Week 5 Notes & Observations

G5 Notes

Louisiana Tech: I’m not ready to give up on RB Justin Henderson. BYU has beaten every opponent they have faced by at least 31 points. Next week’s game against UTEP might determine his fate on fantasy rosters moving into the second half of the season. WR Smoke Harris has caught a TD pass in two of three games this year.
Arkansas State: WR Jonathan Adams was targeted ten times against Coastal Carolina and caught 6 passes for 98 yards. He has caught at least six passes in each of the Red Wolves three games, but has yet to top the 100-yard mark. QBs Logan Bonner and Layne Hatcher split time again and my fear for fantasy owners is that will continue.
Coastal Carolina: Freshman QB Grayson McCall with another great fantasy game, accounting for 4 TDs and passing for 322 yards in the Chanticleers’ 52-23 win over Arkansas State. WR Jaivon Heiligh and TE Isaiah Likely have caught a TD pass in each of CCU’s first three games.
East Carolina: WR CJ Johnson was only targeted three times in the Pirates’ 49-29 loss at Georgia State. By comparison, teammates Blake Proehl and Tyler Snead were targeted a combined 30 times (Proehl-12, Snead-18). QB Holton Ahlers’ did not did not account for a single TD and threw 3 INTs.
Georgia State: RB Destin Coates has carried the ball 57 times in the Panthers’ first two games.
UTSA: RB Sincere McCormick was the Roadrunners’ offense against UAB, as he ran for 150 yards and a TD. The rest of the UTSA team totaled 140 yards of offense against the Blazers.
UAB: RB Spencer Brown failed to score a TD against UTSA, but he ran for a season-high 144 yards. After catching 7 passes for 183 yards and a TD at South Alabama in Week 4, WR Austin Watkins only caught one pass in the win over UTSA.
Liberty: It was reported that QB Malik Willis would be available for the game against North Alabama, but he did not play because a left elbow injury. QBs Chris Ferguson and Johnathan Bennett only totaled 107 passing yards, but threw 4 TD passes. RB Joshua Mack ran for a game-high 130 yards, but the Flames did not score a rushing TD in their 28-7 win.
Army: Starting QB Christian Anderson was injured on Saturday and replaced by Jemel Jones. Jones carried the ball 14 times for 138 yards and 2 TDs in the 55-23 win over Abilene Christian.
Memphis: WR Calvin Austin has caught a TD pass in each of the Tigers’ two games this year, so keep an eye on him as a third option in the passing attack. SMU: It was a disappointing day if you had Ulysses Bentley, who only had 32 rushing yards against Memphis. However, the biggest news coming out of the game is the possible loss of WR Reggie Roberson, who went down with a non-contact injury. RB TJ McDaniel also left the game with an injury.
Cincinnati: I was expecting more fantasy production from QB Desmond Ridder, but it was nice to see RB Gerrid Doaks get 22 carries against South Florida. Doaks has now scored six TDs in three games.
Florida Atlantic: We got our first look at the Owls offense this season and I was surprised that QB Nick Tronti led the team in rushing with 94 yards and a TD. RBs BJ Emmons and James Charles had their days cut short due to minor injuries.
Western Kentucky: RB Gaej Walker only had five carries for 15 yards and did not get a carry after his second quarter fumble. It’s time to let him go. WRs Xavier Lane, Dayton Wade, and Mitchell Simon were all targeted at least nine times each, but I haven’t seen enough consistency from the WKU passing game to suggest that any of them will be a fantasy option.
Middle Tennessee: WR Jarrin Pierce was targeted twelve times and caught 9 passes for 65 yards against western Kentucky. On the season, he has now caught 31 passes for 286 yards, but has yet to catch a TD pass.
Navy: I missed the news about QB Dalen Morris not making the trip for the Air Force game, and I’m not convinced his presence would have changed the result of the game much, but I cannot remember the last time I’ve seen Navy rush for fewer than 100 yards.
LA Monroe: I wouldn’t want to have RB Josh Johnson on my roster, but he rewarded those that started him with 3 TDs against Georgia Southern. Johnson has a combined total of 18 rushing attempts in the last two games.
Southern Miss: WR Tim Jones missed another game, but WR Jason Brownlee had another 100-yard receiving game and has now scored in three consecutive games.
North Texas: WR Jaelon Darden was targeted 20 times by QB Austin Aune in Saturday’s game against Southern Miss. Darden finished with 13 receptions for 104 yards and a TD. WR Jyaire Shorter left the game with an injury and was later seen on the sideline with a walking boot. QB Austin Aune seems to be locked into the starting role for now, as we did not see Jason Bean play.
