Fantasy Tutorial: Potential shootouts looming

(Editor's reminder: There is a 25 percent penalty of earned Fantasy points for FBS teams that play FCS schools.)

ACC
Notes: Clemson running back C.J. Spiller is nursing a foot injury after leaving Saturday's game against Boston College. Clemson is holding out hope for Week 4 against TCU, but he is listed as questionable ... Georgia Tech could also be without their star running back, Jonathan Dwyer, Saturday against North Carolina. Dwyer suffered a shoulder injury in Week 3 and is listed as questionable. If he can't play, Anthony Allen will likely fill the B-back slot ... Miami (Fla.) wide receiver Aldarius Johnson (groin) remains questionable for Saturday against Virginia Tech after sitting out last week ... With Vic Hall sidelined by multiple injuries, Jameel Sewell has taken charge of the Virginia quarterback situation. He had his finest game of the year on Saturday against Southern Miss. He had 312 passing yards and four touchdowns (two rushing) ... Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder ranks 15th in the country in total offense (308.3 ypg) ... Boston College and Clemson have really put on a strong defensive showing in 2009. The Eagles rank fourth in total (187.6 ypg) and 10th in scoring defense (10.7 ppg), while Clemson is 19th in total (257.0 ypg) and 31st in scoring defense (17.0 ppg).
Byes: Virginia
Teams playing FCS schools: Duke (vs. North Carolina Central)
Favorable matchup: Maryland vs. Rutgers. Maryland's troubles in 2009 haven't been moving the football but rather stopping the opposition. Rutgers has looked better as of late, but is still ranked 68th in scoring (23.0 ppg) and 76th in total defense (362.7 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: Wake Forest at Boston College, Clemson vs. TCU and Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina. Take your pick. The Demon Deacons, Tigers and Yellow Jackets all face defenses ranked in the top 10 in the country.

Big East
Notes: In one of the biggest injury notes from Week 3, South Florida lost star quarterback Matt Grothe for the rest of the season because of a torn ACL. Redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels now becomes the Bulls' starter ... Cincinnati running back John Goebel is still out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. He has yet to play this season ... Rutgers true freshman quarterback Tom Savage was knocked out of Saturday's game against FIU with a head injury. His status for Week 4 against Maryland remains questionable, meaning former starter Domenic Natale could be back under center ... It was better news for West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown, who suffered a minor shoulder injury Saturday against Auburn. However, it is not expected to sideline him ... While all eyes are on wide receiver Mardy Gilyard at Cincinnati, the Bearcats have a few other receiving options emerging in D.J. Woods (208 yards) and Armon Binns (179) ... Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams is back to his playmaking ways after sitting out last season due to academic concerns. Williams has 23 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns. It's time to pick up Williams in all formats again.
Byes: West Virginia
Teams playing FCS schools: Connecticut (vs. Rhode Island); Syracuse (vs. Maine)
Favorable matchup: Cincinnati (vs. Fresno State). After shutting out UC Davis in the opener, Fresno State has allowed 85 points in their last two games. The Bearcats have the nation's fourth best scoring offense (48.3 ppg) and sixth total offense (516.7 ypg). They should be able to air it out against Fresno State.
Unfavorable matchup: Pittsburgh at North Carolina State. The Panthers are riding high this season and with good reason at 3-0. However, they could have some issues with N.C. State. The Wolfpack are second in total defense (168.3 ypg) and seventh in scoring defense (9.3 ppg). They have allowed just four touchdowns in three games.

