CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 14

Just like that and we're through 13 weeks of the college football season. Hopefully some of you are in the thick of the playoffs and on your way to a championship during these last couple of weeks of the fantasy season. Although it wasn't possible for us to get a piece of Buffalo RB Jaret Patterson's 91.9 point performance on the waiver wire, we did smash our MAC recommendations as well as some other conferences:

Ohio RB De'Montre Tuggle (40.9 points) – Top RB recommendation last week!
UCF RB Greg McCrae (29.2 points) – Season-high fantasy points for regular season finale!
TCU QB Max Duggan (27.9 points) – Accumulated on three throws and three runs!
Hawaii WR Calvin Turner (26.5 points) – At least one TD in five of six games in 2020!
Western Michigan WR D'Wayne Eskridge (26.1 points) – Extends TD streak with kick return for score!
Duke RB Mataeo Durant (24.8 points) – Three straight games with 20+ fantasy points!

We had some improvement on the COVID-19 front as 13 games were cancelled or postponed (compared to 18 the previous week) and just four of my recommended position players were not in action (compared to five players and two defenses the week before). Here's hoping that everyone has a safe upcoming week.

Slate Background: For Week 14, we start with Louisiana Tech against an extremely soft North Texas defense on Thursday Night. That's followed by some rather ho-hum match-ups on Friday Night before getting in to a full Saturday of football. Highlighting the weekend is Indiana at Wisconsin and Alabama at LSU although the latter has lost a lot of its luster this year. For you other college football nerds like me, we are scheduled to get the 9-1 Liberty Flames against the 9-0 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on the teal field! 

*Fantasy Points referenced in article are DK format.
**To qualify for recommendations, players must be owned in less than 50 percent of Fantrax Leagues

AAC

Clayton Tune, QB, Houston
Tune and the Cougars have been idle since Week 11, however, if they can play against SMU this week, it should be an excellent spot for the junior quarterback. SMU was surprisingly beat up by East Carolina by the score of 52-38 on Saturday while giving up 493 yards to the Pirates. Tune has exceeded 30+ fantasy points on three different occasions, so we know he has the firepower to take advantage of the situation. He was particularly impressive while throwing three touchdowns and racking up 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground versus USF in Week 11.

Tyrick James, TE, Tulane
We're always on the look-out for more tight ends and here's a diamond in the rough as James is owned in just three percent of fantasy leagues. He's on a three-game touchdown streak which is perfect timing as the Green Wave prepare to play Memphis who have one of college football's worst pass defenses. The Tigers are giving up 345.4 passing yards per game through seven games which would be the worst in the country if not for Arizona State giving up 381 passing yards in their only game this season. While James is a bit of a dart throw, there's enough upside here when you consider how the Tulane and Memphis game should play out.

Week 13 Rewind; UCF RB Greg McCrae (29.2 points – 25 carries, 130 yards, 1 TD, 4/6 targets for 32 yards) & Cincinnati TE Josh Whyle (Game Canceled due to COVID-19)

ACC

Thayer Thomas, WR, North Carolina State
Take away a weird game against Liberty and Thomas has been on fire with a combined 20 catches for 237 yards and five touchdowns on 22 targets versus Florida State and Syracuse. The streak of awful defenses continue as Thomas and the Wolfpack go up against Georgia Tech this week. Thomas is owned in just two percent of leagues and actually ranks 15th among ACC receivers with 8.6 fantasy points per contest. While he does fight with Emeka Emezie for target share, NC State should score enough points against Georgia Tech for there to be some opportunity here.

Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia
Let's try this again with the dual-threat Armstrong who should be owned in pretty much all leagues. He wasn't able to play this past weekend, however, that had to do with COVID-19 concerns with the Florida State program. While Boston College's defense isn't necessarily vulnerable, Virginia's is, so this could be a back-and-forth game. Even if it's not, Armstrong's propensity to run the ball makes him an intelligent start either way as he  does rank fifth in the ACC Conference at 29.0 fantasy points per contest.

