand, I did get a chance to watch Kye Robichaux ramble for many many of his 112 yards and two touchdowns versus the Huskies.
A three-star recruit, Robichaux enrolled at Western Kentucky in 2021 and played two seasons for the Hilltoppers. During his freshman campaign, Robichaux played in all 14 games and helped WKU win a C-USA East Division Championship. He carried the ball 67 times for 332 yards and three touchdowns and snatched seven passes for 142 yards and a score. As a sophomore, he was honored as a 2022 Burlsworth Trophy nominee and received C-USA Honorable Mention honors after rambling for 496 yards and three touchdowns.
At 6’0” and 216 pounds, the junior relocated to Boston College in the offseason and has taken over in the backfield over the past two games. Two weeks ago, he scampered for 165 yards on 23 carries and two scores against Georgia Tech. In four of the past five games, Robichaux produced over 17 fantasy points.
Will former starter Pat Garwo return to the lineup soon? Not sure. Nonetheless, it appears that Robichaux has earned more carries moving forward, and Boston College enjoys tasty matchups in the next three weeks: Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh.
Notebook: “As a kid I grew up watching highlights, I always liked watching old football games. Of course, I’ve seen the Hail Mary play and everything. When I got here (Boston College), it was kind of an emphasis on my recruiting trip. They wanted to give me the history and everything. It’s hard not to be a part of, it pushed my decision to be here,” Robichaux reflected after the UConn victory (middletownpress.com).
Honorable Mention Running Backs
Tawee Walker, Oklahoma
Fantrax Rostership: 10%
Total Fantasy Points: 55.4
FPPG: 4.62
Malik Sherrod, Fresno State
Fantrax Rostership: 26%
Total Fantasy Points: 116.3
FPPG: 16.6
Week 9 CFF All-Portal Team* (Goodwin)
RB, Keovorian Barnes, UTSA
Rostership: 99%
FPPG: 10.67
In the past two games, Keovorian Barnes had 17 rushes for 64 yards and ZERO touchdowns. On the season, Barnes is averaging 4.3 yards per attempt. He is the type of runner that can carry a team. The problem is that the Roadrunners are using three backs to keep offenses on their heels; Robert Henry and Rocko Griffin have both taken snaps in the backfield. The talent is obvious. Unfortunately, there are too many options for Barnes to be considered a lock to start in weekly lineups.
WR, Alex Adams, Akron
Rostership: 97%
FPPG: 8.8
Coming off their bye week, Alex Adams is hopeful he can bounce back from this lackluster season. Adams only has 22 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns so far. In the CFF world, many players are getting 188 yards and two touchdowns in one game. The Zips offense has been anything but zippy. In the last five games, Akron has scored a combined 78 points, a paltry 15-plus points per game. Adams is not to blame in this situation, with the poor quarterback play from Akron signal-callers to blame—it’s time to move on in CFF.
WR, Dont’e Thornton, Tennessee
Rostership: 79%
FPPG: 3.6
On almost 80% of rosters and only averaging 3.6 points per game, it blew my mind that Thornton was still thought of that way by CFF managers. In the last five games, Thornton has 12 targets, eight catches for 140 yards and ZERO touchdowns.
Thornton is not a primary target of Joe Milton and is shown by Thornton still needing a touchdown catch in 2023. With Bru McCoy out for the season, last week’s game should have been a breakout performance for Thornton. Against Kentucky, he had 3 grabs for 63 yards. Thornton is not worthy of a roster spot based on his usage and play.
“Not So Fast, My Friends”
RB, Frank Gore, Southern Mississippi
In our week 7 edition of the Portal Team, I put Frank Gore squarely on the list. Well, last week, he showed CFF managers what he can do on a football field. In Southern Miss’s loss to Appalachian State, Frank Gore had 24 carries for 247 yards and two touchdowns; his two touchdown runs were for 42 and 75 yards. Gore can carry his team; it’s more a question of whether they will let him.
*Players who CFF managers should consider sending to their league’s free agent pool in order to upgrade rosters.
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
Who is the biggest DEVY riser at running back after two months of the season?
- Ray Davis, Kentucky: 7%
- Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State: 71%
- Jonathan Brooks, Texas: 15%
- Omarion Hampton, North Carolina: 7%
“Ollie GORDON! Nine touchdowns over the last four weeks and 550-plus yards in the last two games on the ground. And 9 YPC over the last two weeks. Opponents know that it’s going to Ollie and they just can’t stop him even with stacked boxes…YIKES!” @_NinoBrown_
“Omarion Hampton is closing in on 1,000 yards this season and has three consecutive games of over 100 yards with four total touchdowns. Hampton is now a major part of the Tar Heels’ offense with Drake Maye and Devontez Walker. He is close to 6 YPC from a sophomore…I’M ALL IN.” @TheCFBNation
“Ollie GEEEEEEEEEEEE! Dude gets more touches than the bathroom door at Taco Bell.” @aceholesrule
Wide Receivers
Reggie Brown, James Madison (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 20%
Targets: 61
Fantasy Points: 139.1
FPPG: 17.4
About a month ago, I included Reggie Brown’s teammate Elijah Sarratt on my weekly waiver wire article. While Sarratt has been productive since, I think it’s time to also recommend Brown. This JMU passing offense continues to improve week after week, and they are now firing at a level that is reminiscent of their offense last year when they had Todd Centeio, Kris Thornton, and—coincidently—Brown.
Brown, as the elder statesman in the room, was the presumed WR No. 1 entering the season. While he’s not the clear-cut WR No. 1, he does have games as if he was the alpha dog. Season highs of 33, 24.6, and 35.2 points are pretty nice. He has now seen double-digit targets in back-to-back weeks (10 and 12), and he’ll probably continue to be a fixture in this pass attack going forward. A delicious fixture versus Georgia State awaits JMU this weekend.
