Below is our game-by-game previews on which players should be considered on your roster as well as which players you may want to stay away from.
TCU At Iowa State
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: TCU -20.5
O/U: 72.5
TCU
Team Expected Points- 46.5
QB- Trevone Boykin- $9,700
Analysis:
Trevone Boykin is the premier quarterback on this slate, and is in a great matchup. Iowa State is coming off a 66-31 loss in which they allowed Patrick Mahomes to throw for 428 yads and five touchdowns most of which was in the first half. If Iowa State scores some points and keeps this game close, Boykin has the potential to match or exceed those numbers.
Recommendation:
For a slate that has very little quarterback talent, Boykin is the guy who you are going to want to start this week, while he is expensive, there are plenty of other places that we can save money, he is a premier GPP and cash game option
WR- Josh Doctson- $8,400
Analysis:
Josh Doctson has been absolutely dominant so far this season, and even in a tough matchup on the road last week he impressed as he had eight receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. This is a player who over the last four weeks has not had less than 129 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa State’s pass defense is poor, so this matchup is prime for Doctson to potentially get back to his 200+ yards and multiple touchdowns.
Recommendation:
Doctson is the premiere wide receiver on this slate and makes for a great pairing with Boykin. You will have to make sacrifices in order to be able to afford both of them, but there are enough value plays that you are still able to build a competitive team unlike some weeks when you spend up for these two. He is a great option in both cash and GPP’s.
RB- Aaron Green- $7,200
Analysis:
Aaron Green is one of the most underrated running backs in the country as he largely gets overshadowed by how great of a runner Trevone Boykin is at the quarterback position. Green however has scored two or more touchdowns in four of the teams six game this season. He also has gone over 100 yards in three of those games, which gives him the upside you’re going to look for in a running back at the price point. The problem with Green is that he doesn’t play a large role in catching passes out of the backfield which limits his upside.
Recommendation:
If you’re looking to fade Doctson and Boykin in GPP’s, Green makes for a nice contrarian pivot to still get a piece of this TCU offense. Green will be under-owned due to people either electing to fade this game or to go with Boykin.
Iowa State
Team Expected Points- 26
RB- Mike Warren- $6,500
Analysis
Mike Warren has been one of the surprises of the Big 12 so far this season from a fantasy perspective, as coming into the season he was not even our radar list on players who have the potential to have a breakout season. The freshman has gone over 100 yards in each of his last three games and has become a focal point of this offense averaging 21 carries per game over the last three games. While the yardage totals have been there, Warren has had difficulty finding the end zone as he only has two touchdowns on the season. TCU allows 183 yards per game rushing which is 86th in the country, which is extremely high for a team that is going to be playing with big leads for most of the game.
Recommendation:
The matchup is great for Warren, as Iowa State is going to look to keep Trevone Boykin off the field as much as possible, but the issue is that they bring in other running backs as they get closer to the goal line which severely hinders Warren’s upside. Therefore at his price, Warren is a GPP play only.
Boston College At Clemson
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Clemson -17
O/U: 37
Boston College
Team Expected Points- 10
Boston College has one of the worst offenses in college football, and it is reflected in the line as they’re only expected to score ten points this game. This is not a team you want to target for fantasy purposes.
Clemson
Team Expected Points- 27
WR- Deon Cain- $3,400
Analysis:
We have been calling for Deon Cain to have a breakout game for the past few weeks, and it finally happened. The 5 star freshman finally had five receptions for 96 yards last week against Georgia Tech. With the season ending injury to Mike Williams, the team is still trying to find its identity in the passing game, as we have yet to see Deshaun Watson with a breakout game like we saw last year prior to him going down with a season ending injury. We are not predicting that Watson will have a big game this week, but we are projecting that Cain will continue to see more targets. The matchup is not good, as Boston College has one of the best defenses in the country, and Clemson may be willing to just win this game 17-3 by playing field position.
Recommendation:
At $3,400 Cain makes for a good punt play, but there is some risk, as he is just a freshman and the matchup is the most difficult they will face all season.
Florida At LSU
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: LSU -7.5
O/U: 46.5
Florida
Team Expected Points- 19.5
With Will Grier suspended for the rest of the season, this offense is going to take a major step backwards going back to Treon Harris who has yet to show that he can be a fantasy relevant quarterback. In his seven starts Treon has only thrown for over 200 yards twice (New Mexico State and Vanderbilt), which is not a good sign for a team that goes into Death Valley at night.
