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Each week we'll be providing a review of the Big 12 conference action, with an emphasis on what we can expect going forward.
KANSAS AT RUTGERS
Game Recap: In what ESPN called ‘the worst out of conference matchup between two Power Five schools ever,’ Rutgers handily dispatched of Kansas 27-14. The outcome was never really in doubt as Rutgers jumped out to a 7-0 leading and was up 20-7 at halftime. Rutgers relied heavily on their running game, amassing 312 yards on the ground. Kansas hasn’t been able to stop the run all year and Mike Warren of Iowa State should be in for a big day this weekend against the Jayhawks.
Key Players: De’Andre Ford started at quarterback in place of Montell Cozart. While officially Cozart was sick, rumor is that Ford was going to start regardless. Ford was 6/13 for 85 yards and an interception before spraining his thumb and leaving the game. That’s when Cozart came into the game and played surprisingly efficiently, completing 13 of 18 pass attempts for 193 yards. It’s unclear at this point who will start against Iowa State. Ke’aun Kinner didn’t find much running room this week, only totaling 23 yards on 15 carries, but he did find the end zone twice. Iowa State is surrendering 186 rush yards per game and you’ll want to take note of Kinner’s pricing this week as he projects to have a nice game.
Key Injuries: De’Andre Ford showed us nothing to suggest that he’ll be a viable fantasy option going forward, but his progress should be monitored regardless as the week goes along. If Cozart were to start, he’d be worth a look as a punt option at QB against a leaky Iowa State defense.
Players to Watch: Redshirt freshman wide receiver Tyler Patrick didn’t make an appearance in the box score Kansas’s season opener, but caught six balls two weeks ago, and, in his first career start this week against Rutgers hauled in three passes for70 yards. Beat writers are talking him up as a potential star down the line, and though the Kansas passing game is very limited at this point, he’s potentially a low cost dart throw against Iowa State.
RICE at BAYLOR
Game Recap: From midway through the first quarter onward, Baylor was in complete command of this game. The most surprising element of Baylor’s demolition of the Owls was how dominant their defense looked. Whereas SMU and Lamar were able to move the ball consistently, Rice struggled against constant pressure from Baylor’s defense that forced two fumbles and sacked the quarterback five times. The most telling statistic though is that Rice only totaled 246 yards of offense despite possessing the ball for over 34 minutes. This week’s showdown against Texas Tech still is shaping up to be a shootout, but Baylor’s defense is looking far more formidable than it was a couple of weeks ago.
Key Players: Seth Russell was in complete control in this game, leading Baylor to 56 points in a little over a half. Russell only attempted 16 passes, but six of those went for touchdowns. Despite an exorbitant price tag, he’ll be a heavily owned DFS commodity this weekend against Texas Tech. Shock Linwood has now had back to back huge games after starting the season with a disappointing effort against SMU. He rushed for 158 yards on 16 carries and now faces a Texas Tech defense that is giving up 255 rush yards per game. If Devin Chafin doesn’t suit up – he missed this past game with a hamstring injury – Linwood will be one of the more attractive plays at running back this weekend. Johnny Jefferson rotated in for Linwood while the starters were still in the game, but only saw nine rushing attempts with six of those coming early in the second half after the outcome was long decided. Because of his depressed price, he was a solid option, but it will be interesting to see his cost this week. If Chafin plays, Jefferson won’t be an option. Corey Coleman had another huge game, catching six passes for 100 yards and three touchdowns. Although Baylor has a very deep receiving core, Coleman is a cut above and will be an All-American this season as long as he stays healthy. Jay Lee and KD Cannon each caught touchdowns, but only reeled in a combined total of three passes. This was largely due to Baylor facing a weaker opponent and both should put up better lines this week.
Key Injuries: Devin Chafin’s health will largely determine the ceilings of Shock Linwood and Johnny Jefferson against Texas Tech. If Chafin sits out, both are in consideration as DFS plays, but if he suits up, Johnny Jefferson will be unplayable.
Players to Watch: Once Baylor had pulled their starters, Jarrett Stidham hit Ishmael Zamora for an eight yard touchdown in the third quarter. Stidham has looked great so far in relief of Seth Russell, completing 12 of 15 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns on the year. In the event that Russell went down with injury, Stidham would be able to step right in as a more than competent replacement. Zamora is an athletic freak who runs a 4.47 40 yard dash at 6’4” 220 pounds. If Jay Lee or Corey Coleman were sidelined, Zamora would step in as a starting outside receiver.
MARYLAND at WEST VIRGINIA
Game Recap: In Maryland, West Virginia faced what was supposed to be their first real challenge following back to back blowouts against inferior competition. It only took about one quarter on Saturday though for it to become apparent that the Terrapins weren’t going to pose any threat, offensively or defensively to what is shaping up to be a very solid West Virginia team. The 45-6 score conveys West Virginia’s dominance, but it could have been far worse had the Mountaineers not largely taken the air out of the ball in the second half.
