Week 7 Street FA Report

Updated: October 17th 2023

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 75% of RSO leagues that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer one (1) player that is owned in <25% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

 

Add of the Week

Jordan Mason, RB, SF (Owned 36%)

Week 6: 5 Car/27 yards, 1 TD

Every week seems to be a new injury that throws the whole fantasy landscape into chaos which has everyone racing to the waivers to add the replacement player. This past week Christian McCaffrey exited the 49ers’ game and his status for Week 7 and beyond is in question. If Elijah Mitchell is healthy, he likely receives the most snaps and touches in McCaffrey’s absence. But Mitchell is not healthy right now so Jordan Mason has an intriguing upside for at least a couple weeks. The entire cap space does not need to be allocated to him but if you are desperate for running back help it could be justified to drop several millions on Mason.

Suggested Bid: $3,000,000

RB Add

Royce Freeman, RB, LAR (Owned 2%)

Week 6: N/A

Another running back injury that fell more under the radar in Week 6 was Kyren Williams leg injury. To add further to the Rams problems was that Ronnie Rivers also left the game with an injury leaving their entire backfield open for Week 7. The Rams technically have sixth-round pick Zach Evans, who received what was left of the carries in Week 6 but without much of a track record it is hard to see coach Sean McVay giving him a majority of the workload right now. They also signed Royce Freeman to the active roster and re-signed Darrell Henderson to the practice squad this week. I give the tie to the player that makes it to the active roster first and so Henderson could see a surprising amount of work in Week 7.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

WR Add

Kendrick Bourne, WR, NE (Owned 57%)

Week 6: 1 Car/4 yards, 10 Rec/89 yards

When healthy and on the field Kendrick Bourne is the clear WR1 in New England. Whatever that value means to you and roster is debatable but he just had ten (10) receptions in a game which makes him valuable to at least roster in most leagues. The Patriots’ offense is no longer one that can support multiple fantasy options per week, however, since they also appear to be past their days of being able to run the ball at will and dominate teams on the ground it will likely come down to short passes to act as part of the run game to help keep them on the field. Bourne should be the benefactor as he operates with more fluidity in the route tree more than any receiver in New England and seems to be the only consistent receiver that Mac Jones trusts.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

TE Add

Jonnu Smith, TE, ATL (Owned 47%)

Week 6: 4 Rec/36 yards, 1 TD

It has taken a couple weeks to come around to the idea that Jonnu Smith could actually be a startable player in most fantasy leagues, as most probably just saw him as a target vulture to Kyle Pitts’ workload. But Smith has been the PPR TE9 in 2023 and the TE5 over the last three (3) weeks meaning that he should not only be rostered but probably started weekly at this point. The Falcons have shown that they will work in both their running backs and both of their tight ends when necessary and while there may be some lean weeks for production, the tight end position is so thin overall that a modest four (4) receptions and 30 yards is enough to be a starting tight end week to week.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Sleeper Add (<25%)

Jauan Jennings, WR, SF (5%)

Week 6: 2 Rec/26 yards

Not only Christian McCaffrey but Deebo Samuel also left Week 6 with an injury that may or may not linger into subsequent weeks. Jauan Jennings seems to have one or two games a year that he breaks off 13-17 PPRs and if one or both superstars are out this week this could be one of those games for him. Even if not added right away, monitor the situation with Samuel as the week progresses and if there is any doubt to his availability, add Jennings for Monday night.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

More Analysis by Nick Andrews

Week 2 Street FA Report

Updated: September 12th 2023

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 75% of RSO leagues that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer one (1) player that is owned in <25% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Add of the Week

Puka Nacua, WR, LAR (Owned 59%)

Week 1: 10 Rec/119 yards

When any player in their rookie year is highlighted next to Anquan Boldin’s 2003 rookie campaign we know that they have done something special. The fifth-round selection had ten (10) receptions for a record 15 targets in his first NFL game and looks like an established veteran in Sean McVay’s system already. What is more impressive is he accomplished this feat while only playing on 79 percent of the Rams offensive snaps; third behind Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell. With Cooper Kupp on the sideline Nacua seems to have stepped right in his possession receiver role and should continue to have strong stat lines until Kupp’s return. Wally Pipp anyone?

