CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 11

It was a fun Week 10 as we had the game of the year with Notre Dame & Clemson and my picks weren't too shabby either as I had the following four players eclipse the 30 fantasy point mark this last week:

Virginia Tech QB Hendon Hooker (45.3 points) – Four total touchdowns in barnburner vs. Liberty!
Nevada WR Romeo Doubs (41.3 points) – Averaging 155 yards on 12.7 targets per game!
Memphis WR Calvin Austin (30.5 points) Four straight 100-yard receiving games!
Penn State WR Jahan Dotson (30.3 points) – 33 targets in three games!

I promised I would get better on my Mountain West picks and I did exactly that as Nevada QB Carson Strong (28.1 points) and San Diego State RB Greg Bell (29.3 points) combined with Doubs to score 98.7 fantasy points this last week. All three of these guys are must grabs if they're still out there on the wire.

Slate Background: Another full slate as we get MACtion on both Tuesday and Wednesday this upcoming week. I'm excited to have some data to play with after their first set of games. We then get to see a great Cincinnati team on primetime versus a horrible East Carolina defense on Friday Night. A jam-packed Saturday has a lot of games, but there doesn't appear to be any premier match-ups between ranked teams.

*Fantasy Points referenced in article are DK format.

AAC

Anthony Russo or Re-al Mitchell, QB, Temple
This recommendation really hinges on Russo coming back from a shoulder injury as they have a juicy match-up with UCF who is yielding 283.7 passing yards per game. When healthy, Russo has averaged 27.2 fantasy points through three contests and has a set of very talented receivers in Jadan Blue, Randle Jones and Branden Mack. If Russo can't make it back to the lineup, Mitchell can be considered as well with his dual-threat ability as UCF also gives up 190.5 rushing yards per game and in reality, it should be a game with a ton of points and a high pace of play.

Gerrid Doaks, RB, Cincinnati
Doaks was able to record his third 100-yard rushing performance with a season-high 184 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in a dismantling of Houston this past weekend. I'm not sure why Doaks isn't just owned in nearly 100% of leagues with how good Cincinnati has been. I will presume this will be the last chance to get the Bearcats' top running back on the waiver wire. It's not hard to make a case for him as he has received double-digit carries in every game this year and has also converted 11 of 12 targets for 166 yards and two more touchdowns in the passing game.

Week 10 Rewind; Memphis WR Calvin Austin (30.5 points – 5/9 targets, 102 yards, 2 TD) & Tulane QB Michael Pratt (22.7 points – 22/34, 216 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 31 rushing yards)

ACC

Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia
If you recall, last time I recommended Armstrong for Week 6, he was knocked out of the game early with an injury and actually ended up with negative fantasy points. If that happens again, I'll learn my lesson and realize there's a jinx that exists with the player and this article. Over his last two games, Armstrong has looked good with six total touchdowns and at least 15 rushing attempts in games against Miami and North Carolina. An upcoming tilt with Louisville has the potential to have a ton of points, so I'll take my chances and go back to Armstrong in this spot. He's also a sneaky add right now as the Cavs play at Florida State in Week 13.

Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Flowers came through last week with his sixth straight game with double-digit fantasy points. Don't look now, but Flowers actually leads the ACC conference with 74 targets and is third with 13.2 fantasy points per game behind North Carolina's Dyami Brown (14.7) and Clemson's Amari Rodgers (13.6). There's no way you're finding Brown or Rodgers on the waiver wire, so it's pretty crazy that Flowers is still available in over 50 percent of leagues. With Notre Dame, Louisville and Virginia to end the season, Flowers should put a cherry on top of a breakout sophomore season.

