This article is part of our Start vs. Sit series.
Welcome into Week 4 of our Start/Sit series. We made it out of last week mostly unscathed (save for J'Mon Moore … more on him later) and we look forward to another big week. We'll be treated to shootouts like Oklahoma State-TCU and slugfests like Georgia-Mississippi State and Alabama-Vanderbilt. Let's look at what's on tap this week.
PLAYERS TO START
AAC
Kyle Allen, QB, Houston (vs. Texas Tech): OK, it's a little disrespectful to have Tech as nearly touchdown dogs this weekend, but I mean, have you seen that defense? Tech's defensive S&P+ sits at 122nd in the nation, right in the same neighborhood as the likes of UNLV and Hawaii. Allen, who completed 31 of 33 passes for 309 yards last week against Rice, should have little trouble picking this Red Raiders defense apart in what should be a shootout. (Temple's Logan Marchi might be a sneaky spec add this week against a USF defense that hasn't been all that impressive yet.)
ACC
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke (at North Carolina): Jones disappointed in a pretty favorable matchup last week against Baylor, completing just 57.1 percent of his passes and accounting for less than 200 total yards of offense and zero touchdowns. Count me as one who's buying a bounceback this week against UNC. Jones' Blue Devils have played at warp speed this season at a clip of 97.0 plays per game, which trails only South Florida in tempo. With that, Jones will get plenty of shots through
Welcome into Week 4 of our Start/Sit series. We made it out of last week mostly unscathed (save for J'Mon Moore … more on him later) and we look forward to another big week. We'll be treated to shootouts like Oklahoma State-TCU and slugfests like Georgia-Mississippi State and Alabama-Vanderbilt. Let's look at what's on tap this week.
PLAYERS TO START
AAC
Kyle Allen, QB, Houston (vs. Texas Tech): OK, it's a little disrespectful to have Tech as nearly touchdown dogs this weekend, but I mean, have you seen that defense? Tech's defensive S&P+ sits at 122nd in the nation, right in the same neighborhood as the likes of UNLV and Hawaii. Allen, who completed 31 of 33 passes for 309 yards last week against Rice, should have little trouble picking this Red Raiders defense apart in what should be a shootout. (Temple's Logan Marchi might be a sneaky spec add this week against a USF defense that hasn't been all that impressive yet.)
ACC
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke (at North Carolina): Jones disappointed in a pretty favorable matchup last week against Baylor, completing just 57.1 percent of his passes and accounting for less than 200 total yards of offense and zero touchdowns. Count me as one who's buying a bounceback this week against UNC. Jones' Blue Devils have played at warp speed this season at a clip of 97.0 plays per game, which trails only South Florida in tempo. With that, Jones will get plenty of shots through the air and on the ground to take advantage of a worn down Tar Heels defense. Don't jump ship after one poor week; Jones is absolutely start-worthy against UNC. I'm also big on Mark Walton after such a long layoff going against Toledo.
BIG 12
David Sills, WR, West Virginia (at Kansas): Speaking of letdowns from last week, Sills was among the biggest flops with all of two grabs for 19 yards on a day where the Mountaineers put up 59 points on Delaware State. I'll double down on Sills, who caught 16 passes for 247 yards and five scores against two FBS teams, getting back into the good graces of quarterback Will Grier this week as the Mountaineers move the ball at will against downtrodden Jayhawks squad. Don't let a down game on a day where he wasn't really needed sour you on Sills.
BIG TEN
Ty Johnson, RB, Maryland (vs. Central Florida): There's something seemingly off about this game. Maryland, who is 2-0, is plays host to Central Florida but is only a 3.5-point favorite. Something in there suggests that Central Florida's extremely long layoff due to Hurricane Irma means the Golden Knights will not only be fresh, but also extremely well prepared to defend Maryland's power spread attack. Despite the odd vibes I'm getting here, Johnson is close to a matchup-proof commodity (Michigan, Ohio State notwithstanding), backing up his stellar 2016 campaign by averaging a video game-esque 15 yards per carry. That number will come down Saturday with the Knights keying in on slowing him down, but Johnson is still the straw that stirs the drink for the Terps and should still produce despite the added attention.
CONFERENCE USA
Alex McGough, QB, FIU (at Rice): To put it bluntly, Rice is one of the worst teams in the country. If you're looking for streaming options this week with so much of the Big Ten and Big 12 on bye weeks, you could certainly do worse than Mr. McGough. Rice has a bottom-10 defense in S&P+ and has looked comically overmatched in two of its three games. McGough is an efficient passer who has shown some ability as a runner. I don't see a huge output for McGough against Rice, but it's definitely a matchup with some room for profit.
