Snatch ‘Em Up Now
If they weren’t already drafted in your league, these guys will be hot commodities on the wire this week.
Quarterbacks:
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami – Another monster outing for TVD with 389 yards and three touchdowns, scoring 36 fantasy points in the win over Georgia Tech. That’s three-straight with at least 30 fantasy points, and gets a matchup with Florida State next week who is allowing 29.9 FPPG to opposing QBs this season.
Running Backs:
Tavion Thomas, Utah – Since Thomas is still under the 30 percent threshold, and was heavily-added last week, we’ll include him one last time on this report. Back-to-back 40-point performances and 12 rushing touchdowns in the last five games. Could be a league winner at this point.
Jeyvon Ducker, NIU –Ducker on here as he saw another heavy workload with 100 yards on 19 carries and two rushing TDs against Kent State – his third-straight game topping 18 fantasy points – and is still sitting at just nine percent ownership. Harrison Waylee still nowhere to be found on the depth chart, and Antario Brown didn’t have a single carry. Barring we hear otherwise, I think this is Ducker’s backfield for the rest of the season.
Dylan McDuffie, Buffalo – Kevin Marks was not in uniform on Saturday as he “didn’t feel up to speed” this week according to coaches. Once he is, I’m not sure he gets his job back as McDuffie now has 100 yards rushing in three straight games with five touchdowns in the last four weeks. Conflicted to put him here at 28 percent ownership and Marks potentially returning, but I think this is McDuffie’s job moving forward as he was the more effective rusher of the two even when Marks was healthy.
Shamari Brooks, Tulsa – Not sure where Deneric Prince was against Cincinnati, but it was Brooks who led the way with 132 yards and a TD on 25 carries. Why do we consider Brooks a must-add this week if available? The No. 9 and No. 11 rush defenses in the AAC in the next two games with Tulane and Temple upcoming.
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin – Nothing more to be said here that we haven’t already over the last few weeks, yet still owned in just 19 percent of leagues. Now with Chez Mellusi banged up (unsure of his status), Allen could see even more carries than the 16 attempts he’s been averaging over the last five weeks. Five-straight games of over 100 yards rushing now.
Wide Receivers:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State – Head coach Ryan Day said that Garrett Wilson is considered day-to-day so there is a very real possibility he’s back in the lineup next week against Purdue. But as JSN proved on Saturday with 15 receptions for 240 yards and a TD, there is no need for the Buckeyes to rush Wilson back if he’s not ready. Even if Wilson does return, it’s truly become a Big 3 at receiver as Smith-Njigba has been targeted at least six times over the last six weeks.
Gary Bryant Jr., USC – Neither Bryant nor Tahj Washington found the end-zone on Saturday but we might’ve gotten the answer as to how the offense will look without Drake London in the lineup. Results weren’t great overall, scoring just 16 points, but duo at receiver combined for 27 of the 41 total targets on Saturday. If that keeps up the remainder of the season, these two should have productive stat-lines to close out the year – hopefully with Jaxson Dart at QB.
Worth A Look
If you have the roster room, these prospects are worth a look.
Quarterbacks:
Dequan Finn, Toledo – Season-high 36 fantasy points for Finn against Eastern Michigan, and surprisingly didn’t do anything with his legs as he threw for 461 yards and three scores. Now five-straight games with at least 20 fantasy points scored. Next week does look appealing against Bowling Green but I do throw out some caution here. Toledo is still one of the top defenses in the MAC and I don’t see BG scoring a ton of points in this matchup. Will definitely be a lower-volume passing game for Finn compared to last week.
Chandler Morris, TCU – Max Duggan enters the transfer portal in 3, 2, 1…The former 4-star recruit and Oklahoma transfer started in place of the injured Duggan and probably doesn’t give the job back the rest of the year after putting up 500+ total yards of offense and three touchdowns in the upset of Baylor. Probably aren’t starting Morris in two of the final three games against Oklahoma State next week and Iowa State to close the year, but we were hesitant this week and look what he did.
Running Backs:
Dominique Johnson, Arkansas – Arkansas beat writers are even calling for Dominique Johnson to become the team’s RB1 moving forward as he’s averaged over nine yards a carry during the last three weeks, and had a season-high 107 rushing yards with two scores vs. a typically dominant Mississippi State front. Gets the seventh-ranked rush defense in the SEC next week in LSU.
Carson Steele, Ball State – The man looks like, and played like the Marvel character Thor last week with 154 yards rushing on 27 carries with a receiving touchdown in the win over Akron. No other Ball State running back had more than two carries on the night. Next up for Steele – a matchup with NIU who is allowing over six yards a carry in the last four games and a MAC-worst 25 rushing TDs.
