Quarterbacks
Robert Griffin — Baylor vs. Texas Tech. Griffin leads the NCAA in total offense and is coming off a 551-yard, four touchdown game against Oklahoma, including an 80-yard scoring drive that resulted in a 34-yard fade route to Terrance Williams and effectively put an end to Oklahoma’s national championship bid. Griffin has the second highest passing efficiency in the nation with 33 touchdowns to five interceptions and a 72.9-percent completion mark. He’s produced six 300-plus yard games in his last seven matchups and Texas Tech is giving up 250 yards passing per game, where they rank 64th in the country. Baylor is the top producing offense in the Big 12 and ranks behind only Houston nationally with an average of 573 yards per game.
Chandler Harnish — Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Michigan. The Huskies have 40 or more points in nine of 11 games this year and Harnish has a team-high 1,203 rushing yards and 2,594 yards passing this season after setting a new single-game mark for total offense against Ball State with 519 yards in Week 12. He's been to Northern Illinois what Dan LeFevour was to Central Michigan in 2009. If the Huskies can limit turnovers on offense, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to add to his impressive totals against a struggling EMU squad. The Eagles rank sixth in the MAC in pass defense and allow an average of 218.9 yards per game.
Nick Foles — Arizona vs. Louisiana Lafayette. Foles suffered a rib injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s game against Arizona State, but is fully expected to play this week in the Wildcats final game of the season. The fifth year senior has proven to be an effective quarterback since transferring from Michigan State, ranking third in the nation with 3,982 passing yards, while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt and 25 touchdowns in his first 11 starts. Louisiana Lafayette (8-3) is bowl-bound and ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in pass defense. As Rivals.com notes, they also rank middle of the pack in nearly every other defensive category.
Case Keenum — Houston at Tulsa. Keenum is the all-time FBS leader in total offense and currently leads the nation with 4,269 yards passing and 38 touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions this season. The Cougars are averaging 53.1 points per game and 618.3 yards of total offense. Tulsa ranks ninth in the Conference USA with an average of 37.7 points against and 409.5 yards of total offense.
Alex Carder — Western Michigan vs. Akron. The Western Michigan passing attack has been highly-efficient over the last several weeks, where Carder is coming off three consecutive games of 400 plus yards while completing 36 of 57 passes for three touchdowns in last week’s near upset to Miami of Ohio. Western Michigan is bowl-eligible with six wins but would likely need another one this week to receive any of the low-end MAC bowl considerations. Expect Carder to maitain his averages against an Akron defense that’s positioned to finish last in the MAC in points allowed and yields an average of 413.5 total yards per game this season.
Mid-to-Low End options
James Franklin — Missouri at Kansas
Austin Davis — Southern Mississippi vs. Memphis
Seth Doege — Texas Tech at Baylor
Logan Thomas — Virginia Tech at Virginia
Keith Wenning — Ball State vs. Toledo
Denard Robinson — Michigan vs. Ohio State
Brett Smith — Wyoming vs. Boise State
Tim Jefferson — Air Force at Colorado State
Colby Cameron — Louisiana Tech vs. New Mexico State
Geno Smith — West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
Quarterbacks
Robert Griffin — Baylor vs. Texas Tech. Griffin leads the NCAA in total offense and is coming off a 551-yard, four touchdown game against Oklahoma, including an 80-yard scoring drive that resulted in a 34-yard fade route to Terrance Williams and effectively put an end to Oklahoma’s national championship bid. Griffin has the second highest passing efficiency in the nation with 33 touchdowns to five interceptions and a 72.9-percent completion mark. He’s produced six 300-plus yard games in his last seven matchups and Texas Tech is giving up 250 yards passing per game, where they rank 64th in the country. Baylor is the top producing offense in the Big 12 and ranks behind only Houston nationally with an average of 573 yards per game.
Chandler Harnish — Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Michigan. The Huskies have 40 or more points in nine of 11 games this year and Harnish has a team-high 1,203 rushing yards and 2,594 yards passing this season after setting a new single-game mark for total offense against Ball State with 519 yards in Week 12. He's been to Northern Illinois what Dan LeFevour was to Central Michigan in 2009. If the Huskies can limit turnovers on offense, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to add to his impressive totals against a struggling EMU squad. The Eagles rank sixth in the MAC in pass defense and allow an average of 218.9 yards per game.
Nick Foles — Arizona vs. Louisiana Lafayette. Foles suffered a rib injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s game against Arizona State, but is fully expected to play this week in the Wildcats final game of the season. The fifth year senior has proven to be an effective quarterback since transferring from Michigan State, ranking third in the nation with 3,982 passing yards, while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt and 25 touchdowns in his first 11 starts. Louisiana Lafayette (8-3) is bowl-bound and ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in pass defense. As Rivals.com notes, they also rank middle of the pack in nearly every other defensive category.
