Week 12 Notes & Observations

If you are still in contention to place in your CFF league, congratulations on making it this far, and good luck this week.  

I will most likely be organizing several Bowl Season Fantasy Leagues, so be on the lookout for an announcement sometime in the next week.  I will organize money leagues first, and those leagues will likely be $25/$50/$100 8-team leagues.  I will likely announce the details on an upcoming podcast.  

Also, we will once again publish a Bowl Season Fantasy Guide, which will include theCFFsite’s Bowl Season Fantasy Rankings, Picks against the Spread, Confidence Pool picks, and more.

Here are my Week 12 Notes & Observations:

Power 5 Notes

• North Carolina QB Sam Howell has thrown at least 3 TD passes in fiver of the last seven games.  WR Dazz Newsom has 100-plus yards receiving in three of the last four games.
• Florida State RB Cam Akers did not play against Alabama State on Saturday due to an undisclosed injury, a move that was likely more precautionary, and I expect Akers to return next week.  However, his absence certainly crushed a lot of fantasy owners, who were hoping for a big week.    
• Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor topped the 200-yard mark for the third time this season and has six multiple-TD games.
• Oklahoma State WR Dillon Stoner has caught 2 TD passes in back-to-back games since taking over as the Cowboys’ No. 1 receiver after Tylan Wallace’s injury.  RB Chuba Hubbard has scored at least 2 rushing TDs in a game seven times this season.
• I thought Drake Anderson would be Northwestern’s top back against UMass, but it was true freshman Evan Hull, who carried the ball 24 times for 220 yards and 4 TDs in the Wildcats’ 45-6 win.
• Indiana WR Whop Philyor left Saturday’s game at Penn State after taking a hit to the head.
• Penn State RB Journey Brown has rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games.  He has carried the ball 35 times in the last two weeks.
• Now that Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa is out for the year with a hip injury, there will be fantasy owners flocking to the waiver wire to acquire Mac Jones for next week’s matchup against Western Carolina.  RB Najee Harris has accounted for at least 2 TDs in four consecutive games.
• Texas Tech WR Dalton Rigdon has topped the 70-yard mark and caught a TD pass in three consecutive games. 
• Notre Dame QB Ian Book has been hit-or-miss, throwing at least 4 TD passes four times this season and has thrown 9 TD passes in the last two games.  WR Chase Claypool has topped the 90-yard receiving mark in each of the last three games and has gone over the 100-yard mark twice in the past three weeks.
• I knew that Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman would struggle without two of his top three receivers at Clemson, but his 41 passing yards likely cost fantasy owners that took the risk of starting him.  
• After failing to score in the first two games of the year, Clemson RB Travis Etienne has scored in eight straight games and has rushed for 100 yards in each of his last six games.  WR Tee Higgins has an October to forget, but he has at least 60 yards receiving and a TD in each of his last three games.  QB Trevor Lawrence has thrown at least 3 TD passes in six straight games.
• Texas WR Devin Duvernay has caught at least 8 passes in five straight games and in eight of ten games this season.  RB Keaontay Ingram has scored a TD in four straight games
• Iowa State RB Breece Hall has rushed for 100 yards in four of the last five games and TE Charlie Kolar has caught a TD pass in six of the last seven games. 
• Jarret Doege got the start at quarterback for West Virginia at Kansas State and led the Mountaineers to a 24-20 win, completing 20-of-30 passes for 234 yards and 3 TDs.  West Virginia hosts Oklahoma State next week. 
• Lynn Bowden started his fourth straight game at quarterback, and with Kentucky one win away from being bowl eligible, I doubt they make a switch back to Sawyer Smith, who played in the fourth quarter against Vanderbilt.  RB Kavosiey Smnoke has scored in three straight games and RB Christopher Rodriguez topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time this season.  Rodriguez has rushed for at least 80 yards in two straight games and could be a sneaky addition for next week’s matchup against Tennessee-Martin.
• Minnesota WR Tyler Johnson went over the 100-yard receiving mark for the fourth time in the last five games and has scored in four straight games, and in seven of the last eight.
• Washington State WR Brandon Arconado has topped the 100-yard mark and scored a TD in four straight games.  QB Anthony Gordon has passed for at least 400 yards in eight of ten games this year.
• Stanford WR Simi Fehoko has topped the 90-yard receiving mark and caught a TD pass in three straight games.
• Texas Tech WR Dalton Rigdon has at least 75 yards receiving and a TD in three straight games. 
• LSU QB Joe Burrow has thrown 5 TD passes in a game four times this season.
• Louisville WR Chatarius Atwell has topped the 100-yard receiving mark and caught a TD pass in three straight games.  
• Arizona State QB Jayden Daniels has thrown 3 TD passes in three of the last four games in which he has played.
• Over the last two games, Oregon State RB Artavis Pierce has carried the ball 24 times and Jermar Jefferson has 23 carries.
• Saturday’s game at Baylor was just the second game this season Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts has failed to score on the ground, but he still threw 4 TD passes and rushed for 114 yards.  RB Kennedy Brooks has topped the 70-yard rushing mark in four of his last five games.  WR CeeDee Lamb went through warmups with the team and suited up, but was eventually ruled out and di not play against Baylor
• Baylor WR Denzel Mims has caught a TD pass in three consecutive games and has four multiple-TD games this season.  QB Charlie Brewer has thrown 2 TD passes in three straight games and has scored at least one rushing TD in four of the last five games.
• South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards did not play against Texas A&M due to an injury.  The Gamecocks only have four wins with one game remaining, so it would not surprise me if he does not play in the season finale against Clemson.  
• Utah RB Zack Moss has scored 2 TDs in five straight games and has totaled over 140 yards of offense in four straight games.
• Arizona RB JJ Taylor has caught at least 5 passes in each of the last four games.  
• Oregon WR Juwan Johnson followed up his 7-106-3 game against USC by catching 5 passes for 93 yards and a TD in the Ducks’ win over Arizona.  Unfortunately, the Oregon backfield is very avoidable right now.
• USC QB Kedon Slovis has thrown at least three TD passes in each of his last four games, and he has thrown 4 TD passes in three of the last four.  WR Michael Pittman has topped the 140-yard receiving mark in three of the last four games.  Drake London filled in for an injury Tyler Vaughns and finished as the Trojans’ second-leading receiver.  RB Stephen Carr retuned and split carries with Kenan Christon.  