Suggested Bid: $6,000,000-$9,000,000

RB Add

Kyren Williams, WR, LAR (Owned 58%)

Week 1: 15 Car/52 yards, 2 TDs

Nacua was not the only Rams backup to have a big open weekend as Kyren Williams outshined his backfield counterpart Cam Akers in the Rams thorough win in week one. Despite having seven (7) fewer carries Williams played double the offensive snaps (53:23) and was much more efficient than Akers’ paltry 1.3 yards per carry. We will see how much this backfield really breaks down in a more competitive game but it has to be assumed that Williams is a lot closer to being in a 50/50 split than Akers commanding the backfield like some were predicting in early training camp.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

Joshua Kelley, RB, LAC (Owned 48%)

Week 1: 16 Car/91 yards, 1 TD

The Chargers were able to do something that we have not seen since the height of Melvin Gordon’s time back in San Diego, run the ball. The Chargers ran for nearly 240 yards in week one while also splitting their time between star Austin Ekeler (51%) and Joshua Kelley (48%). There is also news that Ekeler is dealing with an injury to his knee already which adds even more speculation to Kelley’s role heading into week two. The Chargers expect to be one of the highest scoring teams in the league which means Kelley can stand to have his own flex appeal each week with the potential for monster RB1 upside if Ekeler was to miss/be reduced in any playing time.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

WR Add

Michael Wilson, WR, ARZ (Owned 60%)

Week 1: 2 Rec/19 yards

Rookie wide receivers were having showcase performances left and right in week one with Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua having elite performances and even players like Rashee Rice and Jordan Addison scoring their first career touchdowns. But of all the rookies in week one the one who had the highest snap share of all, Michael Wilson, the third-round selection for the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson played on 90 percent of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps and while the two (2) receptions are not an eye-catching stat, this likely means that in leagues where he is available he should be much more acquirable than say a player like Nacua. The Cardinals are likely going to be bad all season and their QB play will suffer until “if/when” Kyler Murray returns but Wilson leading his team in snaps week one bodes well for his opportunity shares moving forward.

Suggested Bid: $1,500,000

Kendrick Bourne, WR, NE (Owned 21%)

Week 1: 6 Rec/64 yards, 2 TDs

Beat writers in Massachusetts were discussing how Kendrick Bourne might have a bigger role in Bill O’Brien’s offense this season and when trade rumors involving Bourne at the end of the pre-season were quickly shot down by Bill Belichick it should have tipped the community off that maybe his involvement would not be just “coach speak”. Bourne played on 91 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in week one and hauled in two (2) touchdowns to start the season as the WR5 in PPR formats. New England’s offense will not be as stagnant as last year’s so several players may be able to have more than bye week filler potential in 2023, Bourne included.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

TE Add

Hunter Henry, WR, NE (Owned 58%)

Week 1: 5 Rec/56 yards, 1 TD

As already mentioned the Patriots already looked more organized as an offense and after a rocky start ended up with Mac Jones passing for over 300 yards, a feat which he was only able to do twice in each of his first two (2) seasons. New England has always had a strong utilization of their tight ends so a productive offense means that Hunter Henry can finally return to his back end TE1 value each week. In a year of injured superstars and rookies still adjusting to the position, stallworths like Henry may be surprised top finishers by the end of the season at the tight end position.

