Week 7 Notes & Observations

Seven of fourteen weeks have been completed, which means that we are about 4-5 weeks away from the playoff stretch (Weeks 12-14).  I get a lot of questions about add/drops during the week, so I will give you something to think about, not only this week, but in the weeks ahead.  If you are on the fence about adding a player, think about whether or not you would actually start them at some point over the next month.  If not, don’t disrupt the balance of your roster, assuming you have balance. If you are on the fence about adding a player, but want to keep that player away from your league rivals, only make the move if it does not disrupt the balance of your roster.  Remember, you cannot jump at every shiny penny you come across.  Sometimes the best move is no move at all.

 

This week, there are a lot more names to consider in Full FBS formats compared to P5-only. 

 

 

Here are my notes and observations from Week 7:

 

 

Power 5 Notes

• Syracuse WR Trishton Jackson has caught a TD pass in three consecutive games and in four of the last five.  QB Tommy DeVito had his second 300-yard passing game, but the Orange offense couldn’t get going until the fourth quarter at NC State.
• NC State RB Ricky Person did not play Thursday against Syracuse, which led to  Zonovan Knight and Jordan Houston getting at least 13 carries each.
• QB Bryce Perkins did not account for at least one touchdown in a game for the first in his UVA career in Friday’s loss at Miami.  WR Joe Reed’s four-game scoring streak cam to an end, too.
• Miami RB DeeJay Dallas has now scored in five of six games this year.
• Oregon RB CJ Verdell ran for 171 yards against Colorado Friday night.  In the week leading up to the game, there were some concerns about Verdell having an ankle injury, which may have scared off some fantasy owners.  WR Jaylon Redd caught a TD pas in his fifth straight game
• Colorado WR Laviska Shenault finally made his return to the field Friday night, catching 4 passes for 70 yards at Oregon. 
• Michigan RB Zach Charbonnet has led the team in rushing attempts in two straight games.
• Illinois WR Josh Imatorbhebhe has now scored in four of the last five games.
• Indiana RB Stevie Scott topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time this season in the Hoosiers’ 35-0 win over Rutgers.QB Michael Penix has thrown 3 TD passes in back-to-back games.
• Maryland RB Anthony McFarland only had 4 rush attempts in Saturday’s loss at Purdue.  
• Purdue WR David Bell topped the 100-yard receiving mark for the second time in three games.  RB King Doerue has scored a rushing TD in two of his last three games.
• South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards has caught at least 6 passes in four straight games. 
• RB DeAndre Swift has totaled 100 yards of offense in every game this season and has scored in every game except the season-opener.  
• Mississippi State RB Kylin Hill was held to a season low 13 yards rushing in Saturday’s loss at Tennessee.
• Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts has now accounted for at least 4 TDs in five of six games this year.  WR CeeDee Lamb has caught aa TD pass in every game this season.  
• Texas WR Collin Johnson made his return and caught 6 passes for 82 yards against Oklahoma.  
• After accounting for at least 3 TDs in three consecutive games, Duke QB Quentin Harris only accounted for one touchdown in Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech.  RB Deon Jackson scored in his fourth consecutive game.
• In the loss the Duke, Georgia Tech RB Jordan Mason failed to score a TD for the second time this season, but he topped the 100-yard mark for the first time this year.
• Florida State RB Cam Akers’ impressive run of scoring in every game this season came to an end in the Noles’ 45-14 loss to Clemson.  WR Tamarrion Terry still does not have a 100-yard receiving game, but has scored in three consecutive games.  In fact, OC Kendal Briles offense still has not produced a 100-yard receiver at FSU.
• STAT OF THE WEEK:  Kendal Briles’ 100-yard receivers as OC 2015-Present