LSU
Team Expected Points 27
RB- Leonard Fournette- $9,800
Analysis:
Most people when asked about Leonard Fournette will say that he is the best running back since Adrian Peterson. I personally am not ready to say that, but I will say he is one of the two best running backs in college football this season Ezekiel Elliott being the other. The thing with Fournette is that the level of competition that LSU has played so far has been extremely poor from a run defense standpoint. The three SEC teams that LSU has faced are 72nd, 101st, and 106th against stopping the run so far this season.
Florida is going to be a major test for Fournette, as they have the 13th best run defense in the country so far this season, and while they have not faced anyone of Fournette’s caliber, they faced quality running backs in Kentucky, East Carolina and Tennessee.
Recommendation:
At $9,800 we would never recommend him from a statistical point of view, as the matchup is just too difficult. However, if you are into narratives and more subjective thinking, you could use Fournette as a GPP play, as this is one of those Heisman opportunities to potentially have a breakout game to solidify his Heisman frontrunner status.
Wake Forest At North Carolina
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: North Carolina -17
O/U: 52.5
Wake Forest
Team Expected Points- 18
WR- Cam Serigne- $3,600
Analysis-
Cam Serigne is one of the top tight ends in the nation and while he had a game last week where he underperformed, he was facing one of the top defenses in the country in Boston College in a game that ended up 3-0. Prior to this he had three straight games of five or more receptions including a ten reception game against Florida State.
North Carolina has two of their top corners suspended for this game which while it won’t have a direct impact on Serigne it will put added pressure on the secondary. Wake Forest is in a position where they are going to have to throw the ball frequently in order to keep up with a North Carolina team that over the last four games has averaged 45 points per game.
Recommendation:
Serigne is a great punt play for cash games, as he should see a high volume of targets that should easily allow you to spend up at other positions. If he can get ten points with some upside if he can find the end zone at $3,600 he makes for a great play.
North Carolina
Team Expected Points- 33
QB- Marquise Williams- $8,300
Analysis:
Marquise Williams is the backbone of this North Carolina offense, and nothing can explain it better than his last game log, in which he was the team’s leading passer, rusher, receiver while also having a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown, and receiving touchdown. While his overall numbers have been great, he has seen some regression from the 3,068 yards passing and 21 passing touchdowns he had last season. Since he has been more ineffective in the passing game, he has turned to the running game in order to continue to move the football for North Carolina, over the last three games he has ran for over 100 yards in two of them.
Wake Forest has a defense that so far statistically has been very good. They have only faced one quarterback who has the running ability similar to Marquise and were able to hold him to a season low as a starter.
Recommendation:
Williams is a GPP only play, as he has not shown consistency in throwing the ball to have a high enough floor to be considered safe in this matchup.
Missouri At Georgia
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Georgia -14.5
O/U: 44.5
Missouri-
Team Expected Points- 15
Missouri has the worst offense in the SEC and can be safely avoided in this road matchup against Georgia.
Georgia
Team Expected Points- 29.5
RB- Sony Michel- $7,200
Analysis:
Sony Michel has big shoes to fill now that Nick Chubb is done for the season at Georgia. While Michel was not the starter, Chubb was injured on the first series of the game, and Michel filled in nicely having 22 carries for 145 yards and three receptions for 26 yards. The talented sophomore has the ability to fill in for the injured Chubb, the issue this week is that the matchup is very difficult. Missouri has not allowed a 100 yard rusher since Derrick Henry did it at the SEC championship game which was ten months ago. This is a team that has built itself on defense, and will make the struggling Grayson Lambert beat them.
Recommendation:
The matchup is just too difficult for Michel this week, so we will recommend taking a cautionary approach as the price is not good enough to justify taking a new starting running back in a tough matchup. If you are looking to start him in a GPP, we won’t discourage you from doing that as he does have the speed and upside to break a long run, but we will be looking in a different direction this week.
UCF At Temple
Kickoff: 8:00 PM EST
Spread: Temple -21
O/U: 46.5
UCF
Team Expected Points- 12.5
UCF is going on the road to face a Temple team that has one of the best defenses in the country. There are plenty of good options on this slate, so we do not recommend anyone from UCF.
Temple
Team Expected Points- 33.5
RB- David Hood/Ryquell Armstead- $3,400/$3,600
Analysis:
UCF is one of the worst teams in college football, so these recommendations are largely based off of this game getting out of hand rather quickly. David Hood had 16 carries last game in a blowout win against Tulane, while Armstead scored two touchdowns on just six carries last week, but has shown that he is going to get a more consistent number of touches per week even if it is less than the 16 that Hood had last week.