Suggested Bid: $1,500,000

Sleeper Add (<25%)

Josh Reynolds, WR, DET (Owned 14%)

Week 1: 4 Rec/80 yards

My annual recommendation of “Remember that Josh Reynolds is still good” comes right out of the gate this year as he posted four (4) receptions for 80 yards in what did not feel like the Lions’ best offensive output. Will it be hard to predict his big weeks and once Jameson Williams returns is there a likelihood that Reynolds’ role diminishes, sure, but Dan Campbell also seems like the “no-nonsense” coach who does not care about draft capital or media pressure if he feels that veterans like Reynolds will do more to help the offense overall than a player like Williams coming off of injury and suspension. At least for the next five (5) weeks Reynolds should continue to operate as the WR2 in an offense that finished sixth (6th) in passing last year.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

More Analysis by Nick Andrews

Week 1 Street FA Report

Updated: September 6th 2021

Welcome back to another (hopefully) great fantasy season RSO managers! With week one (1) starting Thursday, the 5th year of the Street FA Report is ready to get back to business.  As always, each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 75% of RSO leagues that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer one (1) player that is owned in <25% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Add of the Week

Wayne Gallman, RB – ATL (Owned 46%)

The offseason saw the fantasy community debate whether the Falcons were going to sign, draft, or trade for running back to either compete or supplant Mike Davis as their primary rusher. The draft, OTAs, and even training camp and preseason went by without the Falcons doing anything else to address the position. Thus, Davis probably has a strong chance to be a workhorse running back in 2021. However, if you want to hedge that bet the Falcons added Wayne Gallman after roster cutdowns which has reinvigorated the conversation of how much the Falcons believe in Davis. Gallman had several fantasy-relevant games last season in relief of Saquon Barkley for the Giants that if new Head Coach Arthur Smith started to used Gallman more as he familiarized himself with the playbook it would not be a shock to some. If Gallman has a strong presence in week 1 do not be surprised if he is also week 2’s Add of the Week, but for an inflated price.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

 

RB Adds

Carlos Hyde, RB – JAX (Owned 39%)

Congrats to those who doubled down on James Robinson after many had cooled on him with Urban Meyer drafting Clemon running back Travis Etienne in the first round. Robinson finished as the RB7 in PPR last year and should be a safe RB2 once again in 2021. We know that injuries and a change in coaching staff can wreak havoc on a running back’s value though and Meyer brought in his old Ohio State tailback Carlos Hyde to compliment Robinson in the backfield. Hyde has not been the model of health himself, having only played in all 16 games twice in seven (7) seasons. He is only two (2) seasons removed from his only career 1,000 yard rushing season however and he presents a much better option behind Robinson than anything the Jaguars had last year. He would be a deep stash right now in case anything was to happen to Robinson early in the season.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Jaret Patterson, RB – WAS (Owned 42%)

Rhamondre Stevenson has been the late-round running back that seems to have everyone’s eye during the preseason but under the radar has been Jaret Patterson in Washington who has received a heavy workload from Ron Rivera and his coaching staff. Though Antonio Gibson took virtually all the first-team snaps when the starters were playing, and J.D. McKissic will continue his role as a favourite to lead the NFL in running back targets again, Patterson seems to be the next man up for either if they were to go down. Ryan Fitzpatrick should make this offense better in 2021 which means there will be plenty of opportunities for scoring chances and long drives for Patterson to continue carving out a role. As for now he seems to be an option for Rivera as a returner on Special Teams but could have value later in the season.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

 

WR Adds

Tyrell Williams, WR – DET (Owned 40%)

It was maybe a surprise to some that the Lions, despite their depleted talent at wide receiver, would release veteran Breshad Perriman but they must not have felt his salary brought in the value it deserved. This leaves Tyrell Williams as the stalwart veteran atop the depth chart to begin the season now for new starting quarterback Jared Goff. There are more alluring receivers in Detroit’s arsenal such as rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown, but Williams is most likely to produce fantasy points right now. A team’s WR1 is available in over half of leagues and although the Lions are not a fantasy powerhouse, volume is king and Williams should see lots of it to start the season.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Josh Reynolds, WR – TEN (Owned 35%)

Frequent readers of the Street FA Report will know my infatuation with Josh Reynolds and how I just cannot quit on the guy. Reynolds was poised to break out after leaving the Rams to join the Titans opposite A.J. Brown but with the team trading for Julio Jones shortly after, his breakout likely hits pause for now. However, neither Brown nor Jones have been the model of healthy over the last two (2) seasons and if lingering injuries were to crop up again Reynolds would be in a prime spot in what should be a highly successful offense in 2021. Sitting on Reynolds might not be a bad idea as the season grows longer and the fatigue and injuries of a longer season start to kick in.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