Key Players: Skyler Howard excelled in his first test against a Power Five defense this year, throwing for 294 yards and four touchdowns. Oklahoma gave up 427 yards passing to Tulsa two weeks ago - though there’s no shame in that – and Howard will be a very popular target in the Early Slate this weekend as someone who could post elite numbers potentially at a slightly reduced price. Shelton Gibson had his best game of the year hauling six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. His game screams ‘high risk’ as a large percentage of his targets come via deep balls, but the connection he has with quarterback Skyler Howard is very apparent. He’s up to 329 yards and four touchdowns on the year and needs to be considered the top receiver in this offense going forward. Wendell Smallwood is clearly establishing himself as the top running back in this offense. While Rushel Shell still sees series in which he operates as the running back, Smallwood’s versatility, and generally superior effectiveness this season, has been enough to push him over the top as West Virginia’s preferred option. Smallwood ran for 147 yards and a score on 22 carries, while also catching two passes for 23 yards, against Maryland. The showdown against Oklahoma this weekend will likely be very high scoring and lends itself more to Smallwood’s nature as a Swiss-army knife than to Shell’s role as a between-the-tackles runner.
Key Injuries: None
Players to Watch: Daikiel Shorts posted 3 catches for 33 yards and a score on Saturday. He’s the clear number three receiver in this offense and should be on the radar as a potential bargain in what should be a shootout this weekend against Oklahoma. Jovon Durante surprisingly did not start at receiver this week and only caught two passes for 18 yards. He’s at worst West Virginia’s second best receiver and should bounce back against Oklahoma, but is best reserved for tournament lineups unless we get word during the week that he has retaken his starting role. Devonte Mathis started in his place and caught two passes for 20 yards and is not a very appealing option.
OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS
Game Recap: In what is a rarity in the Big 12, the defenses were largely the story of this game. 37 points were scored in the first half, but only 20 were scored after the break. Oklahoma State only attempted two passes in the final 13:40 of the game, as they were content to rely on their defense that largely bottled up Jerrod Heard. Rudolph’s two second half interceptions probably played a large role in this strategy as well and he rotated with JW Walsh more than usual in the second half against Texas. This game would have likely gone to overtime if not for a botched punt by Texas with under a minute to go that set up an Oklahoma State game winning field goal with only six seconds left.
Key Players: Mason Rudolph had a solid first half, throwing for 191 yards and a touchdown, but it was his two interceptions after the break that almost handed Oklahoma State their first loss of the season. JW Walsh vultured a TD from Rudolph in the first half, but by now, this is established as the norm. Walsh saw more playing time than usual in this game, quarterbacking 12 of the team’s final 37 snaps. There’s no quarterback controversy at this point, but this game serves as a reminder that Walsh isn’t going anywhere and will be at minimum a red zone presence throughout the season. We don’t recommend using Rudolph this week in what should be a tough matchup against Kansas State. Chris Carson was unable to get anything going on the ground prior to leaving the game with a leg injury. The injury doesn’t appear to be serious though and he should suit up this weekend. Rennie Childs saw 21 carries in Carson’s place but only turned them into 54 yards. Outside of the trashing of UTSA, Oklahoma State has struggled to establish a consistent running game. Neither should be considered an option against Kansas State’s run defense that is only allowing 2.4 yards per carry in 2015.
Jerrod Heard failed to build on last week’s tremendous performance against Cal, only throwing for 119 yards against Oklahoma State. He rushed for 48 yards on 19 carries, which by his standards qualifies as a disappointment. Tyrone Swoopes stepped in for Heard on occasion, but this was largely due to Heard dealing with a stomach illness. There will be more growing pains at times this season for Heard, but he now has a great matchup with a TCU defense that has been decimated by injuries. This game will be part of the early slate (noon kickoff) and with options available such as Skyler Howard, Baker Mayfield, Trevone Boykin, Dane Evans, Greg Ward, Matt Johnson, Seth Russell, and Patrick Mahomes, Heard could fly under the radar. He’s got just as much potential as any of these guys thanks to his running ability and could have an absolutely huge day. We recommend him as a tournament option, largely because so many of the previously mentioned quarterbacks are much more proven and offer a higher floor. Jonathan Gray had little success on the ground and has yet to have a big game this season. However, after seeing what Deandre Washington was able to do against the TCU defense, you’ll want to take note of Gray’s price this weekend, as he has a great matchup and could come at a bargain cost.
Key Injuries: Carson’s status should be monitored, but regardless of his price, or that of Childs – the Oklahoma State running backs do not make for good plays this week.
Players to Watch: After two straight solid games, David Glidden fell back to Earth and only recorded three catches for 41 yards. He should be viewed as just another face in the crowd in what is a deep receiving corps. Brandon Shepard appears to finally be overcoming the finger injury that limited him early on in the season. He posted his best line thus far with five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Shepard is the best bet to emerge as Rudolph’s go to receiver, but shouldn’t be trusted as a cash game option at this point.
