College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 8

CFB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 8

Welcome back to the waiver wire watch. Throughout the college football season, I'll pick two guys from every conference who either caught my eye in the previous week or who have a favorable match-up in the near future. As always, I'll get to any questions or comments you have in the comments section below.

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

Arizona QB Jayden de Laura (39.1 points)
Tulane QB Michael Pratt (36.7 points)
Duke QB Riley Leonard (34.8 points)
Kansas QB Jason Bean (28.7 points)
James Madison RB Percy Agyei-Obese (16.7 points)
Wisconsin WR Chimere Dike (14.5 points)
Liberty D/ST (10.5 points)

70+ Club in Upcoming Slate: Instead of going over the full slate this week, I'm going to point out which college games have opened up with an over/under around the 70 point mark which means a plethora of fantasy points. Enjoy these barnburners and roster some players in these games if you can.

72.0 points - West Virginia at Texas Tech
70.5 points - UCLA at Oregon
70.0 points - North Texas at UTSA
68.5 points - Georgia Southern at Old Dominion
67.0 points - Akron at Kent State

*Fantasy Points referenced in article are DK format.
**To qualify for recommendations, players must be rostered in less than 50 percent of Fantrax Leagues

AAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Holton Ahlers, QB, East Carolina (35 percent rostered)

Going with Ahlers because the Pirates and Knights will be a fun one on Saturday Night. In conference play, he's averaging 27.0 fantasy points per game. His only mediocre conference game was 15.2 fantasy points at Tulane which is just a tough place to play. Also consider WR Isaiah Winstead (25 percent rostered) and TE Ryan Jones (40 percent rostered) if available in your league.

Caden Prieskorn, TE, Memphis (41 percent rostered)

I've recommended Prieskorn a couple of times in past columns and I have no idea how he's still rostered in less than 50 percent of leagues. He's rolled off six straight double-digit fantasy point performances and even had five games in a row with a touchdown. Although that scoring streak was snapped at East Carolina this past week, he still had six grabs for 104 yards. Memphis plays a tough Tulane defense on the road which likely means Prieskorn will surpass his normal target average.
 
Week 7 Rewind; Tulane QB Michael Pratt (36.7 points - 23/35, 329 YDS, 2 TD, 16 ATT, 15 YDS, 2 TD 1 FL) & UCF WR Javon Baker (1.8 points - 1/1 TAR, 8 YDS *Injured)

ACC Waiver Wire Pickups

Oronde Gadsden, WR, Syracuse (13 percent rostered)

Gadsden is the Orangemen's top receiver with a 24 percent target share on the season. He boosted that number up with a season-high 41 percent target share against NC State when he converted 8-of-9 targets for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Over his last four games, he's averaging 25.2 fantasy points. I can't wait to watch Syracuse play at Clemson this week, if the Orangemen want to compete, they'll need to target Gadsden early and often.

Justice Ellison, RB, Wake Forest (8 percent rostered)

Wake Forest's game with Boston College has opened with the largest over/under in the ACC slate at 62 points. While it's not necessarily fun to depend on a running back in the Demon Deacons' mesh offense, Ellison does have double-digit fantasy points in each of his last three contests. He's also received double-digit carries in five of six games this season. Wake Forest should be able to handle Boston College fairly easily and give Ellison some significant carries.

Week 7 Rewind; Duke QB Riley Leonard (34.8 points - 20/31, 245 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 14 ATT, 130 YDS, 1 TD) & Miami TE Will Mallory (9.2 points - 3/4 TAR, 62 YDS - *Injured)

BIG 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Jason Bean, QB, Kansas (8 percent rostered)

Sticking with Bean who has four touchdown passes in consecutive games as Jalon Daniels' (67 percent rostered) shoulder injury is expected to keep him out until November at the earliest. Bean has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season, however, did notch 10 carries in his start at Oklahoma which suggests that it's coming in the near future. Kansas and Baylor is a potential shoot-out which means Bean should be rostered in many more leagues. 

Tony Mathis, RB, West Virginia (12 percent rostered)

Mathis had a career-high 163 rushing yards in the upset of Baylor. In that game, he received 59 percent of the work in the backfield and hasn't received less than 20 percent of the carries in any game this season. He'll receive plenty of touches at Texas Tech this next week and I expect West Virginia to put up a bunch of points as does Vegas with an over/under at 72 points. I also like Kaden Prather (19 percent rostered) who is emerging as a nice weapon in the West Virginia offense.

Week 7 Rewind; Kansas QB Jason Bean (28.7 points - 16/27, 265 YDS, 4 TD, 2 INT, 10 ATT, 41 YDS) & Baylor RB Richard Reese (5.7 points - 13 ATT, 57 YDS)

Big Ten Waiver Wire Pickups

Roman Hemby, RB, Maryland (27 percent rostered)

Hemby is coming off his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season where he accumulated 26.2 fantasy points at Indiana. The redshirt freshman has been awesome in the pass game with 3.4 receptions on 3.6 targets per game. With Taulia Tagovailoa (65 percent rostered) sustaining a lower leg injury, expect the team to lean more heavily on Hemby when they play a bad Northwestern team this upcoming week.