MAC
Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo (vs. Florida Atlantic): Jackson has quietly been a viable fantasy option this season for the Bulls, mostly thanks to his ability to pick up yardage on the ground. He has five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in addition to 189 rushing yards and draws a soft matchup against an FAU team that plays defense in the loosest interpretation imaginable. Look for Jackson to produce on the ground and through the air at home Saturday, making him a decent streaming option. Also, I'm still using Logan Woodside or Cody Thompson against Miami if I have them.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Montell Cozart, QB, Boise State (vs. Virginia): No, seriously, that Montell Cozart. Of course, you'll need to make sure that Brett Rypien is out again before locking Cozart into your lineups, but the ex-Kansas signal caller is a legitimate play. He looked comfortable pushing the ball downfield last week against New Mexico, and this week should be much more of a track meet against a Virginia squad playing extremely fast (82.0 plays per game) this season. Look for an up-tempo game with plenty of possessions to go around, and Cozart's ability as a runner (team-leading 179 yards) helps solidify his floor.
PAC-12
Tyler Huntley, QB, Utah (at Arizona): The short-week road game might not be ideal, but the matchup sure is. Huntley has progressed as a passer each week, culminating in a 341-yard, four-touchdown outing against San Jose State last week. While Arizona might be slightly more competent than those Spartans on defense, the difference isn't all that great. Arizona is still weak on defense and won't be able to contain a Huntley-led charge that can do damage both on the ground and through the air.
SEC
Nick Fitzgerald, QB, Mississippi State (at Georgia): There's some concern that Mississippi State could be due for a letdown after an emotional blowout win over LSU on Saturday that vaulted the Maroon Bulldogs into the Top 25. Fitzgerald certainly paid the price of victory against LSU, taking several vicious hits over the course of the game. On the other side of the coin, Georgia will be the home team and is coming off a much less stressful outing Saturday against Samford. Even though this is Fitzgerald's second tough and physical matchup in a row, he's still too versatile and dangerous to hit the bench in essentially any league imaginable. To apply the Lamar Jackson principle from last week's article, a poor game by Fitzgerald's standards is a great game for almost anyone else.
SUN BELT
Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana Lafayette (vs. Louisiana-Monroe): Ragas won't get the spotlight his production warrants by virtue of playing in the Sun Belt, but he has been stellar in his first collegiate season. He averages nearly 10.0 yards per carry and ran for 130 yards against Tulsa as well as 93 yards and a score against Texas A&M. This week, he gets one of the worst defenses in the country, Louisiana-Monroe (125 in def. S&P+). Look for Ragas (5-foot-11, 227) to bulldoze the Warhawks each time he gets the ball Saturday. New Mexico State's Tyler Rogers and Jaleel Scott are both great streaming options against UTEP.
PLAYERS TO SIT
AAC
Ke'Mon Freeman, RB, SMU (vs. Arkansas State): Freeman might have been a popular add this week after rushing for a pair of touchdowns against TCU, but this might be a week to pump the breaks. Arkansas State is a sneakily tough matchup that'll be able to score on SMU, which means the Mustangs might not be running it as much as some would anticipate. Toss in the fact that Freeman is still a part of a committee alongside Xavier Jones and Braeden West and there's little reason to believe Freeman has a good chance at having a repeat performance against the Red Wolves.
ACC
Eric Dungey, QB/Steve Ishmael, WR, Syracuse (at LSU): Dungey and Ishmael were drafted as top-flight options in drafts this year and have largely lived up to the hype through the early portion of the season. However, going down to Baton Rouge to face an angry LSU team that just got punched in the mouth on national television is a little more than worrisome -- it's a recipe for disaster. Even with last week's debacle against Mississippi State baked into the equation, LSU still has a top-10 defense via S&P+, and Arden Key is only going to start seeing more playing time. I hope Syracuse's training staff is bringing extra Advil this weekend …
BIG 12
Darius Anderson, RB, TCU (at Oklahoma State): Anderson has been a trendy pickup lately, and rightly so after seemingly overtaking Kyle Hicks for the lead role out of the TCU backfield. He averages 6.24 YPC and has looked great against TCU's toughest competition. But, uh, have y'all seen Oklahoma State's offense yet? The Pokes might completely neutralize TCU's ability to establish any semblance of a run game by jumping out to a big early lead that puts the ball in quarterback Kenny Hill's hands. Anderson figures to lead the Horned Frogs in rushing yards Saturday, but he might not put up starter-level production, and he's not as natural a pass catcher as Kyle Hicks or Kenedy Snell -- both of whom figure to see snaps on passing downs.
