CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 15

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Published on December 7, 2020

This will be the final week of the Waiver Wire Watch as many of the conferences are wrapping up their regular season and most season-long fantasy leagues have concluded or are in their championship week. What a season it has been! I'll look to finish the year strong and can't wait to come back next season. These were my stars from last week:

Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong (36.5 points) – Season-high 130 rushing yards!
EMU QB Preston Hutchinson (34.7 points) – 17 Total TDs in five games, giddy up MACtion!
Akron RB Teon Dollard (33.5 points) – Playing BGSU is automatic rushing production!
Colorado RB Jarek Broussard (33.1 points) – 301 rushing yards in one game is wow!
Purdue QB Jack Plummer (26.1 points) – 8:2 TD:INT Ratio in three games!
Wyoming RB Trey Smith (23.4 points) – Back-to-back games with 24 carries!
Kentucky RB Asim Rose (22.7 points) – 100-yard rushing game with Chris Rodriguez back I the line-up!
Texas Tech RB Xavier White (21.3 points) – Averaging right around 10 YPC on 23 carries in last two games!
Iowa TE Sam LaPorta (15.7 points) – Sustained target volume led to first collegiate TD!

Slight uptick in my recommendations being wiped out as five players were not able to suit up in Week 14 (compared to four the week before). Across the college football landscape, we had eight games canceled or postponed (not counting Liberty) compared to 13 the week before. It was very cool to see BYU and

Slate Background: In the Week 15 slate, we start out with Florida Atlantic/Southern Mississippi and Pittsburgh/Georgia Tech on Thursday Night. We then have five games on Friday Night and I'm particularly interested in Nevada at San Jose State in a late night game. Saturday will be highlighted by undefeated Cincinnati at Tulsa, North Carolina at Miami and of course Ohio State at Michigan.

*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
One final try with Tune as the Cougars once again have not seen the field since Week 11. Although they couldn't play in an excellent match-up with SMU, it gets even better in Week 15 if they can play Memphis as the Tigers defense is one of seven teams in the nation giving up more than 300 passing yards per game. Tulane's Michael Pratt accounted for four total touchdowns and over 30 fantasy points against Memphis in Week 14. 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.

Asa Martin, RB, Memphis
Because I want no part of the defensive juggernaut between Cincinnati at Tulsa for fantasy purposes, I'll go to the other side of the Houston and Memphis game. Houston can be beaten on the ground as it is giving up 190.8 rushing yards per game. Because starting running back Rodrigues Clark is less than 100 percent and hasn't appeared in the Tigers last three games, I'll go with Martin who had a career-high 13 carries at Tulane.

Week 14 Rewind; Houston QB Clayton Tune (Game Postponed due to COVID-19) & Tulane TE Tyrick James (6.0 points – 3/3 targets for 30 yards)

ACC

Jashaun Corbin, RB, Florida State
With La'Damian Webb opting out of the season recently, it has opened up an opportunity for increased usage for Corbin. If the Seminoles can see the field for the first time since Week 11, Corbin will be primed for a big game against Duke's suspect rush defense that allows 200.1 rushing yards per game. In a committee approach, Corbin has been productive with 329 yards and two touchdowns on 65 carries to go along with 16 catches for 99 yards on 20 targets. An extra 10 or 12 touches for the redshirt sophomore could go a long way to helping your fantasy team.

Tony Poljan, TE, Virginia
Poljan is a top-five fantasy tight end in the ACC Conference and has commanded at least five targets in seven of nine games this season. In fact, the senior has had five games with double-digit fantasy points and overall has 33 catches for 345 yards and five touchdowns on 52 targets. Virginia at Virginia Tech has all the makings of a high-scoring game, so I would anticipate Poljan has a great shot at ending the regular season in typical fashion. Virginia's defense has been awful all season, so they will need to throw the ball.

Week 14 Rewind; NC State WR Thayer Thomas (6.2 points – 3/6 targets for 32 yards) & Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong (36.5 points – 19/27, 287 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 130 yards rushing, 1 TD)

BIG 12

Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
The future for the Longhorns was on full display at Kansas State as Robinson exploded for touchdown runs of 12, 30, and 75 yards. Although the true freshman is splitting carries with Roschon Johnson, he's just too good to be ignored at this point. Robinson is averaging a pretty 6.84 yards per carry on 76 totes and has been fantastic in the passing game with 13 catches for 159 yards on 19 targets. No reason to believe those numbers won't continue to improve against the fantasy-friendly Kansas defense in Week 15.

Luke Grimm, WR, Kansas
Here's a sneaky recommendation as Grimm has quietly had at least eight targets in each of his last three games. We all know Kansas will be trailing in their upcoming game with Texas, but they will have a shot to score some points and it will most likely be through the air as Texas gives up 274.2 passing yards per game. The true freshman showed some fantasy potential with two touchdowns against TCU in Week 13 and these are the type of risks that could help you pull off a championship or even a tournament win in DFS formats.