Big 12
Notes: Baylor running back Jay Finley tweaked his ankle during Saturday's loss against Connecticut and is questionable for Week 4. He could miss some time, therefore, Terrance Ganaway will probably start in his place ... Kansas running back Jake Sharp was limited by a calf injury during a Week 3 win against Duke. Sharp is probable for Week 4 against Southern Miss, however, we should still see true freshman Toben Opurum in the run game after he rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns last week ... There is nothing new yet on Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter, who missed last week with a leg injury. Rumors had him out for at least two weeks, so he probably isn't a safe play ... With both Vondrell McGee (ankle) and Foswhitt Whittaker (knee) battling injuries, Texas true freshman running back Tre' Newton might be the featured back Saturday against UTEP ... Texas A&M is reeling from two injuries. The most serious is to star receiver Jeff Fuller, who is out 4-6 weeks with a broken leg. True freshman running back Christine Michael is also questionable for Week 4 with a calf injury ... Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones set a school record with six touchdown passes in a 45-0 rout of Tulsa on Saturday. Jones continues to start in the absence of Sam Bradford (shoulder) ... Missouri sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert has eight passing touchdowns to no interceptions ... Nebraska running back Roy Helu is seventh in the nation in rushing (127.0 ypg) ... Texas Tech wide receiver Lyle Leong has five touchdowns in his last two games ... Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson has managed two straight 100-yard games and has 326 yards on the season.
Byes: Colorado, Oklahoma
Teams playing FCS schools: Kansas State (vs. Tennessee Tech); Baylor (vs. Northwestern State); Oklahoma State (vs. Grambling)
Favorable matchup: Texas Tech at Houston. You have two of the most prolific offenses in the NCAA going up against each other. There are going to be a lot of yards and a lot of points.
Unfavorable matchup: Iowa State vs. Army. It seems like Iowa State should steamroll the Black Knights, but Army (2-1) has looked good thus far under first-year coach Rich Ellerson. They rank 25th in total defense (278.0 ypg) and 57th in scoring defense (22.0 ypg). Army could also keep the ball out of Iowa State's hands with ball control thanks to the triple-option attack.

Big Ten
Notes: Illinois quarterback Juice Williams had the bye in Week 3 to rest his ailing quad and is expected to be under center in Week 4 against Ohio State ... Iowa has a pair of key players hurting. Wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (hamstring) and tight end Tony Moeaki (ankle) both missed Week 3 against Arizona and are questionable for Week 4 against Penn State ... Michigan State wide receiver Mark Dell (shoulder) made his season debut against Notre Dame on Saturday and totaled six catches for 121 yards ... Michigan running back Brandon Minor continues to battle a lingering ankle injury and is not a recommended start Week 4 ... Minnesota has some positive news on wide receiver Eric Decker, who sprained his ankle Saturday against Cal. Decker is expected to practice this week and play against Northwestern barring any setbacks ... Northwestern running back Stephen Simmons (leg) remains questionable after missing Week 3 against Syracuse ... Penn State wide receiver Graham Zug sustained a head injury Saturday against Temple and remains questionable for Week 4 against Iowa. Curtis Drake filled in for Zug last week ... Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher leads the Buckeyes with 241 yards and three touchdowns on just nine catches ... After totaling no touchdowns in his first two games, Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka broke out with four (three passing) on Saturday against Syracuse.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Purdue vs. Notre Dame. The Irish have allowed 68 points in the last two weeks after shutting out Nevada in the opener. Purdue racked up 463 yards against the Irish last season, so they know how to move the ball on Notre Dame.
Unfavorable matchup: Iowa at Penn State. We are not sure how much offense we are going to see in this game Saturday. Iowa has not allowed an opponent to score more than 17 points in three games, and Penn State ranks in the top 10 for both scoring (6.7 ppg) and total defense (212.3 ypg). Last year the final was 24-21 in favor of Iowa, however, neither team broke 200 yards passing or rushing.