BIG TEN
Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa (vs. Penn State): Iowa will look to even the score Penn State on Saturday after getting embarrassed by the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley last year. Wadley especially will look to get back at Penn State after getting shut down for 60 yards from scrimmage on 14 total carries. Now, this is all under the assumption that Wadley gives it a go Saturday after tweaking his ankle against North Texas. That said, with James Butler out, it'd be surprising if Wadley didn't take the field unless his ankle injury is significant. Even with a workhorse workload Saturday, Wadley might have trouble finding room against a Penn State defense that is 11th in S&P+ and allows less than 3.0 yards per carry.
CONFERENCE USA
Mike White, QB, Western Kentucky (vs. Ball State): All right, somebody's gotta say it: Western Kentucky's offense is bad now. What had been a haven for production among Group of 5 teams is now a shell of itself with Jeff Brohm now working on turning around Purdue. White was drafted with the expectation that he'd at least put up similar numbers to what he did last year even without Brohm and stud wideouts Taywan Taylor and Nicholas Norris. What has he produced? One passing touchdown on 109 attempts and a 6.7 YPA. He had a slow start last year as well, but it was his first year as the starter -- there are no such excuses this year and even though he's playing a poor Ball State secondary, I'm leaving White on my bench if I haven't cut him already.
MAC
Scott Miller, WR, Bowling Green (vs. Middle Tennessee): What looked like one of the best cross-conference games among the Group of 5 schools entering the year looks like a complete eyesore now. MTSU likely will be without Brent Stockstill and Richie James while Bowling Green's once vaunted attack is now 92nd in S&P+. I wouldn't say it's Miller's fault, but his underwhelming performance is stinging owners nonetheless. Bowling Green simply isn't pushing the ball downfield with any effectiveness, which is capping Miller's upside every single week. It's bench time for Miller, and it might soon be drop time as well.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Arion Worthman, QB, Air Force (vs. San Diego State): Aside from the obvious suggestion to sit your UNLV guys against Ohio State, Worthman stands out as a sit candidate. As expected, he was stymied by Michigan last week with a whopping 26 rushes for 60 yards and no touchdowns. I don't expect Worthman to be shut out of the end zone as a runner again this week necessarily, but running back Timothy McVey appears to be in line to have the better game of the two. Also, San Diego State poses arguably the toughest defensive challenge Air Force will face the rest of the season. Worthman should start to be a viable weekly starter once Air Force gets to a softer part of its schedule, but I'd bench him against the Aztecs.
PAC-12
Phillip Lindsay, RB, Colorado (vs. Washington): The home-field advantage of playing in the altitude should help Lindsay and Company compete with Washington, but don't expect the kind of production we've seen from the senior running back lately. Lindsay has been a true workhorse this season, averaging 5.32 yards per carry while getting 23.67 carries per game. On the other side, this is a Washington team that has been fierce against the run, allowing less than 4.0 YPC in each of its first three games. Lindsay should see plenty of run Saturday, but his ability to pick up chunk yardage will be put to the test in a big way.
SEC
Missouri players (vs. Auburn): Whether it's Drew Lock, Damarea Crockett or J'Mon Moore, I'm off Mizzou completely this week. Auburn might be a mess in its own right at the moment, but at least those Tigers can play a lick of defense (5th in defensive S&P+). Meanwhile, Missouri has struggled against both of its FBS opponents, scoring just 16 points in the last eight quarters after erupting for 72 in the opener. Lock and Co. should be of some use later in the season, but Missouri's offense is not the matchup-proof unit some expected it to be.
SUN BELT
Jalin Moore, RB, Appalachian State (vs. Wake Forest): Not only has Moore been immensely outperformed by backfield counterpart Terrence Upshaw -- who has 54 more yards than Moore on the same number of carries -- but this is a legitimately tough matchup. Wake Forest sports a top-20 defense according to S&P+ and is coming off back-to-back weeks of holding its opponents without a rushing touchdown. Moore is on track to be one of the biggest fantasy duds in the nation this season, and I highly doubt he gets that trajectory turned around against a hard-nosed Demon Deacon defense.