2015-Baylor:  12 in 13 games

2016-Baylor:  9 in 13 games

2017-FAU:  6 in 14 games

2018-Houston: 9 in 13 games

2019-Florida State:  0 in 6 games

• Clemson RB Travis Etienne topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time since the Tigers’ season opener.  
• Michigan State WR Darrell Stewart has caught at least 5 passes in every game this season.
• Wisconsin RB Jonathan’s Taylor’s streak of 100-yard rushing games came to an end against Michigan State, but he did total over 100 yards of offense with his 22 receiving yards.
• Washington State WR Easop Winston has scored in all but one game and posted his third 100-yard receiving game of the season against Arizona State.  WR Travell Harris and WR Dezmon Patmon have scored in four of six games.  QB Anthony Gordon has passed for 400 yards in five of six games.
• Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin kept his scoring streak alive against Washington State and rushed for a season high 137 yards.  WR Brandon Aiyuk recorded his third 100-yard receiving game of the year.  
• Alabama RB Najee Harris has topped the 100-yard rushing mark in two of the past three games.  WR Jerry Jeudy has not caught a TD pass in three of the last four games and has gone four consecutive games without topping the 100-yard mark.  WR Devonta Smith has at least 99 receiving yards in three of the last four games.  QB Tua Tagovailoa has accounted for at least 4 TDs in every game thighs season.  
• Virginia Tech RB Deshawn McClease has scored in back-to-back games and has topped the 100-yard rushing mark in two of the past three.  TE Dalton Keene has scored in consecutive weeks.  QB Hendon Hooker has accounted for at least 3 TDs in both of his starts this season, but I don’t like the way the Hokies look as a team. They have struggled against Furman, Old Dominion, and Rhode Island.  
• We had Breece Hall ranked the highest of all Iowa State back in the preseason, but it’s taken some time for that projection to come to fruition, I think.  In Saturday’s win at West Virginia, Hall carried the ball 26 times for 132 yards and 3 TDs and will likely be one of the top waiver wire names this week.  Nine Cyclones caught a pass against West Virginia, but WR Deshaunte Jones was not among them.
• Jack Allison replaced West Virginia starting QB Austin Kendall in the first quarter on Saturday after Kendall was injured.  
• Vanderbilt RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn has topped the 130-yard rushing mark for the third time in the last four games.  WR Kalija Lipscomb suffered an early injury in the game against UNLV and did not return.  
• Texas Tech RB SaRodorick Thompson has led the Red Raiders in rushing attempts three straight weeks.  In Saturday’s 33-30 loss at Baylor, he carried the ball 28 times for 153 yards and 2 TDs.  WR TJ Vasher has caught a TD pass in back-to-back games. 
• Baylor QB Cade Brewer has accounted for at least 3 TDs in four of six games. 
• Ole Miss QB John Rhys Plumlee has rushed for 100 yards and a TD in three straight games.  His rushing ability has undoubtedly hurt the fantasy value of both Scottie Phillips and Jerrion Ealy.  RB Scottie Phillips had at least 19 carries in each of the Rebels’ first three games, but hasn’t carried the ball more than 11 times in each of the last three games.  WR Elijah Moore topped the 100-yard receiving mark for the third time this year.  
• In Missouri’s 38-27 win over Ole Miss, RB Larry Rountree topped the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and has scored in five of six games. 
• In the preseason, we projected Evan Conley as Louisville’s starting QB, and after the last two games, he is making his case to be the full-time starter.  Conley accounted for 4 TDs in the Cardinals’ road win at Wake Forest.  RB Javian Hawkins has scored in three of the last four games, WR Dez Fitzpatrick has now caught a TD pass in four different games, and WR Chatarius Atwell has caught at least five passes in all but one game and scored in four of the past five games.