Conference USA
Notes: East Carolina running back Dominique Lindsay missed Saturday's game against North Carolina with a shoulder injury and remains questionable for Week 4. Brandon Jackson will likely see most of the carries in his absence ... Memphis running back Curtis Steele is not ready to return from a sprained knee. He could miss up to two more weeks ... Rice quarterback Nick Fanuzzi is questionable for Week 4 against Vanderbilt after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 3. If he can't start, John Thomas Shepherd will take his place. Starting running back Tyler Smith is also battling a toe injury and is questionable for Week 4 ... SMU has four receivers with at least 10 catches -- Emmanuel Sanders (35), Terrance Wilkerson (13), Cole Beasley (13) and Aldrick Robinson (12) ... Marshall running back Darius Marshall is in top form after missing the opener because of a team-imposed suspension. Marshall has rushed for 100 yards in consecutive games and has 38 carries for 295 yards and two touchdowns ... Brett Hodges has taken over for Rob Calabrese as UCF's starting quarterback... Speaking of quarterback changes, Memphis made one as wellm dropping Arkelon Hall down the depth chart and promoting Tyler Bass. The sophomore made his first start Saturday against Tennessee-Martin and passed for 293 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 80 yards and another score.
Byes: SMU
Teams playing FCS schools: Tulane (vs. McNeese State); Tulsa (vs. Sam Houston State)
Favorable matchup: UAB at Texas A&M. We already shared our thoughts on the Houston/Texas Tech game, so we will throw you another bone with UAB/Texas A&M. The Aggies allowed Utah State to score 30 points on their home turf last week. Utah State passed for 334 yards and rushed for 187. UAB dual-threat quarterback Joe Webb should be able to move the Blazers offense in Week 4.
Unfavorable matchup: East Carolina vs. UCF. The Pirates needed overtime last season to sneak past UCF. Still, they managed just 13 points and 283 yards. UCF has played pretty decent defense through three weeks, ranking 48th in total (324.7 ypg) and 59th in scoring defense (22.3 ppg).

Independents
Notes: The Notre Dame offense sustained a huge blow in Week 3 as star receiver Michael Floyd suffered a broken collarbone against Michigan State. The Irish are holding out hope Floyd will be available for a bowl game, but for Fantasy purposes his season is over ... Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen is nursing a minor toe injury but is not expected to miss Saturday's game against Purdue ... Army fullback CeDarius Williams missed Week 3 with an ankle injury and is doubtful for Week 4 against Iowa State ... Army wide receiver Ali Villanueva has a touchdown in two straight games ... Navy fullback Alexander Teich leads the Midshipmen with 173 rushing yards.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Navy vs. Western Kentucky. The Middies might be facing the worst team in FBS football this weekend. Western Kentucky dropped to 0-3 after a loss to Central Arkansas, a FCS school, on Saturday. The Hilltoppers are 119th against the run (275.3 ypg) and all Navy does is run the football down the opposition's throats.
Unfavorable matchup: None. Both Notre Dame and Army also play teams with questionable defenses.

MAC
Notes: Akron quarterback Chris Jacquemain remains suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. The Zips appear ready to move forward with Matt Rodgers at quarterback ... Kent State quarterback Giorgio Morgan (ankle) remains questionable for Week 4 vs. Miami (Ohio). Spencer Keith started in his place Saturday against Iowa State and will likely be under center again if Morgan isn't ready ... If Ohio quarterback Boo Jackson can't bounce back from a shoulder injury, he might take a medical redshirt. Theo Scott continues to start in his absence ... With Eugene Jarvis (kidney) sidelined the rest of the season, Kent State running back Andre Flowers received the most carries on Saturday against Iowa State ... Northern Illinois running back Me'co Brown has broken 100 yards in two straight games and is 14th in the nation in rushing (110.3 ypg) ... Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller broke out of his slump with four touchdown passes Saturday against Miami (Ohio). He had just two through two games ... Redhawks receiver Eugene Harris had a breakout game against the Broncos with six catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns ... Bowling Green wide receiver Freddie Barnes leads the nation with 14 catches per game ... Buffalo wide receiver Jesse Rack is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (three) with Naaman Roosevelt. Brett Hamlin is tied with Roosevelt with most catches (20).
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: Western Michigan (vs. Hofstra)
Favorable matchup: Toledo at Florida International. We can't wait to see Toledo's spread offense head down to South Florida to face the Panthers. Florida International has lost its first two games and defense has been an issue. They rank in the bottom 20 for both scoring (31.5 ppg) and total defense (455.0 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: Ohio at Tennessee. First-year Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has had little trouble installing his patented Cover-2 defense. The Vols rank fifth in total (197.3 ypg) and 28th in scoring defense (16.3 ppg). They even held Heisman candidate Tim Tebow to just 191 total yards and one touchdown last week.

