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 Huff, Jacksonville State – Very little chance Huff is still on waivers in your leagues, but still sitting at just 31% roster ownership on Fantrax, now having scored over 28 fantasy points in five straight contests. Bye week upcoming for Jacksonville State, but come back in two weeks to face one of the worst defenses in the country in Middle Tennessee.
Running Backs:
Tawee Walker, Wisconsin – Last chance to get Walker on your roster at 31% ownership on Fantrax. 198 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against Rutgers, getting the bulk of the workload with Chez Mellusi no longer around. Start him up again next week vs. Northwestern, though a brutal stretch of games after that with Penn State, Iowa and Oregon in the following three matchups.
Avery Morrow, Colorado State – Morrow was injured for a brief period vs. San Jose State but did return to the game for his third-straight 100-yard rushing performance, now with five touchdowns in the last three weeks. Not sure on the extent of the injury, but Justin Marshall was seen in a sling on the sidelines, so this could be Morrow’s show the remainder of the year.
Isaac Brown, Louisville – Finally, Louisville dumped the RBBC they’d been employing the first five games and gave the freshman running back 20 carries vs. Virginia and the move paid off immediately, rushing for 146 yards and two scores. The 190-pound freshman is now averaging 8.6 yards per carry this season.
Wide Receivers:
Jackson Meeks, Syracuse – We’re interested every week in Syracuse pass-catchers as the Orange are No. 1 in the country in pass attempts per game. Didn’t think I’d say that back in August. Meeks, a former Georgia transfer, has double-digit targets in three straight games, and a receiving touchdown in four straight games.
Aaron Anderson, LSU – A model of consistency as a fantasy receiver this season as the former Alabama transfer has had at least 60 yards in every game in 2024. LSU spreads the ball around enough there you’re not going to get 20+ fantasy performances, but in PPR settings, Anderson is hitting double-digit fantasy points weekly.
Worth A Look
If you have the roster room, these prospects are worth a look.
Quarterbacks:
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 23 fantasy points or more in each of the last four games for the cult here. Outside of the matchup with Texas in two weeks, the schedule is favorable for Pavia to keep this going, particularly on Saturday as Vandy takes on Ball State at home.
Running Backs:
Tre Wisner, Texas – Wisner is very close to a must-add, but faces Georgia next and we still think Jaydon Blue is going to be involved in this backfield. But it really felt like after watching the Red River Rivalry that Wisner is the better runner of the two and likely RB1 moving forward.
Ahmad Hardy, Louisiana-Monroe – The true freshman continues to be a consistent fantasy producer, now with a rushing touchdown in five of six games played. Best performance of the year with nearly 180 total yards of offense and two scores vs. Southern Miss. Hardy is a solid redraft option and a must if still somehow available in a dynasty format.
CJ Campbell, Florida Atlantic – Florida State could really use Campbell back as the former FSU transfer has six rushing touchdowns in the last four games, averaging close to five yards per attempt. This week’s matchup with UTSA will be his toughest opponent yet, ranked No. 2 in the AAC in yards allowed on the ground.
A.J. Turner, Marshall – Down week for Turner as the sophomore running back no longer averages 10 yards per carry. 97 yards on 14 attempts for Turner in the loss to Georgia Southern. Get the man more carries, Charles Huff!
Wide Receivers:
Eric Rivers, Florida International – In Week’s 3-4, Rivers had back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances. In weeks 5 and 7, Rivers combined for 22 targets with over 90 yards in each game. Lots to like here with Rivers if he’s getting high target volume as he’s averaging over 18 yards per catch and an aDOT of 17.2.
Dane Key, Kentucky – We’re so used to Kentucky spreading the ball around between three pass-catchers equally over the last few seasons. Not the case in 2024 where Key accounts for 39% of the target share and 45% of Kentucky’s total receiving yards. 20+ fantasy points in three straight weeks.
Luke Floriea, Kent State – If Kent State is throwing, the ball is going in two directions – either to Floriea or Chrishon McCray who have 93 of the team’s 141 targets. Season-high 128 yards on 12 targets in the narrow loss to Ball State.
Jakobie Keeney-James, UMass – JKJ just continues to get it done, with 80 or more receiving yards in five of the last six games, including six receptions on eight targets vs. Missouri. Bye week upcoming for the Minutemen but then it’s a matchup vs. FCS opponent Wagner.
Adrian Norton, Akron – The production isn’t always consistent but the amount of targets each week are. At least eight targets in each of the last five games for the sophomore receiver for had a season-high 165 yards vs. Western Michigan. Akron’s inability to run the football boosts Norton’s value.
