John Laub and Justin Heisey join forces to identify the top additions for the Week 4 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire.
College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 5
Quarterbacks
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 3%
One of the reasons why I like posting my CFF Surreptitious Starters is to provide diehards like myself alternative options each week. And of course, I really like to be correct. Last week, I suggested starting Tanner Morgan and nailed the projection. Did you start Morgan? I did in one league.
The sophomore signal-caller exceeded even my optimistic expectations with 396 yards passing and four touchdowns in the road victory over Purdue. He connected on 21 of 22 throws without an interception and established a Big 10 Conference record for completion percentage at 95.5%. “Tanner did so many things that we knew he was capable of doing. As an offense, we went out and played as a team and that is what he (Tanner) showed everyone else,” WR Rashod Bateman, who had a career-high 177 yards on six catches, stated after the game on twincities.com by Andy Greder.
For the season, the Minnesota Maverick has posted a 10:2 TD:INT ratio and passed for over 1,000 yards in four games. He now ranks No. 51 among CFF quarterbacks after terrific back-to-back games, posting 55 fantasy points against Georgia Southern and Purdue combined. In over 95% of leagues, he is available and should be acquired this week by shrewd CFF owners. — John
Layne Hatcher, Arkansas State
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 7%
Arkansas State has farmed out college fantasy studs at the quarterback position since Ryan Aplin had 4,000-plus yards under Hugh Freeze in 2011. Since then, Fredi Knighten and Justice Hansen carried fantasy teams to the promised land whether it be Fredi’s electric legs or Justice’s cannon of an arm.
Logan Bonner appeared to be the next great Arkansas State quarterback with an average of 309 yards and three scores in games not against Georgia. Bonner is unfortunately sidelined for the year after surgery to his thumb on his throwing hand, and Layne Hatcher just started the 2020 Arkansas State quarterback battle with his outstanding play against Troy.
Alabama-transfer Layne Hatcher threw for 440 yards and four scores against the Troy Trojans in an entertaining duel between Sun Belt teams. He managed to keep Kirk Merritt and Omar Bayless fantasy relevant in the process, and if you’re a dynasty player like me, you must remember that Hatcher is only a freshman. — Justin
Sean Clifford, Penn State
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 21%
While I am not against touting my hits, I am also willing to admit my misses. I did not foresee Sean Clifford becoming a fantasy stud this season. I thought Penn State would not meet the enthusiastic outlook of the faithful, and the sophomore would need more time to ascend among the elite.
Clifford is the No. 23 ranked CFF signal-caller with 116 fantasy points scored in four games. He has posted more than 27 points in three games this year, tossing nine touchdowns and passing for 1,179 yards on the season. A dual-threat playmaker, he has added to his statistics with 167 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Against Maryland on Friday night, the Penn State pitcher posted the third-best, single-game passing mark in program history with 398 yards. He also paced the team in rushing with 54 yards. A perfectionist, Clifford believes that better performances are ahead. “I think this game is a good stepping stone, but it’s not even where I want to be…I still see a lot of explosive plays that I left up on the board,” Clifford confidently proclaimed after the game in the centredaily.com by Josh Moyer.
CFF diehards hope that Clifford’s introspective statement forecasts future successes. He should not remain on the waiver wire any longer and has a terrific matchup at home against Purdue this week. — John
Sean Chambers, Wyoming
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 8%
After dismantling Missouri in Week 1, Sean Chambers was a hot add due to his incredible athleticism. His production dipped drastically against Texas State and Idaho, causing his ownership values to drop just in time for him to put up back-to-back 30-point fantasy performances.
Chambers has run for 185 yards over the last two games while also scoring four touchdowns with his legs. He’s not going to have a lot of production through the air but he’s been incredibly selfish at the goal line lately. If you’re still reeling after losing D’Eriq King then Chamber’s ground game is enough for me to at least give him a shot against San Diego State after a bye. — Justin
Twitterverse on Fire!
At quarterback, identify the player who failed to reach expectations on Saturday:
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA: 8%
- Anthony Gordon, Washington State: 44%
- Adrian Martinez, Nebraska: 44%
- Bryce Perkins, Virginia: 3%
John’s Vote: Dorian Thompson-Robinson
“It’s undoubtedly Adrian Martinez for me. I’m not shocked at all at the others.” @CffNation
“It is Anthony Gordon and it is not even close. I didn’t expect Adrian Martinez to do crap against the Buckeyes.” @suzzzG5
Running Backs
Re’Mahn Davis, Temple
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 6%
After dominating opponents in prep school, Re’Mahn Davis netted the nickname The Heisman. He liked it so much that he used @MrHeisman7 as his Twitter account. While he is not in the running for the coveted trophy, Davis is contending for a spot on the Freshman All-American team as a true first-year student. Currently, he is the No. 42 ranked runner in college fantasy football.
