CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 11

Welcome to another installment of 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.

AAC

Holton Ahlers, QB, East Carolina
Welcome Ahlers back to the fantasy landscape as he surprisingly went off on Saturday night with 535 yards passing and five total touchdowns in a near upset of the Bearcats. A lot of fantasy owners gave up on the sophomore after a slow start to the season which means he's available in many leagues. With remaining games against SMU, Connecticut and Tulsa, he could be a key player in a playoff push. Wide receiver C.J. Johnson has always been very busy for the Pirates.

Kylen Granson, TE, SMU
Granson was a dangerous target once again in the shoot-out with Memphis as he pulled down two touchdowns to extend his streak of games with a touchdown to three. With wide receiver Reggie Roberson dealing with a lower leg injury, Granson has been able to fill some of the void as the Mustangs continue to roll out a potent offense each and every week. The SMU and East Carolina has a high potential for points, so go out and get Granson.

Last Week; Navy RB Jamale Carothers (8 carries for 65 yards, 3 TD) & UCF RB Otis Anderson (6 carries for 30 yards, 4 catches for 37 yards)

ACC

Wayne Taulapapa, RB, Virginia
Because there's no shot at getting quarterback Bryce Perkins on the wire, I would go with the next best thing in Taulapapa who has double-digit carries in six games this year. Virginia gets to go up against Georgia Tech who has one of the nation's worst rush-defenses and is giving up over 200 yards rushing per game. Both Perkins and Taulapapa should have a big game in a blowout of the Yellow Jackets. There's some added confidence when you consider that Perkins and Taulapapa absolutely dominate the rushing share for their team with 167 and 92 carries respectively. P.K. Kier is the next closest player with 21 carries.

Kobay White OR David Bailey, WR and RB, Boston College
With two of the worst pass-defenses in the nation, Boston College and Florida State has the potential to be a barnburner. Considering that the weather could be an issue in Boston and because I don't trust quarterbacks from either of these teams, I'm going to cautiously recommend White who leads the Eagles in target share this season. If the weather does end up being a problem, consider going with running back David Bailey as Boston College has been going very heavy in the running game with both Bailey and AJ Dillon over the last few weeks.

Last Week; Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett (25/34, 204 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 8 yards rushing) & Wake Forest WR Kendall Hinton (6 catches for 93 yards, 1 yard rushing)

BIG 12

Skylar Thompson, QB, Kansas State
I'm going to stay on Thompson as Kansas State has upcoming games with Texas, West Virginia and Texas Tech. He's likely not going to maintain the pace of his seven rushing scores over the last two weeks, but he should be able to see some rushing volume nonetheless. The Wildcats may even try to throw the ball versus the Longhorns who have struggled to stop the pass. Running backs Jordon Brown and James Gilbert played sparingly in the blowout of Kansas, so Thompson should remain a focal point of the offense in the short-term.

Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
Kolar is somehow still available in over half of leagues even though he's grabbed a touchdown in four of his last five games. Prior to the bye this past week, he reeled in a season-high eight catches and is one of Brock Purdy's top targets in an offense which has mostly favored the pass. That's not going to change when the Cyclones try to take down Oklahoma this week.

Last Week; Kansas State QB Skylar Thompson (9/16, 129 yards, 17 rushes for 127 yards, 3 TD) & Baylor RB JaMycal Hasty (14 carries for 77 yards)

BIG TEN

Chris Olave & K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State
Both Olave and Hill are available in over half of leagues with a tremendous match-up against Maryland who is giving up nearly 300 passing yards per game. They each receive an average of five targets per game which is well ahead of teammates Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor. With the Buckeyes challenging the likes of LSU and Alabama for the top spot in the rankings, they're going to try to put up as many points as possible. That means that both of these receivers have a high probability of scoring a touchdown this week.

Elijah Collins, RB, Michigan State
Collins doesn't show high ownership as the Spartans had to go up against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State which is a brutal stretch for the freshman running back. Following a bye week, it gets much easier with Illinois, Michigan, Rutgers and Maryland. He has potential for huge games in three of those four weeks which makes him a must-add for the rest of the season.

Last Week; Illinois RB Dre Brown (8 carries for 31 yards, 2 TD, 1 catch for 7 yards), Illinois RB Reggie Corbin (13 carries for 51 yards) & Michigan QB Shea Patterson (13/22, 151 yards, 1 TD, 5 yards rushing)

C-USA

Jyaire Shorter, WR, North Texas
The Mean Green's offense has been on fire with quarterback Mason Fine most recently throwing seven touchdowns in a 52-26 win over UTEP. People have already taken notice with WR Jaelon Darden, but they haven't caught on with Shorter who has a touchdown in six of his last seven games. With remaining games against Louisiana Tech, Rice and UAB, it should be a great finish for the freshman.

Chris Reynolds, QB, Charlotte
Not nearly enough people jumped on Reynolds last week as he only racked up a 100-yard rushing performance (96 rushing yards the week before) and a rushing score in his second straight game. As mentioned in the recommendation above, UTEP's defense isn't very good, so there's a good chance Reynolds has a big game either through the air or on the ground again. He also ends the season with Old Dominion which makes him stash-worthy.

Last Week; Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds (14/21, 192 yards, 1 TD, 16 carries for 103 yards, 1 TD) & North Texas RB Tre Siggers (22 carries for 82 yards)

MAC

Shakif Seymour, RB, Toledo
The Rockets are set to have a huge rushing performance versus Kent State who has one of the worst rush defenses in the nation. While Bryant Koback is the team's workhorse, Seymour has still logged double-digit carries in five of the team's last six games, including 21 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown in their latest win over Eastern Michigan. If QB Mitchell Guadagni does make it back to the field, I would go after him as well.

