Week 4 Notes & Observations

I just wanted to confirm that we will be including all players from Big Ten, MWC, and PAC-12 into the player rankings and projections when their season begins.  However, there will not be any addition preseason content created for those schools/players.

G5 Notes

• UAB:  WR Austin Watkins had his first big game of the season, catching 7 passes for 183 yards and TD. He has now scored in back-to-back games.  RB Spencer continued his hot start by running for 3 TDs in the Blazers’ 42-10 win at South Alabama
• South Alabama:  In PPR formats, WR Jalen Tolbert has totaled at least 14 fantasy points in each of the Jaguars’ first three games, while RB Carlos Davis has carried the ball at least 15 times for 80 yards in each of the first three.
• Middle Tennessee:  Quarterback Asher O’Hara showed improvement as a passer in Friday’s 37-35 loss at UTSA, but I am worried about his fantasy potential as a runner, which is what made him so productive last year.  O’Hara only has 124 rushing yards on 45 carries (2.8 avg).  Last year, he averaged 5.3 yards per attempt. 
• UTSA: WR Zakhari Franklin made his return to the field Friday night and finished with 6 receptions for 119 yards and a TD in the Roadrunners’ 37-35 win over MTSU.
• Georgia Southern: RB Wesley Kennedy III totaled 134 yards in his first game back (29 rush, 105 rec.), but it was JD King that powered the running game, carrying the ball 24 times for 100 yards and a TD.
• Central Florida:  QB Dillon Gabriel has thrown at least 4 TD passes in each of the Knights’ first two games of 2020.  WR Tre Nixon did not play, but the passing game didn’t miss him against ECU.  Jaylon Robinson (12-9-150-2), Marlon Williams (18-13-136), and Jacob Harris (10-5-69-1) were all targeted at least ten times each.
• East Carolina:  Add WR Audie Omotosho to your watchlist, as he, CJ Johnson, and Tyler Snead were the only players to be targeted by QB Holton Ahlers at least five times against Central Florida.
• Appalachian State:  In a game in which the Mountaineers were without RBs Marcus Williams Jr. and Camerun Peoples, Daetrich Harrington carried the ball 32 times for 211 yards and 4 TDs.  That performance might be a one-off, as I expect to see a lot of rotation in the backfield once Williams and Peoples return.  However, I would not be surprised to see Harrington at the top of the depth chart this week.
• Liberty:  The biggest news coming out of the Flames’ 36-34 win over FIU is the injury to QB Malik Willis.  Willis’ left arm was in a sling, and I am sure we’ll get an update later this week, but I wouldn’t plan on having him for the upcoming game against North Alabama. 
• Florida International: WR JJ Holloman only caught two passes for 25 yards against Liberty, but he was targeted eight times.  No other Panthers receiver was targeted more than three times.
• Tulane:  RB Cameron Carroll has scored at least 2 TDs in each of the Green Wave’s first three games.  Against Southern Miss, he led the team with 163 rushing yards on 15 carries.  True freshman Michael Pratt replaced starter Keon Howard at quarterback and led the team to a 66-24 win.  Pratt completed 8-of-18 passes for 142 yards and 2 TDs, and added 40 yards and a score on the ground.  RB Tyjae Spears left with an injury and did not return.  Tulane plays Houston next, but they have a bye this weekend.
• Southern Miss: WR Tim Jones was dressed out, but did not play against Tulane.  Earlier in the week, it was reported that he had a lower-leg injury that he could probably play through, but that did not happen.   
• Cincinnati: The Bearcats’ running game has gotten off to a slow start in 2020, but RB Gerrid Doaks has excelled catching the ball out of the backfield, totaling five receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns. 
• LA Monroe: Go back and listen to some of the shows I recorded in the off season, and you will hear me voice my concern about RB Josh Johnson and the ULM running game.  Johnson only had 19 rushing yards on nine carries at UTEP, so I would probably be at the end of my rope if I had him on my roster.
• SMU:  I was both surprised and disappointed that the Mustangs scored 50 points and not one player had more than 38 yards receiving.  Roberson, Rice, and Gray were all projected Top 20 receivers going into the game.
• Louisiana Tech:  My hope is that some teams that need to make up games give Houston Baptist a call.  They give up points for fun, as we saw again Saturday night, when QB Luke Anthony tossed five TD passes in the Bulldogs’ 66-38 win.   Anthony has now thrown eight TD passes in the past two games.