Week 10 Rewind; Boston College WR Zay Flowers (18.4 points – 6/11 targets, 64 yards, 1 TD) & Virginia Tech QB Hendon Hooker (45.3 points – 20/27, 217 yards, 3 TD, 156 rushing yards, 1 TD)

BIG 12

R.J. Sneed, WR, Baylor
We have a light schedule in the Big 12 with just two games this next week and I like Sneed quite a bit. Plus, he's virtually available in almost all fantasy leagues as Baylor has really struggled on the offensive end in 2020. He ranks ninth in the conference with 42 targets and has not received less than eight targets in any of Baylor's five games. Texas Tech is giving up 301.1 passing yards per game, so if there's any game where Sneed breaks out this season, this should be the one. If hurting at QB, Charlie Brewer is also in play against the Red Raiders, but he's not my top suggestion.

Travis Koontz, TE, Texas Tech
At this point, I don't really trust any of the players on the waiver wire for the TCU and West Virginia game, so I'll stick with the bout between the Bears and Red Raiders. This is a dart throw at the tight end position, however, Koontz does have at least one target in every game this year and even broke out with a 75-yard touchdown versus Oklahoma in Week 9. That led to the senior getting four targets this past week at TCU and it's a lock that Texas Tech will be throwing early and often against Baylor.

Week 10 Rewind; TCU RB Zach Evans (5.0 points – 40 total yards on 11 touches) & Oklahoma TE Austin Stogner (16.5 points – 3/5 targets, 75 yards, 1 TD – Left w/ Injury)

BIG TEN

Tyler Goodson, RB, Iowa
Goodson has been solid in his three games for the Hawkeyes while averaging 16.0 fantasy points per contest with a combined 43 carries for 233 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He's also been quite active in the passing game with 11 targets which has him tied second in the conference at the running back position and well ahead of his pace from last season when he had a total of 28 targets in 13 games. Goodson has an excellent match-up on Friday Night with Minnesota who is giving up 239.3 rushing yards per game and 481 total yards per game overall.

Isaih Pacheco, RB, Rutgers
Catching passes from the running back position is going to be a theme in the Big 10 this week as Pacheco actually leads the league with 16 targets in three games. The Rutgers and Illinois game will be sneaky good for fantasy purposes this upcoming week and I still find Pacheco the best option from the Rutgers side. He's recorded 11.6 fantasy points per game and it's primarily been with his conference-leading 12 catches from the backfield for 75 yards as he has just two rushing touchdowns on 35 carries for 153 yards. The Fighting Illini's defense has been really bad to start while giving up 475.7 yards per game and Rutgers' offense has been surprisingly good.

Week 10 Rewind; Penn State WR Jahan Dotson (30.3 points – 9/16 targets, 123 yards, 1 TD) & Indiana QB Michael Penix (30/50, 342 yards, 3 TD)

C-USA

Nick Tronti, QB, Florida Atlantic
I've been down this road earlier this season and struck out, yet let's try it again as the Owls will go up against an FIU defense that is allowing 213.3 rushing yards per game. Although a small sample size, Tronti has at least nine rushing attempts in each of his four games this season which means that he will have an opportunity to pick up some rushing yards in addition to his passing production which should provide a relatively safe floor for the junior quarterback this week. In two of his four games, he has a rushing score, so I'm counting on that touchdown against a struggling defense on Friday Night.

Austin Trammell, WR, Rice
Coming back to Trammell as he leads the conference with 18.25 yards per target in his two games in the 2020 season. While they weren't able to play this past week due to COVID-19, if they are able to get on the field, Trammell and QB Mike Collins have had a special connection with 10 catches for 219 yards and five touchdowns on 12 targets. Rice will surely have to throw the ball against Louisiana Tech and those targets should gravitate towards Trammell as the best player for the Owls.

*Old Dominion is not playing in Fall 2020

Week 10 Rewind; Marshall QB Grant Wells (24.0 points – 21/30, 228 yards, 3 TD, 29 rushing yards) & Rice WR Austin Trammell (Game postponed due to COVID-19)

MAC

Kurtis Rourke, QB, Ohio
Rourke will need to hold off UNLV transfer, Armani Rodgers, but that shouldn't matter much against the conference doormat, Akron. It wouldn't be another college football season without Akron being one of the worst teams in all of college football as they yielded 484 yards of total offense to Western Michigan in a 58-13 loss to open the season. Meanwhile, Rourke was impressive through the air with 231 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-19 passing. When examining the Bobcats' first game, it appears they want to roll with Rourke, so I expect them to see what they can do through the air with him against the Zips.

