|
It's Championship Week for your college fantasy football league!
Wackiness will abound, as 10 of the Big Eleven teams are on bye this week, as are great fantasy options like Oregon, Oregon State, and Cal, among others. It's also the annual rivalry week for many teams in the south (Florida-FSU, Clemson-South Carolina, etc), so you may need to look in some different places for good matchups.
If you are scrambling to fill out your roster for all these reasons, I'm here to help.
I’m going to stick to guys in BCS conferences, as your league more than likely contains those conferences in some combination. I’m also going to try stay away from telling you it’s a good matchup to play guys against FCS teams. Use your own judgment for those plays, as some players will definitely put up stats, but will be subject to a 25% penalty. And sometimes the backups will get a lot of time.
Quarterbacks
Ricky Dobbs, Navy (@Hawaii) – My original man-crush of the season has too delicious of a matchup (coming off a bye-week, no less) not to mention here. And though he’s listed as only owned in 29% of CBS leagues, I take that to mean more that there are only 29% of leagues with competent fantasy players in them.
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri (Kansas) – I don’t think I’m alone when I think this neutral-field rivalry game will end up in a shootout. I also think Kansas could fall apart in the wake of Mangino (that sort of ended up as a fat joke, even as I was trying to avoid it). Gabbert’s ownership numbers have stayed fairly low, and you’ve likely got at least one QB on bye this week.
Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech (Georgia) – My newest man-crush faces Willie Martinez? Yes, please.
If you’re hardcore: Samson Szakacsy, Arizona State (Arizona) – A good defense doesn’t make for a good matchup. A sophomore in his second start (3rd straight game of significant action) doesn’t look enticing. So why rest your championship hopes on He With the Flowing Hair? If you’re in a league where the Pac-10 is a significant portion of your player pool, Jake Locker or Andrew Luck are the best options without a bye this week- and already owned. Szakacsy’s last two game show he can score like those QBs in the next tier, and he’s likely available.
Running backs
Baron Batch, Texas Tech (Baylor) – Another neutral site game, this one at the Boss Hog Bowl in Arlington, TX. I would recommend Taylor Potts, but he was a high draft pick and is likely owned, despite his only recent return to stud status. Anyway, if I have a lot of bye week troubles, I always love grabbing the #1 rushing threat from a high-scoring offense. There’s always the potential for a 5-TD game, or 200 total yards, or something cool, depending on how the game plays out.
Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati (Illinois) – I also don’t expect much defense in this game. And depite my giggling at seeing I. Pead in the box score, he seems to be flying under the national radar somewhat. He’s only owned in 6% of CBS leagues, and is sitting in the walk-on pool of the Official Gatorsfirst.com League. So it’s not a stretch to think you could grab the main rushing threat of a top offense in a potentially high-scoring game.
If you’re hardcore: Jason Ford, Illinois (@Cincinnati) – I actually have no idea which Illini back gets more carries this week. Ron Zook has said he’s going to play ‘the hot hand’, which is like a death sentence for fantasy teams. Illinois is the only Big Ten team with a game today, and if the Zookers used the week off to attempt to derail the Bearcats’ season, the run game should be featured prominently to keep Tony Pike and Co. on the sideline.
Wide Receivers
Jermaine Kearse, Washington (Washington State) – It wouldn’t be a fantasy column if I didn’t recommend SOMEONE against the Cougars. He’s averaging around 10 points per game.
Chris Owusu, Stanford (Notre Dame) – The Irish will need about 40 people in the box to try to stop Gerhart. Should leave about -29 people in the secondary, and Owusu is Andrew Luck’s big-play target.
Tramain Swindall, Texas Tech (Baylor) – Offensive fireworks and a WR owned in less than a third of CBS leagues.
If you’re hardcore: Johnny Forzani, Washington State (@Washington) – With so many top Pac 10 options on bye, and all the Big Ten players out, you could need a deep sleeper to fill out your squad. Forzani at least got preseason hype as big play threat, but he’s only gotten 9 receptions on the season. He has had two games of over 15 points, though, and with the bye week before the rivalry game… feeling crazy?
Tight Ends
Kavario Middleton, Washington (Washington State) – I have a pretty good record simply by picking against the Cougars each week. Why stop now?
If you’re hardcore: Logan Paulsen, UCLA (@USC) – That’s why they call it “hardcore”.
Defense / Special Teams
Arizona (@Arizona State) – They are a serviceable defense, facing an inexperienced QB. I did recommend same QB above, so let’s just move on.
If you’re hardcore: Navy (@Hawaii) – The June Jones era is very much gone in Hawaii. Navy has had some very good fantasy scoring weeks, and got the week off to really shut down the Warriors this week.
|