Recommendation:
Both make for punt plays this week. In cash games we would recommend using Armstead due to the more consistent number of carries and a better chance to score a touchdown. In GPP’s we recommend Hood, as if he can see 16 carries like he did last week, he has a chance to have a major role in the game plan especially if he can find the end zone. Neither are must start type guys however, as if the game is going to be close, you will see Temple ride Jahad Thomas as long as they need to until the game is out of hand.
USC At Notre Dame
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Spread: Notre Dame -4.5
O/U: 61
USC
Team Expected Points- 28.5
RB- Ronald Jones II- $4,300
Analysis:
Ronald Jones is one of the best backs that most people have never heard of. The reason for this is that he is only receiving 8-10 carries per week as they still have not taken the reigns off the young freshman. This is the week that they potentially could turn him loose, as he is one of the most talented running backs in the country. He is currently averaging 8.1 yards per carry, and at some point is going to be too good to keep off the field similar to what Leonard Fournette was in the second half of last season.
Notre Dame’s defense is not great as they are 84th in rushing yards allowed per game at 180.2. USC desperately needs to get a win and with their interim coaching staff in place, they are going to want to use their best offensive players which includes Ronald Jones II. Tre Madden is less than 100% after carrying the ball 17 times last week, which could open up more potential opportunity for Jones.
Recommendation:
It is far from a guarantee what Ronald Jones II will do, but he makes for a nice cheap flex play in cash games and a great play in GPP’s due to his upside if he were to get 15 carries in a game.
Notre Dame
Team Expected Points- 32.5
WR- Will Fuller- $6,300
Analysis:
Will Fuller is the clear number one wide receiver for Notre Dame, and although he has been struggling the last few games due to the matchups and weather, this is a great opportunity for that connection with Deshone Kizer to return to form that we saw early in the season. USC has a strong pass defense, but they have not faced very many strong passing teams so far this season so going on the road in this game will be a test for them.
Recommendation:
Fuller is one of our favorite wide receivers on this slate. He is safe in cash games and has the two touchdown upside to be considered for a strong GPP play.
Penn State At Ohio State
Kickoff: 10:00 PM EST
Spread: Ohio State -19
O/U: 47
Penn State
Team Expected Points- 14
Penn State is going to have a difficult time against an Ohio State team that looks to get back on track after allowing Perry Hills to run all over them last week. Thankfully for Ohio State, Christian Hackenberg might be the least mobile quarterback in college football, so he should not present any problems for this defense.
Ohio State
Team Expected Points-33
WR- Michael Thomas- $4,500
Analysis:
It’s hard to say that an injury is ever going to be positive for a team, but an injury can be great for a players fantasy value. Michael Thomas is benefitting as Ohio State’s deep wide receiving corp is starting to become thinner with the recent injury to Corey Smith. Thomas has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games, and in the game he did not score a touchdown he went for 107 yard on seven receptions. Penn State has one of the best run defenses in the country, so Ohio State will be forced to throw the ball in this game. Thomas is the guy we want if we’re targeting an Ohio State receiver
Recommendation:
If you need a plug and play at this price, Thomas is the guy otherwise we recommend avoiding this game, as it is going to be a low scoring game with not a lot of offense between these two teams.
Arizona At Colorado
Kickoff: 10:00 PM EST
Spread: Arizona -7
O/U: 68
Arizona-
Team Expected Points 37.5
QB- Anu Solomon- $6,900
Analysis:
While Anu was unable to find the end zone in his first game back from injury, he was effective throwing the ball for 276 yards. That game was over before it truly ever started as the Wildcats won 44-7. This game should be much closer as Colorado has shown the ability to keep games close at home and had they not turned the ball over three times against Oregon they likely would have had a chance to win that game. Solomon is the best quarterback that Colorado has faced and they’re coming off a game where Arizona State threw for 260 yards and 5 touchdowns. With Nick Wilson questionable for this game, we expect that Arizona will be forced to try to beat Colorado through the air which puts Solomon in position for a great game.
Recommendation:
If Nick Wilson is out, Solomon becomes the top quarterback on the day, if Wilson is playing Solomon is still one of the top value quarterbacks on the day and can be used if you’re looking to save money in GPP and cash.
RB- Orlando Bradford- $3,500
Analysis:
Nick Wilson continues to deal with a foot injury in this game, and is questionable to play. Bradford would see a majority of the carries if Wilson is unable to go, and after last week’s performance Bradford should immediately be the top play of the day if Wilson is not playing as he had 19 carries for 83 yards and three touchdowns. There is a lot of risk, so closely monitor Twitter and the Footballguys forum to check for an update on the situation.
Recommendation:
Must start if Nick Wilson is out.