Tulsa: After RB Deneric Prince impressed in the opener, I assumed he would take over as RB1 following Shamari Brook’s injury. However, TK Wilkerson seems locked into that spot after his 22-86-1 performance against UCF Saturday night.
Middle Tennessee: WR Jarrin Pierce was targeted twelve times and caught 9 passes for 65 yards against western Kentucky. On the season, he has now caught 31 passes for 286 yards, but has yet to catch a TD pass.
Central Florida: The Knights’ offense fell flat in the second half against Tulsa, scoring only 3 points, which led to a 34-26 loss. WR Jaylon Robinson has started the year with three consecutive 100-yard receiving games and WR Marlon Williams has caught at least 9 passes in each of the team’s first three games.

P5 Notes

BYU: QB Zach Wilson has thrown 2 TD passes in each of the Cougars’ first three games and has accounted for 9 TDs (5 pass, 4 rush) in last two weeks.
NC State: The Wolfpack had one of the surprising offensive performances of Week 5, as QB Devin Leary threw for 336 yards and 4 TDs against Pitt in a 30-29 win at Pitt. I think it’s safe to assume he has a lock on the starting job.
Pitt: WR Jordan Addison caught a 75-yard TD pass on the Panthers’ first offensive snap against NC State, but an early injury cut his day short. I missed the injury, but there was speculation after the game that his injury wasn’t too serious. Expect an update in the coming days with Pitt set to travel to Boston College on Saturday.
Baylor: The verdict is still out on QB Charlie Brewer and the passing game. I’m sure his performance on Saturday at West Virginia was frustrating for his fantasy owners. A TD pass with a minute to play and another in OT salvaged the day from a fantasy point of view. WR Tyquan Thornton was a lot more noticeable this week, as he was targeted seven times and finished with 4 catches for 45 yards, but it was RJ Sneed who led the Bears in receiving again with 6 catches for 48 yards and a TD. Gavin Holmes led the team with nine targets, but only caught 4 passes for 34 yards.
West Virginia: RB Leddie Brown did the heavy lifting for the Mountaineers’ offense against Baylor, carrying the ball 27 times for 93 yards and 2 TDs, while adding 4 receptions for 26 yards in the passing game. He has now totaled over 110 yards of offense in each of the first three games of the year.
South Carolina: RB Kevin Harris seems like a legitimate fantasy option in the Gamecocks’ offense. Harris followed up his 13-55-1 performance against Tennessee in Week 4 with impressive outing at Florida (22-100-1 rush; 4-27-1 rec.). WR She Smith was targeted 18 times and caught 12 passes for 85 yards and a TD.
Missouri: I am going to assume we will see redshirt freshman Connor Bazelak as the Tigers starting quarterback next week at LSU. Against Tennessee, Bazelak completed 13-of-21 passes for 218 yards.
TCU: WR Taye Barber only had 51 receiving yards, but he caught seven passes on seven targets. No other player was targeted more than three times by QB Max Duggan. Freshman RB Zach Evans played for the first time this year and had two touches. I expect his playing time to increase in the coming weeks.
Texas: WR Joshua Moore was targeted four times against TCU, but did not catch one pass win the Longhorns’ 33-31 loss. Jake Smith saw his first action of the year and was targeted a team-high nine times and caught 6 passes for 49 yards and a TD. Lets see if RB Keaontay Ingram’s fumble at the 1-yard line with the game on the line results in QB Sam Ehlinger getting those carries moving forward.
North Carolina: In the Tar Heels’ 26-22 win at Boston College, WR Dyami Brown was targeted eight times and caught four passes for 60 yards. Teammate Dazz Newsome did not have a target until the fourth quarter and finished with one reception for 6 yards. Neither of them caught a TD pass. Last year, Brown or Newsome had a receiving TD in every one of UNC’s 13 games.
Boston College: RB David Bailey caught a 5-yd TD pass against North Carolina, but he only had seven rushing attempts for 28 yards. Bailey hasn’t carried the ball more than eight times in either of the last two games, and with the Eagles’ running game struggling, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of you move off of Bailey. WR Zay Flowers was hardly targeted in last week’s game against Texas State, but he was targeted 14 times against UNC. TE Hunter Long continues to be QB Phil Jurkovec’s favorite target, as he was targeted 16 times and caught 9 passes for 96 yards.
Texas Tech: QB Alan Bowman left the game against Kansas State after getting hit low. My fear is that he may have suffered a knee injury that could keep him out for a while. Backup QB Henry Colombi will likely be a high-priority waiver claim this week. In the 31-21 loss at K-State, Colombi completed 30-of-42 passes for 244 yards and 2 TDs.