Justin Hall, WR, Ball State
Hall was everywhere on the field this past week with four catches on nine targets for 124 yards and a touchdown to go along with a rushing score. He also had 106 kick return yards as he's a dynamic weapon for the Cardinals. This shouldn't be new for MAC followers as Hall had at least 700 total offensive yards in each of his first three seasons with Ball State and even surpassed 100 targets in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Ball State's defense isn't very good, so expect Hall to get plenty of targets each and every week.

Week 10 Rewind; Western Michigan WR Skyy Moore (6.3 points – 3/3 targets, 33 yards) & Toledo WR Bryce Mitchell (14.8 points – 3/5 targets, 58 yards, 1 TD)

MWC

Romeo Doubs & Carson Strong, WR & QB, Nevada
Can't get off Doubs now who is still available in over 50 percent of leagues and has been absolutely awesome to begin the season with 25 catches for 465 yards and five touchdowns on 38 targets in just three games. They travel to New Mexico this week to take on a Lobos team who has one of the worst defenses in all of college football. No reason to look away from Nevada QB Carson Strong either who is still available in a bunch of leagues. These two guys can bring you home a fantasy championship this year if you're still able to grab them.

Greg Bell, RB, San Diego State
There's also no reason to get off Bell either as he is the second-ranked running back in the Mountain West Conference with 22.7 points per game, only training Fresno State's Ronnie Rivers at 32.1 fantasy points per game. Bell is still available in a ton of leagues and will go up against a Hawaii defense that is giving up 226.7rushing yards per game. With the volume that Bell receives, he's a good bet for yet another 100-yard rushing performance.

Week 10 Rewind; Nevada WR Romeo Doubs (41.3 points – 7/13 targets, 137 yards, 3 TD), Nevada QB Carson Strong (28.1 points – 36/52, 411 yards, 3 TD) & San Diego State RB Greg Bell (29.3 points – 109 rushing yards, 1 TD, 6/6 targets, 34 yards)

PAC-12

Drake London, WR, USC
While USC has a ton of weapons on the offensive end, London is particularly scary as he showed with his eight catches for 125 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in the Trojans comeback win over Arizona State. There's no way you can get Amon-Ra St. Brown or Stephen Carr on the waiver wire, so I like London as the next best thing. Bru McCoy is another name to watch as the season progresses as he has superstar talent. McCoy is likely one of those guys that will be much better by the end of the season or should be elevated if an injury occurs to one of the other receivers.

Tyler Shough, QB, Oregon
Shough was a pleasant surprise on Saturday Night as he ran a lot more than I thought he would with 11 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown to go along with 227 yards and a score through the air. The schedule lines up in a nice way for the Ducks with Washington State, UCLA and Oregon State which means that Shough could put up monster numbers over the next few weeks. If you're in need of a new starter at QB, he's the way to go.

Week 10 Rewind; Colorado TE Brady Russell (18.7 points – 5/10 targets, 77 yards, 1 TD) & UCLA RB Demetric Felton (28.3 points – 57 rushing yards, 1 TD, 7/9 targets, 46 yards, 1 TD)

SEC

Keyon Henry-Brooks, RB, Vanderbilt
Typically, we're looking for players against Vandy, however, Henry-Brooks has been too good to ignore. He broke out in a big way against Mississippi State with 41.2 fantasy points which included 115 rushing yards and a touchdown as well as 11 catches for 97 yards on 12 targets. That one game is no fluke either as he had 25.5 points against Ole Miss and 13.3 points against South Carolina. With most good SEC players owned across all leagues, you could do a lot worse than Henry-Brooks over the next month of the season.