Week 14 Rewind; Texas Tech RB Xavier White (21.3 points – 14 carries, 135 yards, 4/5 targets for 28 yards) & Texas WR Brennan Eagles (8.1 points – 4/7 targets for 41 yards)

BIG TEN

Noah Vedral, QB, Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights have taken a step back after a fast start to the year, but I like their match-up in a regular-season finale as Maryland is giving up 442.8 yards per game, which is worst in the Big 10. Vedral was able to play against Penn State with an undisclosed injury and was ultimately their only offensive threat in that game. He racked up a season-high 56 rushing yards which will come in handy against a Terrapins defense that can't really stop anyone on the ground.

Whop Philyor, WR, Indiana
I wasn't sure what to expect with new quarterback, Jack Tuttle, but he was as good as advertised with a shocking win at Camp Randall over the Badgers. Now that we know the QB can be effective, it's full go ahead with Philyor who ranks second in the conference with 69 targets, more than teammate Ty Fryfogle (62) who is owned in many more fantasy leagues. In the battle of Indiana between the Hoosiers and Boilermakers, I fully expect it to be a shootout with both teams flashing their elite receivers as it's the strength of both teams.

Week 14 Rewind; Purdue QB Jack Plummer (26.1 points – 33/47, 334 yards, 3 TD) & Iowa TE Sam LaPorta (15.7 points – 4/6 targets, 57 yards, 1 TD)

C-USA

Deion Hankins, RB, UTEP
Let's try this again with Hankins as his match-up in Week 15 (vs. North Texas) is even better than the game against Southern Mississippi that didn't happen. North Texas is giving up 236.4 rushing yards per game, which is seventh-worst in the nation. 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 North Texas on Friday Night.

Javion Posey, QB, Florida Atlantic
Speaking of that Southern Mississippi team, I'll be all over Posey if Florida Atlantic announces the freshman will get the start over Nick Tronti on Thursday Night. Posey has been a legit run-first quarterback while racking up 393 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries in just four games. There's really no reason for the Owls to not start their redshirt freshman as they look to the future in their regular-season finale on the road.

*Old Dominion is not playing in Fall 2020

Week 14 Rewind; Louisiana Tech QB Luke Anthony (10.5 points – 13/20, 110 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT – Shared snaps with back-up QB) & UTEP RB Deion Hankins (Canceled due to COVID-19)

MAC

Kevin Davis & Davion Johnson, RB, Miami of Ohio
It's not clear whether Davis or Johnson is the lead back for the Redhawks, but it doesn't really matter against Bowling Green as the Falcons are giving up an absurd 339 rushing yards per game. If I had to choose, I prefer the true freshman Davis who has also been active in the passing game with five catches on seven targets in three games. Zach Kahn also lurks in the backfield with Kahn and Johnson being the more experienced players.

De'Montre Tuggle, RB, Ohio
If you don't want to deal with navigating the unknown carry share with Miami of Ohio, go with Tuggle who is the undisputed leader in the Bobcats' backfield. Tuggle is coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing games and already has six touchdowns in three games. You will need to be cautious with this one as well as Ohio is dealing with COVID-19 within the program which led to their game with Buffalo being canceled. If the game with Kent State is played, it will be a great matchup for Tuggle as the Golden Flashes are giving up 262.0 rushing yards per game.

Week 14 Rewind; Akron RB Teon Dollard (33.5 points – 26 carries for 185 yards, 2 TD) & Eastern Michigan QB Preston Hutchinson (34.7 points – 19/30, 315 yards, 3 TD, 1 rushing TD)

MWC

Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State
Haener's volume at Nevada in Week 14 was insane as he completed 41 of 65 passes for 485 yards and two touchdowns while adding his second rushing score of the season. While that's not sustainable, he will be able to near his average of 29.5 fantasy points per game against a soft New Mexico defense and improve upon his impressive 11:4 TD to INT ratio. The field is wide open for Haener to succeed as stud running back Ronnie Rivers is a beast in the ground game and very productive in the pass game with 27 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns in just five games.

Bailey Gaither, WR, San Jose State
I'm happy to circle back to Gaither who has been the third most productive receiver in the conference behind Nevada's Romeo Doubs and Boise State's Khlil Shakir. He's had at least four targets in all five games and even reached 11 and 13 targets in the Spartans' first two games of the year. I fully expect him to approach double-digit targets when San Jose State plays Nevada in a high tempo offensive game on Friday Night. Fellow receiver Tre Walker is also a decent play in this spot.