Matt Sykes, Rice – The former UCLA transfer continues to be Rice’s No. 1 targets with 80 or more receiving yards in each of the last three games with a combined 34 targets in that span. We saw a bit of life finally from the Rice passing offense this week.
Tight Ends:
Terrance Carter, Louisiana – Argument to be made that Carter is the best pass-catcher on the Louisiana roster, now with 60 or more yards in three of the last four games. 11 receptions on 13 targets in the last two weeks vs. Sun Belt opponents.
Longshots
Need to see more from these guys before pulling the trigger unless you are in the deepest of leagues.
Quarterbacks:
DJ Lagway, Florida – Graham Mertz will have an MRI done this week to determine the severity of his injury vs. Tennessee, but the Gators might be better served just handing the job to Lagway at this point. Kentucky and Georgia in the coming weeks is not a favorable fantasy schedule.
Tommy Ulatowski, Kent State – So, why didn’t Kent State start Ulatowski from the beginning? Seven combined passing touchdowns in the last two weeks, hitting over 300 passing yards in both games. Road matchups against Western Michigan and Bowling Green will be more telling for his long-term outlook this season.
Jacurri Brown, UCF – The former Miami transfer was the better of the two QBs that played for UCF on Saturday, but this QB situation does not appear to be settled just yet after scoring 13 points in the loss to Cincinnati as the Knights are on a 3-game skid. Brown’s rushing ability is most intriguing, with 110 yards on 13 attempts, but tough matchup next week should he get the starting nod against Iowa State.
Evan Bullock, Louisiana Tech – Admittedly know nothing about the player, but threw five touchdown passes in his first career start and faces lowly New Mexico State and UTEP in his next two matchups. A potential streaming option if in dire need.
Ryan Browne, Purdue – Sooo, Hudson Card isn’t getting his job back, is he? Do we trust Browne to keep this production going? No, Purdue faces Oregon next. But we’re always going to be mildly interested in a quarterback that rushed for 129 yards on 18 attempts, while also throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns.
Colton Joseph, Old Dominion – Joseph faces two of the better teams in the Sun Belt in the coming weeks in Texas State and Georgia Southern, but his rushing ability has us intrigued with the redshirt freshman. Just one touchdown through the air, but 95 yards on 13 carries on the ground. That’s 70+ rushing yards in each of the last three games.
Running Backs:
Ezell Jolly, UTEP – Crazy that a 1,400-yard rusher last season for Austin Peay, playing under the same coaching staff as a senior, has now lost his starting job to a freshman. Jolly got the bulk of the carries for the second consecutive game, rushing for 120 yards on 27 carries vs. WKU.
Delbert Mimms III, Eastern Michigan – No Dontae McMillan for the second game in a row, leading to 20+ carries for the former NC State transfer, even in a game where Eastern Michigan was trailing by double-digits.
Sam Scott, Wyoming – Just two running backs carried the ball on Saturday for Wyoming, with Scott rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts. That’s 90+ in each of the last two weeks with a combined 39 rushing attempts.
Savion Red, Nevada – I still remember back to Week 0 vs. SMU when the broadcast said that the coaching staff believes Red to be one of the best running backs in the Mountain West. He looked it vs. Oregon State with 137 yards and four touchdowns. We need to see more consistency with his rushing volume, though, as the former Texas transfer averaged just 11 touches per game in the first six contests.
Wide Receivers:
Kaden Prather, Maryland – We’re getting very close to hot seat territory for Mike Locksley, who was never a good hire to begin with, as Maryland was blown out vs. Northwestern. And that was with Locksley taking over play-calling duties from OC Josh Gattis – another questionable hire. I digress. Prather’s 13 target against the Wildcats had much to do with game script, but he’s had at least four receptions in every game this season. He and Felton have combined for 128 of the 232 targets for Maryland.
Jack Hestera, Utah State – Three touchdowns in the last four games played for Hestera who had a season high 10-152-1 on 12 targets vs. UNLV. Remember all the way back to the CFF Preseason Guide where we mentioned how slot receivers typically thrive in this system? Hestera is playing 87% of his snaps in the slot.
Horatio Fields, Wake Forest – Not expecting Donavon Greene to come back any time soon from injury given his prior history. Fields as assumed the WR1 role in his place, now with 20 targets in the last three games, and found the end-zone in consecutive weeks.
Nick Cenacle, Hawaii – Double-digit targets in three of the last four games for Cenacle with three receiving touchdowns in that span.