Nick Muse, TE, South Carolina
The Gamecocks will have a chance to put up a some points this week as they take on Ole Miss who is allowing 40.7 points per game. Muse has disappeared against good SEC defenses, but did have his best game against Vanderbilt with five catches for 85 yards on six targets in Week 6. I believe both Muse and Shi Smith can have monster weeks for South Carolina who should be able to go back and forth with Mississippi.

Week 10 Rewind; Arkansas WR Treylon Burks (20.7 points – 5/7 targets, 95 yards, 1 TD) & Georgia RB James Cook (7.3 points – 26 rushing yards, 3/3 targets, 17 yards)

SUN BELT

Jaivon Heiligh, WR, Coastal Carolina
Those who have regularly followed this article no how much I love the Chanticleers. Quarterback Grayson McCall is always worth a recommendation, but I'll go back to Heiligh again who has very consistent production numbers each and every week. He's averaging 13.9 fantasy points per game and more importantly, 11.96 yards per target which is tops in the conference when you consider the higher volume receivers like Arkansas State's Jonathan Adams (8.95 YPT), South Alabama's Kawaan Baker (10.56 YPT) and Troy's Kaylon Geiger (9.34 YPT).

Shai Werts, QB, Georgia Southern
Going with Werts in this spot against Texas State because the Eagles' top two running backs in Wesley Kennedy and J.D. King are dealing with injuries. They both may still play, but I think that will lead the coaching staff to lean more on their dual-threat quarterback. He commonly draws double-digit carries anyways and has a rushing score in three of his seven games this year. Texas State isn't known for their defense and like to play an up-tempo game, so I could see Werts getting all the volume he can handle.

Week 10 Rewind; Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall (18.6 points – 17/24, 209 yards, 1 TD, 72 rushing yards) & South Alabama WR Kawaan Baker (5.3 points – 3/3 targets, 20 yards)

INDEPENDENTS

Joshua Mack, RB, Liberty
The Flames are legit and should be talked about a lot more now that they knocked off a real college football team in Virginia Tech on the road. I've already bragged about quarterback Malik Willis on a ton of occasions, so it's time to move towards some of their other playmakers. With a game against West ern Carolina on the docket, there's an opportunity for Mack to get his motor running hot once again. Mack started the season with three straight 100-yard rushing games before being slowed down with an illness. He looked to be fully healthy with 90 yards on 19 carries against the Hokies which makes me think he's worth considering against Western Carolina this week.

*New Mexico State and UConn are not playing in Fall 2020

Week 10 Rewind; BYU WR Dax Milne (12.9 points – 3/6 targets, 99 yards)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

West Virginia (vs. TCU) – If the Mountaineers can slow down Sam Ehlinger of Texas, I'm thinking they can shut down TCU.

Liberty (vs. Western Carolina) – Western Carolina hasn't yet played this year, so this could be interesting.

Kentucky (vs. Vanderbilt) – The Wildcats have not given up more than 20 points in any of their last four games. Vanderbilt will have a tough time getting anywhere near 20 points.

Week 10 Rewind; Marshall vs. UMass (10 PA, 4 Sacks, 1 TA), Coastal Carolina vs. South Alabama (6 PA, 5 Sacks, 2 TAs) & Oklahoma vs. Kansas (9 PA, 9 Sacks, 2 TAs)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Utilizing the two players for each conference, I'll list out who my top recommendations are on a weekly basis by position:

QB: Oregon Tyler Shough, Nevada Carson Strong, Virginia Brennan Armstrong
RB: San Diego State Greg Bell, Cincinnati Gerrid Doaks, Iowa Tyler Goodson
WR: Nevada Romeo Doubs, Coastal Carolina Jaivon Heiligh, USC Drake London
TE: South Carolina Nick Muse, Texas Tech Travis Koontz
D/ST: Kentucky (vs. Vanderbilt)