Mountain West
Notes: Air Force starting quarterback Tim Jefferson rolled his right ankle during a Week 3 win against New Mexico and had to leave the game. His status for Week 4 against San Diego State is questionable. Connor Dietz will start in Jefferson's place if he can't go ... San Diego State leading rusher Brandon Sullivan left Saturday's game against Idaho with a knee injury. Already down Atiyyah Henderson (back), the Aztecs await Sullivan's MRI. If he can't go Saturday against Air Force, Davon Brown and Walter Kazee will pick up the slack ... UNLV wide receiver Rodelin Anthony suffered a head injury in Week 3 against Stanford and is doubtful for Week 4 at Wyoming ... While BYU was getting stomped by Florida State on Saturday, the only bit of good news was that starting running back Harvey Unga appeared past his hamstring issues. He rushed for 97 yards and one score on 10 carries ... Utah starting running back Matt Asiata was able to play in Week 3 at Oregon despite a shoulder injury, but he looked sluggish. He managed just 54 yards on 15 carries and didn't score.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: UNLV at Wyoming. UNLV has shown they can move the ball with the 42nd scoring offense (31.0 ppg), and Wyoming has displayed they have trouble stopping the opposition by allowing 29 points per game (93rd).
Unfavorable matchup: TCU at Clemson. The Horned Frogs have moved the ball with ease against Virginia and Texas State, but now they get some real competition in Clemson. The Tigers are 19th in total (257.0 ypg) and 31st in scoring defense (17.0 ppg).

Pac-10
Notes: Arizona announced over the weekend that All-American tight end Rob Gronkowski will not play this season due to a lingering back injury. Fantasy owners just lost an elite player at a thin position. A.J. Simmons will continue to start in his absence ... Cal wide receiver Nyan Boateng will miss 4-6 weeks after fracturing his foot at Minnesota on Saturday. His absence creates more opportunities for Jeremy Ross ... Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao is making nice progress from offseason shoulder surgery, but Sean Canfield is still expected to start Week 4 against Arizona ... Southern Cal quarterback Matt Barkley (shoulder), who did not play during Saturday's stunning loss to Washington, remains questionable for Week 4. If he is not ready to play against Washington State, Aaron Corp is expected to start again ... Highly-touted UCLA freshmen Randall Caroll and Morrell Presley both sat out Saturday against Kansas State due to a team-imposed suspension. However, both players are expected back when UCLA returns to action in Week 5 after a bye ... Washington State wide receiver Jeshua Anderson has left the football team to focus on track ... Oregon running back LaMichael James led the rushing attack during a Week 3 upset of Utah. He had 152 yards and one touchdown ... Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu are leading Stanford in receiving. Whalen has a team-high 16 catches for 260 yards and two touchdowns, while Owusu has 12 catches for 197 yards and two scores ... Arizona State has the nation's top ranked defense (149.5 ypg).
Byes: UCLA
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Southern Cal vs. Washington State. The Cougars probably wish they didn't have to face an angry USC team coming off a huge loss to Washington. But it's not like that was going to make a huge difference since Wazzu is second to last in total defense (537.0 ypg) and are allowing 34.6 points per game (109th).
Unfavorable matchup: Oregon vs. Cal. Amid the muck in 2008, the Ducks managed just 16 points and 290 yards of offense in a loss to Cal. The Golden Bears have looked pretty strong on defense to open the year. No one has scored more than 21 points in three games and Cal is allowing just 63.3 rushing yards per game (10th).

