| Daily Blog • November 1st |
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Three years ago I started a weekly blog that included my surprise fantasy picks for each week of the college football season. Each week I picked the players that were flying under the radar and I am pleased that I finished my first year at a very successful 83-29-7 (74%). In 2010 I had another successful year with a winning week every week and an overall 103-45-17 (70%) record. Last year I went 82-44-11 (65%). So far this year I am 75-28-5 73%.
This year I will again be giving you the surprise fantasy picks each and every week in my Thursday daily blog and here are my picks for Week 10. Keep in mind you will not find players like Denard Robinson, Matt Barkley or Montee Ball in my picks. These are strictly surprise picks of players who are flying under the radar.
My QB's Of The Week:
Tyler Bray, Tennessee • Brett Hundley, UCLA
• Ryan Griffin, Tulane
QB Tyler Bray, Tennessee vs Troy – While the Vols dropped a tight game last week on the road to South Carolina, the offense played well behind QB Tyler Bray, who threw for 368 yards while tossing 4 td’s for the 3rd time this season. Tennessee now moves into a late season non-conference tilt against Troy. Our forecast calls for the Vols to put up 370 yards passing in an offensive explosion so if those numbers are accurate, Bray should be worth grabbing here.
QB Brett Hundley, UCLA vs Arizona – After his second 4 td pass effort of the season in last week’s narrow victory over Arizona St, Brett Hundley has an opportunity to yet again post some favorable numbers against an Arizona defense that has been torched for more than 600 yards in 3 of their last 4 games. Add in Hundley’s rushing ability (5 td’s this year) and you get a solid fantasy choice this weekend.
QB Ryan Griffin, Tulane vs Rice – Since returning from injury against SMU, all Ryan Griffin has done is throw for 1,131 yards with a 10-1 ratio in 3 contests. He has another favorable matchup here against Rice and we expect a 4th consecutive 300 yard outing as the Green Wave continue to find their offensive swagger.
My RB's Of The Week:
George Winn, Cincinnati • John White, Utah
• Carlos Hyde, Ohio St
RB George Winn, Cincinnati vs Syracuse – After dropping consecutive contests to Toledo and Louisville, the Bearcats may be looking to pound the ball on the ground early and often against a Syracuse squad that may still be looking back upon last week’s come-from-behind upset win over USF. George Winn has clearly been a consistent force for UC throughout the year and after posting his third 100 yard game of the season last week against the Cardinals, he is definitely worthy of taking a look at here.
RB John White, Utah vs Washington St – If the Utes are planning on getting back on track for the rest of the season they will have to get John White the ball as much as possible. With various preseason nominations, White has struggled to deliver on a consistent basis throughout the year. Utah is hoping that last week’s 105 yard, 2 td performance is just what he needed to get something going over their final 4 games.
RB Carlos Hyde, Ohio St vs Illinois – Since taking over the primary duties at RB against Nebraska, (4 games ago) Carlos Hyde has delivered 3 games in which he has rushed for 90+ yards while adding 8 td’s in the process. This week the Buckeyes get a struggling Illinois squad that we expect to get down early which would therefore allow OSU to be a primary rushing team throughout the 2nd half.
My WR's Of The Week:
Alex Neutz, Buffalo • Mike Evans, Texas A&M
• Ryan Grant, Tulane
WR Alex Neutz, Buffalo vs Miami, Oh – After missing out on the Pittsburgh game with injury, Alex Neutz came back last week against Toledo to pull in 6 passes for 135 yds and a TD. This week the Bulls match up with a Miami defense that has been shredded for 496 yards per game on the year. Expect Buffalo to establish the passing game early and for Neutz to be an intricate part.
WR Mike Evans, Texas A&M vs Mississippi St – Mike Evans has been the most consistent WR on the Aggies this season, pulling in at least 4 receptions in every game and posting three 100 yard outings. While the Bulldogs have a stout defense, A&M is fresh off of a 671 yard performance a week ago and has averaged 609 yards through 4 road games this season.
WR Ryan Grant, Tulane vs Rice – While we usually refrain from picking 2 players from the same team in this blog the combo of QB Griffin and WR Ryan Grant are too good to pass up against a Rice defense that is allowing 454 ypg this season. Grant has posted 12 receptions for 299 yds and 3 td’s in his past 2 games and has now surpassed the 100 yard receiving mark four times this year. Make it #5 here this weekend as the Tulane offense is beginning to rollMy Defenses Of The Week:
Ohio St • Auburn • Stanford
Ohio St Defense vs Illinois – After allowing 400+ yards in 4 of 5 games at the beginning of the season, the Buckeyes defense has settled down the past 2 weeks allowing 347 to Purdue and 358 to Penn St. Now on the docket is a struggling Illinois squad who totaled just 284 and 133 yards in their last 2 Big Ten road games, being outscored by a 76-17 clip. We expect the road woes to continue here as the Illini venture to the Horseshoe.