TE Add

Tyler Kroft, TE – NYJ (Owned 13%)

The Jets finally put to bed the decision on if Chris Herndon was ever going to produce his breakout season at tight end for them when they traded him to Minnesota ahead of cut downs this preseason. This leaves Tyler Kroft as the de facto starter for the newly redesigned Jets team under Robert Saleh. Kroft and second overall selection Zach Wilson had a strong connection in the preseason, connecting for two (2) touchdowns in the second game together. If you are an owner who plays the waivers each week for tight ends Kroft might be one of the more consistent streamers to have this season depending on the success of Wilson and the Jets’ offense.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

 

Sleeper Add <25%

Kendrick Bourne, WR – NE (Owned 18%)

The Patriots spent big in the offseason and with their spending spree the team brought in two (2) under-the-radar receivers to hopefully help with their atrocious passing game in 2020. Nelson Agholor is expected to co-manage the majority of targets along with Jacobi Meyers but the release of Cam Newton leaves Kendrick Bourne as another interesting option for Josh McDaniels around the goal line. In San Francisco, Bourne was notorious for vulturing touchdowns away from other receivers scoring on 10 percent and 16 percent of his receptions in 2018 and 2019. Bill Belichick always has specific uses for specific players and it would not be surprising if both Agholor and Meyers receive double the targets and yardage as Bourne, but had similar if not fewer touchdowns. With Newton no longer available to QB-sneak, it may open the door for Bourne to have niche fantasy in deep receiver leagues.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

More Analysis by Nick Andrews

The Watch List: Week 12

Updated: November 16th 2017

Welcome to The Watch List, a resource to help RSO owners identify the storylines, players and matchups from the college game that deserve your attention.  To view my weekly picks, follow me on Twitter @robertfcowper.  Check back throughout the season as The Watch List will continue to update you on who is fantasy relevant and worth your draft capital next year. 

Storylines to Watch

  • Heisman Update:  Saquon Barkley is still my 1.01 fantasy draft pick but he’s no longer my Heisman favorite.  That honor now goes to Baker Mayfield.  Last week, I said that if Barkley’s 96 total yard game was the worst of his season that the award would be his.  Instead of coming out strong against Rutgers, he struggled and totaled just 55 yards (albeit with two scores).  Mayfield is just so on fire lately that it probably doesn’t matter what Barkley or Bryce Love do down the stretch.  Since his loss to Iowa State, Mayfield is averaging 384.8 yards per game and has 16 TDs to just 4 INTs.  The Heisman is his to lose.
  • CFP Playoff Picture:  The newest CFP rankings went about as expected.  Georgia and Notre Dame fell far after big losses to Top 10 opponents.  Meanwhile the teams that beat them, Miami and Auburn, jumped up a number of spots.  I was a bit surprised to see Wisconsin at #5.  Their strength of schedule is weak and is only slightly redeemed if they win out and beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.  Before this ranking, I did not think that an undefeated Wisconsin would rank over a one-loss Georgia but the committee disagreed.  I think this is their signal that if Wisconsin wins out, they are in, strength of schedule be damned (keep in mind one of Miami and Clemson have to lose and fall out of the Top 4).  Want to play around with the many permutations?  Check out FiveThirtyEight’s prediction module.
  • Why You Should Care About the FCS:  I won’t lie, I don’t usually pay attention to the FCS until their playoffs start.  I am a bit ahead of the game this season since I’ve done some research on a few FCS prospects but still, my FCS knowledge is basic at best.  That being said, the FCS deserves our attention for the rest of the season.  The FCS playoff is compelling television and there will be a number of 2018 NFL Draft prospects playing in those playoff games.  There are two fantasy relevant players who came out of the FCS this season: Rams WR Cooper Kupp and Bears RB Tarik Cohen.  A few other less familiar but potentially relevant names include: Patriots DE Derek Rivers, 49ers WR Kendrick Bourne, Cardinals WR Chad Williams and Broncos RB D’Angelo Henderson.  The first-round playoff games will be played on Saturday November 25th but you can safely ignore those games and wait for the second-round on December 2nd which will include the top eight teams who received byes.  The top predicted teams per HeroSports.com are James Madison, North Dakota State, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State, South Dakota State, Wofford, Southern Utah, Western Illinois, Sam Houston State, North Carolina A&T and Grambling.  If you’re looking to keep up with FCS stats and information, quality sites are hard to find.  A few I have bookmarked include HeroSports.com and FCS.football.  FOX Sports also has game logs and season stats for all FCS players which is sometimes like finding a needle in a haystack.  If you want to find some of these games live, check the WatchESPN app which airs many live and keeps them available for replay for about a week.

