This article is part of our Start vs. Sit series.
Finally, a week of college football that is worth getting excited about based on the substance of matchups, not just for "college football is back!" reasons. We have several great matchups and a lot of ranked teams squaring off. Now, this is great for fans but tricky for fantasy. Fret not, as excellent matchups are still out there for players to start. Then, of course, there are the guys to sit. Here's a mix of both here for Week 4.
AAC Starts and Sits
START
Preston Stone, QB, SMU at TCU
Stone's first season starting for the Mustangs has gone smoothly, as he's thrown for 798 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's had two cupcake matchups surrounding a trip to Oklahoma, but Stone held his own in Norman, and TCU is not on that level. In Week 1, the Colorado hype train began with a win over TCU, and that shootout was built around the TCU pass defense being torched time and time again.
SIT
Lajohntay Wester, WR, FAU at Illinois
Yes, the Illinois defense hasn't looked quite as good this season, but it has been middling against the pass, ranking 54th in passing yards allowed per attempt. Wester has been a reception machine, with 30 catches through three games. Unfortunately, he will no longer catch passes from Casey Thompson, who is out for the season. Now, Central Michigan transfer Daniel Richardson will be stepping in to start. We may have seen the best of Wester
Finally, a week of college football that is worth getting excited about based on the substance of matchups, not just for "college football is back!" reasons. We have several great matchups and a lot of ranked teams squaring off. Now, this is great for fans but tricky for fantasy. Fret not, as excellent matchups are still out there for players to start. Then, of course, there are the guys to sit. Here's a mix of both here for Week 4.
AAC Starts and Sits
START
Preston Stone, QB, SMU at TCU
Stone's first season starting for the Mustangs has gone smoothly, as he's thrown for 798 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's had two cupcake matchups surrounding a trip to Oklahoma, but Stone held his own in Norman, and TCU is not on that level. In Week 1, the Colorado hype train began with a win over TCU, and that shootout was built around the TCU pass defense being torched time and time again.
SIT
Lajohntay Wester, WR, FAU at Illinois
Yes, the Illinois defense hasn't looked quite as good this season, but it has been middling against the pass, ranking 54th in passing yards allowed per attempt. Wester has been a reception machine, with 30 catches through three games. Unfortunately, he will no longer catch passes from Casey Thompson, who is out for the season. Now, Central Michigan transfer Daniel Richardson will be stepping in to start. We may have seen the best of Wester in 2023 through no fault of his own.
ACC Starts and Sits
START
Jordan Waters, RB, Duke at Connecticut
Waters hasn't gotten a ton of carries yet for the Blue Devils, but he's done a ton of damage with them. He's turned his 32 carries into 240 yards and five touchdowns. That's 7.5 yards per carry! The Huskies have allowed 27.7 points per game with a schedule of NC State, Georgia State, and FIU. Duke is a step up offensively.
SIT
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech at Marshall
Tuten had 1,363 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns in 2022…at North Carolina A&T. The move up to the FBS level has been slow going for the newly-minted Hokie. He has one touchdown on the ground and one through the air but has averaged a mere 2.7 yards per carry. It's been easy competition for the Thundering Herd, but they've allowed a mere 3.4 yards per rushing attempt.
Big 12 Starts and Sits
START
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas at Baylor
The Longhorns let Brooks at it against Wyoming, and it worked out. He had 21 carries for 164 yards, even if it was his first game without a touchdown. If he's now the lead back for Texas, he will face a Baylor team that has struggled, allowing 31.0 points per game and giving up 4.3 rushing yards per carry.
SIT
Matthew Golden, WR, Houston vs. Sam Houston State
So far, one thing seems evident about Sam Houston State as an FBS team: They make games absolutely miserable. The Bearkats have a lackluster offense, but their defense has been tenacious. They've allowed 13.5 points per game, not to mention a mere 4.4 passing yards per attempt. Houston, who has yet to face a team outside the Lone Star State, will be in for a long one, and Golden could have a bummer of a day.
Big Ten Starts and Sits
START
Anthony Grant, RB, Nebraska vs. Louisiana Tech
With two backs out for the season, Grant has risen to the top of the depth chart for Nebraska. This is a great matchup to step into, as the Bulldogs have, perhaps, the worst defense in FBS. Louisiana Tech has allowed 39.0 points per game against reasonable collegiate competition (i.e., not against an FCS team and a pre-QB swap FIU) and allowed 39.8 per game last year. It has also given up 5.4 rushing yards per attempt after giving up 6.3 last year, which was bottom five in the FBS.
SIT
KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR, Penn State vs. Iowa
Even at Happy Valley, I don't mess with the Iowa defense. It's rarely wise. The Hawkeyes have only allowed 12.3 points per game and 4.9 yards per pass attempt. Penn State already received its first reality check last week against Illinois, including Lambert-Smith. He had a great start to the season, but the Illini held him to three catches for 23 yards.
