(Editor's reminder: There is a 25 percent penalty of earned Fantasy points for FBS teams that play FCS schools.)
ACC
Notes: North Carolina WRs Dwight Jones (knee) and Joshua Adams
(shoulder) are both questionable for Week 5 against Virginia ... Two of
the ACC's star running backs -- C.J. Spiller
(foot) and Jonathan Dwyer (shoulder) --
were questionable for their matchups last week, but both players
persevered and actually performed quite well in tough matchups. Spiller
totaled 191 yards and one touchdown against TCU, and Dwyer rushed for
158 yards against North Carolina. Keep both players active moving
forward ... N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson
totaled 413 yards (322 passing) and four touchdowns on Saturday against
Pittsburgh. He now has four touchdown passes in three straight games and
has yet to throw an interception this season. Wilson is quickly moving
up the Fantasy rankings.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS
schools: None
Favorable matchup: Boston College vs.
Florida State. The Seminoles haven't really been impressive on defense
in 2009. They are allowing 407.3 yards per game (108th). Boston College
knocked off Florida State, 27-17, in 2008, so they know how to move the
ball against FSU.
Unfavorable matchup: Miami (Fla.) vs.
Oklahoma. The Hurricanes might get the Sooners on their home turf, but
that doesn't mean they are going to get a decisive advantage over one of
the nation's top defenses. Oklahoma is first in scoring (4.7 ppg) and
fifth in total defense (223.3 ypg). Oklahoma has posted two straight
shutouts.
Big East
Notes: West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown is probable for Thursday's game against Colorado. He
sustained a minor shoulder injury two weeks ago against Auburn but used
the bye week to rest ... It seems South Florida could be just fine
without quarterback Matt Grothe, who is
out for the season with a knee injury. His replacement, freshman B.J. Daniels, led USF to an upset win over Florida State in Week 4.
In the process, he totaled 341 yards (126 rushing) and two touchdowns.
The dual-threat aspect could make Daniels a viable Fantasy option ...
Connecticut seems to be getting along just fine without 2,000-yard
rusher Donald Brown. Both Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon rank in
the top 30 in rushing. Todman is averaging 99 yards per game (22nd)
while Dixon is at 92 yards per contest (30th) ... Joe Martinek is starting to emerge as Rutgers' feature running
back. He has reeled off two straight 100-yard contents and leads Rutgers
with 360 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Byes:
Connecticut, Rutgers
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable
matchup: Cincinnati at Miami (Ohio). This matchup seems unfair and
we should penalize Fantasy owners 25 percent since the Bearcats will be
facing the equivalent of a FCS school. The Redhawks have looked awful
under first-year coach Mike Haywood and rank 119th in scoring defense
(41.8 ppg). Cincinnati beat Miami (Ohio), 45-20, last season and totaled
393 yards in the process.
Unfavorable matchup: Syracuse vs.
South Florida. With a soft schedule to open the season, we thought the
Bulls would have been embarrassed last week in Tallahassee. But South
Florida held its own and limited the Seminoles to 19 rushing yards. USF
is second in scoring (6.8 ppg) and 11th in total defense (242.8 ypg).
They can pressure the quarterback and stop the run.
Big 12
Notes: This is the week that Oklahoma
quarterback Sam Bradford could return
from a sprained shoulder. Head coach Bob Stoops said he would make the
decision by the end of the week and it won't be a game-time call. It
will be either Bradford or redshirt freshman Landry Jones under center against Miami (Fla.) ... Baylor suffered a
tough blow in Week 4 when they lost star quarterback Robert Griffin to a torn ACL. He is done for the year. His
replacement, Blake Szymanski, suffered
a bruised shoulder against Northwestern State. Who could have imagined a
FCS school causing so much damage? If Szymanski isn't ready for Week 5
against Kent State, then Baylor will either turn to Nick Florence or waste the redshirt season of freshman Brody Trahan ... Colorado running back Darrell Scott (knee) is probable for Week 5 ... Kansas State wide
receiver Aubrey Quarles, who has yet to
play this season due to a leg injury, is still questionable for Week 5
against Iowa State ... Texas A&M running back Christine Michael (calf) is questionable for Week 5 against Arkansas. He
did not play Saturday against UAB ... Aggies quarterback Jerrod Johnson had a heck of a game against UAB. He totaled 351 yards
(290 passing) and six touchdowns. He has 13 touchdowns, no interceptions
and is averaging 385.7 yards per game (3rd) in 2009 ... Danario Alexander has taken over as Missouri's go-to-receiver with the
departure of Jeremy Maclin. He has 29 catches for 404 yards and four
touchdowns in four games ... Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas has three 100-yard games and is 12th in the nation in
rushing (108.3 ypg) ... Texas Tech running back Baron Batch, who suffered a preseason arm injury, had his best game
of the season in Week 4 against Houston. He totaled 153 yards (114
rushing) and two touchdowns.