Group 5 Notes

• Miami (OH) RB Jaylon Bester has rushed for a touchdown in six consecutive games and has scored two TDs in three of the last four games.  
• Northern Illinois RB Tre Harbison has carried the ball at least 25 times in three of the last four games.  
• An ankle injury limited Toledo RB Bryant Koback to just two carries against Northern Illinois and Shakif Seymour led the Rockets in rushing, carrying the ball 19 times for 133 yards.
• Buffalo RB Jaret Patterson has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of his last three games and has rushed for at least 130 yards in five of the last seven.
• Louisiana Tech QB J’mar Smith and WR Adrian Hardy are each serving two-game suspensions.  The Bulldogs’ backup QB Aaron Allen left Friday;’s game at Marshall with a hand injury.  RB Justin Henderson has now scored a TD in seven straight games.  
• Marshall Brenden Knox has topped the 100-yard rushing mark in four of the last five games.  WR Obi Obialo made his season debut against Louisiana Tech on Friday night and caught 8 passes for 146 yards.  Obialo was our highest rated Marshall receiver in the preseason and I’m hopeful he can add a slight boost to your WR corpse over the final two weeks.
• Fresno State RB Ronnie Rivers has now scored in six consecutive games, but that tough San Diego State run defense limited him to only 47 yards on the ground.  Going into the game against the Aztecs, Rivers had topped the 100-yard rushing mark in three consecutive games.  
• San Diego State RB Juwan Washington did not play in Friday night’s game against Fresno State, which put an exclamation mark on the type of fantasy season he has had in 2019.
• Temple WR Jadan Blue has posted consecutive 100-yard receiving games and has 23 receptions in the last two games.  
• Just as I predicted a couple of weeks back, Coastal Carolina RB CJ Marable got back on track against Arkansas State, carrying the ball 28 times for 142 yards and a TD.  The Chanticleers play LA Monroe and Texas State the next two weeks.  
• LA Monroe QB Caleb Evans has accounted for at least 3 TDs in three consecutive games.
• Georgia Southern RB Wesley Kennedy has scored in all six games in which he played this season and QB Shai Werts has accounted for 3 TDs in three consecutive games.
• Troy QB Kaleb Barker has thrown 3 TD passes in each of his last three games, but he really was a difference-maker this weekend, throwing 6 TD passes in the Trojans’ 63-27 win at Texas State.
• Central Michigan RB Jonathan Ward has rushed for 100 yards seven times this season and has scored in six straight games.
• Ball State RB Caleb Huntley has rushed for 100 yards in five of his last six games.  
• Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell failed to score a TD for the first time since Week 1.  Teammate Patrick Taylor made his return to the field and carried the ball five times for 14 yards.  
• I’m not sure how anyone can feel safe starting a Hawaii QB the rest of the way.  After two early INTs, starter Chevan Cordeiro was replaced by Cole McDonald, who accounted for 2 TDs in a win at UNLV.  RB Miles Reed has topped the 90-yard rushing mark in three of the last four games.  
• Wyoming RB Xazavian Valladay has carried the ball at least 25 times and run for at least 100 yards in each of the last four games.  TE Josh Harshman has caught six passes in each of the past two games and could be a nice addition if you want a sleeper TE in the last two weeks.
• Utah State WR Siaosi Mariner has caught a TD pass in four straight games and the Aggies will likely need to air it out next week against Boise State.
• Rice RB Aston Walter returned to the lineup on Saturday against Middle Tennessee and rushed for 106 yards and a TD.  Walter has now topped the 100-yard rushing mark in each of the last four games in which he has started and finished. WR Brad Rozner has posted good numbers when the matchup has been somewhat factorable. He now has four 100-yard receiving games and could be a sleeper option in the last two weeks.
• Middle Tennessee QB Asher O’Hara has accounted for 3 TDs in three straight games and has scored at least one rushing TD in six straight games.
• Appalachian State RB Darrynton Evans topped the 100-yard rushing mark on Saturday for the first time in the Mountaineers’ last four games.  
• Georgia State Dan Ellington tried to play against Appalachian State with a torn ACL, but was pulled in the 3rd quarter once the Panthers fell behind by four scores.  Ellington did not have any mobility and I would not consider him a fantasy option since he cannot run.  
• Senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson got the start at quarterback for Boise State against New Mexico and threw for 292 yards and 3 TDs in a 42-9 win.  It remains too be seen if Henderson will start next week at Utah State