College Surprise Fantasy POW – Week 8

By Phil Steele

My QB’s of the Week

Joe Southwick, Boise St • Tom Savage, Pitt • Garrett Grayson, Colorado St

QB Joe Southwick (Boise St) – The 4^th most accurate passer in the FBS gets the nod as one of our 3 fantasy QB’s this week. On the year Southwick has completed 72.3% of his passes while surpassing the 300 yd mark in 2 of his last 3 contests. Up next for the Broncos is a date with rival Nevada who is allowing 602 ypg on the road this year. We look for Southwick to reach that 300+ pass mark again as the leader of the Boise offense.

QB Tom Savage (Pittsburgh) – After bouncing around the country via the transfer (Rutgers to Arizona to Rutgers to Pitt), Savage has finally found a home with the Panthers and has done relatively well including a massive 424 yd, 6 td outing a few weeks ago vs Duke. Pitt now gets a matchup with FBS transitional squad Old Dominion who has allowed 534 ypg vs FBS foes including 361 ypg through the air. Savage should get his share of passing opportunities as Pitt steps away from conf play for a weekend.

QB Garrett Grayson (Colorado St) – Consecutive 300 yard passing performances and a date with a Wyoming squad that is allowing 429 ypg on the season has us liking Grayson’s opportunities to deliver another consistent outing. Another promising stat to look at is the fact that over the past 5 contests, he has been able to pass for at least 2 td passes in 4 of those games.

My RB’s of the Week

Jeremy Langford, Michigan St • Saylor Lavallii, Central Mich • Charles Ross, Rice

RB Jeremy Langford (Michigan St) – The Spartans are well known for their rich history of RB’s and judging by his performance of a week ago (109 rush yds, 4 total td’s), Jeremy Langford could be the next in line for greatness. Purdue has allowed 486 ypg on the road this year including 388 and 251 yd rushing performances against Wisconsin and Nebraska. We look for the Spartans and Langford to pound the ball early and often.

RB Saylor Lavallii (Central Michigan) – Despite a hiccup against NCSt a few weeks back when he rushed for 16 yds on 14 carries, Saylor Lavallii has been a pleasant surprise for the Chips this year, especially in conference play where he has rushed for 144, 151 and 184 respectively vs Toledo, Miami and Ohio. While Northern Illinois is one of the more elite MAC schools in 2013, they have been susceptible to the run allowing 174 ypg in road contests this year. We like Lavallii to have continued success once again.

RB Charles Ross (Rice) – After a smashing start to his ’13 campaign against Texas A&M (107 rush, 3 total td) and Kansas (157 rush, 1 td), Ross was bitten by the injury bug over the next 3 games. Last week he returned to full health and after being gradually slid in vs UTSA with just 11 carries, we expect him to be the primary ball carrier this weekend vs a porous New Mexico St defense that has been gashed for 579 ypg (341 rush) on the season. With 5 CUSA games following this non-conf tilt, we expect the Owls offense to tune-up for the 2^nd half of the season here.

My WR’s of the Week

Ty Mongtomery, Stanford • Josh Huff, Oregon • Dres Anderson, Utah

WR Ty Montgomery (Stanford) – It doesn’t get much more dangerous in the open field than when you matchup against Ty Montgomery who is an all-purpose nightmare for the opposition. On the year Montgomery already has 2 KR td’s. After an 8 catch, 131 yd performance last week against Utah, Montgomery is fully vested into the passing game and should continue to flourish in a Top 25 tilt against the Bruins.

WR Josh Huff (Oregon) – After battling some injuries and upperclassmen in previous seasons Josh Huff has been a big part of the blur offense. Last season no Oregon WR had more than 500 receiving yards but Huff has already surpassed that mark through just 6 contests with 552 and 5 td’s. This week’s opponent Washington St has allowed 322, 521 and 496 yards in the air the L/3 weeks vs P12 opponents so it wouldn’t surprise us much to see Huff and company again take to the air with great success.