Andrew Henry, Louisiana-Monroe – I will be starting Henry this week in the NBC Sports Edge 50-team classic against the CFF Industry Infuencer, Mr. Andrew Katz, as ULM takes on the 130th ranked rush defense in the country in Arkansas State on Saturday. 15 or more carries in each of the last four games with a rushing touchdown in three.
Ellis Merriweather, UMass – I can’t advocate any UMass player as a must-add or must-start, but it’s pretty close with Ellis Merriweather next week with a matchup against Maine. The Minutemen fell to Rhode Island on Saturday, but it was of no fault of the team’s RB1 who rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown. Now three 100-yard performances in the last four games, averaging 26 attempts over that span.
Blake Watson, Old Dominion – Watson’s recent run makes you question why he didn’t see more carries earlier in the year. Four straight games of 20+ attempts with over 100 yards in all four weeks. Will be Watson’s toughest matchup of late this week against a Florida Atlantic run defense that is limiting opponents to under four yards a carry in five consecutive weeks.
Wide Receivers:
Trayvon Rudolph, NIU – A receiver with 306 yards and three touchdowns on 21 targets has to be a must-add right, Mike? Trayvon Rudolph is definitely worth an add here, but we have a few things to sort out. 1) What’s the health status of Tyrice Richie who left the game on a cart with a foot injury. 2) What’s the health status of Rocky Lombardi who also left the contest due to injury? Seems like both were in good spirits following the game, but we’ll need to check in on their status for next week when debating how much a priority we place on adding Rudolph. For dynasty purposes, I’d lock in Rudolph now with Richie being a senior.
Jermaine Burton, Georgia – Breaking a rule here with Jermaine Burton sitting at 40 percent ownership, but likely available in many leagues as he’s been injured for much of the year. No longer, as he led the Dawgs with 76 yards receiving and a touchdown against Missouri. This Georgia offense will be getting tuned up the final few weeks in preparation for the playoff, and Burton could be a big part of that as the team’s WR1.
Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech – Doesn’t matter who is under center lately, Smoke Harris continues to produce with 67 fantasy points total in the last three games. 22 receptions on 29 targets in that span and at least seven targets in each of the last seven games.
Keyshawn Smith, Miami – It was a Charleston Rambo day vs. Georgia Tech, but Smith topped double-digit fantasy points for the third time in four weeks with three receptions and a touchdown on six targets. Streaming option at receiver this week if needed as Miami is likely to have an implied total of over 30 against Florida State next Saturday.
Longshots
Need to see more from these guys before pulling the trigger, unless you are in the deepest of leagues.
Quarterbacks:
Ben Bryant, Eastern Michigan – Let’s be honest, we’re at the point in the season when a lot of MAC players will assist you in your lineups so I’m trying to be somewhat selective here. Bryant is now second in the conference, averaging 243 YPG and six passing TDs in the last three games. Facing Ohio this week who is allowing over 22 FPPG to opposing QBs this season and just gave up nearly 500 yards passing to Miami (Ohio).
Aidan O’Connell, Purdue – Was there any doubt Purdue was beating Michigan State this week? That’s what the Boilermakers do as an unranked underdog at home facing Top 5 teams. O’Connell had a monster day with 536 passing yards and three touchdowns, but came against the worst pass defense in the Big Ten. Ohio State is only 10th against the pass in the Big Ten but have improved drastically since the early portion of the year when there was a staff shakeup. Volume will be there for O’Connell who will likely throw it 40+ times again.
Running Backs:
Marcus Williams Jr., Louisiana Tech – If you need a filler for a week that’s guaranteed at least 10 points this week, I’d suggest Williams who has found the end-zone in the last two games, and had 81 yards rushing against UAB on Saturday. Great matchup next week against a Charlotte run defense that is 116th in the country.
Tyjae Spears, Tulane – Spears looks to have re-taken the top spot in the Tulane backfield with double-digit carries in the last three games and a touchdown in the last four.
Wide Receivers:
Mac Hippenhammer, Miami (Ohio) – Monster day for the entire RedHawks passing game against Ohio, including the former Penn State transfer who posted seven receptions with two touchdowns on nine targets. Two things working in Hippenhammer’s favor: (1) Miami-Ohio can’t run the football at all, and (2) the duo of Hippenhammer and Jack Sorenson combine for over 40 percent of the team target share so he’s getting consistent looks in the passing game.
Antoine Green, North Carolina – Maybe should be higher on this list, but Green hasn’t done a ton with his starting opportunities to this point in the season so I’m cautiously optimistic here. Green posted 6-83-1 on eight targets against Wake Forest and is now the clear-cut No. 2 option with Emery Simmons in the transfer portal.
Jake Bailey, Rice – Back to back performances with 143 yards receiving with 17 receptions on 25 targets.
Dynasty:
Rara Thomas, Mississippi State – The true freshman now has four receiving touchdowns in the last three weeks and looks to have surpassed Malik Heath on the current depth chart, seeing a season-high in snaps against Arkansas.
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