P5 Notes

• Pitt: WR Taysir Mack played in his first game of the 2020 season and caught 3 passes for 62 yards and a TD against Louisville.  Freshman WR Jordan Addison caught seven passes for a third consecutive game. 
• Louisville:  RB Javian Hawkins has scored in each of the Cardinls’ first three games of 2020.  QB Micale Cunningham suffered an injury near the end of the game and had to be helped off the field.  I’m sure an update is coming, but Louisville has a bye next week.
• Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets were again without RB Jordan Mason, but freshman Jahmyr Gibbs topped the 100-yard rushing mark against Syracuse.
• Syracuse:  Quarterback Tommy DeVito’s fantasy numbers were better this week, but he still only completed 54% of his passes.  RB Sean Tucker was the standout player for the Orange against Pitt, as he carried the ball 24 times for 112 yards and 2 TDs. 
• Kansas State:  QB Skylar Thompson and RB Deuce Vaughn sparked the Wildcats’ 38-35 comeback win at Oklahoma.  Thompson threw for 344 yards and accounted for 4 TDs (pass, 3 rush), while Vaughn totaled 174 yards (45 rush, 129 rec.).
• Oklahoma: Quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 30-of-41 passes for 387 yards and 4 TDs, but he threw 3 INTs and looked a little unsettled with the game on the line.  However, I’m not here to criticize Rattler’s intangibles, though.  We care about his fantasy potential and I wouldn’t be disappointed in his final stat line.  Seth McGowan was the Sooners’ most productive back, and while nine different players caught a pass, Rambo, Mims, Wease, and Stogner were each targeted at least six times.   
• Kentucky:  As expected, the Wildcats rotated their running backs, but the standout in the passing game was WR Josh Ali, who was targeted 13 times and caught nine passes for 98 yards against Auburn.
• Auburn:  The Tigers rotated their backs against Kentucky, as three different players (Shavers, Williams, and Bigsby) carried the ball at least six times.  Seth Williams was targeted 12 times in the passing game and finished with six receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Florida:  Dameon Pierce took the first carry for the Gators against Ole Miss, but I’m expecting a 50/50 split between he and Malik Davis for at least the first couple of weeks.  QB Kyle Trask got off to a fast start, throwing for 416 yards and 6 TDs in the Gators’ 51-35 win at Ole Miss.  TE Kyle Pitts was on the end of four of those six TD passes, hauling in eight balls for 170 yards.
• Ole Miss:  If there were any questions about Matt Corral’s ability to lead the Rebels’ offense, he answered the doubters against a solid Florida defense, completing 22-of-31 passes for 395 yards and 3 TDs, while also adding 50 yards rushing.  Jerrion Ealy seems to be the RB1, while WR Elijah Moore (12-10-227-0) and TE Kenny Yeboah (6-5-91-1) attracted the most targets in the passing game.   
• Iowa  State:  RB Breece Hall looked impressive against TCU, carrying the ball 18 times for 154 yards and 3 TDs, but QB Brock Purdy has only accounted for one TD in two games.  I can imagine many fantasy owners will be debating whether or not to start him against Oklahoma.
• TCU:  QB Max Duggan looked as if he barely missed any time in the preseason, completing 16-of-20 passes for 241 yards and 3 TDs, all in the second half, in a 37-34 loss to Iowa State.  Freshman RB Zachary Evans did not get a carry in the game and I do not have an update about his playing status.  Transfer WR JD Spielman looks buried on the depth chart, while Taye Barber seems to be the Horned Frogs WR1.  Barber was targeted eight times and caught five passes for 82 yards and a TD.
• West Virginia:  WR TJ Simmons made his return from suspension and caught 4 passes for 82 yards against Oklahoma State.  It seems as if RB Leddie Brown will get a heavy workload this year, as he logged 26 carries against OSU for 104 yards. 
• Mississippi State:  RB Kylin Hill only had seven rushing attempts for 34 yards against LSU, but I don’t think his fantasy owners are unhappy after seeing his involvement in the passing game (8-158-1).  Besides Hill, the most targeted receivers were Osirus Mitchell (11-8-158-2), JaVonta Payton (11-6-122-0), and Austin Williams (9-7-57-1).
• LSU:  QB Myles Breenan did not handle pressure in the pocket well and missed some easy throws.  He will have to improve in both of those areas moving forward or he will some inconsistent performances.  The LSU running game might be a “stay away” for now, as there doesn’t seem to be a clear No.1.  WR Terrace Marshall was targeted ten times and caught eight passes for 122 yards and 2 TDs.  His numbers would have been even better had he not dropped two passes that went through his hands.  Freshman TE Arik Gilbert was targeted eight times and he’ll definitely be a red zone threat.
• Texas:  I am not sure if I missed a Tarik Black injury, but he did not catch a pass and was only targeted two times.  Joshua Moore shined again (5-73-3) and Brenden Schooler caught a TD pass for the second consecutive week.  Brennan Eagles caught a TD pass for the second straight game, but he only finished with three receptions for 31 yards, and only has four catches in two games.  