Week 13 Rewind; Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong (Game Postponed due to COVID-19) & Duke RB Mataeo Durant (24.8 points – 15 carries for 50 yards, 1 TD, 3/3 targets, 48 yards, 1 TD)

BIG 12

Xavier White, RB/WR, Texas Tech
While I would prefer SaRodorick Thompson who is running extremely hot right now, he's owned in over 50 percent of leagues at the moment. With that in mind, we'll take the next best thing in White who has been impressive on limited touches in 2020. He has 301 yards and two touchdowns on 48 carries to go along with 17 catches for 76 yards on 18 targets. Texas Tech and Kansas should have a ton of points and its possible White gets a bit more work than his typical share of touches which averages right around nine total touches per game.

Brennan Eagles, WR, Texas
Eagles has emerged as Sam Ehlinger's favorite target over the last few weeks, culminating with a five catch performance for a season-high 142 yards in the low-scoring battle with Iowa State.  For wide receivers in the Big 12 with more than 20 catches on the season, Eagles ranks first in the conference at 17.8 yards per catch. A mix of big play potential with increased targets is a recipe for big production numbers which is a possibility against a Kansas State defense that did just give up a decent amount of air yardage in a loss to Baylor this past weekend.

Week 13 Rewind; TCU QB Max Duggan (27.9 points – 3/11, 96 yards, 3 TD, 61 yards rushing & 1 TD) & Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson (1.5 points – 1/3 targets for five yards)

BIG TEN

Jack Plummer, QB, Purdue
I feel rather good about this recommendation as Plummer has been an adequate replacement for Aidan O'Connell (undisclosed) while averaging 30.3 fantasy points in two games. There has been talk about O'Connell getting surgery, so Plummer should be the guy in the foreseeable future. He has two of the best weapons in all of college football with Rondale Moore and David Bell, so there's no reason to not like the upside here. Nebraska has struggled to stop any opposing offenses this season, so there's good reason to get Plummer in to your line-up this week.

Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
LaPorta leads the Big 10 Conference in targets from the tight end position with 40 targets which has him ahead of Penn State's Pat Freiermuth (37 targets) and Indiana's Peyton Hendershot (34 targets). While he has yet to find the end-zone, it's only a matter of time when commanding that much volume in targets. He's caught five or more passes in three different games this season and Iowa should have no problems running up the score at Illinois in Week 14.

Week 13 Rewind; Indiana QB Michael Penix (6.3 points – 6/19, 84 yards, 29 yards rushing – left with ACL injury), Indiana WR Ty Fryfogle (3.0 points – 2/3 targets for 10 yards) & Maryland RB Jake Funk (Inactive with Undisclosed Injury)

C-USA

Luke Anthony, QB, Louisiana Tech
Anthony and the Bulldogs have not played since Week 8 as COVID-19 has caused a lot of problems in the C-USA Conference. Moreover, Anthony also lost his best weapon in WR Adrian Hardy who opted out of the season to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. If they can find their way back to the field this week, I'll take a chance on Anthony as they go up against North Texas who has the worst defense in college football while giving up an average of 41.0 points per week. Anthony has shown he does have the potential to put up some fantasy points as he combined for nine total touchdowns to open the season against Southern Mississippi and Houston Baptist.

Deion Hankins, RB, UTEP
There haven't been many opportunities to recommend Miners this year, but here's my chance with Hankins who ranks fifth in the conference at 15.3 fantasy points per game at the running back position. His volume provides great upside as he received at least 15 carries in each of his last four games and has three 100-yard rushing games on the season. He also has a touchdown in four of six games this season, so there's a great chance he finds the end-zone against Southern Mississippi on Friday Night.