Case Keenum — Houston at Tulsa. Keenum is the all-time FBS leader in total offense and currently leads the nation with 4,269 yards passing and 38 touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions this season. The Cougars are averaging 53.1 points per game and 618.3 yards of total offense. Tulsa ranks ninth in the Conference USA with an average of 37.7 points against and 409.5 yards of total offense.
Alex Carder — Western Michigan vs. Akron. The Western Michigan passing attack has been highly-efficient over the last several weeks, where Carder is coming off three consecutive games of 400 plus yards while completing 36 of 57 passes for three touchdowns in last week’s near upset to Miami of Ohio. Western Michigan is bowl-eligible with six wins but would likely need another one this week to receive any of the low-end MAC bowl considerations. Expect Carder to maitain his averages against an Akron defense that’s positioned to finish last in the MAC in points allowed and yields an average of 413.5 total yards per game this season.
Mid-to-Low End options
James Franklin — Missouri at Kansas
Austin Davis — Southern Mississippi vs. Memphis
Seth Doege — Texas Tech at Baylor
Logan Thomas — Virginia Tech at Virginia
Keith Wenning — Ball State vs. Toledo
Denard Robinson — Michigan vs. Ohio State
Brett Smith — Wyoming vs. Boise State
Tim Jefferson — Air Force at Colorado State
Colby Cameron — Louisiana Tech vs. New Mexico State
Geno Smith — West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
Running Backs
Adonis Thomas—Toldeo at Ball State. Though he’s a still a relative unknown in the college football world, Thomas is doing big things out of the MAC. Despite missing almost four games to injury, the senior has still managed to rush for 822 yards and ten touchdowns this season, boosted by three straight 130-plus rushing games. He has seven touchdowns in those last three games as well, making him the number one fantasy option this week. The combination of Toledo’s powerful offense (42.0 ppg) plus their favorable matchup with Ball State should mean another monster game from Thomas.
Bobby Rainey—Western Kentucky vs. Troy. Rainey is a yardage machine for the Hilltoppers, only failing to go over 100 yards rushing twice this season (while never failing to reach at least 85). That consistency is a dream for fantasy owners, especially when the potential to have a huge game is always there. Rainey did just that last game against North Texas, rushing for 214 yards and two total touchdowns. The potential is there again this week when WKU takes on Troy, a team who gives up 459.7 yards per game to opponents this season.
John White IV—Utah vs. Colorado. As White goes, so do the Utes. The numbers are startling during the four Utah losses versus their seven wins. In wins, White averages 166 yards per game and has scored 11 of his 14 touchdowns this season. In losses, he only averages about 53.8 yards per game with only three scores. The good news for owners is that the Utes take on 2-10 Colorado this week, a game the team should easily win. That should mean another big game and win, much like the 186-yard, two-touchdown victory over Washington State last week.
Montee Ball—Wisconsin vs. Penn State. After being the number one running back option last week, Ball’s stock takes a minor hit based on the matchup this week. The Nittany Lions boast one of the toughest defenses in the country, only giving up only 287.4 yards per game and a stingy 13 points per game. But Ball is still a viable option because it does not seem to matter who he has played this season as evidenced by his 30 total touchdowns (25 rushing, five receiving). The junior may not repeat the 224-yard two-touchdown performance that he had last week against Illinois, but he and the 12th ranked Wisconsin offense should be able to put points on the board at home this Saturday.
Robbie Rouse—Fresno State vs. San Jose State. Rouse has a lot of value because he catches a good number of balls out of the backfield as well as being a very good rusher. Rouse has averaged over five receptions in his last three games, as well as totaling 358 rush yards in that period. The matchup is good for Rouse and the Bulldogs who take on San Jose State, a defense that has given up an average of 270 yards on the ground over the last two weeks. Rouse has had a number of big games, including last week’s 176-yard, one-touchdown victory over Hawaii. Rouse looks capable of having another in the Spartans’ last game of the season.
Mid-to-Low End options
Branden Oliver—Buffalo vs. Bowling Green
Robert Turbin—Utah State vs. Nevada
LaMichael James—Oregon vs. Oregon State
Trent Richardson—Alabama at Auburn
Doug Martin—Boise State vs. Wyoming
Kendial Lawrence—Missouri at Kansas
Orleans Darkwa—Tulane at Hawaii
Chris Nwoke—Northern Colorado vs. Air Force
Le’Veon Bell—Michigan State at Northwestern
Charles Sims—Houston at Tulsa
Tyler Smith—Rice at SMU
Rex Burkhead—Nebraska vs. Iowa
Bernard Pierce—Temple vs. Kent State
Jasmin Hopkins—Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Michigan
Cameron Marshall—Arizona State vs. California
Wide Receivers
Jordan White—Western Michigan vs. Akron. White has been a pass-catching machine this season, leading the nation with 108 receptions. He even missed the first game of the season, meaning he has averaged an unreal 10.8 receptions per game. His 1,389 receiving yards are good for second in the country and his 14 touchdowns are tied for second as well. Last week, the senior had nine catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns, his sixth multiple-touchdown game of the year. This week, the Broncos take on lowly Akron, which should mean Whites’ usual double-digit catches and multiple scores are likely to follow.