Byes: Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska,
Oklahoma State, Texas
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable
matchup: Texas A&M vs. Arkansas. We are expecting a lot of offense
in this game. Both teams have shown this season they can move the
football. The Aggies are surprisingly the nation's top offense (574.3
ypg) and are averaging 45 points per game (4th). That's good news for
Fantasy owners since Arkansas is allowing 386.7 yards (91st) and 32.3
points per game (102nd).
Unfavorable matchup: Iowa State vs.
Kansas State. Austen Arnaud had one of
his finest college games in 2008 against Kansas State. He totaled 493
yards (440 passing) and three touchdowns. Well, he won't find it as easy
in 2009. Kansas State has a new identity defensively under coach Bill
Snyder. The Wildcats are 10th in total (241.3 ypg) and 26th in scoring
defense (16.0 ppg).
Big Ten
Notes: Iowa tight end Tony Moeaki is still questionable for Week 5 with an ankle injury
after missing the last two games. If he can't play again vs. Arkansas
State, Allen Reisner will get the start
... Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier
is expected to play Saturday against Michigan State after hurting his
throwing shoulder in Week 4 against Indiana ... Penn State wide receiver Graham Zug did not play Saturday against Iowa because of a head injury
and is still questionable for Week 5 ... Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after
passing for four touchdowns Saturday against Michigan State. Three of
them went to tight end Garrett Graham,
who became just the sixth Badger to accomplish that feat ... Minnesota
running back Duane Bennett had three
touchdowns on Saturday against Northwestern ... Michigan running back Carlos Brown has 331 yards (270 rushing) and four touchdowns in his
last two games. He has benefited from Brandon Minor being hobbled by injury.
Byes: None
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Northwestern
at Purdue. Neither team is particularly good at keeping the opposition
out of the end zone. Northwestern is 87th in scoring defense (27.5 ppg)
and Purdue is 97th (30.3 ppg). Northwestern won this matchup last
season, 48-26, but both teams combined for 907 yards. We expect a lot of
the same in 2009.
Unfavorable matchup: Illinois vs. Penn
State. The Illini are really missing offensive coordinator Mike
Locksley. They have no flow on offense in three games and rank 108th in
scoring offense (18.0 ppg). A struggling team like Illinois wants no
part of Penn State, especially with the Nittany Lions coming off a
devastating loss to Iowa. Penn State is in the top 10 in both scoring
(10.3 ppg) and total defense (233.8 ypg).
Conference USA
Notes: Southern Miss' two biggest stars
-- running back Damion Fletcher and
wide receiver DeAndre Brown -- are both
hurting after a Week 4 loss to Kansas. Fletcher suffered an undisclosed
injury and Brown banged up his shoulder. Both players are questionable
heading into the short week. They play UAB on Thursday ... East Carolina
running back Dominique Lindsay, who has
missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, is again questionable
for Week 5 against Marshall ... Memphis running back Curtis Steele, who has been sidelined with a sprained knee since Week
2, is questionable for Saturday's game against UCF. Fellow running back T.J. Pitts is now battling a thigh injury, so Lance Smith might have to be the feature back in Week 5 ... Rice
quarterback Nick Fanuzzi missed
Saturday's game against Vanderbilt with a shoulder injury and is
questionable for Week 5 against Tulsa. John Thomas Shepherd and Ryan Lewis
will probably split time if Fanuzzi can't play ... Tulane running back Andre Anderson and wide receiver Jeremy Williams had ridiculous games in Week 4 against McNeese State.
Anderson rushed for 199 yards and four touchdowns, while Williams
accounted for all of the team's receptions and receiving yards. He had
10 catches for 222 yards and two scores.
Byes: None
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Tulsa at
Rice. Tulsa dropped 63 points and totaled 577 yards in a win against
Rice last season. Although they have a new quarterback under center, we
expect a lot of the same this season. Every opponent has scored more
than 30 points against Rice. The Owls are dead last in scoring defense
(44.0 ppg). Saturday can't come quick enough for Tulsa.