Colorado
Team Expected Points- 30.5
WR- Nelson Spruce- $5,800
Analysis:
Nelson Spruce is the focal point of this Colorado offense, and Arizona has had issues with preventing wide receivers from having big games so far this season. For the two best teams they faced this season they allowed Jordan Payton and Michael Rector to have a combined 208 yards and two touchdowns. Spruce is going to be needed heavily in this game for Colorado to keep this close. The matchup is great, so hopefully we will be able to see the Nelson Spruce of last year where he routinely would have 30+ fantasy points.
Recommendation:
Spruce has yet to have that huge game that we became accustomed to last year where he would have 10+ receptions. He is a great GPP play as he still has that upside, but just has not proven it yet this season.
Arizona State At Utah
Kickoff: 10:00 PM EST
Spread: Utah -5
O/U: 53
Arizona State
Team Expected Points- 24
WR- Tim White- $4,300
Analysis:
Tim White’s price has not increased to where his production level has been, which presents a great opportunity for fantasy players to exploit the value of White. White has scored a touchdown in four of the five games he has played this season, and exploded last week against Colorado with seven receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He is clearly supplanting D.J. Foster as the number one wide receiver at Arizona State, so he will continue to see a high number of targets especially in the red zone. The matchup against Utah is not a great one, but Utah’s run defense is much stronger than their pass defense, which should force Arizona State to throw the ball.
Recommendation:
Tim White is one of our favorite plays on this slate and can be safely used in cash and GPP, he is $1,000 underpriced so exploit it.
Utah-
Team Expected Points- 29
RB- Devontae Booker- $9,100
Analysis:
Utah is Devontae Bookers’ team, as he has one of the highest usage rate in the country regarding number of touches compared to number of plays. Over the last four games Devontae is averaging 33 touches per game and that includes the blowout win against Oregon where he was pulled early. The matchup is a tough one, as the Arizona State defense has only allowed 138 yards per game and they shut down the top running back that they have faced this season in Paul Perkins.
Recommendation:
Booker is a contrarian GPP play only, as he will be under-owned due to the price being so high.
Oregon At Washington
Kickoff: 10:00 PM EST
Spread: Washington-3
O/U: 59
Oregon
Team Expected Points- 28
RB- Taj Griffin- $4,200
Analysis:
Taj Griffin is quickly becoming a change of pace running back that we haven’t seen at Oregon since Deanthony Thomas. He is the change of pace speed running back that is averaging 9.2 yards per carry over the last two games. Oregon has very little to play for the rest of the season, so they are going to continue to use the freshman and get their fan base excited about him. While the Huskies have an above average run defense, Griffin is a change of pace guy who is largely matchup proof due to his ability to make defenders miss once he gets out into the open.
Recommendation:
At $4,200 Taj Griffin makes for a great punt play on this slate if you’re looking to save money.
Washington
Team Expected Points- 31
WR- Jaydon Mickens- $4,100
Analysis:
Oregon has the 125th ranked pass defense having allowed 323.5 yards per game passing. This is a great opportunity for Mickens who is a player who while he has yet to have the success that we saw last year, he still has been consistent in the number of receptions that he has had this season.
Recommendation:
At $4,100 Mickens makes for a good punt play in cash games. He is not a great option in GPP’s as he is a possession receiver who is unlikely to have the upside game you’re looking for in a GPP.
RB- Dwayne Washington- $3,500
Analysis:
Oregon has the 125th ranked pass defense having allowed 323.5 yards per game passing. Washington is a running back who has largely turned into a receiving running back, as he only has 36 total carries this season, but where he does his damage is he has 19 receptions so far this season. With how poor Oregon’s defense is, we expect Washington to get a significant amount of snaps due to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.
Recommendation:
At $3,500, Washington is a great punt running back for both cash and GPP’s, he has over 100 total yards in two of his last three games, and therefore should hopefully get to that mark again today.
San Diego State At San Jose State
Kickoff: 10:00 PM EST
Spread: San Jose State -3
O/U: 49
San Diego State
Team Expected Points- 23
Outside of Donnell Pumphrey who is overpriced in this matchup, San Diego State spreads the ball out too much to have a recommended play in this slate.
San Jose State
Team Expected Points- 26
WR-Billy Freeman- $4,000
Analysis:
Billy Freeman has turned into one of the best tight ends in the country, as he has four straight games with five or more receptions. He is safe in the sense that he is going to get you between 10-12 points, which is not going to kill you as a fill in type player. The matchup is neutral, so this is just a player who if you are looking to get consistent points out of.
Recommendation:
Freeman is a fine punt play for cash games due to his safe nature, he does not possess the upside that is typically wanted in a GPP.