CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 7

Throughout the college football season, I'll pick two guys from every active 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.

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

Georgia Tech QB Jeff Sims (33.4 points)
Michigan State QB Payton Thorne (27.8 points)
Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds (26.2 points)
UCLA RB Brittain Brown (25.0 points)
Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce (21.3 points)
Tennessee RB Tiyon Evans (20.9 points)
San Diego D/ST (18.5 points)

Slate Background: It really starts to get interesting as fantasy players deal with teams on bye and more games during the week. This upcoming slate kicks off with a Tuesday Night game between Appalachian State and Louisiana, so make sure to have those fantasy line-ups locked in early. Thursday has an underrated fantasy combo of Navy at Memphis and Georgia Southern at South Alabama. We then get a four-gamer on Friday Night, highlighted by Clemson at Syracuse. It will be another fun Saturday with Oklahoma State at Texas, Auburn at Arkansas, Kentucky at Georgia and TCU at Oklahoma. My favorite match-up for fantasy purposes is Ole Miss at Tennessee.

*Fantasy Points referenced in article are DK format.
**To qualify for recommendations, players must be rostered in less than 50 percent of Fantrax Leagues

AAC

Josh Johnson, WR, Tulsa

Just three games in the AAC this week, so definitely going to migrate towards the Hurricane against a South Florida squad giving up 495 yards per game. I like RB Shamari Brooks (nine percent rostered), but love Johnson who leads the team with 34 catches for 481 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson has been the more consistent contributor with at least eight catches and 100-yard receiving games in three of Tulsa's last four games. Johnson is available in 95 percent of leagues and is playable the rest of the season as well.

Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis

We've now seen enough of the true freshman, Henigan, to know he should be rostered in more than 28 percent of leagues. In a highly competitive game with Tulsa, Henigan had 30.2 fantasy points on 34-for-57 passing for 463 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, he had three total turnovers with a couple of picks and a lost fumble, yet with Grant Gunnell out with a significant leg injury, I'm assuming the Tigers stick with the youngster. Back-up Keilon Brown hasn't seen any snaps since the first week of the season. Memphis goes up against Navy who has more vulnerable through the air while giving up 324 passing yards to SMU in their last game.

Week 6 Rewind; Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce (21.3 points - 6 REC, 93 yards, 1 TD) & East Carolina RB Keaton Mitchell (7.7 points - 17 carries, 65 yards, 1 REC, 12 yards)

ACC

Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia

In his last four appearances, Woods (33 percent rostered) is averaging 4.25 catches and a touchdown on seven targets per game. That's excellent production for a tight end and even better when you consider that Woods is one of their most efficient targets around the end-zone. He was battling a foot injury, but made his return against Louisville and had a touchdown in the Cavs surprising comeback win. The team is averaging 525 yards of offense and go up against a Duke team allowing 429 yards per game.

Jake Bobo, WR, Duke

No reason to leave that game between Virginia and Duke as it will have plenty of offense and very little defense. I'll go back to Bobo who has double-digit fantasy points in every game this season and over 20 fantasy points in three of his last four games. Bobo has been consistent as they come while averaging 7.5 catches for 88.2 yards on 9.7 targets per game. He was able to grab his first touchdown of the season in a loss to Georgia Tech last week and is still rostered in just 11 percent of leagues.

Week 6 Rewind; Georgia Tech QB Jeff Sims (33.4 points - 12/25, 297 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 55 rushing yards, 1 TD) & Wake Forest WR Taylor Morin (3.7 points - 2 REC, 17 yards)

BIG 12

Casey Thompson & Xavier Worthy, QB & WR, Texas

I've already recommended both of these players in previous weeks, yet Thompson is rostered in 30 percent of leagues and Worthy in 29 percent of leagues. They combined for a crazy 85.9 fantasy points in the loss to Oklahoma as Thompson had five passing touchdowns and Worthy a career-high nine catches for 261 yards and two scores. A true freshman receiver that puts up that kind of production cannot be ignored and it appears that Texas may be on the brink of having potentially one of the best offenses in the nation when you also factor in superstar RB Bijan Robinson. That means Thompson and Worthy will have plenty of opportunities for production the rest of the way.

