Join the Footballguys Daily Update
Start your morning with our roundup of the most important stories in football - with the fantasy insight you need to make league-winning decisions. Delivered straight to your inbox, 100% free.
Each week we'll be providing a review of the Big 12 conference action, with an emphasis on what we can expect going forward.
TCU AT KANSAS STATE
Game Recap: Kansas State surprisingly took a 35-17 lead into halftime, but TCU scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to bring the Horned Frogs within four points. After quarterbacks Joe Hubener and Trevone Boykin traded rushing scores, Boykin broke free for a 69 yard touchdown run to put TCU up three with 6:07 to go. Kansas State methodically drove down the field and tied the game with a field goal with 1:47 remaining. That was far too much time for Boykin however, and two plays later he connected with Josh Doctson for a game-winning 52 yard touchdown pass, giving TCU a 52-45 victory.
Key Players: Trevone Boykin had a huge game, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 124 more yards and two scores. His big stat line was partially a product of TCU playing from behind, and though he was well worth his steep DFS price tag this week, it might be harder for him to hit value this upcoming week against lowly Iowa State. Aaron Green rushed for 121 on only 11 carries and did most of his damage on an 86 yard first quarter touchdown run. The matchup against Iowa State this upcoming week is a great one for Green, as the Cyclones are giving up 171 yards per game on the ground. Josh Doctson delivered another huge game, hauling in eight catches for 155 yards and two scores. He’s had at least 129 yards receiving and two touchdowns in each of his last four games. There is little debate that Doctson is the best fantasy wide receiver in the country.
Traditionally Kansas State has been very dependent on its quarterback’s role in the running game, and Joe Hubener finally showcased what that can translate to, running for four touchdowns against TCU. His passing stats were very underwhelming, only throwing for 133 yards. Hubener’s value will largely come from red zone rushing opportunities and he is best considered a GPP option when the Wildcats square off with Oklahoma this weekend. Charles Jones appears to have taken back the role of lead running back in this offense. He ran for 75 yards and two scores on 13 carries. He doesn’t have huge upside, but would make sense as an affordable option against a bad Oklahoma run defense. Justin Silmon only saw six carries in this game and though he may be more talented than Jones, can’t be trusted for the time being.
Key Injuries: Though Kolby Listenbee didn’t make an appearance in the box score he did return to action this week, though he played sparingly. Considering TCU’s plethora of receiving options, Listenbee will return to functioning as strictly a GPP option going forward.
One week after heroically relieving injured quarterback Joe Hubener, before sustaining a shoulder injury of his own, Kody Cook did see playing time at wide receiver against TCU, but didn’t register any statistics in the box score.
Players to Watch: KaVontae’ Turpin followed up his huge four touchdown game against Texas with a three catch 57 yard performance against Kansas State. He also potentially ran the wrong route on a bad looking interception thrown by Boykin. Turpin’s talent is undeniable, and he’ll likely be affordably priced this upcoming week, but his production will be inconsistent week to week.
BAYLOR at KANSAS
Game Recap: Baylor mercifully pulled their starters at halftime at Kansas, leading 52-7 going into the break. The back-ups quickly accounted for another two scores to build the lead to 66-7 and the final outcome could have been far worse had the Bears not completely taken the air out of the ball on their final couple of drives.
Key Players: Seth Russell, Shock Linwood, and Corey Coleman all had their usual solid games that would have been way better had they been forced to play more than a half. Jay Lee and KD Cannon both had under fifty yards receiving and failed to score, but better days are ahead as Baylor begins to enter the meat of their Big 12 schedule.