• Wake Forest Cade Carney has scored a rushing TD in back-to-back games, but it was Christian Beal-Smith that led the Demon Deacons in rushing against Louisville with 123 yards on 14 carries.  WR Sage Surratt had double-digit receptions for the first time this season and has scored in every game this season.  WR Scotty Washington only caught two passes in the loss to Louisville, but has now scored in all but one game this season.  WR Kendall Hinton has caught at least 6 passes in three of the four games in which he played. 
• After carrying the ball 22 times for 102 yards and a TD against Iowa, Noah Cain seems to be Penn State’s No. 1 back.  Cain has lead the team in rushing attempts in back-to-back weeks and has scored in all but one game.  Quarterback Sean Clifford has rushed for at least 50 yards in four of six games.  WR KJ Hamler has now scored in three consecutive games.
• Iowa freshman RB Tyler Goodson played in his fifth game of the season, which means he will not be able to redshirt this season.  Goodson led the Hawkeyes in rushing Saturday night against Penn State and could be in for an increased role moving forward.  
• I’m not sure there is anything to like about the Nebraska offense right now.  There hasn’t been any consistency, and with Adrian Martinez banged up, I wouldn’t expect much to change until he returns healthy.  RB Dedrick Mills did score against Minnesota and has now scored in five of seven games.  
• Arkansas RB Rakeem Boyd topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the third time this season and has carried the ball at least 15 times in every game this year.  
• After Kentucky’s win over Arkansas, it seems Lynn Bowden’s move to QB will be permanent, at least for the immediate future.  Bowden completed 7-of-11 passes for 78 yards and a TD, and added 196 yards and 2 TDs on the ground.  Bowden now becomes the most out-of-position player on Fantrax if your league does not change positions eligibility during the season.  
• After opening the season with two 100-yard games, USC WR Tyler Vaughns has failed to reach the 50-yard mark in each of the Trojans’ last three games.  RB Vavae Malepeai will be out indefinitely with a knee injury, so expect Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp to get more work in the weeks ahead.
• Notre Dame RB Jafar Armstrong made his return Saturday night against USC, but I would assume he played less than expected because of the effectiveness of teammate Tony Jones, who carried the ball 25 times for 176 yards in the Irish’s 30-27 win.  
• Utah RB Zack Moss made his return Saturday night at Oregon State, carrying the ball five times for 121 yards and 2 TDs.  Don’t be alarmed by Moss’ lack of utilization, as he wasn’t needed in the second half after the Utes raced out to a 35-0 lead.  Next week, he needs 61 rushing yards against Arizona State to become the school’s all-time leading rusher.
• Oregon State RB Artavis Pierce was shut down at home against Utah, carrying the ball 10 times for 21 yards.  Jermar Jefferson did not even dress out for Saturday’s game against the Utes, leading to more questions about his health.  WR Isaiah Hodgins was kept out of the end zone for the first time in a game this year, but be did keep his streak alive of catching at least 7 passes in every game.  
• Florida QB Kyles Trask has thrown at least 2 TD passes in four straight games.
• LSU QB Joe Burrow has accounted for at least 3 TDs in every game this season and has thrown 4 or more TD passes four times.  RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire posted his second 100-yard rushing game of the season Saturday night and has scored in all but one game.  WR Justin Jefferson has at least 120 receiving yards in four of six games and has scored in all but one game.  
• Washington RB Salvon Ahmed carried the ball 23 times for 95 yards and 3 TDs in the Huskies’ 51-27 win at Arizona.  After last week’s injury, I do not expect Richard Newton to return anytime soon.
• JJ Taylor was once again in the RB1 spot for Arizona and totaled 126 yards of offense and scored a TD against Washington.  Teammate Gary Brightwell did not dress out Saturday night due to an undisclosed injury.