Auburn Defense vs New Mexico St – After allowing a season-worst 671 yards in last week’s defeat to Texas A&M the Tiger defense gets just what they need, a struggling non-conference foe in the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. New Mexico St is averaging just 19 ppg on the road in 2012 and all 4 of their previous road trips came against non-BCS conference members. Our forecast is calling for the Aggies to struggle here with just 10 points and less than 300 yards of offense. It’s safe to take a struggling Auburn team here.
Stanford Defense vs Colorado – After posting 255 or less yards in 2 of the last 3 weeks, the Buffaloes are considering a change at QB this week. The Cardinal have allowed less than 400 yards in 7 of their 8 games in 2012 including just 217 in their last road trip (Cal). The defense has recorded 32 sacks on the season including 10 last week against Washington St. To say that Colorado is in for a long game again here could be the understatement of the week.
A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Sneaky Plays for Week 10
CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Sneaky Plays – Week 10
By Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com
A very interesting Week Nine is in the books and it is now time to look ahead to the Tenth week of the college football season and the “sneaky” plays it has in store for fantasy owners. Here is a look at some guys who might fill in nicely for owners in need of a potential diamond in the rough.
QUARTERBACKS
Ryan Nassib Syracuse QB vs. Cincinnati: Nassib has a roller coaster type fantasy season with a hot start, weak middle, and strong finish. He rolled up 328 yards and four scores last week in a win versus South Florida. This senior could be a nice start against a Cincinnati pass defense that comes in ranked 89th in the country and could have major problems containing the Syracuse wide outs. Expect Nassib to toss for over 300 yards this week and add a couple of scores through the air as well.
Jeff Tuel Washington State QB vs. Utah: The Washington State quarterback would not have been a likely candidate to end up on this list entering the season, but things have not worked out as planned in Pullman. The Mike Leach led “Air Raid” offense has been up and down all season and is now back in the hands of Tuel. He has averaged 360 passing yards and two scores over the past two games and seems to be getting into the grove. Look for Tuel to keep it going this week against a suspect Utah pass defense.
RUNNING BACKS
Bishop Sankey Washington RB vs. Cal: Sankey has quietly put together a productive season and has scored three times in the last two games. He is getting a steady diet of carries each week and has proven to be a capable performer. Sankey could have very productive game this week against a Cal defense that was gashed last week by a mediocre Utah offense. Look for this Husky to cross the goal line on Friday night and likely churn out at least 100 yards on the ground.
Dennis Johnson Arkansas RB vs. Tulsa: Johnson appears to have taken the starting job away from Knile Davis with his recent performances. He has scored five rushing touchdowns in his last three contests and piled up 161 yards last week against Ole Miss. His chances for success look very good this week against a Tulsa run defense that may be hard pressed to slow down the Arkansas offense. Fantasy owners can expect to see around 100 total yards and a score out of Johnson this weekend.
Vintavious Cooper East Carolina RB vs. Houston: Cooper has been impressive over the last two weeks, racking up 293 rushing yards and four total scores. This freshman could have another big outing this week facing a porous Houston run defense. Look for Cooper to find plenty of open running lanes this week and likely top the 100-yard mark for a third straight game.
Darrin Reaves UAB RB vs. Southern Miss: Reaves has logged 21 carries in each of the last two weeks and has responded with 235 rushing yards and five scores. He could be in store for a huge game this week against a horrid Southern Miss rush defense that is ranked 101st in the nation and has allowed 22 rushing scores. Expect to see this sophomore find pay dirt a couple of times in Week Ten.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Jalen Saunders Oklahoma WR vs. Iowa State: This Fresno State transfer was finally granted his 2012 eligibility two weeks ago and last week showed exactly why fantasy owners have been anxiously awaiting his arrival. He hauled in 15 catches for 181 yards in a loss to Notre Dame. Saunders is a playmaker and seems to have developed a good rapport with QB Landry Jones. Look for the Sooners to get the ball in Saunders hands as much as possible this week against Iowa State. Saunders is a good bet to top 100 yards receiving and find his way to the end zone this week against the Cyclones.
Eric Monette Western Michigan WR vs. Central Michigan: Monette has turned it on the past two weeks after struggling with injuries in the first half of the 2012 season. He has 215 yards receiving and two scores over the past two games and finally seems to be living up to the preseason expectations that many fantasy owners had for him this year. This senior could be huge this week in a potential MAC shoot out with Central Michigan. Don’t be surprised if Monette goes over 100 yards receiving in Week Ten.
Bryan Underwood NC State WR vs. Virginia: Underwood has put up top end fantasy numbers in the last two games, accumulating 252 yards and three scores over that time period. The NC State passing game has really been clicking lately and Underwood has been a huge part of the success. Look for him to find plenty of open space this week against Virginia in what could turn out to be a high scoring affair. Underwood should be a nice option this week and hold even higher value in BCS only leagues.
SNEAKY DEFENSES:
Ohio vs. Eastern Michigan
Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky
Auburn vs. New Mexico State
Stanford vs. Colorado
Kent State vs. Akron
Utah State vs. Texas State
Ohio State vs. Illinois
Northern Illinois vs. Massachusetts
There you have it everyone, enjoy this week’s action and always remember to have fun playing college fantasy football. Good luck this week!
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