Players to Watch (FCS Edition)

  • Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State:  If Dallas Goedert’s name sounds familiar, it’s probably because I had included him in my early 2018 positional rankings where he came in at TE7.  I watched two games of Goedert’s 2016 film, against TCU and North Dakota State, and was very impressed.  Goedert has good size at 6’4″ 260lbs and uses it to his advantage on contested passes across the middle of the field.  His route running does not appear to be the most sophisticated but he was able to get himself open on a number of drags and crosses; near the red zone his route running is less of a factor anyway as he can easily high point the ball over smaller defenders.  The film against TCU was only composed of his passing targets so I did not see any blocking but what I saw of him blocking against NDSU was very good.  He’s probably the best, or second best to Hayden Hurst, blocking TE I have studied so far this season.  There was one sequence that made me laugh and feel sorry for Goedert.  On the first play, Goedert seemingly catches a tipped ball after landing flat on his back after being hit high to the helmet (a targeting penalty was called).  It was called incomplete although to my eye it looked good.  On the next play, Goedert ran a skinny post and caught the touchdown over a defender only to have it called back for a penalty.  On the third play, he runs a shallow crossing route left-to-right, catches the ball in open space but is tackled well a yard short of the first down and two yards short of the goal line (he probably should have ran his route a little deeper).  The next play was fourth down and I’m not sure if they went for it or kicked a field goal because the tape doesn’t show the play but they did come away empty handed.  The tape is backed up by his production: Goedert’s 2017 line is solid at 49-849-5 and 2016 was even better at 92-1,293-11.  Ultimately, I may have to revise my TE rankings and push Goedert up a bit, he’s going to be a factor in the near future for RSO owners.
  • Jake Wieneke, WR, South Dakota State:  Wieneke is another Jackrabbit that should be on your 2018 NFL Draft radar.  Wieneke has a streak of three consecutive seasons with 70+ receptions, 1,300+ yards and 11+ TDs.  That’s impressive.  He’s well off the marks so far through ten games this year but there is still time if they make a playoff run.  Wieneke is 6’4″ 215lbs and is projected to run a 4.59 by NFLDraftScout.com.  Pie in the sky comps at those measureables would be Michael Thomas and Allen Robinson.  Let’s temper expectations though as only 8 of the 19 size/speed comps I looked at were actually drafted; ironically 5 of the 8 were 1st or 2nd rounders so it seems to be real boom or bust for some reason for this group.  I also watched tape of Wieneke against TCU from last season.  I honestly think he has a chance to beat that 4.59 estimate as there were three plays where he just simply beat the defender with his speed, two of which went for a score.  There were a number of positive routes that I noted where he used either a hesitation move or a sharp jab step to change direction and fool the defender.  The film I watched only featured his targets so unfortunately I don’t have any notes on his run blocking.  An article I read while researching Wieneke brought up a great point about him, one that will be a selling point to scouts: his “catch radius.”  He’s long and athletic which lets him play even beyond his 6’4″ frame.  Like with Goedert, I came away from my study of Wieneke with positive thoughts and will have to find a spot for him in my WR rankings going forward.
  • Chase Edmonds, RB, Fordham:  Edmonds caught my eye when he played Army earlier this season.  Unfortunately, his season has been disjointed due to injury.  A good sign was that Edmonds returned from injury last week and totaled 109 yards and 2 TDs against Holy Cross.  It’s easy to forget the recent injury struggles when you look at Edmonds annual stats.  He dominated in his first three seasons.  Over those seasons, Edmonds averaged 1,761 yards, 21 rushing TDs, 25 receptions, 258 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs.  Fordham is struggling this season (they have 6 losses already while totaling just 9 losses in Edmonds’ first three years) and whether that is the cause or effect of Edmonds’ struggles I don’t know.  