SEC
Notes: Alabama is expecting wide receiver Julio Jones in the lineup Saturday against Arkansas after he missed Week 3 with a knee injury ... Auburn wide receiver Montez Billings has left the team to pursue other opportunities. He was already suspended due to academic reasons ... Florida wide receiver Deonte Thompson might miss his second straight game in Week 4 with a hamstring injury ... Vanderbilt running back Jared Hawkins has returned to practice after missing the first two games of the season with a foot injury and is expected to see his first action Saturday against Rice. The freshmen duo of Zac Stacy and Warren Norman has performed well in Hawkins' place ... Terrance Toliver and Brandon LaFell have combined for five of the six receiving touchdowns LSU has produced this season. They also have 335 of the 486 receiving yards ... South Carolina receiver Tori Gurley is a name to keep on the Fantasy radar. He has been one of quarterback Stephen Garcia's favorite targets and leads the team with 180 receiving yards. He would have had better numbers but has been the unfortunate recipient of a few plays called back due to penalties ... Georgia quarterback Joe Cox tied a single-game school record with five touchdown passes Saturday against Arkansas. Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett set school records with 408 yards and five touchdowns ... Darvin Adams has become Auburn's go-to-receiver. He leads the team with 15 catches for 261 yards and four touchdowns after his three-touchdown outing on Saturday against West Virginia.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Vanderbilt at Rice. We aren't going to get many chances to highlight Vandy, so we will take our chance when we get it. Rice has allowed 40 or more points to every opponent they have faced this season and rank dead last in scoring defense (46.7 ppg). Unless you are in a SEC format, you probably don't have a lot of Vandy players. But if you do, consider starting them in Week 4.
Unfavorable matchup: Kentucky vs. Florida. The Gators did a good job crushing the Wildcats in 2008, 63-5. Kentucky has looked better on offense in the early part of 2009, but Florida has allowed just one offensive touchdown and rank fourth in scoring defense (7.3 ppg).

Sun Belt
Notes: Florida Atlantic wide receiver Cortez Gent remains suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team ... La.-Lafayette wide receiver Richie Falgout has already missed two games with an ankle injury and remains questionable for Saturday against Nebraska ... North Texas quarterback Riley Dodge is optimistic he will be able to play Saturday against Middle Tennessee State after missing last week with a shoulder injury. But he remains day to day. Nathan Tune will start again if necessary ... FIU wide receiver T.Y. Hilton got on track in Week 3 against Rutgers with nine catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Middle Tennessee at North Texas. For a week, the Mean Green looked as though they improved on defense after beating Ball State, 20-10, in the opener. The last two weeks they have been exposed. North Texas has allowed 84 points in two straight losses. Middle Tennessee has been improving offensively after losing its opener to Clemson, and we might finally see Tony Franklin's spread offense unleashed in Week 4.
Unfavorable matchup: La.-Lafayette at Nebraska. The Blackshirts are back thanks to the tutelage of Bo Pelini. Nebraska has the nation's seventh best scoring defense (9.3 ppg) and are allowing just 306.7 yards per game (38th). You also have to imagine Pelini will have the boys pumped up after a devastating last-minute loss to Virginia Tech last weekend.

WAC
Notes: Boise State running back D.J. Harper is expected to miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL against Fresno State. Jeremy Avery will likely see the bulk of carries the rest of the season with Doug Martin backing him up ... Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews had quite a day in Week 3 against Boise State. He rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. All three of his touchdown runs went for 60-plus yards and he averaged 12.3 yards per carry ... Utah State running back Robert Turbin has looked awfully good in two games against Utah and Texas A&M. He has managed 100 yards in each contest and has 269 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries ... Hawaii had three players break 100 yards receiving during a loss to UNLV on Saturday. They were Kealoha Pilares (146), Rodney Bradley (189) and Greg Salas (104).
Byes: Hawaii, Louisiana Tech
Teams playing FCS schools: San Jose State (vs. Cal Poly); Utah State (vs. Southern Utah)
Favorable matchup: New Mexico State at New Mexico. We know the Aggies have looked pretty pathetic moving the football in 2009, but if they can't move it against the Lobos, then they have some serious issues. New Mexico is 113th in scoring defense (40.7 ppg) and 114th in total defense (488.7 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: Idaho at Northern Illinois. On top of having to travel to Illinois, Idaho gets to face a team that hasn't allowed more than 28 points in a game. Northern Illinois ranks 38th in scoring defense (18.7 ppg).