Caleb Williams, QB, Oklahoma

Although it hasn't been confirmed that Williams will start over Spencer Rattler in the upcoming weeks, the reward is well worth the risk on the waiver wire, especially if you have Rattler on the roster. He's rostered in just 16 percent of leagues and if he does take over the job, the freshman will have the keys to one of the most dynamic offenses in all of football. His 31.2 fantasy points against the Longhorns included a little bit of everything with two deep touchdown passes to Marvin Mims and a long touchdown run in a high-leverage situation.

Week 6 Rewind; Baylor RB Abram Smith (14.7 points - 11 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD) & Texas Tech WR Kaylon Geiger (15.9 points - 6 REC, 99 yards)

BIG TEN

Payton Thorne & Jalen Nailor, QB & WR, Michigan State

I'm going to recommend Thorne (25 percent rostered) for the third straight week as most fantasy players still do not believe in the Spartans passing game. Doesn't really make sense since they are averaging 487 yards of total offense, including 270 through the air each week. I'll also add Nailor (eight percent rostered) who has been an absolute beast in his last two games with 13 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Indiana shouldn't be able to slow Michigan State down this week as the only team they've kept under 300 yards of offense in their five games was Idaho. 

Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern

Rutgers defense has melted down in conference play as they've given up 469 yards per game in three conference games, including an average of 190 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry to Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State. Hull (28 percent rostered) should be able to take advantage of that softness and is the best candidate to do so with double-digit touches in every game for the Wildcats thus far.

Week 6 Rewind; Iowa TE Sam LaPorta (1.8 points - 1 REC, 8 yards) & Michigan State QB Payton Thorne (27.8 points - 16/27, 340 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT)

C-USA

Austin Kendall, QB, Louisiana Tech

Since the Bulldogs are coming off a bye week, Kendall is rostered in just 43 percent of leagues. The senior has been a scoring machine in 2021 with 13 total touchdowns in just four games. It likely doesn't matter who he's playing in C-USA as Louisiana Tech is going to want to increase the tempo in any game they are playing in, evidenced by Kendall's 36.75 passing attempts per game. Upcoming games with UTEP, UTSA and Old Dominion should all be weeks where Kendall can be in your fantasy lineup.

Joshua Cephus, WR, UTSA

The 6-0 Roadrunners have a three-headed monster at wide receiver with Zakhari Franklin (74 percent rostered), Cephus (15 percent rostered) and De'Corian Clark (zero percent rostered) with a capable quarterback in Frank Harris (15 percent rostered). Harris is averaging 287 passing yards per game and Cephus has actually been his most consistent receiver with 42 grabs for 457 yards and three touchdowns. While Franklin has the most upside, Cephus has been more than consistent enough for fantasy rosters with double-digit fantasy points in every game this season, including being over 20 fantasy points in three of their last four contests. Those streaks shouldn't end against Rice or Louisiana Tech over the next two weeks.

Week 6 Rewind; Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds (26.2 points - 21/27, 203 yards, 4 TD, 21 rushing yards) & Marshall TE Xavier Gaines (4.7 points - 2 REC, 18 yards, 9 rushing yards)

MAC

Jack Sorenson, WR, Miami (OH)

MAC teams has been rather uneventful for fantasy purposes thus far in 2021 with just three players in the entire conference averaging over 20 fantasy points per game. Here's to hoping conference play will be a bit better for these teams as early returns have not been promising. Sorenson (47 percent rostered) is not one of those three players, however, he's been a consistent source of fantasy production while averaging 4.8 catches for 75.3 yards and 0.7 touchdowns per game through six contests. The Redhawks will play Akron this week who will provide them with plenty of opportunities to score (giving up 39 points per game) and I think Sorenson is the best bet in that scenario.