Notebook: “The chemistry is getting better with quarterback Jordan McCloud. It was a slow start at the beginning of the season, but as the season and weeks go on, we’re getting better and better, and Jordan’s starting to trust us more,” Brown stated (dnronline.com).
Reggie loves touchdowns.#GoDukes
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) October 29, 2023
Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 30%
Targets: 69
Fantasy Points: 147.7
FPPG: 18.5
Put aside all preconceived notions and embrace excellence when it occurs. It does not matter that Elic Ayomanor was not on the radar of CFF diehards or DEVY junkies over the summer. The sophomore playmaker has catapulted himself among the elite CFF receivers in the nation.
Against Colorado three weeks ago, Ayomanor earned the CFF Player of the Week award after scoring 60.4 fantasy points on 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns. At the time, he was rostered on only 2% of CFF teams. I picked him up on two teams but trepidation in regard to future production kept me from acquiring him on every roster.
Last Wednesday, I identified the Stanford home run hitter among my Weekly CFF Sleepers and started him on three teams. He earned 12 targets for nine receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown, producing 29.6 fantasy points. Since the breakout game versus Colorado, Ayomanor is the top-ranked CFF receiver with 106 fantasy points on a whopping 43 targets. Grab the Cardinals’ playmaker just in time for the playoff push and pursuit of a ring.
Notebook: “It’s definitely been a long journey. When you’re chasing your dreams and what you want to do in life, you’re going to have to persevere in some sense. I always thought I could compete with guys in the U.S. and end up going to a Division I school. I didn’t have an active plan on how I was going to do that but I always felt I could play with them,” Canadian-born Ayomanor said (torontosun.com).
Eric Singleton, Georgia Tech (Goodwin)
Fantrax Rostership: 17%
Targets: 47
Fantasy Points: 105.2
FPPG: 15.1
The freshman for Georgia Tech has exceeded most expectations as a three-star recruit, who once was committed to Western Kentucky but ultimately ended up at the Ramblin’ Wreck. Eric Singleton and the Yellow Jackets upset UNC this past weekend behind the performance of Singleton who grabbed eight passes for 117 yards.
To begin the season, Singleton notched touchdowns in the first five games. Although he has not found the end zone since their loss to Bowling Green, Singleton proves he can be a weapon in the passing attack. Singleton has sprinter speed and is developing as a route runner.
For C2C and Devy league managers, Singleton has immense long-term potential. For CFF managers, he can explode for big games or grab just two passes for 20 yards like he did against Miami. There is a lot to like about Singleton.
Notebook: “He’s not a track guy that plays football, I’ll tell you that. He’s a football player that happens to run track and be very fast,” coach Brent Key affirmed (ramblinwreck.com).
Jabre Barber, Troy (Goodwin)
Fantrax Rostership: 2%
Targets: 67
Fantasy Points: 119.3
FPPG: 14.9
CFF experts, us included, have proclaimed over and over that the best receivers in CFF are the ones that get a lot of targets. Over the past five weeks, Jabre Barber was targeted 47 times! The Troy offense focuses on Barber, and so should fantasy managers.
Against Texas State, Barber had ten receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown. Two weeks ago against Army, Barber had four receptions for 138 yards. Barber may be ideal in best ball formats, but for teams heading into the playoffs, Barber has UL-Monroe, LL-Lafayette, and Southern Mississippi remaining on his schedule that are all ranked outside the Top 100 on defense.
Dayton Wade, Mississippi (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 4%
Targets: 67
Fantasy Points: 108.7
FPPG: 13.6
Jordan Watkins shareholders have been burned two weeks in a row now with an injured (yet still playing) Watkins. A receiver with a bad hand is probably not an attractive option for his quarterback, so it’s no wonder that the Rebels’ passing attack has keyed in on another.
Dayton Wade, out of Atlanta, GA, has been a fairly consistent player all season. The 5’9” slot receiver currently averages 13.6 points per game, and just had his best game of the season on Saturday, scoring 26 points. While many of the Rebels’ wideouts continue to walk wounded, Wade’s not a bad option. The Rebels play Texas A&M this weekend.
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
As the playoffs approach, who is the premier playmaker on the CFF waiver wire?
- Ricky White, UNLV: 15%
- Noah Smith, Sam Houston: 22%
- Kevin Concepcion, North Carolina State: 40%
- Elic Ayomanor, Stanford: 23%
“Kevin Concepcion…I was torn between KC and Noah Smith but Concepcion has done it with two quarterbacks and continues to get better. His playbook gets thicker each week. In the game versus Clemson, he had a 50-yard run! KC for me!” @_NinoBrown_
“Noah Smith for me. Gets targets no matter if they are up, down or tied. Gets touches from runs and passes. Smith all day long.” @aceholesrule
CFF All-Americans: Week 9
- QB Ashton Daniels, Stanford: 38.2 points
- QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty: 36.5
- RB Ollie Gordon, II, Oklahoma State: 45.2
- RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, UMass: 44.0
- WR Jamaal Pritchett, South Alabama: 39.8
- WR Lajohntay Wester, Florida Atlantic: 36.9
- WR Christian Horn, Appalichian State: 36.5
- TE Jake Velling, Oregon State: 18.1
- Flex Blake Watson, Memphis: 43.9
CFF Player of the Week: Ollie Gordon
.@Ollie_Gordon2 🤝 @BarrySanders #GoPokes | #DAT pic.twitter.com/ykPlabh6pb
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) October 29, 2023