Edmonds has four career games against FBS opponents (coincidentally all against either Army or Navy) and in those games he’s averaged 131 total yards and a score; that average does include a huge game in 2015 which skews the average but it counts nonetheless.  I re-watched Edmonds play against Army and was encouraged by what I saw on film prior to his injuries.  Edmonds shows good change of direction and balance but I did notice a tendency to run left (possibly a factor of where the strength of the OL lies).  He has good hands and ball tracking skills out of the backfield which he showed twice, once on a bad snap that was popped into the air and once on a tipped pass.  I’d say he was above average in pass protection.  There was one major whiff in protection but a number of good blocks.  I’m interested in seeing film of Edmonds post-injury to see if his cutting and speed are impacted at all.
  • Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Sam Houston State:  Briscoe is a former UAB player who transferred to Sam Houston State when the Blazers football program was cut.  Briscoe has average size at 6’3″ 225lbs (similar to AJ McCarron).  He has a lot of experience (43 career games) but is an old prospect at 24.  I can’t really explain why, but when I watched his film against Incarnate Word from 2016, I thought of Dak Prescott.  He’s a little lighter than Dak and not nearly as athletic so I don’t know why I thought it but my brain kept flashing to Dak.  Briscoe’s stats in 2016 were stellar: 4,602 yards, 57 TDs and 10 INTs.  2017 has been less kind: 3,429-32-10.  His completion percentage is also down from 62.6% to 55.7%.  The film I watched of Briscoe was of horrible quality so I’m not putting much stock into it but it was clear that there were a number of inaccurate throws.  I also noted that he has an odd-looking throwing motion.  I likened it to a pitcher throwing from the stretch with a runner on base, meaning that his motion seems to be shortened and rushed.  I used the term “short arm” in my notes which isn’t a great sign for a QB prospect.  Briscoe is not a rushing threat so a change of position is not a possibility for him to increase his draft stock.  The fact that Briscoe started his career as an FBS player and that he put up 57 TDs in a season mean he should get consideration but he’s more like a training camp arm than anything else.
  • Bryan Schor, QB, James Madison:  Schor is a two year starter for #1 James Madison (10-0).  JMU won the FCS championship with Schor at the helm.  He is efficient but unspectacular, as evidenced by his championship game performance: 7 of 12, 112 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs.  In addition to being an efficient passer, Schor is also a rushing threat who has at least 7 carries in each game this season.  His per carry average in 2017 is just 2.1 but was 4.5 in 2016; in 2016 he ran for 569 yards and 10 TDs but just 192-3 this season.  Schor’s height is okay at 6’2″ but he’s too light at 213lbs to be a dual threat QB in the pros.  The fact that Schor plays for the #1 team in the FCS probably raises his stock higher than it should be based off his abilities.  I didn’t see enough in my statistical research to warrant a more in depth look so put his name on the back burner for now until after the season.
  • Damon Gibson, WR, Minnesota State University – Moorhead:  Gibson plays in Division 2, not the FCS, but I decided to include him here.  I love a good deep dive on prospects but I’m definitely not planning a D2 article anytime soon!  Gibson has elite size if he measures in as advertised: 6’4″ 236lbs.  Per his Hudl.com profile, his 40 yard dash clocks in at 4.58.  That size and speed combination nets him a short list of comps, namely Devin Funchess and Mike Evans (who was an inch taller but a few pounds lighter).  Gibson caught 90 balls in 2016 for 1,549 yards and 17 TDs (17.21 yards per catch).  His stats in 2017 aren’t as eye-popping but they are still solid: 54-649-3-12.02.  Gibson earned a nomination for the Harlon Hill award in 2016 (the D2 Heisman equivalent).  I watched some of Gibson’s target montage posted to his Hudl.com profile and it’s immediately obvious that he was a man among boys at the D2 level.  Since he’s a standout at the D2 level, he could factor in at the 2018 draft because of his measureables.  Let’s see if he gets a combine invite and what he makes of it.