WR Dres Anderson (Utah) – With excellent bloodlines (Father Willie “Flipper” Anderson still holds the NFL single-game receiving record with 336 yds in 1989), Dres Anderson has established himself as the primary target of the Utah pass offense this season with 592 receiving yards including 4 games of 100+ on the year. Their opponent this week is an Arizona squad that was torched for 546 yds a week ago against a USC program that came in averaging just 380 ypg! We like Utah’s chances to put together a solid offensive outing once again this weekend.

My D’s of the Week

Michigan St • Buffalo • Cincinnati

Michigan St Defense – While the Michigan St offense has been the big story the last few weekends with back-to-back 400-yard performances, the defense remains as consistent as ever allowing just 16 pts and 221 ypg in East Lansing this year. This week the Spartans entertain an inept Purdue offense that is averaging just 12 ppg and 229 ypg vs BCS defenses on the year. We feel extremely comfortable naming the Michigan St defense as one of our selections this weekend.

Buffalo Defense – After being gashed for 560 ypg over their first 3 contests of the season, the Buffalo defense has settled down and become very consistent over their past 3 games allowing just 9 ppg and 250 ypg. Next on the docket for the Bulls is a UMass offense that has yet to find solid success on the year averaging just 9 ppg and 282 ypg. Even worse is the Minutemen’s road offense in 2013 (5 ppg, 267 ypg) making the Bulls a nice pick.

Cincinnati Defense – If you would throw out their 522 yds that they allowed to Illinois in week 2, the Bearcat defense would be allowing just 222 ypg on the year. That sets them up well against a Conn offense that has failed to get on track thus far as they have yet to win a game and have averaged just 220 ypg away from home on the year. We feel confident that the Cincy defense will flourish again!

 CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Sneaky Plays – Week 8

By Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com

A very interesting Week Seven is in the books and it is now time to look ahead to the seventh week of the college football season and the “sneaky” plays it has in store for fantasy owners. Here is a look at some guys who might fill in nicely for owners in need of a potential diamond in the rough.

QUARTERBACKS

QB Tom Savage, Pittsburgh (vs. Old Dominion):
Savage has had a roller coaster of a college career and has never lived up to his stud recruit billing coming out of high school. He appears to finally be comfortable at Pitt and could have a very big week against Old Dominion in Week Eight. The Pitt passing game could be in high gear against an ODU defense that could have a difficult time stopping Tyler Boyd and Devin Street. The Monarchs possess a potent passing attack and could keep this game close, meaning Savage will likely need to throw all game long. Savage could be a solid option in BCS only leagues this week.

QB Caleb Herring, UNLV (vs. Fresno State):
Herring has posted 678 yards passing and six touchdowns over the past two games and should be considered as an option this week against Fresno State. The Fresno State pass defense is putrid and could yield a bunch of yards and scores to Herring and his wide outs. It would not be a huge surprise to see Herring pile up over 300 yards and few scores against the Bulldogs on Saturday night. Herring could be the perfect option for owners in need of a high potential QB this week. (Note: in some leagues, Herring still qualifies as a WR)

QB BJ Denker, Arizona (vs. Utah):
Denker had a career game last week against USC with 363 yards passing and four touchdown passes. He proved that he can make the necessary throws and could find more success this week against Utah. The Utes pass defense has been getting torched this year and comes in ranked 105th in the nation. Look for Denker to do some damage with his arm and his feet on Saturday night in what could be a high scoring PAC 12 shootout.

RUNNING BACKS

RB Kevin Parks, Virginia (vs. Duke):
Parks is really starting to turn it on and has gone over 100 yards rushing in three of his past four games and has scored five touchdowns over that period. He is an excellent pass catcher out of the backfield, averaging 3.5 receptions per game on the season. Parks could be in line for a huge game against a weak Duke defense that could have a tough time containing him. A game that includes 150 total yards and multiple scores could be in store for Parks this week. He could make for an excellent option in BCS only league formats in Week Eight.