 

 

Group 5 Notes

• Appalachian State and Louisiana scoring 24 total points was an early week shocker.  
• UL Monroe RB Josh Johnson posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season against Texas State.  QB Caleb Evans did not account for one touchdown in the Warhawks’ 24-14 win.
• Colorado State WR Warren Jackson returned this week and torched the New Mexico secondary for 214 yards and 2 TDs on nine catches.  RB Marvin Kinsey has now scored in five of the last six games and has three multiple-TD games this season.  
• New Mexico RB Bryson Carroll started at RB against Colorado State after starter Ahmari Davis was sidelined with back spasms and ran for 193 yards and a TD.
• Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell totaled over 200 yards of in his second consecutive game and has scored in his fifth straight game.  WR Damonte Coxie caught a TD pass in his third straight game.
• Temple RB Re’Mahn Davis has carried the ball at least 23 times in three straight games.  
• Toledo’s loss at Bowling Green was a shocker.  QB Mitch Guadagni is a walking injury-waiting-to-happen, as he left the game with an another injury.
• Miami (OH) RB Jaylon Bester has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games.
• Western Michigan RB LeVante Bellamy scored a rushing TD in his fifth straight game and has scored in six of seven.  WR Keith Mixon has at least 62 receiving yards in three straight games.
• Ball State RB Caleb Huntley has two consecutive 150-plus yard rushing games.  
• Eastern Michigan QB Mike Glass only had one rushing TD through the first four games of the season, but has now scored 3 rushing TDs in the last two games.
• Marshall QB Isaiah Green has rushed for at least 50 yards in three of the last four games.
• New Mexico State RB Jason Huntley has now scored a rushing TD in four consecutive games.  WR Tony Nicholson has caught at least 6 passes in all but one game.  
• Central Michigan RB Jonathan Ward left Staurday’s game briefly with an injury, but did return.  He ended the day with 167 yards of total offense against NM State.  Teammate Kobe Lewis carried the ball 23 times for 161 yards and 2 TDs in Saturday’s win.  
• Kent State RB Will Matthews hadn’t done anything leading up to Week 7, but carried the ball 25 times for 126 yards and a TD against Akron.
• Akron WR Nate Stewart has topped the 70-yard receiving mark 4 times this season and has scored in three of six games.
• Has the second-half Nathan Rourke arrived?  30-plus fantasy points this weekend in a 39-36 loss to NIU.  RB O’Shaan Allison has rushed for at least 60 yards in three straight games.  WR Shane Hooks haas caught a TD pass in three of the last four games.  TE Ryan Luehrman has caught a TD pass in three different games this year.
• In the past two games, Northern Illinois RB Tre Harbison has totaled 259 rushing yards and scored 5 TDs.
• RB Michael Warren has failed to score a rushing TD in four of six games this season.  QB Desmond Ridder has accounted for 4 TDs in two of the last three games.
• Houston WR Marquez Stevenson has caught a TD pass in four of six games.  RB Kyle Porter returned and topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the second time this season.  
• BYU QB Jaren Hall led the Cougars in rushing yesterday with 83 yards on 16 carries.  He also added a passing TD and threw for 148 yards in a 27-23 loss.
• Has South Florida made the appropriate changes on offense?  RB Jordan Cronkrite has topped the 140-yard rushing mark in back-to-back games.  QB Jordan McCloud has rushed for a TD in three of four starts this year.  TE Mitchell Wilcox has scored in three of the last four games.
• San Jose QB Josh Love has passed for 400 yards in three of the last four games, but the Spartans next three games will be challenging. 
• After making a change at quarterback, Nevada made a conscious effort to run the ball against San Jose State.  RB Toa Taua carried the ball 34 times for 160 yards and a TD in the 41-38 win.  Malik Henry finished 22-of-37 for 352 yards, TD, and 2 INTs.
• Middle Tennessee QB Asher O’Hara has rushed for at least 50 yards in four of his last five games.
• FAU TE Harrison Bryant leads the team in receiving yards, but has yet to catch a TD pass this year.  RB Malcolm Davidson has led the Owls in rushing in back-to-back weeks.  Against Middle Tennessee, Davidson carried the ball 21 times for 149 yards and a TD.
• Georgia State RB Tra Barnett has topped the 100-yard rushing mark in three of his last four games and has scored 3 TDs in the last two.  
• Coastal Carolina RB CJ Marable has scored a TD in every game this season.  WR Jaivon Heiligh has caught a TD pass in two of the past three games.
• UAB WR Austin Watkins posted his first 100-yard receiving game of the season in the Blazers’ 33-14 win at UTSA and has now caught a TD pass in four of the past five games.  RB Lucious Stanley has now rushed for at least 88 yards and a TD in two straight games.  
• Louisiana Tech RB Justin Henderson rushed for 137 yards and scored 4 TDs in the Bulldogs’ 69-21 route of UMass.  Henderson has scored 8 TDs in the past three games. 
• Air Force RB Taven Birdow has scared a rushing TD in three consecutive games.  
• North Texas RB Tre Siggers left Saturday’s game at USM with a lower leg injury.  If Siggers misses time, expect DeAndre Torrey to be a factor again.  Torrey carried the ball 13 times for 61 yards in the Mean Green’s 45-27 loss.  WR Jyaire Shorter has caught a TD pass in four straight games despite only catching a total of 9 passes during that stretch.  
• Southern Miss RB/WR has scored in three straight games and has totaled over 140 yards of offense in back-to-back games.  QB Jack Abraham has thrown three TD passes in back-to-back games.
• Western Kentucky RB Gaej Walker topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time this season and has carried the ball at least 19 times in four of six games, 25 times in three of those four.  The Western Kentucky defense hasn’t given up more than 13 points since Week 3.  
• Charlotte RB Benny LeMay posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season in the 49ers’ loss at FIU.  
• FIU RB Anthony Jones has scored a rushing TD in three straight games and has topped the 100-yard rushing mark in back-to-back games.  Teammate Napolean Maxwell has scored a rushing TD in four of the last five games.
• Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry has rushed for at least 2 TDs in four straight games.  RB Nelson Smith has at least 14 carries in four of five games.  
• Tulsa WR Keylon Stokes’ three game streak of 90-plus yards and a TD cam to an end in Saturday’s 45-17 loss to Navy.
• Hawaii WR JoJo Ward dropped a couple of passes against Boise State Saturday night and finished without a catch.  Cedric Byrd hauled in six passes for 74 yards against the Broncos and has caught at least six passes in every game this season.
• Boise State QB Hank Bachmeier took a hard hit to his hip area in the game against Hawaii and was replaced by Chase Cord.  It would not surprise me if Bachmeier missed a game or two because he needed to be assisted to the locker room.  WR John Hightower has gone over the 100-yard receiving mark in back-to-back games and has scored in four of the last five games.  
• Having a week off probably helped Wyoming RB Xazavian Valladay heal up.  On Saturday night at San Diego State, he carried the ball 16 times for 73 yards.  QB Sean Chambers has scored at least 2 rushing TDs in three consecutive games.  
• San Diego State RB Juwan Washington carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a TD in the Aztecs’ 26-22 win over Wyoming.  Washington has carried the ball at least 20 times in all four games in which he has played.