Ryan Willis led Kansas on a nice looking touchdown drive early in the first quarter, but wasn’t able to move the offense much after that. Taylor Cox led the team in rushing attempts with 19, but that was largely a product of the team’s best player, Ke’aun Kinner, nursing lower body injuries, and only seeing two carries himself. If we were to get positive reports regarding Kinner’s health, he would make for an interesting option this week against an awful Texas Tech rush defense that is allowing 284 yards per game on the ground.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Jarrett Stidham entered the game in the third quarter for Baylor at quarterback and quickly led the Bears on a scoring drive, connecting with Ishmael Zamora on a 37 yard touchdown. Stidham has looked great in relief of Russell this year and would be a top quarterback option if Russell were to go down with an injury. Zamora would likely step into a starting role if something were to happen to Jay Lee or Corey Coleman.
OKLAHOMA vs TEXAS
Game Recap: The phrase ‘you can throw the record out the window when these two teams play’ seems to apply very often when Oklahoma and Texas play. Oklahoma was coming off of an impressive victory against previously undefeated West Virginia, while Texas had been bludgeoned by TCU at home. No matter – as Texas dominated the first half of the Red River Rivalry, building a 14-3 lead after thirty minutes. Texas would add a field goal midway through the third quarter before Oklahoma finally found the end zone for the first time. Texas scored from two yards out on their first drive of the fourth quarter and though the Sooners pulled within one score on a Samaje Perine one yard run with eight minutes to go, Texas was able to hold on and pull off the tremendous upset.
Key Players: This week we saw the sluggish Oklahoma offense that was present for the season opener against Akron and much of the Tennessee game. The running game was relied upon seldom and failed to generate explosive plays. Samaje Perine’s disappointing season continued, as he only rushed for 36 yards. Things won’t get any easier against Kansas State’s run defense which is only giving up 105 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry. Baker Mayfield only threw for 211 yards and one touchdown, and his poor effort seemed largely attributable to a bad game plan. He should bounce back against a weak Kansas State secondary that is allowing close to 300 yards a game through the air. Sterling Shepard was off to another quiet game, only catching one pass for nine yards in the first half. Mayfield targeted him repeatedly though as the team attempted to mount a comeback and Shepard finished with six catches for 95 yards, leading the team in both categories. He continues to produce solid numbers, but he’s been priced too expensively to use in DFS for the duration of 2015.
Jerrod Heard found far more success against Oklahoma than he did against TCU. Heard only threw for 53 yards and one touchdown, but was able to run for 115 yards on 21 carries. At this point, he’s far too inconsistent to use in cash games, even at a discounted price, but the real detractor from his fantasy value is the installation of Tyrone Swoopes as goal line quarterback. Swoopes twice accounted for scores on drives in which Heard led the team down the field. Heard’s rushing ability still makes him a nice GPP play, but his upside isn’t what it could be, as long as Texas continues to make use of Swoopes. Jonathan Gray saw a season high 22 carries, but only churned out 76 yards. Meanwhile D’Onta Foreman turned his nine totes into 117 yards, buoyed by an 81 yard run. At this point, it’s fairly clear that Forman is the more explosive option, but Texas seems committed to keeping Gray involved as the main running back.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Joe Mixon’s 36 offensive yards were a season low, but with a matchup against Kansas State’s tough run defense on deck, there’s hope that he could be featured more in the backfield, as he represents a far greater threat in the passing game than Samaje Perine. His price should be very palatable and we’ll view him as a high risk, high reward option this week.
OKLAHOMA STATE at WEST VIRGINIA
Game Recap: West Virginia got off to a miserable start for the second straight week, trailing 17-2 at halftime. The Mountaineers battled back to force overtime, tying the score at 26 with a little over two minutes remaining in regulation. Oklahoma State got the ball first in overtime and scored on a two yard J.W. Walsh rushing touchdown, but West Virginia could not answer and the Cowboys improved to 6-0.