RB Glasco Martin, Baylor (vs. Iowa State):
Don’t look now, but the TD vulture is back and ready to drive Lache Seastrunk owners bonkers. Martin vultured 15 rushing touchdowns last season and appears to be up to his old tricks with 3 scores in the past two contests. He has become the back who gets the carries inside the 10-yard line and was used to run out the clock last week against Kansas State. There is no reason to think that Martin won’t score a couple of touchdowns this week against Iowa State. Martin is more than a handcuff to Seastrunk; he is a viable option in BCS only leagues.

RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State (vs. Purdue):
Langford exploded for 120 total yards and four scores last week against Indiana. He will be facing a Purdue defense that is simply not very good and could easily get pushed around by the Michigan State rushing attack. Langford seems like a good bet for at least 100 yards rushing and one or two trips to the end zone against the Boilermakers. This Spartan could be an excellent #2 RB option for owners in most league formats this week.

RB Marteze Waller, Fresno State (vs. UNLV):
Waller has scored 4 touchdowns in the past two games and is averaging 126 yards on the ground during that span. He appears to have assumed control over the backfield and could post big numbers against UNLV in Week Eight. The Rebels rush defense has been abysmal this year and comes in ranked 119th in the country. Look for Waller to find plenty of huge holes to run through and easily top the 100-yard mark with a couple of scores thrown in. Waller looks to be a nice option in most types of leagues this week.

RB Shaun Wick, Wyoming (vs. Colorado State):
Wick has scored two rushing touchdowns in three of his last four games and appears poised to continue that success against Colorado State. The Rams defense is adequate at best and may be concentrated on containing QB Brett Smith, which could allow Wick to find plenty of open space. Look for Wick to find the end zone again this week and likely approach the 100-yard mark on the ground. He could be a solid #2 RB in most league formats in Week Eight.

WIDE RECEIVERS

WR Shane Williams-Rhodes, Boise State (vs. Nevada):
Williams-Rhodes is leading Boise State in receptions and receiving touchdowns and has also scored a rushing touchdown on the season. He could see plenty of opportunity in a potential shootout with Nevada this week. Look for this Bronco to be a nice option for owners in need of a gem this week.

WR Damian Copeland, Louisville (vs. Central Florida):
Copeland got his opportunity to shine last week with DeVante Parker out and he responded with 8 catches for 115 yards. He could star again this week as Parker’s playing status is very much in question again. Look for Copeland to have a busy Friday night and reward fantasy owners for doing their research. Copeland could easily top the 100-yard mark this week and could be a nice #2 wide out in BCS only leagues.

WR Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (vs. Tennessee):
Ellington has come on strong lately and is fresh off a two touchdown performance against Arkansas. He is the main target in the South Carolina passing game and could be very busy this week against Tennessee. The Volunteers have had difficulty defending the pass this season and may not have an answer for Ellington. Look for Ellington to find pay dirt this week and catch a couple of long passes.

SNEAKY D’S

East Carolina vs. Southern Miss
Ball State vs. Western Michigan
Buffalo vs. UMASS
Oklahoma vs. Kansas
Rice vs. New Mexico State

There you have it everyone, enjoy this week’s action and always remember to have fun playing college fantasy football. Good luck this week!

More…

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CollegeFootballGeek.com is your home for 2013 college fantasy football content! Draft kit, injury reports, player news, player projections, player rankings, mock drafts, community forums, and much more!

CollegeFootballGeek.com’s 2013 Coll Fantasy Player Rankings – Week 8

 Todd DeVries, CollegeFootballGeek.com

For complete up-to-date college fantasy football player rankings and statistical projections, visit CollegeFootballGeek.com

Scoring System Used for CFG Rankings:
4 points per passing touchdown
6 points per rushing/receiving touchdown
25 passing yards = 1 point
10 rushing/receiving yards = 1 point
1 interception = -2 points
1 reception = 0.5 points

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Phil Steele is a college football analyst who has been publishing his annual College Football Preview since 1995. His magazine is regarded as one of the best in the business.
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