Surprise College Fantasy Players of the Week

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 22-12-2.

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 3. 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:
Corey Robinson, Troy • Sean Renfree, Duke
• Dominique Blackmn, Idaho

QB Corey Robinson, Troy vs North Texas – 485 yds and 343 yds are what Corey Robinson has been able to throw for in the past 2 weeks against Louisiana and Mississippi St. The big thing to look at in a fantasy aspect however is how many attempts he had in those 2 contests as well (115 total). If he is able to do that again here against North Texas, solid stats should follow.

QB Sean Renfree, Duke vs Memphis – You have to think we’re nuts to pick a Duke QB in our fantasy forecast this week but when further analyzing what Sean Renfree has done so far this season, I think we’re spot on. Renfree is averaging 255 ypg in the air this year with a 5-0 ratio and now gets to match up against a Memphis squad that allowed 619 total yards in their only road game of 2012.

QB Dominique Blackman vs Wyoming – Big sleeper pick here for us as looking at last week’s stats you would have to think we’re crazy. However, a closer look the week prior against Bowling Green (352 pass yds) has us thinking that Blackman could put together a strong performance again here.

My RB’s of the Week:
Cody Getz, Air Force • Damien Williams, Oklahoma
• Stefphon Jefferson, Nevada

My WR’s of the Week:
Andre Davis, USF • Marcus Sales, Syracuse
• Donte Moncrief, Mississippi

WR Andre Davis, South Florida vs Ball St – With a veteran QB behind center for 2012 USF coaches have entrusted BJ Daniels to go deep on frequent occasions so far this year. Reaping the rewards of those plays has been Andre Davis who leads the team with 288 yds receiving to go along with his 21 receptions (11 more than USF’s #2 receiver). With an expected shootout against Ball St in the offing, take a look at this budding star here.

WR Marcus Sales, Syracuse vs Minnesota – With star WR Alec Lemon still on the mend from a preseason injury, Marcus Sales has been the primary target for the Syracuse passing game in 2012. Dating back to his standout bowl performance in 2010 (DNP LY), Sales has pulled in 30 catches for 522 yds and 7 td’s over a 4 game span. Take advantage of him now while opposing defenses are still attempting to adjust.

WR Donte Moncrief, Mississippi vs Tulane – After leading the Rebels a season ago with 31 catches for 454 yds, Moncrief looks like he will top those numbers very quickly in 2012 as he has already pulled in 18 catches for 320 yds including two 100 yard performances already thru 3 games. With a favorable matchup against Tulane this weekend, take a stab at this up-and-coming wideout.

My Defenses of the Week:
Miami, Oh •Penn St •Georgia

Miami, Ohio Defense vs UMass – How has UMass done on the road so far in 2012? Terrible would be the simple answer as they managed just 159 ypg. While not a dominating defense, Miami has the solid edge here and should do a good job managing the game on offense giving their defense plenty of rest and time to shut down the Minutemen.

Penn St Defense vs Temple – Hats off to the PSU defense under their circumstances this season. Temple is playing just one game over a 3 week span and could be a little sluggish here as we forecast the Owls to barely surpass the 200 yd mark. Back the Nittany Lion defense here that allowed just 197 yds against this same Temple team a year ago.

Georgia Defense vs Vanderbilt – Favorable matchup for the hometown Bulldog defense here against a Vandy offense that has struggled to get anything going on a consistent basis thus far in meetings vs FBS opponents South Carolina and Northwestern. Throw in the fact that the Commodores have QB Carta-Samuels making his first start vs an SEC defense (Jordan Rodgers ineffective) and you should see Georgia hold Vandy under 300 yds of offense and dominate here.

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Sneaky Plays for Week 4

CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Sneaky Plays – Week 4
By Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com

A very interesting Week Three is in the books and it is now time to look ahead to the Third 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

Bo Wallace Ole Miss QB vs. Tulane: Wallace has been a pleasant surprise through the early part of the season. He has shown a good arm and the ability to make some plays with his feet. He could be in line for his best fantasy game to date against a Tulane defense that ranks 107th in the nation in total defense. Wallace could easily account for close to 300 total yards and a few scores this week. He is a decent option in BCS only leagues for owners who have starting QB’s on bye in Week Four.

Sean Renfree Duke QB vs. Memphis: I know it seems like Renfree has been at Duke since the Christian Laetner days, but he still has eligibility. He is not the sexiest pick by any means, but does post nice numbers against inferior opponents. Look for Renfree to find Jamison Crowder and Conner Vernon early and often against Memphis. Renfree could easily approach 300 passing yards and add a few scores this weekend.