He enrolled early at Temple and started classes in January. In the season’s opener, he began his career with 138 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown against Bucknell on 11 touches. However, in the next two games, he only garnered 22 carries and failed to reach the end zone.
Against Georgia Tech on Saturday, the coaching staff finally decided to feature Davis in the ground game. He rushed for 135 yards and scored two touchdowns. “Our team trusted me. They trust you with the ball on a fourth-and-1. It just shows they believe in me, and believe in my ability to go and get what we need to get,” Davis said after the game in the inquirer.com by Mike Jensen.
The Owls are 3-1 and have found their bell cow in the backfield for the remainder of the foreseeable future. East Carolina is the next opponent on the docket, and Davis will surely earn another 20 touches against a poor defense. — John
Justin Henderson, Louisiana Tech
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 9%
Louisiana Tech’s offense is annoyingly inconsistent this season with J’Mar Smith utilizing every receiver on the roster in the passing game while also making Adrian Hardy fantasy irrelevant. The ground game bounced between Jaquis Dancy and Israel Tucker for several weeks, but finally, Justin Henderson established himself as the sole option in the backfield.
Henderson took off for 141 yards and three scores against FIU and followed that up with 64 yards and a score against Rice. It’s also worth noting that he caught four passes for 27 yards in the same game. Henderson is the established No. 1 in the Bulldog backfield and faces off against one of the worse run defenses in college football in UMass (No. 122) after a bye week. — Justin
Kevin Marks, Buffalo
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 13%
Buffalo went from a pass-centered offense in 2018 to an incredibly strong ground game in 2019. Many CFF Experts were looking in the direction of Jaret Patterson and rightfully so given he has 546 yards and four scores across a five-game period. But Kevin Marks has also been productive out of this backfield.
Marks has 420 yards and two touchdowns for an average of 11 fantasy points per game. His production saw an uptick after the Penn State loss, and he’s since averaged 93 yards and 15 fantasy points per game. He’s also caught six passes which is two more than Jaret Patterson. — Justin
Tony Jones, Notre Dame
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 14%
An afterthought on CFF rosters during the summer, Tony Jones, Jr. replaced Jafar Armstrong in the backfield in the opening game of the season against Louisville: He surpassed the century mark with 110 rushing yards on only 15 carries and crossed the finish line.
In the next two contests against New Mexico and Georgia, Jones did not even total over 50 rushing yards and appeared unlikely to make an impact on CFF rosters despite the opportunity as the starter for the Fighting Irish. A senior, his entire career took an unlikely turn on Saturday, scoring three touchdowns and scampering for 131 yards on 18 carries against Virginia.
Recent reports do not indicate a return any time soon for Armstrong, and Jones will likely remain the starter for a couple of games at least. Notre Dame hosts Bowling Green and the holes will be huge for Jones to ramble through. If you need backfield assistant, the Notre Dame ball carrier can provide a much-needed boost in Week 6. — John
Twitterverse on Fire!
At running back, identify the player who has been the most disappointing and/or frustrating this season:
- Joshua Kelly, UCLA: 40%
- D’Andre Swift, Georgia: 35%
- Michael Warren II, Cincinnati: 16%
- Other: 9%
John’s Vote: D’Andre Swift
“Salvon Ahmed: As steady as the Washington running backs have been over the years, Ahmed is certainly ‘not that.’” @aceholesrule
“Travis Etienne, Clemson isn’t getting enough carries, and QB Trevor Lawrence is stealing the touchdowns inside the 5-yard line.” @DFS_CFBGuru
“Etienne hasn’t received over 20 carries in a game, and with all of the blowouts, hasn’t played a full game often. His blocking for Trevor Lawrence has been subpar, and he’s fumbling too much.” @shane_whited
“Shocked D’Andre Swift is popular choice. Georgia isn’t exactly a hub for fantasy producers, and he disappointed last year. Curious as to why people thought it would be any different this year. They’ve got a lot of 5-star mouths to feed.” @brentonbender7
“C.J. Verdell, Oregon has been just okay at 4.3 ypc, 58 yards per game, and just 2 touchdowns in 4 games. Didn’t need him much against two non-conference cupcakes, but got heavy usage against Auburn and Stanford. Holding out hope that they lean on him more in PAC-12 play.” @CavenderCorey
“Juwan Washington, San Diego State: Still hope he turns it around though…” @j_drab
Wide Receivers
Whop Philyor, Indiana
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 1%
In many leagues, I picked up Nick Westbrook just in time for him to disappear off the face of the Earth. Since then, I hadn’t paid much attention to Indiana’s offense until I saw a guy by the name of Whop Philyor absolutely dominate a strong Michigan State defense.