Key Players: Mason Rudolph statistically had by far his worst game of the season, completing only 20 of 41 pass attempts for 218 yards and three interceptions. Red Zone quarterback J.W. Walsh accounted for two touchdowns, and really caps Rudolph’s upside on a weekly basis. There will be games against some of the Big 12’s weaker defenses in which Rudolph will be worth considering, but expectation is that this quarterback situation will largely continue to frustrate throughout 2015. Running backs Chris Carson and Rennie Childs both returned to action this week, but neither was effective. Carson rushed for 21 yards on 14 carries while Childs produced 34 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. We’re not expecting the running game to suddenly become a juggernaut in Stillwater. Oklahoma State continued to spread the ball around through the air with 12 different receivers catching at least one of the team’s 22 total completed passes.
Skyler Howard struggled for the second consecutive week, only throwing for 188 yards and a touchdown, though he played much better in the second half after only throwing for 31 yards in the first two quarters. West Virginia travels to Waco this weekend and Howard will need to have a big game if the Mountaineers are to compete with Baylor. He’ll be a very intriguing tournament option. Wendell Smallwood and Rushell Shell each received 19 carries. The difference between the two was that Smallwood averaged 7.7 yards per rush while Shell only mustered an average of 2.5 yards. Smallwood managed to produce his third straight 100 yard rushing game despite not practicing at all last week due to an ankle injury. The ankle injury also caused him to sit more than he usually would during the game, and this situation needs to be monitored leading up to Saturday in case he can’t suit up. He’ll likely be relied upon far more than Shell against Baylor not only because Smallwood has been the superior player of the two, but also because he excels in the passing game, and West Virginia will likely be playing from behind for much of this contest. Shelton Gibson bounced back from last week’s poor performance with five catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. At this point it’s clear he’s West Virginia’s most consistent, and most explosive, option in the passing game and needs to be on your radar against Baylor.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Jovon Durante and Daikiel Shorts are worth checking into once pricing is released this week. West Virginia will need to throw to keep pace with Baylor and these two should be involved in what could turn into a shootout. Shorts is more of a possession receiver, while Durante, though he has been inconsistent this year, has elite big play ability.
IOWA STATE vs TEXAS TECH
Game Recap: Iowa State showed a complete inability to stop the Texas Tech offensive attack and this game was over by the time the fourth quarter started. The two teams impressively combined for 1271 yards of offense and 97 points. True to form, the Red Raiders allowed 315 yards rushing despite Iowa State having to play in comeback mode for much of this game. The Texas Tech run defense will remain one to pick on for the remainder of 2015.
Key Players: Patrick Mahomes threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns….in the first half against Iowa State. He ended up with 428 yards and five scores but those numbers could have been far greater had Texas Tech not amassed such a big lead entering the fourth quarter. He has a dream matchup against Kansas this week and even though this should turn into a blowout fairly quickly, we still expect a big day from Mathomes. DeAndre Washington had a 120 total yards against Iowa State and once via the pass and once on the ground. If he continues to be moderately priced, he’ll be worth considering against an awful Kansas rush defense. Jakeem Grant continues to be the only Texas Tech receiver that can be considered part of the Circle of Trust. He caught nine passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns and is a great cash game option at receiver on a weekly basis.
Sam Richardson struggled mightily with what had previously been an extremely suspect Texas Tech secondary, only throwing for 139 yards and one touchdown. Coach Paul Rhodes already confirmed that Richardson will start against TCU, but it’s doubtful he has a very long leash. Mike Warren had an absolutely huge day, rushing for 245 yards on only 23 carries. He didn’t score at all largely because fellow running back Joshua Thomas was given the honor of scoring twice from one yard out. Considering that Iowa State will very likely fall behind quickly to TCU, Warren will make for a risky play this week, but he’s clearly the team’s best player at this point.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Justin Stockton has now scored in five of Texas Tech’s first six games in 2015, and he had 93 yards in the only game that he didn’t reach pay dirt. Even though he receives limited reps, he’s only exceeded nine touches once this year, he’s very explosive and the team works to get him the ball in space. He’s been modestly priced on a weekly basis, and needs to be considered a low-cost option this week against Kansas.