Unfavorable
matchup: SMU at TCU. Call it the Initials Bowl if you like, but we
expect this to be a one-sided affair like last season. TCU crushed SMU,
48-7. The Mustangs managed just 218 passing yards and were held to
minus-8 on the ground. TCU is still a big bad defense, ranking 12th in
total (245.0 ypg) and 21st in scoring defense (15.0 ppg).
Independents
Notes: Army running back CeDarius Williams, who has missed two games with an ankle injury,
remains questionable for Week 5 against Tulane ... Notre Dame running
back Armando Allen was held out of Week
4 against Purdue with an ankle injury. Head coach Charlie Weis said
Allen could have played if necessary, but he is expected to be back in
the lineup Saturday against Washington ... Army quarterback Chip Bowden came off the bench in Week 4 against Iowa State to
replace Trent Steelman. Both
quarterbacks could once again see action in Week 5 against Tulane ...
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs totaled
243 yards (143 rushing) and four touchdowns Saturday against Western
Kentucky ... Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph
has stepped up the last two games in the absence of Michael Floyd (collarbone). He has 10 catches for 147 yards and one
touchdown in that span. If you are looking for help at tight end,
consider taking a flier on Rudolph.
Byes: None
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Army vs.
Tulane. If McNeese State can score 32 points against Tulane, Army
shouldn't have much trouble moving the ball. The Green Wave rank 114th
in total (470.7 ypg) and 117th in scoring defense (41.0 ppg). Army
crushed Tulane, 44-13, last season and ran for 291 yards.
Unfavorable
matchup: Navy vs. Air Force. The Midshipen defeated the Falcons,
33-27, in 2008. However, Navy managed just 206 yards and one touchdown
on the ground. Navy kicked three field goals and blocked two punts for
scores. Air Force is once again playing great defense. They rank ninth
in scoring (11.8 ppg) and 20th in total defense (272.8 ypg). Don't be
fooled by last year's final score.
MAC
Notes: Bowling Green tight end Jimmy Scheidler missed Week 4 against Boise State with an ankle
injury. He is questionable for Week 5 against Ohio. If he doesn't play,
Bowling Green will just use more three- and four-receiver sets ... With
Eastern Michigan quarterback Andy Schmitt
out the rest of the season with a knee injury, freshman Alex Gillett will take over under center for the Eagles ... Zac Dysert has replaced Daniel Raudabaugh
at quarterback for Miami (Ohio). Dysert made his first start Saturday
against Kent State and passed for 337 yards. He also rushed for 107 ...
Temple freshman running back Bernard Pierce
had a breakout game against Buffalo in Week 4 (116 yards, one TD) and
might eventually supplant starter Kee-ayre Griffin ... Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour kicked off his MAC season with 337 yards (197 passing)
and six touchdowns in Week 4 against Akron ... Toledo freshman receiver Eric Page continues his impressive run. He posted his first
multi-touchdown game and third 100-yard outing on Saturday against FIU.
He had five catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Pick this kid up
in Fantasy. He should have a solid season in Toledo's spread offense.
Byes:
None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Toledo
at Ball State. Auburn just dropped 54 points and 560 yards of offense on
Ball State in Week 4. Toledo has a similar high-octane offense and
should be able to move the ball against the Cardinals. Ball State is
97th in scoring (30.3 ppg) and 104th in total defense (414.8 ypg).
Unfavorable
matchup: Kent State at Baylor. The Golden Flashes head down to Big
12 country in Week 5 to take on the Bears. Kent State definitely looks a
bit lost without star running back Eugene Jarvis,
who is out the rest of the season with a kidney injury. Kent State is
112th in scoring (17.0 ppg) and 116th in total offense (268.8 ypg). They
face a defense in the top 45 in both total (299.7 ypg) and scoring
defense (21.3 ppg).