Games to Watch

  • Wofford at South Carolina, 4:00pm Saturday on SEC Network:  We have five FCS vs FBS matchups this weekend which feels like a lot for Week 12.  FCS #7 Wofford is the best candidate for an upset.  They are 9-1 and focus heavily on the rush (they have three 500+ yard rushers and their QB is averaging just 5.8 completions per game).  The other cross-division matchups are: Mercer at #1 Alabama; Delaware State at Florida State; Citadel at #2 Clemson; Western Carolina at North Carolina.
  • #24 Michigan at #5 Wisconsin, 12:00pm Saturday on FOX:  This is the only Top 25 matchup of the weekend, so enjoy.  I’m a Michigan fan and honestly I would be okay with the Wolverines losing at Camp Randall in the best interest of the conference.  I’d rather see a 13-0 Wisconsin force the committee’s hand than see a 2- or 3-loss Big Ten champion.  Both teams feature strong running games.  Wisconsin is led by freshman Jonathan Taylor (1,525-12) while Michigan has a three-headed monster featuring Karan Higdon (854-10), Chris Evans (569-6) and Ty Isaac (548-2).
  • #15 UCF at Temple, 12:00pm Saturday on ESPNU:  Finding great games this week is tough.  #1 and #2 play FCS opponents while the rest of the Top 10, minus Wisconsin, play significantly weaker opponents.  I decided to highlight UCF’s game against Temple because it probably has the biggest bowl implication as UCF needs to win out to get a New Year’s Six berth.  If UCF loses, it will be an interesting decision for the committee as to who should be ranked higher, UCF or Memphis.  UCF beat Memphis 40-13 earlier in the season but Memphis has been on a roll since then trying to outduel UCF, scoring 239 total points in those five games since.  UCF is led by QB McKenzie Milton who has tossed for 2,720 yards, 22 TDs and 5 INTs.  Their rushing attack is strong too.  The leading rushers are Milton and RB Adrian Killins but the love is spread around (seven different players have 2+ rushing TDs and six have 100+ rushing yards).  UCF is 37th in rushing yards per game but 6th in rushing TDs per game, go figure.  Luckily for the Golden Knights, Temple has the 77th ranked rush defense.

Note: When watching film for a player in the offseason, I typically pick two games at random to watch.  If game film is not available I will search for highlight reels, but keep in mind these are the best plays that player had all season so they really need to jump off the screen.  I do not necessarily want to watch games where they did very well or very poorly as that may not be a great illustration of their true ability.  If possible, when comparing players at the same position I also like to watch film against common opponents.  Full disclosure, I am not watching film of every single game any player plays, instead I am looking for a representative sample.  When researching college players I use a number of resources, I would recommend bookmarking the below sites…

  • Stats: espn.com, sports-reference.com, cfbstats.com, herosports.com, fcs.football, foxsports.com
  • Film: draftbreakdown.com, youtube.com (but be wary of highlight only reels)
  • Draft info and mocks: draftcountdown.com, nfldraftscout.com, walterfootball.com, mattwaldmanrsp.com, draftek.com
  • Draft history: drafthistory.com
  • Combine info: pro-football-reference.com, espn.com, nflcombineresults.com
  • Season preview magazines: Phil Steele, Lindy’s, Street and Smith’s
  • Podcasts: ESPN’s First Draft, Strong as Steele with Phil Steele, The Audible by Football Guys (specifically episodes w/ Matt Waldman), UTH Dynasty

Robert F. Cowper is a freelance writer who lives in New Jersey.  Robert works as a recreation professional, specializing in youth sports, when he isn’t acting as commissioner for his many fantasy sports leagues.

More Analysis by Bob Cowper