Johnny Langan, QB/TE, Rutgers (9 percent rostered)

While Langan is averaging just 8.3 fantasy points per game, he has seen an uptick in opportunities in his last three games. In conference play, the versatile tight end is averaging 6.7 targets per game. That's too much volume to ignore as everyone knows that the running back and tight ends become more active in the conference when the weather starts to get cold.

Week 7 Rewind; Wisconsin WR Chimere Dike (14.5 points - 4/5 TAR, 45 YDS, 1 TD) & Maryland WR/TE Corey Dyches (5.4 points - 3/6 TAR, 24 YDS)

C-USA Waiver Wire Pickups

Chris Reynolds, QB, Charlotte (20 percent rostered)

Reynolds is one of those quarterbacks that you start against lower competition and fade when they play tougher competition. He's proven that over his last four games with the following fantasy points; at Georgia State (37.7), at South Carolina (10.8), UTEP (27.6) and at UAB (11.0). It's a start-week for the 49ers' signal caller as they host FIU, one of college football's worst teams.

Jyaire Shorter, WR, North Texas (7 percent rostered)

As mentioned above, North Texas and UTSA are part of the over/under 70-point club which has me looking to this game for some fantasy love. Most of the UTSA offense is rostered, so let's go with Shorter who has been the Eagles' top receiver this season. He has a touchdown in four of his last five games and should get plenty of deep targets against the Roadrunners. QB Austin Aune (11 percent) is also worth a look if you need a quarterback in this conference.

Week 7 Rewind; Middle Tennessee WR Jaylin Lane (9.7 points - 6/10 TAR, 37 YDS) & UTSA RB Brenden Brady (7.8 points - 7 ATT, 19 YDS, 2/3 TAR, 39 YDS)

MAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Sieh Bangura, RB, Ohio (27 percent rostered)

Similar to the Big Ten, this is the time of year when the running backs become extra valuable in the colder parts of the country. Bangura has been one of the best in the nation over the last three weeks with an average of 28.6 fantasy points on 19.7 carries and 4.0 targets per game. He's a priority add for the rest of the season as the Bobcats will have no choice but to lean on their workhorse.

Marion Lukes, RB, Central Michigan (1 percent rostered)

I have to recommend Lukes if Lew Nichols (100 percent rostered) is held out for a second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury. It's worth noting that Nichols did not make the trip to Akron, so it could be something more serious. Lukes' volume was out of control with 30 total touches for 231 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned kicks which shows the versatility that this young back has.

Week 7 Rewind; Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke (18.0 points - 22/34, 264 YDS, 1 INT, 6 ATT, 24 YDS, 1 TD) & Central Michigan WR Carlos Carriere (4.5 points - 3/8 TAR, 15 YDS)

Mountain West Waiver Wire Pickups

Dedrick Parson, RB, Hawaii (26 percent rostered)

Through his first three games in conference, Parson looks like one of the best in the Mountain West with 24.7 fantasy points per game. The senior back already has six rushing touchdowns in conference play. On the season, Parson is averaging 16.7 total touches per game which is elite volume that should not be ignored. I wouldn't be surprised to see Parson rostered in more than 50 percent of leagues in the next couple of weeks with upcoming games against Colorado State and Wyoming.

Taylen Green, QB, Boise State (6 percent rostered)

Taking another chance on Green in what could prove to be a low-scoring week in the conference. Boise State and Air Force are opening up with the largest over/under at 51.5 points. What I like about Green is his dual-threat potential as he has 19 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns in his last two starts against San Diego State and Fresno State. Those are two of the better defenses in the Mountain West, so there's a good chance Green is able to ball out for the rest of the season as the Broncos push for a conference title.

Week 7 Rewind; San Jose State QB Chevan Cordeiro (13.0 points - 22/45, 294 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT) & Utah State WR Brian Cobbs (5.4 points - 3/4 TAR, 24 YDS)

PAC-12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Kazmeir Allen, WR, UCLA (15 percent rostered)

Talk about a fun game, an undefeated UCLA squad heading to a hostile Oregon environment. Best of all, it's a 2:30 CT game meaning that everyone can watch it opposed to that USC-Utah game where the rest of the country fell asleep before the wild ending. I've mentioned Jake Bobo (23 percent rostered) in the past, but Allen is actually the team's leader in target share at 20 percent. He's led the team in targets in three of six games this year which gives me a feeling that it could be a breakout week for him.

Mar'Keise Irving, RB, Oregon (15 percent rostered)

The Ducks' run game has been led by Irving who has double-digit carries in four straight games. He's yet to eclipse the century mark on the ground, but I could see it happening in a back-and-forth affair with the Bruins. Irving has also shown some value in the passing game in his last three with eight catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. With both quarterbacks in these games being rostered in most leagues, try to get a piece of the game where you can.