Tevin Washington Georgia Tech QB vs. Miami: Washington has been a consistent performer so far in 2012 and is fresh off a four-touchdown performance against Virginia last week. This week he faces one of the worst defenses we have seen in a long time in Miami. The “U” is dead and their defense is a mess. The Georgia Tech offense could carve them up and Washington could post a huge stat line. Fantasy owners could see another multiple touchdown performance from this talented runner in Week Four.

Rakeem Cato Marshall QB vs. Rice: Cato is putting up huge passing numbers and leads the nation averaging 407 yards per game through the air. He has been throwing the ball all over the field and that trend should continue this week against a horrific Rice defense. This game could be one of the highest scoring games of the season period. Cato could approach 450 yards passing with 3 or 4 scores thrown into the mix. Start him this week.

RUNNING BACKS

LaDarius Perkins Miss St RB vs. South Alabama: Perkins has scored in all three games this season including a one-touchdown 179-yard effort last week versus Troy. He should continue his scoring streak this week against an over matched South Alabama defense. Perkins looks to be a solid option to put up #2 type numbers in certain matchups, and this looks like one of those. Look for Perkins to find his way into the end zone on Saturday night and likely add at least 100 total yards.

Rajion Neal Tennessee RB vs. Akron: Neal appears to have assumed control of the starting tailback position for Tennessee and could be useful to fantasy owners against weaker competition. The Akron Zips are just that and will probably have a hard time stopping the Vols from doing whatever they want on the offensive side of the ball. Neal could get a steady diet of carries in the second half after the Zips will has been broken. This junior could find pay dirt at least once this week.

Antonio Andrews Western Kentucky RB vs. Southern Miss: Andrews had not done much until blowing up in last week’s upset of Kentucky. He totaled 161 yards and three scores and more importantly toted the ball 34 times. This may be the springboard for Andrews to assume control as the starter and we all know what a Western Kentucky running back can do. There is some risk here, but the ceiling is very high against a weak Southern Miss defense. This could be the start of something big for fantasy owners..dare we say Bobby Rainey?

Jordan Hall Ohio State RB vs. UAB: Hall saw his first game action of 2012 last week against Cal and responded with 87 yards on 17 carries. He was being talked about as a playmaker for the Buckeyes in the spring before getting injured and now appears to be healthy and ready to contribute. The match up against UAB is a juicy one as they rank 109th in the country against the run, giving up 220 yards per game. Look for Hall to cross the 100-yard mark and likely find the end zone at least one time against the Blazers.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Jamison Crowder Duke WR vs. Memphis: Crowder has been very consistent thus far in 2012. He is averaging almost 8 receptions per game and just under 100 yards. This Blue Devil could torch a horrid Memphis pass defense that ranks 91st in the country. The Duke offense should have no problem moving the ball this weekend and Crowder will likely be a large part of the fun.

Brandon Carter TCU WR vs. Virginia: If Josh Boyce is the #1 in the TCU passing game, then Carter is #1A. He has found the end zone three times in the first two games and is averaging just over 80 yards receiving per game. He is a huge part of an underrated TCU passing game. Carter could find more open space this week in a match up with Virginia that could turn out to be a high scoring affair. He makes a solid #3 wide out with upside in many leagues.

Alonzo Russell Toledo WR vs. Coastal Carolina: This freshman is the leading receiver for Toledo and is coming a 152 yard effort against Bowling Green in Week Three. He is averaging a robust 21.2 yards per reception and could catch a deep one or two against Coastal Carolina. The Toledo offense should be able to move the ball at will this weekend and Russell could continue his hot streak.

Erik Highsmith North Carolina WR vs. East Carolina: Highsmith is showing signs of fantasy life after a slow start to the season. He scored for the first time last week against Louisville and could build upon that this week versus East Carolina. The Pirates pass defense is atrocious, yielding 310 yards per game. The Tar Heels passing game could be in full force this week and Highsmith could be a big factor. Look for him to snare his first 100-yard game of the year this week.

Defense:

Ohio State vs. UAB
Ohio vs. Norfolk State
Northwestern vs. South Dakota
Nebraska vs. Idaho State
Pittsburgh vs. Gardner Webb
Texas A&M vs. South Carolina State
Mississippi State vs. South Alabama
Arkansas State vs. Alcorn State
Toledo vs. Coastal Carolina
Tennessee vs. Akron

There you have it everyone, enjoy this week’s action and always remember to have fun playing college fantasy football. Good luck this week!

More…

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A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Week 4 Player Rankings