Conference USA Starts and Sits
START
Kaidon Salter, QB, Liberty at Florida International
If you don't know Salter already, get to know him. Austin Reed is the star among Conference USA quarterbacks, but Salter has become the new Grayson McCall for Jamey Caldwell. The sophomore has obliterated the competition, throwing for 763 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 191 yards and three scores on the ground. Salter's only turnover has been a single lost fumble. The Panthers' defense is better in 2023, but Salter has earned my trust in Caldwell's offense.
SIT
Tyre Shelton, RB, Louisiana Tech at Nebraska
Healthy and ready to roll, Shelton became the lead back for the Bulldogs in Week 3, and he responded with 16 carries for 152 yards and a score. However, it comes with the caveat that it was against North Texas, definitely in the running for the worst FBS defense. A trip to Lincoln is a different circumstance, and for all the growing pains Matt Rhule's program has shown so far in 2023, Nebraska has allowed a paltry 1.7 rushing yards per attempt.
MAC Starts and Sits
START
Kacper Rutkiewicz, WR, Northern Illinois vs. Tulsa
Rutkiewicz is coming off a rough game, but it was against Nebraska, and I already mentioned Nebraska's defense has been stout. Over his first two games, the receiver had 11 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown, and his 21 targets over three games show that Rutkiewicz is being looked for. It's owed to games against Washington and Oklahoma, I will acknowledge that, but against FBS competition, Tulsa has allowed 54.5 points and a staggering 12.4 passing yards per attempt.
SIT
Gavin Garcia, RB, Kent State at Fresno State
Garcia has been the Kent State offense. He's already carried the ball 57 times through three games, and they have gone for 238 yards and two touchdowns. However, 125 of those yards and both touchdowns came against Central Connecticut. Fresno State is a step up, and it has held opponents to 2.6 rushing yards per carry.
Mountain West Starts and Sits
START
Jacory Merritt, RB, New Mexico at UMass
Merritt transferred to FBS from Alcorn State, but he's taken to it so far. He's averaged 7.6 yards per carry and tallied five touchdowns. Yes, he feasted on Tennessee Tech, but he also scored against Texas A&M. UMass is closer to the former than the latter, having allowed 6.1 rushing yards per carry after giving up 5.1 last season.
SIT
Davon Booth, RB, Utah State vs. James Madison
Booth got banged up last week, but the Aggies' lead back is expected to be in action in Week 4. However, Booth may want to wait a week to really allow himself to heal. It's not sustainable, but James Madison has given up 0.1 rushing yards per carry against FBS teams. No, really.
Pac-12 Starts and Sits
START
Jayden de Laura, QB, Arizona at Stanford
De Laura always keeps things interesting, though not always in a way the Wildcats and their fans like. He's turnover-prone, to be sure, but he also delivers the kind of numbers fantasy players tend to be happy with. Yes, he's already thrown five picks, but he's also thrown for 912 yards and eight touchdowns through three games and added 124 yards and two scores on the ground. Meanwhile, Stanford has allowed 36.7 points per game, including giving up 30 to an FCS team in Sacramento State.
SIT
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado at Oregon
He can't keep getting away with this. Sean Lewis is a great offensive mind, and Sanders has been incredibly efficient in his move up to FBS, playing better than I expected. However, the offensive line is making things swirling chaos for Sanders, and he hasn't helped matters when facing pressure. What if that pressure comes from a Ducks team with the most talent Sanders has faced? He'll be on the road against a team that has only given up 5.2 passing yards per attempt. A reality check has been looming, and I think it arrives here in Week 4.
SEC Starts and Sits
START
Daijun Edwards, RB, Georgia vs. UAB
As Kendall Milton suffered a knee injury, Edwards returned from a knee injury of his own last week against South Carolina. He proceeded to run 20 times for 118 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs have no reason to risk Milton's health against UAB. Trent Dilfer's Blazers have proven porous defensively and specifically have allowed 6.6 rushing yards per attempt.
SIT
Evan Stewart, WR, Texas A&M vs. Auburn
Stewart played great – balled out, as they say – over the first two games of the season before missing Week 3 with an undisclosed injury. Jimbo Fisher says he will be back for this big SEC game, but will Stewart be at full strength? If he isn't, that could be a problem. Auburn ranks in the top 15 in points allowed per game and passing yards allowed per attempt.
Sun Belt Starts and Sits
START
TJ Finley, QB, Texas State vs. Nevada
Texas State is a new team this year, including Finley under center. It was against Jackson State, but Finley threw for three touchdowns and added two more on the ground…in the first half. He's had two big games and a down outing on the road against UTSA. Nevada was a disaster without Jay Norvell in 2022 and is even worse in 2023. The Wolf Pack have allowed 48.5 points per contest and 12.3 passing yards per attempt.
SIT
Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina vs. Georgia State
Jamey Caldwell is now at Liberty, where Kaidon Salter has excelled, but sans Caldwell, McCall's numbers have flagged. He's thrown four touchdowns against two picks, lost a fumble, and is also in the red regarding rushing yards. McCall won't get going on the ground against Georgia State, 11th in rushing yards allowed per attempt, but also has held opponents to 19.5 points per game.