*Old Dominion is not playing in Fall 2020

Week 13 Rewind; North Texas QB Jason Bean (11.1 points – 5/14, 102 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 10 yards rushing) & Rice WR Austin Trammell (Game Canceled due to COVID-19)

MAC

Teon Dollard, RB, Akron
Here's a chance to pick up Dollard off a slow-going match-up against Miami of Ohio where he had just 6.9 fantasy points on 29 total yards. That will surely turn around against Bowling Green who is giving up 339 rushing yards per game. Dollard definitely has the tools as he showed against Ohio with 165 yards rushing in Week 11 and 202 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Kent State in Week 12. There really is no reason to look anywhere else in the country outside of the MAC for elite running back production.

Preston Hutchinson, QB, Eastern Michigan
I recommended Hutchinson a few weeks ago and he has done nothing but score fantasy points as he ranks third in the MAC with 33.6 fantasy points per game. He's forced into this production as Eastern Michigan is currently giving up 35.3 points and 502.3 yards of offense per game. While he did throw three interceptions against Central Michigan, he does enough with his legs to make him worth starting each and every week for the Eagles. The dual-threat QB has at least 15 carries in his last three games and six rushing scores in just four games this year.

Week 13 Rewind; Ohio RB De'Montre Tuggle (40.9 points – 15 carries for 185 yards, 3 TD, 1/1 targets, 4 yards), Western Michigan QB Kaleb Eleby (19.1 points – 12/24, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 rushing score) & Western Michigan WR D'Wayne Eskridge (26.1 points – 7/12 targets, 134 yards, 27 rushing yards, kick return TD)

MWC

Hank Bachmeier, QB, Boise State
Bachmeier has had a slow start to the season with just five touchdowns in three games, yet there's a great chance that's all about to change when the Broncos play a UNLV team which is one of the worst in the Mountain West. In Week 8, Bachmeier had four total touchdowns and 28.7 fantasy points against a similarly bad Utah State squad and I can see that type of performance coming again at UNLV. I also like that Boise State's best offensive weapon is WR Khalil Shakir which gives me comfort that they will throw the ball on the Rebels even though they likely could have as much success on the ground if they wanted to.

Trey Smith, RB, Wyoming
If it turns out that Xazavian Valladay's leg injury is serious and will keep the star running back out against New Mexico, Smith is a must-add for any fantasy team. When filling in for the injured Valladay at UNLV, Smith had 164 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Wyoming's offense is built around running the ball, so he should have elite volume and production if he's the starting running back on Saturday Night. Even with Valladay in the line-up, the senior back has seen significant touches with a TD in three straight games for the Cowboys.

Week 13 Rewind; Nevada QB Carson Strong (14.5 points – 20/25, 168 yards, 2 TD) & Hawaii WR Calvin Turner (26.5 points – 10 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD)

PAC-12

Jarek Broussard, RB, Colorado
At first glance, I'm not sure how excited I was to see Broussard have to go against San Diego State's defense in a late schedule change this past weekend, but it didn't slow him down at all. Broussard has three straight 100-yard rushing games and so much rushing volume. The Buffaloes' sophomore back has at least 27 carries in all three of his games and even cracked 30+ carries in two of those games. He's an elite play against an Arizona defense that is currently yielding 229.0 rushing yards per contest.

Travell Harris, WR, Washington State
If the Cougars can find their way back to the field, Harris will be an excellent play against USC on Friday Night. As previously mentioned in last week's article, he has 16 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 23 targets in two games. They've also utilized him in the running game with three carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. Even if USC is unable to play this week due to COVID-19, it seems Washington State is closer to playing and would be willing to schedule another opponent similar to what Colorado did with San Diego State this past weekend.

Week 13 Rewind; Colorado QB Sam Noyer (15.7 points – 17/29, 138 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 rushing score *Changed Opponent to SDSU due to COVID-19) & Washington State WR Travell Harris (Game Postponed due to COVID-19)

SEC

JT Daniels, QB, Georgia
Daniels was far from great against South Carolina while going 10-for-16 for 139 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, but I'm going right back to the Bulldogs starting quarterback for a match-up against Vanderbilt. Sure, it's possible they go right back to Zamir White and James Cook who combined for 188 rushing yards and four touchdowns this last week, but there's also a chance they don't. Georgia has a lot of incentive to see what they have with Daniels and their receiving game, so call me crazy, but I'm recommending him once again.