Kansas State: RB Deuce Vaughn continued his hot start to the 2020 season by totaling over 200 yards and scoring 2 TDs in the Wildcats’ 31-21 win over Texas Tech. Vaughn has totaled over 170 yards in back-to-back games. QB Skylar Thompson took a late hit and exited the game with what appeared to be an injury to his throwing shoulder/arm. Will Howard will likely take over as the starter if Thompson misses any time.
Texas A&M: After a poor outing at home against Vanderbilt in Week 4, QB Kellen Mond threw for 318 yards and 3 TDs at Alabama on Saturday. The bright spot in the Aggies offense was RB Ainias Smith, who caught 6 passes for 123 yards and 2 TDs. Smith is the offenses best weapon, so expect him to be used in variety of ways this season.
Alabama: I wasn’t sure what to make of John Metchie’s lack of targets in Week 4 at Missouri, but it seems he will have more than enough opportunities to be a fantasy factor this year, especially after leading the Tide in receiving against Texas A&M (5-181-2)
Duke: TE Noah Gray continues to be QB Chase Brice’s favorite target (8), as caught 6 passes for 51 yards and a TD.
Virginia Tech: I thought we were going to see Hendon Hooker at quarterback against Duke, but Braxton Burmeister played the entire game. The Hokies came out on top and Burmeister ran for 54 yards and 2 TDs, but he only completed 9-of-25 passes. Supposedly, Hooker was available, but head coach Justin Fuente decided not to insert him into the game. TE James Mitchell has caught a TD pass in both of the Hokies’ games this year.
Florida State: The Seminoles scored 41 points against Jacksonville State, but I do not feel any better about the offense than I did before the game. I think we will continue to see heavy rotation at running back and the passing game will continue to struggle. I would assume that Jordan Travis will start at QB next week against Notre Dame.
Ole Miss: It seems there will be another receiving option in the Rebels’ offense, Jonathan Mingo, who was targeted nine times and caught 8 passes for 128 yards and 2 TDs at Kentucky. QB Matt Corral has started the year with back-to-back 300-yard passing games and has thrown 7 TD passes.
Kentucky: RB Kavosiey Smoke went down with an injury, but I do not know the severity. Terry Wilson posted some impressive rushing numbers (22-129-3), but I do not consider him a consistent option moving forward.
Oklahoma: Add this to the list of things I never thought I would be writing: There isn’t a running back or receiver on the Oklahoma roster that I would want on my fantasy team right now in full FBS formats. RB Seth McGowan might be the most consistent option, but the offense lacks a go-to playmaker.
Iowa State: There are probably many of your that were holding QB Brock Purdy through the Oklahoma game, but from what I’ve seen, I have my doubts about him coming close to his points per week average of 2019.
Auburn: You should feel good if you have WR Seth Williams on your roster. They were trying to get the ball in his hands often, but Georgia’s defense rattled Bo Nix and he was inaccurate all night. In my opinion, RB Tank Bigsby was the Tigers’ most impressive player Saturday night, totaling 171 all-purpose yards (31 rush, 68 rec., 72 ret.). I would like to see him get that much work against another defense, and I do think he is worth a waiver claim this week.
Georgia: WR Kearis Jackson has 15 receptions in two games and seems to be QB Stetson Bennett’s favorite target. Now, I wonder if we see JT Daniels under center anytime soon.
LSU: QB Myles Brennan seemed more relaxed this week, but of course he had no pressure in matching Vanderbilt point for point as he did against Mississippi State last week. RB Chris Curry did not play, but John Emery impressed with a 100-yard rushing game. My prediction of Emery emerging as the RB1 this year still has life.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks lost RB Rakeem Boyd and WR Treylon Burks to injury and were still able to beat Mississippi State. Boyd and Burks are the two best fantasy options on the team, so hopefully they will be back for next week’s game at Auburn.
Mississippi State: The loss of RB Kylin Hill to injury was a killer, as RBs Jo’quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson combined for 18 receptions against Arkansas. Hill seemed to have suffered a concussion and was not able to return. I would expect to see him next week at Kentucky. Osirus Mitchell once again led the team in receiving with 61 yards.
Virginia: I feel good about QB Brennan Armstrong as a fantasy starter this season after he was able to produce three touchdowns against Clemson. He threw for 270 yards and 3 TDs, while adding 89 yards on the ground as the Cavaliers’ top rusher. I mentioned in last week’s Notes & Observations that I was intrigued by the targets Billy Kemp received in the team’s first game against Duke. In the Clemson game, he was targeted another 14 times and caught 10 passes for 96 yards.
Clemson: The Amari Rodgers train is gaining steam after another solid game against Virginia (6-72-2). His eight targets led the team, followed by Frank Ladson with seven and TE Braden Galloway with six.