Rocky Lombardi, QB, Northern Illinois

Lombardi (four percenter rostered) is one of those three players I reference above and it's due to his huge four-touchdown performance against Maine in Week 4. Otherwise, he's been rather pedestrian but does have a decent floor with double-digit fantasy points in every game. I'm going to give him a pass in early conference play as Eastern Michigan and Toledo are two of the better teams in the MAC. It will get much easier against Bowling Green who are yielding 179 rushing yards per game. That's perfect for Lombardi, a running quarterback, who leads the team with 7.4 yards per carry on 43 totes on the season.

Week 6 Rewind; Bowling Green WR Austin Osborne (8.5 points - 5 REC, 35 yards) & Central Michigan QB Jacob Sirmon (DNP - Richardson started) OR QB Daniel Richardson (12.1 points - 16/30, 257 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT)

MWC

Jordon Brookshire, QB, San Diego State

The Aztecs look to be potentially the best team in the Mountain West and when Brookshire (one percenter rostered) plays, he has fantasy intrigue as he has at least one rushing score in all three of his games. While shaking off a foot injury against New Mexico, he ran for 45 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. I really like his upcoming match-ups against San Jose State and Air Force which should allow the senior signal caller to keep accumulating rushing scores.

Melquan Stovall, WR, Nevada

Against New Mexico State, Stovall (one percent rostered) emerged as the number one receiver with seven catches for 155 yards and a touchdown as Romeo Doubs (83 percent rostered) did not play for undisclosed reasons. Their head coach said he was dinged up in practice after their win over the Aggies. If Doubs misses any more time with the injury, Stovall should be picked up as QB Carson Strong (84 percent rostered) is too good and will produce regardless of who his receivers are on a certain night. 

Week 6 Rewind; Nevada RB Toa Taua (13.0 points - 7 carries, 28 yards, 2 REC, 22 yards, 1 TD) & Colorado State QB Todd Centeio (17.0 points - 19/23, 232 yards, 1 TD, 37 rushing yards)

PAC-12

Sean McGrew, RB, Washington

In their last three games, McGrew (six percent rostered) has been the Huskies' most productive fantasy player with two scores in each contest. There's really no reason for Washington to go away from the senior back as he's averaging 4.95 yards per carry on 38 attempts. McGrew and the Huskies have ideal match-ups coming up against UCLA, Arizona and Stanford with none of those teams showing formidable defenses at this point.

Benjamin Yurosek, TE, Stanford

Yurosek (one percent rostered) had a breakout performance against Arizona State with six catches for 118 yards on 10 targets. Prior to that performance, he had just nine catches for 123 yards on 17 targets scattered over four games. Stanford's defense has been really bad in 2021 while giving up 408 yards per game, so I don't see the Cardinal being able get away from throwing the ball anytime soon. Yurosek is far too large of a target to go away against any of the Pac-12 defenses, so I like him as a priority add for the rest of the season. 

Week 6 Rewind; UCLA RB Brittain Brown (25.0 points - 12 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD, 1 REC, 14 yards) & Arizona WR Stanley Berryhill (13.2 points - 7 REC, 59 yards, 3 yards rushing)

SEC

Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Hooker has accounted for four touchdowns in three of Tennessee's last four games. Josh Heupel's system is a fantasy dream and we can now count on Hooker being the starting quarterback due to his recent success for the Volunteers who are on a two-game winning streak. The best part is that he's rostered in just 22 percent of leagues, so he's available in a ton of leagues. Tennessee is about to have a highly anticipated shootout with Ole Miss and judging based on KJ Jefferson's 53.5 fantasy points against the Rebels this past week, Hooker is primed for a huge performance.

