QUARTERBACKS
Chase Cord, QB-Boise State
Boise State starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier has taken more than his fair share of hits this season, and on Saturday night against Hawaii, he took one too many. Bachmeier was knocked out of the game after suffering a hip pointer, so with a bye following next week’s road trip to BYU, Bachmeier’s owners may want to swoop in on Cord if there are no other quality starters available on the waiver wire.
Next 3 weeks: at BYU, OFF, at San Jose State
Josh Love, QB-San Jose State
Quarterback Josh Love is a big reason why San Jose State has started 3-3 and making a run towards bowl eligibility. He has thrown two or more touchdown passes in four of six games and has topped the 400-yard passing mark in three of the last four games. Love may be a stash now-play later addition, as the schedule will have its challenges over the next three weeks, but having Hawaii, UNLV, and Fresno State on the backend makes him a sneaky play down the road.
Next 3 weeks: San Diego State, at Army, Boise State
RUNNING BACKS
Breece Hall, RB-Iowa State
Pegging Iowa State’s top fantasy receiver on a week-to-week basis has been a challenge, so why should be expect anything different with the Cyclones running backs seven weeks into the 2019 season? Well, head coach Matt Campbell’s track record with running backs, combined with Breece Hall’s ability, makes the freshman back our highest priority on this week’s waiver wire. If you need an upgrade at running back, we suggest pushing your chips into the middle of the table with this one. In Saturday’s win at West Virginia, Hall carried the ball 26 times for 132 yards and three touchdowns.
Next 3 weeks: at Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, at Oklahoma
Noah Cain, RB-Penn State
Unlike Iowa State running back Breece Hall, we’ve been able to see the buildup for Cain coming since Week 1. In Saturday’s 17-12 win at Iowa, Cain carried the ball 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. The true freshman running back has scored in five of six games and has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. The only reservation we have about adding Cain is the Nittany Lions’ upcoming schedule.
Next 3 weeks: Michigan, at Michigan State, OFF
Malcolm Davidson, RB-Florida Atlantic
There have been several players jockeying for position atop the FAU running back depth chart since the season began, but for the past two weeks, redshirt freshman Malcolm Davidson seems to be option No. 1. Coming out of the bye week, Davidson carried the ball 21 times for 149 yards and a touchdown in the Owls’ 28-13 win over Middle Tennessee.
Next 3 weeks: Marshall, at Old Dominion, at Western Kentucky
DeAndre Torrey, RB-North Texas
North Texas starting running back Tre Siggers left Saturday’s game at Southern Miss with an ankle injury. In his absence, DeAndre Torrey, the team’s best fantasy back in 2018, carried the ball a team-high 13 times for 61 yards. Until we learn more about Siggers’ injury, fantasy owners may want to go in for Torrey if they want a piece of the North Texas running game.
Next 3 weeks: at UTSA, Old Dominion, OFF
Tyler Goodson, RB-Iowa
We might be jumping the gun on this one, but owners in keeper league with their eyes on 2020 may want a piece of Goodson. The true freshman led the Hawkeyes in rushing in Saturday’s 17-12 loss to Penn State, but what was even more significant was the fact that Goodson played in his fifth game of the season, meaning he is no longer eligible to redshirt. As a result, we expect Goodson’s utilization rate to increase as the season progresses.
Next 3 weeks: Purdue, Northwestern, OFF
Justin Henderson, RB-Louisiana Tech
Shame on us for not getting Henderson’s name on one of our Waiver Wire pieces earlier. The 5-foot-10 and 218 pound junior running back has rushed for at least 130 yards in two of the past three games and has scored at least one touchdown in four of the Bulldogs’ last five games. In Saturday’s win over UMass, Henderson totaled 168 yards of offense and scored four touchdowns.
Next 3 weeks: Southern Miss, at UTEP, OFF
Markese Stepp, RB-USC
Starting running back Vavae Malepeai is out indefinitely with a knee injury, so expect Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp to get most of the work in the Trojans’ backfield in the coming weeks. In Saturday’s 30-27 loss at Notre Dame, Stepp led the team in rushing with 82 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. The desire to acquire Stepp will likely be greater in Power 5-only formats, and at 6-foot and 230 pounds, the redshirt freshman should assume most of the short yardage and goal line work.
Next 3 weeks: Arizona, at Colorado, Oregon
De’Michael Harris, RB-USM
We ignored De’Michael Harris after he totaled 84 yards of offense in USM’s Week 3 loss at Alabama. We slept in Harris again after he totaled 142 yards of offense and scored two touchdowns in a Week 4 win over UTEP. After totaling 182 yards of offense and scoring three touchdowns in the Golden Eagles 45-27 win over North Texas on Saturday, we’re convinced Harris is around for the long haul.
Next 3 weeks: at LA Tech, at Rice, OFF
RECEIVERS
Austin Watkins, WR-UAB
Austin Watkins leads all UAB receivers in receptions, yards, and is tied for the team lead with five touchdowns. In Saturday’s 33-14 win over UTSA, Watkins posted his first 100-yard receiving game of the season. He has now topped the 90-yard mark in three of the past five games and has caught a touchdown pass in five of the last six games.
Next 3 weeks: Old Dominion, OFF, at Tennessee
David Bell, WR-Purdue
Anyone that was paying attention to us in the preseason knows that we were high on freshman receiver David Bell. Bell has been the Boilermakers’ top receiver since Rondale Moore was lost to an injury, and in Saturday’s win over Maryland, he hauled in nine passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Bell has topped the 80-yard mark three times this season and has posted two 100-yard receiving games in the last three weeks.
Next 3 weeks: at Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska
Josh Imatorbhebhe, WR-Illinois
Josh Imatorbhebhe’s yardage totals do not jump off the page, but his ability to find the end zone consistently is what makes him attractive. The 6-foot-2 and 215-pound receiver has caught at least four passes in four of the past five games, has caught a touchdown pass in four of the past five games, and has caught half of the Illini’s passing touchdowns in 2019 (5-of-10).
Next 3 weeks: Wisconsin, at Purdue, Rutgers
DEFENSE/ST
Wyoming vs New Mexico
Minnesota at Rutgers
UAB v Old Dominion
Western Kentucky v Charlotte