• Texas Tech:  After two games, it seems as if WRs Erik Ezukanma (7-91-1), TJ Vasher (4-74-2), and KeSean Carter (7-77-2) will all be fantasy options this year.
• Duke:  I thought QB Chase Brice would be a nice late-round P5 sleeper this year, but I might have whiffed on that one.  Brice has thrown six interceptions in the last two games. 
• Virginia:  QB Brennan Armstrong played well in the Cavaliers’ opener, totaling over 300 yards of offense and accounting for three TDs.  WR Billy Kemp IV was targeted 13 times and finished with seven receptions for 70 yards.  Lavel Davis Jr was targeted four times and caught four passes for 101 yards and 2 TDs.  Terrell Jana only caught four passes for 29 yards, but was targeted eight times, which was second most on the team.  RB Wayne Tualapapa ran for 95 yards and two TDS.  Tulapapa did not run for more than 77 yards in any of the 12 games in which he played last year. 
• Georgia:  Against Arkansas, Georgia’s defense looked like, well, Georgia’s defense.  However, they need Daniels to get cleared ASAP.  I’m not sure where all of the D’Wan Mathis hype originated, but he simply doesn’t look ready. 
• Arkansas:  I predicted a nice year for WR Treylon Burks, so it was nice to see him get off to a fast start (11-7-102-1) against one of the better defenses he will face in 2020. 
• Boston College:  One week after catching five passes for 162 yards against Duke, WR Zay Flowers only caught two passes for 20 yards against Texas State.  He did not have a catch until late in the fourth quarter.  TE Hunter Long seems to be QB Phil Jurkovec’s favorite target, as he locked onto the 6-foot-5 junior twelves times and connected nine times for 81 yards and a TD.  The BC running game was non-existent, as David Bailey finished with only 33 yards on the ground against a defense that was allowing 195 rushing yards per game going into the matchup. 
• Alabama:  Based on several emails I have gotten over the past few weeks, many of you were worried about Mac Jones being overtaken by Bryce Young.  I do not see that happening anytime soon, unless Jones has an absolute clunker.  RB Najee Harris seems to be in beast mode already. Even though he did not catch a TD pass, WR DeVonta Smith was targeted a team-high 13 times against Missouri.  I would be slightly concerned if I had John Metchie because the only player to get targeted more than twice, other than Smith and Waddle, was RB Brian Robinson. 
• Missouri:  Most of the fantasy attention will go to RB Larry Rountree and WRs Damon Hazelton and Jalen Knox, but RB Tyler Badie will be used in a variety of ways, and against Alabama, he was the team’s top fantasy performer due to his 54 yard TD reception.
• Kansas:  After watching Kansas get beat by Coastal Carolina two weeks ago, I was really concerned about RB Pooka Williams, but his 76-yard and 2-TD game against Baylor made those feelings go away.  I need to remember he plays in the Big XII. 
• Baylor:  There are probably a lot of you that scrolled down to Baylor just to see if I have any insights about WR Tyquan Thornton.  I do not. He played and was targeted twice, but I haven’t a clue about his lack of involvement against Kansas. 
• Florida State:  There are problems in Tallahassee and there doesn’t seem to be light at the end of the tunnel, which is bad news if you have WR Tamorrion Terry on your roster.  Terry did not catch a pass against Miami after being targeted 13 times in the Seminoles’ opener against Georgia Tech.  There is no way a player with his skills gets abandoned in the passing game.  He must either be dinged up or there are some things happening behind closed doors that we don’t know about.  Hopefully, we get a hint of news about Terry this week.  If I had RB Jashaun Corbin on my roster, I would be considering my options between him and the waiver wire. 
• Miami:  After three games, I do not think QB D’Eriq King has been the most valuable fantasy player on the team.  Right now, I’d prefer to have RB Cam’Ron Harris, who has scored five TDs and topped the 100-yard mark twice, or TE Brevin Jordan, who has caught a TD pass in each of the team’s first three games.
• Tennessee:  I know the Vols have only played one game, but I thought RB Eric Gray would move into a feature role.  Gray and Ty Chandler received a 50/50 split against South Carolina.  Keep in mind, some teams have already played two or three games and their depth charts have become settled.  That isn’t the case with SEC schools, as they have only played one game so far.
• South Carolina:  QB Collin Hill played better than I expected in the opener against Tennessee.  He completed 25-of-39 passes for 290 yards and a TD.  WR Shi Smith was targeted 15 times and caught 10 passes for 140 yards and a TD.  Knowing OC Bobo’s system, Smith is going to get a ton of targets this year.
• Texas A&M:  After the Aggies’ poor offensive showing at home against Vanderbilt, I have a concern about them, too.  However, I am trying to temper my analysis because we may see a lot of improvement from the SEC teams in their second week of action.
• NC State:  RB Ricky Person Jr. has opened the season with three rushing TDs in two games.
• Virginia Tech:  QB Hendon Hooker did not play against NC State, but should resume full workouts with the team this week.  It seems his absence might have been Covid related.