Drew Plitt, QB, Ball State
Back to Plitt who has been a popular MAC recommendation this season with 17 touchdowns versus just six interceptions. He's been more active on the ground over his last three games with three rushing scores which has helped the fact that he's attempted 20 or fewer passes in his last two games. He should definitely be throwing more than 20 times against a Western Michigan defense which has had some trouble stopping opponents through the air.

Last Week; Bowling Green QB Grant Loy (12/20, 113 yards, 1 TD, 10 yards and 1 TD rushing) & Northern Illinois RB Tre Harbison (10 carries for 17 yards)

MWC

Tre Walker, WR, San Jose State
Since returning to the team from an early-season injury in late September, Walker has at least six catches in six of his seven games this year. He's a PPR delight for fantasy owners and has three 100-yard receiving performance despite just one touchdown this year. He's still available in a ton of leagues and will garner plenty of targets in upcoming match-ups with Hawaii, UNLV and Fresno State.

Miles Reed, RB, Hawaii
Although the Rainbow Warriors are a pass-first team, Reed has double-digit carries in each of his last two games. That's perfect timing as they go up against San Jose State who is giving up over 200 yards rushing per game this season. He's also viable against UNLV in Week 12.

Last Week; Nevada RB Toa Taua (15 rushes for 21 yards, 1 TD, four catches for 11 yards) & Colorado State QB Patrick O'Brien (17/27, 234 yards, 9 yards rushing)

PAC-12

Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
Eason had four touchdowns against a tough Utah defense, but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble which were a big part of the reason the Huskies lost. As long as Washington doesn't pull the plug on their junior quarterback, he should have a huge finish to the year against Oregon State, Colorado and Washington State who all struggle to stop opposing signal-callers.

Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford
Parkinson continues to lead the Cardinals in targets with an average of seven a game. He's been particularly busy in his last two games with nine catches on 17 targets against UCLA and Arizona. While he's managed just 358 yards and a touchdown in eight games, the volume of targets and the return of quarterback, K.J. Costello, suggests that Parkinson could have a surprising end to the year with upcoming games against Colorado and Washington State.

Last Week; Colorado QB Steven Montez (21/38, 195 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 rushing score) & Oregon State TE Noah Togiai (5 catches for 69 yards, 1 TD)

SEC

John Rhys Plumlee, QB, Ole Miss
Assuming Rhys Plumlee is healthy and ready to go for Week 11, he should have his best rushing performance of the season against a New Mexico State defense who is terrible against the run. Rhys Plumlee has double-digit carries in five straight games and more than 20 carries in three of those games. Backup running back Jerrion Ealy is also worth grabbing if Scottie Phillips can't suit up with an ankle injury.

Lamical Perine, RB, Florida
Perine's ownership has been dropping as the Gators have played tough competition with Georgia, South Carolina, LSU and Auburn over the last month. It's about to get a lot easier for the reliable senior running back with remaining games against Vanderbilt, Missouri and Florida State. If a fantasy owner gave up on Perine in your league, go snatch him up right away.

Last Week; Tennessee WR Jauan Jennings (5 catches for 70 yards, 2-yard rushing TD) & Texas A&M TE Jalen Wydermyer (4 catches for 52 yards, 1 TD)

SUN BELT

Tra Barnett, RB, Georgia State
Coming off a bye and available in over half of leagues, Barnett has a very favorable match-up against the UL-Monroe Warhawks who are giving up over 230 rushing yards per game. Moreover, Barnett has been as reliable as they come with four straight 100-yard rushing performances and six touchdowns in those four games. He averaged an astounding 7.1 yards per carry on 34 touts in his last outing against Troy.

Tra Minter, RB, South Alabama
From one workhorse running back named Tra to another, Minter plays on a much less talented team, however, does have double-digit carries in four straight games. While he has over 100 yards rushing in just one of those games, he's fairly active in the passing game with 26 catches for 192 yards on the season. Texas State hasn't been great against the run, so Minter could be an option for fantasy owners this week, especially in PPR formats.

Last Week; Coastal Carolina WR Jaivon Heiligh (12 catches for 107 yards) & Arkansas State QB Layne Hatcher (21/28, 307 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 3 yards rushing)

INDEPENDENTS

Kelvin Hopkins OR Jabari Laws, QB, Army
Whoever gets the nod at starting quarterback for Army should have a monster week against UMass who has the worst rush defense in all of college football. Laws received the start in a loss to Air Force on Saturday, however, was forced out of the game with a concussion. If Laws can't go, Hopkins is a formidable fill-in with a ton of experience.

Last Week; Liberty RB Joshua Mack (15 carries for 85 yards, 62-yard catch)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Army (vs. UMass) – The Black Knights are having a disappointing season and should take it out on the doormat of college football.

Mississippi (vs. NMSU) – The Aggies rarely put up any points and should be out-classed by the Rebels.

Virginia (vs. Georgia Tech) – The Cavs D/ST has 34 sacks, 10 turnovers and 4 touchdowns this season.

Last Week; Illinois (vs. Rutgers – 10 PA, 3 Sacks, 3 TA, 2 TDs), Navy (at UConn – 10 PA, 3 Sacks, 3 TA), Cincinnati (at East Carolina – 43 PA, 1 TA, 1 TD)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Utilizing the two players for each conference, I'll list out who my top recommendations are on a weekly basis by position:

QB: East Carolina Holton Ahlers, Army QB, Washington Jacob Eason
RB: Georgia State Tra Barnett, Florida Lamical Perine, Michigan State Elijah Collins
WR: San Jose State Tre Walker, Ohio State Chris Olave & K.J. Hill, North Texas Jyaire Shorter
TE: Iowa State Charlie Kolar, SMU Kylen Granson, Stanford Colby Parkinson
D/ST: Virginia (vs. Georgia Tech)