Week 14 Rewind; Boise State QB Hank Bachmeier (Canceled due to COVID-19) & Wyoming RB Trey Smith (23.4 points – 24 carries, 154 yards, 1 TD)

PAC-12

DeaMonte Trayanum, RB, Arizona State
There have been so many good true freshman in the college game this season and Trayanum is another one of them. In his collegiate debut, he scored two touchdowns at USC in Week 10 and followed that up with his first 100-yard rushing game versus UCLA in Week 14. Who knows what he'll do against an Arizona defense that just gave up 301 rushing yards to Colorado's Jarek Broussard. While I do think Rachaad White will still be in the mix for some carries, Trayanum has the higher upside.

Cade Otton, TE, Washington
Through four games for the Huskies, Otton has two 100-yard receiving games and three touchdowns on 20 total targets. That is elite production from the tight end position. With Washington struggling against Stanford, they're going to need all the firepower they can pull together in an interesting match-up at Oregon.

Week 14 Rewind; Colorado RB Jarek Broussard (33.1 points – 25 carries for 301 yards) & Washington State WR Travell Harris (Pending - Sunday Night Game)

SEC

Harrison Bailey, QB, Tennessee
Bailey was able to get his feet wet with a start against Florida before being yanked because the Vols' offensive line could not protect their true freshman quarterback. In limited action, he was effective through the air while completing 14 of 21 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. If Bailey can get a second consecutive start against Vanderbilt, he should be much more productive and show off why he's such a highly touted prospect. This could be his breakout game which leads in to his coronation as Tennessee's starting in 2021 and beyond.

Trevon Grimes, WR, Florida
Quarterback Kyle Trask is on fire for the Gators – four or more passing touchdowns in seven games - which has resulted in Grimes having a career year with 30 catches for 413 yards and eight touchdowns on 44 targets. With two games left against LSU and Alabama, the sky is the limit for Grimes as there's no way he doesn't rack up some significant targets for a Florida team trying to make a statement for the CFB Playoff committee.

Week 14 Rewind; Georgia QB JT Daniels (Postponed Due to COVID-19) & Kentucky RB Asim Rose (22.7 points – 14 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD, 1/1 target, 26 yards)

SUN BELT

Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State
With stud receiver Jonathan Adams being tragically shut down with a hairline fracture in his hip, someone needed to step up in the Arkansas State passing game. Enter true freshman Rucker who nabbed nine catches for 310 yards and four touchdowns on 12 targets. This kid never had more than two catches in any of his other five games this year which is why no one really saw it coming. Senior Brandon Bowling has been second on the depth chart all season long, but I'll always go with upside to see if Rucker can follow up his historical performance in Week 14.

Gunnar Watson, QB, Troy
Since all of the major Coastal Carolina offensive players are owned in more than 50 percent of leagues (I've highlighted many of them this year), I'll go with Watson who takes on the mighty Chanticleers on the other side. He has a couple of above-average receivers in Kaylon Geiger and Reggie Todd who will give it their best shot to play spoiler and give Coastal Carolina their first loss of the season. Watson was fantastic in a dominating performance against South Alabama while completing 82.9 percent of his passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns.

Week 14 Rewind; Arkansas State QB Logan Bonner (10.6 points – 6/17, 185 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) & Appalachian State RB Camerun Peoples (14.9 points – 21 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD)

INDEPENDENTS

Tyhier Tyler, QB, Army
Tyler received his first start of the year against Georgia Southern in Week 12 and had desirable fantasy volume with 35 rushes for 121 yards in Army's run-heavy offense. What wasn't pretty was his three lost fumbles which he'll need to clean up if they want to beat Navy. If he receives another start, I would go with Tyler as BYU doesn't have a great match-up against a tough San Diego State defense as the only other independent team currently scheduled to play in Week 15.

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

Week 14 Rewind; Liberty WR DJ Stubbs (Canceled due to COVID-19)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Hawaii (vs. UNLV) – The Rebels have lost all five of their games and are averaging just 16.6 points per game.

Penn State (vs. Michigan State) – The Nittany Lions figured it out against Rutgers while allowing just 205 total yards. If they can do the same thing, they'll shut down an inept Spartans offense.

Tennessee (at Vanderbilt) – Vanderbilt has been by far the worst offense in the SEC this season and should have a tough time scoring on the Vols.

Week 14 Rewind; Marshall vs. Rice (20 PA, 2 Sacks), Texas Tech vs. Kansas (13 PA, 4 Sacks) & Air Force at Utah State (7 PA, 2 Sacks, 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, Fresno State Jake Haener, Florida Atlantic Javion Posey
RB: Ohio De'Montre Tuggle, Texas Bijan Robinson, Arizona State DeaMonte Trayanum
WR: Florida Trevon Grimes, Indiana Whop Philyor, Arkansas State Corey Rucker
TE: Washington Cade Otton, Virginia Tony Poljan
D/ST: Penn State (vs. Michigan State)