This article is part of our FantasyAces College Football series.
I am taking over this week's FantasyAces article for Brian Peacock as he is on vacation. Last week's fantasy action saw some highly owned players like Trevone Boykin, Greg Ward and Connor Cook leave early due to injury and some other touted plays fall short of projections. It definitely felt like the best week of the year to be contrarian and not follow the chalk. This week, we get a slate of 19 games with the highest Vegas total 71. Something unique about this week is FantasyAces is offering early and late slate contests separately this week, with the main slate being the early games.
QUARTERBACK
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (vs. Wake Forest) - $6,650
Watson comes into this week's slate as the most expensive quarterback on the board by $550. With Clemson currently holding the number one spot in the College Football Playoff rankings there isn't any room for this offense to let its foot off the gas. In Clemson's last two contests Watson has attempted an average of 44 passing attempts and has over 100 yards rushing in each. Clemson may also be without star running back Wayne Gallman this week, adding some extra workload to Watson. Earlier in the season a matchup against Wake Forest would have been one that I would of recommended avoiding, but the Demon Deacons have given up an average of 33 points over their last four games and haven't faced a team as deadly as Clemson.
Cody Kessler, USC (at Oregon) - $5,050
To feel comfortable with this pick you are going to have to bypass Kessler's recent production and look at the big picture. In Kessler's last three games he has failed to top 20 fantasy points and only has five passing touchdowns over that span. However, Kessler and the Trojans get a prime matchup this week against the 125th ranked passing defense of Oregon. In its last three games, Oregon has given up above-projection performances to Mike Bercovici, Jared Goff and Kevin Hogan. Look for Kessler to out play his mid-tier price this week.
Joe Hubener, Kansas State (vs. Iowa State) - $4,850
Last weekend Hubener was one of the few chalk plays to actually pay off in a big way. Against Texas Tech he threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, adding three rushing touchdowns on the ground albeit only on nine yards. Over Hubener's last two games he is averaging 37 fantasy points and has five rushing touchdowns over that span. You are going to have to take the good with the bad, however, as Hubener does have an interception in six straight games. With a matchup this weekend against an Iowa State team ranked 88th against the run and 109th against the pass, Hubener should have plenty of opportunities to find the end zone.
Others to consider: Marquise Williams, Mike Bercovici, Kyle Postma (If Greg Ward sits)
RUNNING BACK
Kenneth Farrow, Houston (at UConn) - $5,400
Although starting quarterback Greg Ward practiced Tuesday, it still seems unlikely for him to suit up for Saturday's game against Connecticut. That would leave junior Kyle Postma to make his first career start. Though Postma looked solid in a comeback win against Memphis last week, we would expect Kenneth Farrow to see an increase in his duties. In Farrow's last four games he has found the end zone seven times, averaging near 25 fantasy points over that time. Connecticut comes in with the nation's 24th-ranked pass defense, so expect Houston to game plan around their starting running back.
Travon McMillian, Virginia Tech (vs. North Carolina) - $4,900
A player whose price hasn't yet caught up to his production yet is Virginia Tech running back Travon McMillian. Early in the season Virginia Tech was using a running back by committee approach, but once McMillian was handed the keys to the castle he has produced in big ways. Over the past three weeks as the Hokies starting running back McMillian has averaged 26 carries a game for 120 yards. He has also added four touchdowns over that stretch. Virginia Tech faces a North Carolina this week that possesses the nation's 11th-ranked pass defense, but 107th-ranked rushing defense.
Mike Warren, Iowa State (at Kansas State) - $4,800
In four of Iowa States last five weeks they have faced the high-powered offenses of TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. With Iowa State going 0-4 in that stretch and 3-7 overall on the season, it comes as no surprise that the running game has been taken out of play a little bit. Three weeks ago when the Cyclones had a more even matchup against Texas, Warren ran for 157 yards on 32 attempts. This week Iowa State faces a Kansas State team that was just torched by Texas Tech running back DeAndre Washington for a gaudy 248 yards and 9.2 yards per carry.
Others to consider: Arkeel Newsome, Jordan Canzeri, Zac Brooks (If Wayne Gallman sits)
WIDE RECEIVER
JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC (at Oregon) - $5,750
This is a slightly different week for the position as there are a lot of players who seem either overpriced, or the matchup doesn't warrant their price. However, the elite option on this slate is USC wide out JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Trojans face the 125th-ranked pass defense of Oregon this week. Smith-Schuster should be a little bit of a shock to the Ducks because they haven't faced a high-grade wide receiver in the last three weeks. This isn't taking anything away from the Stanford or Arizona State wide receiver corps, but they don't possess the stand-out talent of Smith-Schuster.
Artavis Scott, Clemson (vs. Wake Forest) - $4,400
Another strong stacking option this week if you are planning on rostering Deshaun Watson is his number one wide out Artavis Scott. Scott's numbers are down over the past two weeks, averaging only 10.5 fantasy points over that time. However, Scott has been targeted 27 times in those two games. You are not going to see Scott run down field and catch a big pass, but you will see him featured constantly on quick outs, letting his speed and volume grind you out fantasy points. On a normal week I would say Scott is an easy fade going off of his season stats, but again with running back Wayne Gallman doubtful and Clemson holding onto that No. 1 spot in the playoff rankings, the pace and volume greatly benefit Scott. With 19 other wide receivers priced above Scott this week, he is one of the best high ceiling salary savers on the board.
Malachi Dupre, LSU (at Ole Miss) - $4,400
Dupre is one of my favorite receivers in college football. Last week against Arkansas, Dupre caught eight of 12 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. In four of his last five games he has topped 16 fantasy points and is a dud against Alabama away from being on a six-week scoring streak. The sophomore was No. 2 wide receiver recruit in the nation in 2014 (behind Speedy Noil) and has the highest vertical jump in college football. LSU travels to Ole Miss this week, a team that just gave up 53 points to Arkansas and typically struggles against the pass. If Ole Miss' 23rd-ranked rushing defense is able to contain Leonard Fournette, look for Dupre and the passing game to take over.
Others to consider: Demarcus Ayers, Michael Thomas, Allen Lazard
TIGHT END
Jaylen Samuels, NC State (vs. Syracuse) - $5,000
There is a pretty distinct gap between the top few options at tight end with Jaylen Samuels being $1,200 more expensive than the next best option. However in rostering Samuels you not only get the most targeted receiver in the North Carolina State offense, you also get goal line rushing opportunities. Last week against Florida State Samuels hauled in eight of nine targets for 28 yards and a touchdown. The 3.5 yards per reception is a bit low, but seeing how it was against an elite Florida State defense it makes sense. It's also a good sign that despite the low yards-per-catch, the NC State offense still tried to feature him as much as possible. Things are considerably easier this week against a Syracuse defense ranked 103rd in the nation.
Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin (vs. Northwestern) - $3,550
If you are looking to save at the tight end spot then Troy Fumagalli has been one of the more consistent options over the past few weeks. The Wisconsin football team is one based around running the football, but with a test against Northwestern's strong run defense this week they may need to turn to the air. Besides receiver Alex Erickson the weapons for the Badgers are pretty sparse. Fumagalli has seen a minimum of four targets per week and averages 6.75 fantasy points a contest.
Others to consider: Jordan Leggett, Kody Kohl, George Kittle