Week 7 Rewind; Arizona QB Jayden de Laura (39.1 points - 25/34, 400 YDS, 4 TD, 13 ATT, 41 YDS) & Washington RB Wayne Taulapapa (11.0 points - 10 ATT, 18 YDS, 5/5 TAR, 42 YDS)

SEC Waiver Wire Pickups

Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU (45 percent rostered)

It was a brutal week for me in the SEC, so I'm going to pull out the big guns this week. Daniels is coming off the fourth-highest fantasy performance of the week when he put up 51.4 fantasy points against Florida. He totaled six touchdowns in the swamp, including 14 carries for 44 yards and three scores on the ground. Daniels should be rostered in all leagues with 16 total touchdowns on the season. He'll have an opportunity for yet another huge week of production against an undefeated Ole Miss team.

Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee (49 percent rostered)

Hyatt was right there with Daniels nationally with one of the highest fantasy performances of the week with 59.7 fantasy points in the entertaining upset of Alabama. There's a good chance he doesn't play a ton against Tennessee-Martin this upcoming week, but grab Hyatt while you can for the rest of the SEC schedule. There's no chance he's below 50 percent rostered for the rest of the season in Tennessee's existing offense.

Week 7 Rewind; Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo (0.0 points - 0/3 TAR) & Mississippi State RB Dillon Johnson (5.1 points - 2 ATT, 16 YDS, 3/4 TAR, 5 YDS)

Sun Belt Waiver Wire Pickups

Kyle Vantrease, QB, Georgia Southern (19 percent rostered)

Vantrease is the highest-scoring fantasy player in the Sun Belt Conference at 26.8 fantasy points per game. He's fresh off handing James Madison their first loss with 40.9 fantasy points in a thrilling 45-38 win at home. With 49.6 passing attempts per game, the volume is too high to ignore and he should be rostered in most leagues. I'm not sure they'll beat Old Dominion on the road this week, but I do know that Vantrease will look to throw over 50 passes in the game. It's also the highest over/under of the week in the conference at 68.5 points.

Tyrone Howell, WR, UL-Monroe (0 percent rostered)

Anytime someone records nine catches for 244 yards and three touchdowns, they deserve a shoutout in this column. That's how Howell accumulated 54.4 fantasy points at South Alabama this past week. It kind of came out of nowhere as he entered that game averaging just 8.3 fantasy points per game. Not sure if he can back it up, but in case he does, he's available in pretty much all leagues.

Week 7 Rewind; James Madison RB Percy Agyei-Obese (16.7 points - 18 ATT, 106 YDS, 2/2 TAR, 11 YDS) & Coastal Carolina RB CJ Beasley (3.3 points - 10 ATT, 13 YDS, 1/1 TAR, 10 YDS)

INDEPENDENTS

Kody Epps, WR, BYU (4 percent rostered)

Epps is coming off back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances and has five straight games with a touchdown. He's leading the Cougars in target share by a comfortable margin at 21 percent and has a capable quarterback in Jaren Hall (60 percent rostered). With BYU's defense taking a step back this season, the young wideout is averaging 16.9 fantasy points per game. They play a decent Liberty squad this week in a game that should have a lot of passing stats.

Week 7 Rewind; Notre Dame RB Audric Estime (12.7 points - 8 ATT, 57 YDS, 1 TD, 1/1 TAR, 10 YDS)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

James Madison (vs. Marshall) - The Dukes' D/ST is averaging 10 fantasy points per game and Marshall has scored a combined 20 points in their last two conference games.

Penn State (vs. Minnesota) - Although Michigan ran all over the Nittany Lions, Minnesota is much more one-dimensional and should be shut down on the road.

San Jose State (at New Mexico State) - The Aggies are averaging just 15 points and 260 yards of offense on the season. I love the Spartans in this spot as their defense has been really good this year while averaging nine fantasy points per game.

Week 7 Rewind; UCF vs. Temple (5 points - 13 PA, 0 SK, 0 TA), UAB vs. Charlotte (8.5 points - 20 PA, 1 SK, 3 TA) & Liberty vs. Gardner-Webb (10.5 points - 20 PA, 5 SK, 3 TA)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Utilizing the two players for each conference above, here are my top recommendations for the week by position:

QB: LSU Jayden Daniels, Kansas Jason Bean, East Carolina Holton Ahlers

RB: Ohio Sieh Bangura, Hawaii Dedrick Parson, Maryland Roman Hemby

WR: Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, Syracuse Oronde Gadsden, BYU Kody Epps

TE:  Memphis Caden Prieskorn, Rutgers Johnny Langan

D/ST: San Jose State (at NMSU), James Madison (vs. Marshall), Penn State (vs. Minnesota)

Be sure to check out our college football custom rankings and our player rankings cheat sheet for up-to-date season-long rankings, as well as our college football weekly rankings to help guide your lineup decisions. During the season, our college football DFS optimizer and value report are powerful tools to help build DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.