Snoop Conner, RB, Mississippi

With Jerrion Ealy (73 percent rostered) in the concussion protocol, Conner (10 percent rostered) took full advantage against the Razorbacks with 12 carries for 110 yards and three touchdowns. That's an explosive performance that shows that the Rebels should feed Snoop even if Ealy finds his way back to the lineup. Ole Miss is averaging a crazy 46 points per game and 562 yards of total offense, including 260 rushing yards per game. If Ealy is forced to miss the upcoming against Tennessee, Conner should be the top add at the position for the week.

Week 6 Rewind; Missouri QB Connor Bazelak (13.6 points - 21/32, 160 yards, 2 TD) & Tennessee RB Tiyon Evans (20.9 points - 16 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD)

SUN BELT

Corey Sutton, WR, Appalachian State

With only four games on the Sun Belt slate, there's not a lot to choose from. Sutton (36 percent rostered) has been underrated in 2021 while averaging 6.4 catches for 94.6 yards and 0.6 touchdowns on 9.8 targets in five games. He's posted a 100-yard receiving game in each of his last three games and we get to see the talented senior receiver in a primetime tilt with Louisiana on Tuesday Night. The Ragin' Cajuns have been far from a good defense this season while giving up 407 yards per game. 

Gunnar Watson, QB, Troy

Watson (three percent rostered) received the starting nod over Taylor Powell and helped snap the Trojans' two-game losing streak with a 17.3 fantasy point performance against Georgia Southern. This likely was enough to earn him another start at Texas State this week. Watson was Troy's quarterback in 2020 and posted his season-high 32.1 fantasy points against Texas State with four touchdowns through the air. I like his chances to have yet another career game against a Bobcats defense giving up 36 points and 414 yards of offense per game.

Week 6 Rewind; Georgia State QB Cornelious Brown (DNP - Darren Grainger received the start) & South Alabama RB Terrion Avery (2.2 points - 4 carries, 14 yards)

INDEPENDENTS

Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty

Douglas is rostered in just 12 percent of leagues which is far too low for QB Malik Willis' top target in the Flames' offense. Douglas is having an excellent year with 33 catches for 531 yards and four touchdowns in Liberty's six games. He's going to push for 1,000 yards receiving after playing Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, Massachusetts and Ole Miss over the next month of the season. He's my top recommendation at receiver this week and will remain on this list until he's rostered in more than 50 percent of leagues.

Week 6 Rewind; Connecticut RB Nathan Carter (17.9 points - 20 carries, 136 yards, 1 REC, 3 yards)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

South Carolina (vs. Vanderbilt) - The Gamecocks (24 percent rostered) should be able to shut down a Vandy offense that is averaging just 13 points per game. South Carolina is shockingly a top-ten fantasy defense at 11.67 fantasy points per game.

Baylor (vs. BYU) - The Bears (eight percent rostered) are a defensive-minded team and it's very likely that their upcoming match-up against BYU is a low-scoring affair.

Wisconsin (vs. Army) - The Badgers (20 percent rostered) defensive unit is one of the best in the country and their upcoming match-up against Army could have the most rushing plays in a game since the early 1900's. That typically bodes well for fantasy defenses.

Week 6 Rewind; San Diego State vs. New Mexico (18.5 points - 7 PA, 3 Sacks, 2 TAs), South Alabama at Texas State (4.5 points - 33 PA, 3 Sacks, 3 TAs) & Nevada vs. New Mexico State (10 points - 28 PA, 6 Sacks, 1 TA, 1 TD)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Utilizing the two players for each conference above, here are my top recommendations for the week by position:

QB: Tennessee Hendon Hooker, Texas Casey Thompson, Oklahoma Caleb Williams

RB: Ole Miss Snoop Conner, Washington Sean McGrew, Northwestern Evan Hull

WR: Liberty Demario Douglas, Texas Xavier Worthy, Duke Jake Bobo

TE: Virginia Jelani Woods, Stanford Benjamin Yurosek

D/ST: Wisconsin (vs. Army), Baylor (vs. BYU), South Carolina (vs. Vanderbilt)