Asim Rose, RB, Kentucky
With starting RB Chris Rodriguez absent from the line-up for unknown reasons, I'll take a chance on Rose who is currently splitting carries with Kavosiey Smoke. I'm expecting both Rose and Smoke to receive significant carries against South Carolina which is the second-worst defense in the SEC. I trust Rose a bit more due to larger sample size and his experience at Kentucky. Rose is the senior with five career 100-yard rushing games and will be playing his final game in Lexington for the Wildcats.

Week 13 Rewind; Georgia QB JT Daniels (10.8 points – 10/16, 139 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) & Mississippi State WR Osirus Mitchell (9.2 points – 5/6 targets for 42 yards)

SUN BELT

Logan Bonner, QB, Arkansas State
I'm typically picking the opposing quarterback against Arkansas State, however, they go up against the 0-9 UL-Monroe Warhawks this week. I'm not a huge fan of the situation where Bonner and Layne Hatcher continue to split time each and every week, but Bonner is still doing enough to be considered for fantasy line-ups. Over his last two games, he has six touchdowns and no interceptions which should warrant him some significant playing time against UL-Monroe. WR Jonathan Adams is an absolute beast with 79 catches for 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns on 120 targets and I think Bonner has the best arm to find his superstar receiver.

Camerun Peoples, RB, Appalachian State
With Daetrich Harrington out for an extended period of time and Marcus Williams taking a backseat on the depth chart, Peoples has emerged as the top running back for the Mountaineers. He has a touchdown in five straight games and double-digit carries in three straight games. It should be a highly entertaining game with the Ragin' Cajuns and I expect there to be a lot of running the ball in a battle to control the time of possession. These two teams are a combined 11-2 in the Sun Belt Conference, so this game is all about being the next best team after undefeated Coastal Carolina.

Week 13 Rewind; South Alabama QB Desmond Trotter (22.4 points – 16/22, 242 yards, 2 TD, 1 rushing score), Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely (11.3 points – 4/5 targets for 73 yards) & Coastal Carolina WR Jaivon Heiligh (18.5 points – 3/4 targets for 35 yards, 2 TD)

INDEPENDENTS

DJ Stubbs, WR, Liberty
The Flames are the only independent team scheduled to play at this moment and it's a great one with an undefeated Coastal Carolina team. NC State was able to figure out the Liberty offense in horrible weather and held them to a season-low 14 points, thus I think Coastal Carolina will be able to watch some film to attempt to do the same thing. That will mean that QB Malik Willis will need to throw the ball and his top receiver is Stubbs. While Stubbs has not scored a TD since Week 7 at Syracuse, I think he'll be heavily targeted in a competitive game with the Chanticleers.

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

Week 13 Rewind; Liberty RB Joshua Mack (19.9 points – 11 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Marshall (vs. Rice) – The C-USA has had a lot of trouble getting the games in of late, but if they can, Marshall is an excellent option this week.

Texas Tech (vs. Kansas) – I've gotten to the point where you just always start a defense against Kansas. The Red Raiders do have 10 turnovers forced and three D/ST touchdowns on the season.

Air Force (at Utah State) – The Aggies have the fifth worst offense in the nation at 284.6 yards per game and Air Force will look to run the ball and eat up clock.

Week 13 Rewind; Liberty vs. UMass (0 PA, 2 Sacks, 2 TAs), NC State at Syracuse (29 PA, 2 Sacks) & Northwestern at Michigan State (29 PA, 1 TA)

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: Houston Clayton Tune, Virginia Brennan Armstrong, Purdue Jack Plummer
RB: Wyoming Trey Smith (If Xazavian Valladay is OUT), Akron Teon Dollard, Colorado Jarek Broussard
WR: Washington State Travell Harris, Texas Brennan Eagles, NC State Thayer Thomas
TE: Iowa Sam LaPorta, Tulane Tyrick James
D/ST: Marshall (vs. Rice) OR Air Force (at Utah State)