Kendall Wright—Baylor vs. Texas Tech. Wright had a great game in the upset of Oklahoma last week, catching 8 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. The senior’s 89 catches are easily the most on the team, so he should continue to be the go-to option for the Bears. This week, the team takes on offensive-minded Texas Tech, whose 473.6 yards allowed per game ranks 115th in the nation. Wright has caught 89 passes for 1,281 yards and ten touchdowns this season for Baylor. Look for Wright to be able to break free a few more times this game at home.
Eric Page—Toledo at Ball State. If there’s any passes being called for Toledo, there is a very good chance it is going to end up in Page’s hands. His 96 catches are nearly triple the next-highest on the team of 34. Toledo always puts up a lot of points, averaging over 57 points per game during their last three contests. The matchup does not bode well for their opponent this week, Ball State. The Cardinals are ranked second-to-last in total defense, giving up an average of 510.6 yards per game. Page and Toledo’s 42 points per game should mean plenty of opportunities to score for the receiver this week.
Patrick Edwards—Houston at Tulsa. Edwards is the product of Case Keenum’s record-setting passing season. Though he had an off game last week against SMU, Edwards should resume catching everything Keenum throws his way. Tulsa has a poor defense that should pose no problem to the nation’s number one offense in the land, meaning that the senior should be in for a big day. The reception numbers are not off the charts for Edwards, but it’s usually a big play when the two hook up. He only has 66 receptions this year, but they have gone for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns. Look for Edwards to get back on track this week.
Marquess Wilson—Washington State at Washington. Wilson has been a very solid receiver for the Cougars this season, catching 75 balls for 1,280 yards and ten touchdowns. Only a sophomore, Wilson gets a favorable matchup against Washington who gives 430 yards of offense per game. The Huskies gave up 339 yards and two touchdowns through the air last week against Oregon State, so there should be opportunities to exploit their defense once again. Wilson caught eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown last game, one week after having an eight-catch, 223-yard, three-touchdown game against Arizona State. The ability of Wilson to have big games plus the favorable matchup gives him very good upside.
Mid-to-Low End Options
Juron Criner—Arizona vs. Lousiana-Lafayette
Marvin McNutt—Iowa at Nebraska
Gerell Robinson—Arizona State vs. Cal
Marqise Lee—USC vs. UCLA
Alec Lemon—Syracuse vs. Cincinnati
Ryan Swope—Texas A&M vs. Texas
Rishard Matthews—Nevada at Utah State
Karmar Jorden—Bowling Green at Buffalo
Stedman Bailey—West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
Mohamed Sanu—Rutgers at UConn
Keenan Allen—Cal at Arizona State
Da’Rick Rogers—Tennessee at Kentucky
Chris Givens—Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt
Tavon Austin—West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
Robert Woods—USC vs. UCLA
Tight Ends
1. Tyler Eifert — Norte Dame vs. Stanford
2. Ladarius Green — Louisiana Lafayette at Arizona
3. Michael Egnew — Missouri at Kansas
4. Joseph Fauria — UCLA at USC
5. Coby Fleener — Stanford at Notre Dame
6. Ryan Otten — San Jose State at Fresno State
7. Nick Provo — Syracuse vs. Cincinnati
8. Gavin Escober — San Diego State at UNLV
9. Jordan Reed — Florida vs. Florida State
10. Drake Dunsmore — Northwestern vs. Michigan State
11. Austin Seferian-Jenkins — Washington vs. Washington State
12. Cooper Heifet — Duke at North Carolina
13. Vance McDonald — Rice at SMU
14. Jack Doyle — Western Kentucky vs. Troy
15. Jacob Peterson — Wisconsin vs. Penn State
Kickers
1. Michael Hunnicutt — Oklahoma vs. Iowa State
2. Matt Hogan — Houston at Tulsa
3. Mathew Sims — Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Michigan
4. Aaron Jones — Baylor vs. Texas Tech
5. Steven Schott — Ball State vs. Toledo
6. Dan Conroy — Michigan State at Northwestern
7. Caleb Sturgis — Florida vs. Florida State
8. Giorgio Tavecchio — California at Arizona State
9. Danny Hrapmann — Southern Mississippi vs. Memphis
10. Donnie Carona — Texas Tech at Baylor
11. Alex Garoutte — Arizona State vs. California
12. Randy Bullock — Texas A&M vs. Texas
13. Ryan Casano — Toledo at Ball State
14. Dustin Hopkins — Florida State at Florida
15. Jack Griffin — Florida International at Middle Tennessee