Whop caught 14 passes for 142 yards and two scores in a 40-point fantasy breakout. It also bodes well for him that Michael Penix Jr., who returned from injury, favors him as the clear starter for the Hoosiers. I’m intrigued by Whop heading after a strong two-game stretch. Just don’t ask John how to pronounce this guy’s name. — Justin
Kaylon Geiger, Troy
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 7%
I plucked QB Kaleb Barker off the waiver wire two weeks ago and have started him in many leagues. Of course, I have been watching his pass catchers very closely, and WR Kaylor Geiger keeps popping up in the box scores, but more importantly, excels on the gridiron.
A JUCO transfer from Navarro College, he led the nation in receptions with 70 and ranked second in receiving yards with 954 in 2018. He also scored five times and averaged 13.6 yards per catch last year.
At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Geiger has become one of the best receivers in the Sun Belt Conference this year. He has exceeded 100 receiving yards in three games and posted over 13 fantasy points in each outing. For the season, the junior has caught 26 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He is the No. 39 most productive receiver in college fantasy football and should not be ignored any longer. It is time that the CFF industry begins promoting the Trojans’ rising star and owners place him on their rosters. — John
Aston Walter, Rice
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 2%
Every once in awhile, a player qualifies at two positions in college fantasy football: Currently, Aston Walter is listed as both a running back and receiver on Fantrax. It is not usually a winning strategy to place Rice performers on CFF rosters, but Walter might be the exception to the rule. The flexibility at two key positions provides managers nice options when making starting lineups.
In the spring, the Owls’ starting halfback gained an extra year of eligibility as a medical hardship, and he is taking advantage of the additional season. Rice relies on the senior to move the chains, grossing 42% of the team’s attempts. He has gained a career-best 293 rushing yards, snatched 6 passes for 28 yards and scored five times. Walter’s crusade mirrors a roller coaster ride. In five games, he has grossed over 20 fantasy points twice but less than 10 in the other three games.
In the next two weeks, Rice travels to C-USA foes UAB Blazers and UTSA Roadrunners, and Walter can aid CFF owners in need of backfield assistance. — John
Jalen McCleskey, Tulsa
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 4%
This submission is a bit of a sore subject for me given how much I advocated for Jalen McCleskey all offseason just for him to catch four passes across three games. But he showed just what he could do with six targets this past week in a thriller against Houston in which Justin McMillan won the game on a fake kneel.
McCleskey caught four of his six targets for 120 yards and a pair of scores against Houston. The American Athletic Conference doesn’t get very difficult to score against, and I’m convinced that McCleskey is now fully integrated into the offense and is ready to take over. Tulane takes on Army in what should be a bit of a strange matchup for Tulane but a game against UConn in two weeks is just what the doctor ordered. — Justin
Twitterverse on Fire!
At wide receiver, who are you willing to prioritize on the waiver wire or spend the most FAB on this week:
- Seth Williams, Auburn: 31%
- Devonta Smith, Alabama: 60%
- Quartney Davis, Texas A&M: 5%
- Other: 3%
John’s Vote: Quartney Davis
“Seth Williams, Auburn looked like they guy we’ve been waiting on.” @CffNation
“Laviska Shenault, Jr., Colorado is the easy choice.” @advice_bros
Honorable Mention CFF Gemstones
- QB Michael Penix, Indiana
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 5% - RB Kevin Mensah, UConn
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 13% - RB Emmanuel Esukpa, BYU
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 3% - RB Patrick Carr, Houston
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 4% - WR Tre Walker, San Jose State
Fantrax Ownerships Percentage: 23%
The CFF All-Americans: Week 5
- QB: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama: 51 points
- QB: Sean Clifford, Penn State: 42.3 points
- RB: Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State: 37.3 points
- RB: Patrick Carr, Houston: 36.8 points
- WR: Devonta Smith, Alabama: 62.9 points
- WR: CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma: 40 points
- TE: Noah Gray, Duke: 20 points
- FLEX: Whop Philyor, Indiana: 33.8 points
Got some more names for the Week 5 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire? Let John and Justin hear about it in the comments below.
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Jalen McCleskey, Tulsa. He’s a wr at Tulane.