Mountain West
Notes: Air Force running back Asher Clark is dealing with a shoulder injury and his status for Week
5 against Navy is questionable. Quarterback Tim Jefferson, who missed Week 4 with an ankle sprain, is also
questionable ... New Mexico running back James Wright strained his hamstring Saturday against New Mexico
State. If he can't play in Week 5 against Texas Tech, freshman Demond Dennis will likely see most of the carries ... San Diego State
running back Anthony Miller could start
a second straight game in Week 5 against New Mexico State, if Brandon Sullivan (knee) is still sidelined ... UNLV wide receiver Rodelin Anthony sat out Week 4 against Wyoming with a concussion and
remains questionable for Week 5 at Nevada ... David Leonard is emerging as Idaho's top receiver. He has at least
six catches in all four games, while leading the team with 25 receptions
for 266 yards and one touchdown ... Fantasy owners probably want to get Harvey Unga back in lineups. After being slowed at the beginning of
the season by a hamstring injury, Unga has 210 rushing yards and four
touchdowns in his last two games. He is averaging 6.6 yards per carry in
that span ... Utah wide receiver Jereme Brooks
has a receiving touchdown in three straight games.
Byes: Utah
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Wyoming at
Florida Atlantic. The Cowboys might have to make the cross-country trek
to South Florida, but they will be happy when they land. The Owls are
allowing 38 points (114th) and 456.7 yards per game (111th). Florida
Atlantic hasn't stopped many teams defensively in 2009 and that's good
news for Wyoming, which is starting to gain confidence in first-year
coach Dave Christensen's spread offense.
Unfavorable matchup: New
Mexico at Texas Tech. The Lobos have the unfortunate pleasure of heading
into Lubbock, Texas, with the Red Raiders steaming after two straight
losses. It's not like Texas Tech has been awful on defense in 2009. They
are 46th in scoring defense (21.5 ppg) and held a very good Houston
offense to 29 points last week.
Pac-10
Notes: Arizona running backs were dropping like
flies during a Week 4 win against Oregon State. Nic Grigsby went down early in the game with a right shoulder
sprain and backup Keola Antolin then
sprained his ankle. Arizona is happy to be coming up on a bye ... After
returning from a preseason wrist injury that was expected to keep him
out the entire season, Oregon State wide receiver Darrell Catchings is now sidelined 2-3 weeks with an ankle sprain. The
Beavers were already down Casey Kjos,
who has missed the last two games with a back injury and he remains
questionable for Week 5 ... USC running back Stafon Johnson, who leads the team with five rushing touchdowns,
sustained a throat injury Monday when he was bench-pressing when the bar
slipped from his right hand and fell onto his neck. He had emergency
surgery and USC is still trying to figure out the extent of the damage.
He is out indefinitely. Joe McKnight, Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler are
the likely benefactors on the field from this unfortunate incident. We
wish Johnson a speedy recovery ... Washington is hoping to get wide
receiver Devin Aguilar back in the
lineup Saturday against Notre Dame after he missed Week 4 with a
sprained MCL ... Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli needed a big game against Cal in Week 4 to restore his
confidence and he came through. Masoli completed 21 of 25 passes for 253
yards and three touchdowns ... Arizona quarterback Nick Foles solidified his claim to the starting job during
Saturday's win over Oregon State. He passed for 254 yards and three
touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Byes: Arizona
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Oregon vs.
Washington State. The Oregon offense has definitely been coming around
after being held to nine points in the opener against Boise State. They
have hit 30 points in three straight games and now face a defense
allowing 32.8 points per contest (103rd) and dead last in total defense
(503.5 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: Oregon State at Arizona
State. You have to be impressed with the way Arizona State has been
playing in 2009. They could easily be 3-0 had kicker Thomas Weber been healthy and able to boot a crucial field goal
Saturday against Georgia. But they have gotten off to a fast start
thanks to a swarming defense. ASU is third in total (211.0 ypg) and 11th
in scoring defense (12.3 ppg).
SEC
Notes: If you haven't turned on a TV in the last
few days, then you probably missed the hit heard around the world.
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow sustained
a concussion in the third quarter of a Week 4 win against Kentucky. UF
is off until Week 6 against LSU. The reports out of Florida are positive
and head coach Urban Meyer believes Tebow will be ready for the Tigers.
If not, John Brantley will get the
start ... Tennessee wide receiver Quinton Hancock is expected to miss at
least one more game with a broken jaw, which he sustained two weeks ago
against Florida ... LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell has two straight multi-touchdown games ... Mississippi
State tight end Marcus Green had a
career game in Week 4 against LSU. He had five catches for 100 yards and
one touchdown ... Auburn wide receiver Terrell Zachery also had a career game in Week 5 against Ball State. He
caught five passes for 122 yards and two scores.