No receiver stepped up for Texas against Oklahoma State, but if you’re looking to pair Heard with a pass catcher this weekend, John Burt and Daje Johnson remain the best bets because of their big play ability, though neither should be considered a reliable commodity at this point.
TCU at TEXAS TECH
Game Recap: Wow. What a game. The two teams traded blows all afternoon, but things really started to heat up when TCU scored with 8:22 remaining to put the Horned Frogs up 46-45. They would successfully execute a two point conversion attempt on a trick play in which Shaun Nixon took a double reverse and threw a pass to Trevone Boykin, who barely cradled the ball before it touched the ground. Texas Tech quickly marched down the field to retake the lead 52-48 on a Patrick Mahomes 50 yard throwback screen to Justin Stockton. The game’s defining moment took place on fourth and goal from the Texas Tech four yard line. Boykin threw high to Josh Doctson who managed to get a hand on the ball and tip it up into the back of the end zone where Aaron Green corralled the ball just before the end line, managing to get one foot down. Texas Tech would get their last possession with only 23 seconds left and managed to move the ball quickly to midfield. On the last play of the game, Texas Tech used several laterals to get all the way down to the TCU 10 yard line before Jakeem Grant was forced out of bounds ending this instant classic.
Key Players: The box score says that Patrick Mahomes had a big day, but it could have been a far greater performance if not for Mahomes injuring his knee in the first quarter as he tried to run for a first down. Mahomes played through the injury the entire game, but his mobility was visibly compromised, and he should be considered questionable for this week’s game against Baylor. Coach Kingsbury stated that he won’t know if Mahomes will be able to play until late this week, and it’s likely, based on Texas Tech’s history, no formal announcement will be made. This is be a situation to be monitored very closely as Davis Webb, Mahomes’s backup, would potentially be a great value play if Mahomes were ruled out. As of right now, factoring in Mahomes’s expected price tag, in conjunction with how hobbled he looked Saturday, it’s difficult to recommend him even in what is certain to be a high scoring affair. There are just going to be much safer options available with just as much upside in the Saturday early slates. Deandre Washington was heavily relied upon, largely due to Mahomes being hobbled, and turned in the best performance of his career, rushing for 188 yards and four touchdowns. It would be foolish to expect a duplicate effort this week. Even though Baylor’s defense has not been great so far, the TCU defense that Washington victimized was completely decimated by injury. Baylor also suffered from suspensions early on which have now elapsed, and their defense looked much better this past week against Rice. Expect a big bump in Washington’s price from last week, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll return value against Baylor. Jakeem Grant had another nice game, catching eight passes for 126 yards and a score. He’s one of the top cash game options at wide receiver in the FBS, as his production is extremely reliable week to week. Devin Lauderdale had a nice bounce back game, following the goose egg he put up against Arkansas, producing 104 yards on three catches. He briefly left with what looked to be a head injury, but returned and was on the field for the final play of the game.
Trevone Boykin delivered exactly the kind of performance that we’ve come to expect from him, throwing for 485 yards and four touchdowns. The matchup against Texas represents enough of a step up in terms of difficulty to have us pause in recommending the likely highest priced player on the board. There will be better values available at quarterback and expectation is that Boykin falls short of duplicating his gaudy totals from the last two weeks against SMU and Texas Tech. Aaron Green and Josh Doctson both took advantage of the fantastic matchups that Texas Tech presented. Green rushed for 162 yards and totaled three touchdowns while Doctson had one of the best receiving games in recent memory, catching 18 balls for 267 yards and three scores. Both will likely see a sharp increase in price this week.
Key Injuries: Ian Sadler suffered what looked to be a multi-week injury against TCU. His replacement will likely be handled by committee and the most important point here is that Sadler won’t be in consideration as a value play in the near future.
Kolby Listenbee did not suit up against Texas Tech, but it’s likely he’ll return against Baylor. Ty Slanina was expected to step up in Listenbee’s place, but he broke his collar bone and is now out for the season. Wide receiver Emmanuel Porter also got hurt on Saturday and is expected to miss multiple games.
Players to Watch: Justin Stockton has reprised his role as the ultimate boom/bust running back option. He only gets a few touches a week but is a threat to score every time he has the ball, like he did on a 50 yard pass play against TCU. Reginald Davis briefly left due to injury, but returned before the game’s conclusion. He only amassed three catches for 28 yards on the day and will be a GPP option against Baylor.
Jarrison Stewart is now likely to start in place of Ty Slanina. Stewart caught five passes for 88 yards against Texas Tech, but should only be considered a tournament option at this point. Even though TCU is suddenly very thin at receiver, Josh Doctson is the only option we can consider a bankable commodity at this point.