Byes: Florida
Teams
playing FCS schools: South Carolina (vs. South Carolina State)
Favorable
matchup: Arkansas at Texas A&M. We already previewed this game a bit
earlier, but a quick refresher course: Both Arkansas and Texas A&M rank
among the top offenses in the country. The Aggies might statistically be
a good defense, but Arkansas has the nation's fourth best pass offense
(348.7 ypg) and will be looking to come away with a win after losing two
straight SEC contests. They have a lot to play for on Saturday.
Unfavorable
matchup: Kentucky vs. Alabama. 'Bama has been one of the most
impressive teams in the early season. We knew they had the defense, but
they now rank among the top 10 in offense as well. Kentucky managed just
14 points and 276 yards against Alabama last season. Alabama is second
in total (202.5 ypg) and 13th in scoring defense (13.0 ppg), so it would
once again be a tough matchup for the Wildcats.
Sun Belt
Notes: Florida Atlantic tight end Jason Harmon, who missed the 2008 season with a torn ACL, finally had
his breakout game in Week 4 against La.-Monroe. Harmon had 11 catches
for 132 yards. Fantasy owners should also keep tabs on Owls running back Alfred Morris, who is 23rd in the nation in rushing (98.7 ypg) ...
With Jerrel Jernigan struggling to get
on track for Troy, TeBiarus Gill is
stepping up as the team's top receiver. He leads the team with 23
catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He had 10 catches for 85 yards
and a score in Week 4 against Arkansas State ... Middle Tennessee State
quarterback Dwight Dasher seems to have
a firm grasp of Tony Franklin's spread offense. He has managed 300 or
more total yards in three straight games and is seventh in the nation in
total offense (319.8 ypg) ... North Texas freshman wide receiver Jamaal Jackson had a career-high 11 catches in Week 4 against Middle
Tennessee State ... FIU wide receiver T.Y. Hilton
has 18 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games.
Byes:
La.-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Troy, Western
Kentucky
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable
matchup: Florida International at La-Monroe. These two teams
combined for 58 points last season, and we could once again see a lot of
offense on Saturday. The Warhawks are allowing 30.5 points per game
(99th) and the Panthers are allowing 34.7 points per contest (110th).
Unfavorable
matchup: Arkansas State at Iowa. The Red Wolves have to make the
trek to Iowa City, Iowa, to face one of the nation's top defenses. Iowa
has not allowed an opponent to score more than 17 points in a game and
just embarrassed Penn State in Week 4. We don't like Arkansas State's
chances.
WAC
Notes: Nevada running back Vai Taua dislocated his elbow early against Missouri in Week 4 and
is now out indefinitely. Luke Lippincott,
who rushed for 114 yards against the Tigers, will take over the starting
running back duties ... Hawaii wide receiver Jovonte Taylor is questionable for Week 5 against Louisiana Tech with a
sprained ankle. If he can't play, Royce Pollard
will likely start as the 'Z' receiver ... Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle is starting to look like a college gunslinger. He has
passed for 200 yards in three straight games and has three touchdowns to
one interception. Turnovers plagued Enderle in his first two years as a
starter ... In his first game subbing for the injured D.J. Harper
(knee), Boise State running back Doug Martin
rushed for a team-high 116 yards against Bowling Green in Week 4 ... San
Jose State running back Lamon Muldrow
rushed for a career-high 184 yards in Week 4 against Cal Poly. He now
has a touchdown in two straight games ... New Mexico State running back Seth Smith is 24th in the nation in rushing (94.8 ypg).
Unfortunately, he doesn't have a touchdown in four games.
Byes: Fresno
State, San Jose State
Teams playing FCS schools: Boise State
(vs. UC Davis)
Favorable matchup: Nevada vs. UNLV. The
Wolfpack haven't given Fantasy owners much to cheer about in 2009, but a
breakout game could come against UNLV in Week 5. Aside from the Rebels
allowing 368 yards per game (75th), Nevada destroyed UNLV last season,
49-27. The Wolfpack racked up 620 yards, including 444 on the ground.
Unfavorable
matchup: Boise State vs. UC Davis. Look, we know Boise State is
going to stomp their FCS opponent on Saturday. But that's the reason we
don't like it for Fantasy purposes. Boise State will probably play their
regulars until they get a comfortable lead and then insert the backups.
On top of that, Fantasy owners will lose 25 percent of their accrued
points. Perhaps consider starting a Fantasy option playing a weak FBS
opponent.