CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 8

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

Clayton Tune, QB, Houston
Tune was reportedly dealing with a hamstring injury which had him questionable entering Saturday's contest with Cincinnati. He didn't have the best performance while going 9-of-27 for 184 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions, but that's understandable against the Bearcats. That's why you can likely go out and get him for a game against the UConn Huskies who have one of the worst defenses in football. I would also recommend running backs Patrick Carr and Kyle Porter, however, it's not clear which one would receive more volume.

Branden Mack, WR, Temple
Mack has been great in his last two starts with a combined 18 catches on 24 targets for 232 yards and a touchdown in big wins for Temple over East Carolina and Memphis. The Owls will now play on the road at SMU in a game that has the potential to go back-and-forth. Mack has been the most consistent receiver for Temple while Jadan Blue and Isaiah Wright trailing right behind. With that nice trio of receivers, quarterback Anthony Russo is an excellent start this week as well.

Last Week; Tulane QB Justin McMillan (18/24, 231 yards, 2 TD, 37 yards & 1 TD rushing) & Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce (2-for-4 on targets for 59 yards)

ACC

Kendall Hinton, WR, Wake Forest
We've talked plenty about Sage Surratt and Scotty Washington in this column, but Hinton is the next in line to be grabbed off the waiver wire. Upon returning from a hamstring injury in Week 5, he has a couple of solid fantasy performances, including the conversion of 13 of his 18 targets versus Louisville for 134 yards. He'll be dangerous from the slot against a Florida State team who gives up 290.5 passing yards per game. If Jamie Newman's shoulder injury keeps him out of the game, Sam Hartman is a must add.

N'Kosi Perry or Jarren Williams, QB, Miami
Running back DeeJay Dallas has been picked up in the majority of leagues, so I'm going to the next best thing against Georgia Tech's awful rush defense which yields 237.7 yards per game. Both Perry and Williams have shown that they can run the ball, so I would recommend starting whoever looks like they will receive the start. Perry has been playing of late due to a shoulder injury to Williams.

Last Week; Virginia Tech QB Hendon Hooker (16/27, 261 yards, 3 TD, 43 yards rushing) & NC State WR Emeka Emezie (5-for-9 on targets for 77 yards)

BIG 12

Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
Sorry for recommending Johnnie Lang last week as he was officially named the starter. Turns out that Hall is really the guy to own as he looked fantastic while carving up West Virginia to the tune of 132 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. This tends to happen with highly regarded true freshman by the end of the season. If Hall has gained the trust of the coaching staff, he could have a strong finish to the season behind a great offensive line.

Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor
Thornton is quietly averaging six targets per game and has seen at least five targets in each of his last four games. The undefeated Bears will head to Oklahoma State this week in a game which could be one of the higher-scoring affairs. While Charlie Brewer and Denzel Mims are the top options, I think Thornton can squeeze out enough opportunity to be considered this week.

Last Week; Texas Tech QB Jett Duffey (31/42, 362 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) & Iowa State RB Johnnie Lang (Five touches for 12 yards)

BIG TEN

Rodney Smith, RB, Minnesota
With the Gophers spreading their carries in a three-headed attack to Mohamed Ibrahim and Shannon Brooks of late, Smith's ownership has dropped to around 50 percent. Even though I think all three of those guys could have a touchdown versus Rutgers this week, I would want to own Smith long-term as he has three-straight 100-yard rushing performances and appears to be the lead back.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Indiana
Since returning from an arm injury, Penix has been fantastic while completing over 70 percent of his passes and racking up seven total touchdowns in his last two games. With upcoming match-ups against Maryland and Nebraska, the Hoosiers should be able to score some points which means that fantasy owners can feel comfortable putting Penix Jr. in to their lineups.

Last Week; Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan (8/13, 128 yards, 1 TD, four yards rushing) & Indiana WR Whop Philyor (10-for-12 targets for 182 yards)

C-USA

De'Michael Harris, RB/WR, Southern Miss
Depending on where you play fantasy, Harris is listed as either a RB or WR and that's because he can do it all. Over his last three games, the senior has three rushing scores and three receiving scores. With QB Jack Abraham and Southern Miss having recent success, I don't know why they would start to shy away from Harris who has been a catalyst to their offense.

Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas
I've talked about Darden in the past and he sure came through this past Saturday with five catches for 87 yards and three touchdowns versus Southern Miss. He should be picked up in a ton of leagues when North Texas plays a Middle Tennessee squad that hasn't been able to stop any other teams this season. Darden has had double-digit fantasy points in every game this season and has at least one score in four of his six games.

Last Week; Louisiana Tech QB J'Mar Smith (16/28, 239 yards, 3 TD, 69 yards rushing) & UAB RB Lucious Stanley (13 carries for 92 yards, 1 TD)

MAC

O'Shaan Allison, RB, Ohio
Quarterback Nathan Rourke has been a bit of a fantasy disappointment this year as he hasn't been able to rack up the dual-threat stats we've seen in recent years. That has allowed Allison to carve out a significant role as the lead back in the Bobcats' offense with double-digit carries in his last four games and an average of 14 per game on the season. I'll take those numbers against a Kent State team giving up 246.3 rushing yards per game.

Drew Plitt, QB, Ball State
Plitt is another repeat recommendation as he's having a great year with 13 touchdowns compared to five interceptions through the air to go along with a pair of rushing scores. He'll go up against a Toledo squad which is surprisingly giving up 281.8 passing yards per game. If Bowling Green can find success against the Rockets, I think Plitt and Ball State should be able to move the ball.

Last Week; Central Michigan RB Jonathan Ward (18 carries for 131 yards, 1 TD, 4-for-6 on targets for 36 yards) & Toledo QB Mitchell Guadagni (17/20, 194 yards, 1 TD, 40 yards rushing *Left Game w/ Injury)

MOUNTAIN WEST

Sean Chambers, QB, Wyoming
I've been burned going down this road before, but I think Chambers has to be picked up when Wyoming takes on New Mexico's pass defense which ranks last in the nation at allowing 391.7 passing yards per game. Chambers also provides some extra value because he's notched two rushing scores in each of his last three games. There's no reason he shouldn't be started in every league this week.

Ronnie Rivers, RB, Fresno State
The Bulldogs don't run the ball a ton, but when they do, Rivers is the lead back ahead of quarterback Jorge Reyna. Prior to receiving just nine carries against Air Force, Rivers recorded double-digit carries in four straight games. He also averages four targets in the passing game, so he should have plenty of volume to produce against UNLV in Week 8.

Last Week; Boise State QB Hank Bachmeier (3/9, 58 yards, 1 TD *Left Game w/ Injury) & Colorado State WR Nate Craig-Myers (One catch for 11 yards *Left Game w/ Injury)

PAC-12

Kedon Slovis, QB, USC
Slovis returned from an injury in a tough spot against Notre Dame and looked relatively good while going 24-for-35 for 255 yards and two touchdowns. If he can do that against the likes of Notre Dame, he should be owned in pretty much all leagues with upcoming games against Arizona and Colorado who have some of the worst pass defenses in the nation.

Connor Wedington, WR, Stanford
Wedington is primed for a breakout game when Stanford welcomes in a UCLA defense which is giving up 340.7 passing yards per game. Wedington is owned in very few leagues and is averaging five catches on seven targets per game. He has the potential to have a big game or two against UCLA, Arizona and Colorado over the next month.

Last Week; Washington QB Jacob Eason (15/22, 243 yards, 2 TD) & Oregon WR Jaylon Redd (4-for-5 on targets for 75 yards, 1 TD, 1 rushing TD)

SEC

John Rhys Plumlee, QB, Ole Miss
I'm not a big fan of recommending an Ole Miss player when they're about to go up against Texas A&M, but Plumlee has been a high-volume runner with at least 22 rushing attempts in each of his last three games. That includes a 100-yard rushing performance at Alabama which means that no matter how good the defense is that Plumlee can find a way to be productive. Most leagues have not caught on yet and he can still be grabbed on the waiver wire.

Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
With 13 catches on 22 targets for 173 yards over the last two weeks, Pitts has emerged as the top receiving option for quarterback Kyle Trask. He's been very consistent with at least four catches in five straight games and Florida has a soft schedule to end the year in the SEC East which lines up very well for the sophomore.

Last Week; Mississippi State QB Garrett Shrader (5/10, 79 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 62 rushing yards) & Tennessee WR Jauan Jennings (3-for-4 on targets for 17 yards, 22 yards rushing)

SUN BELT

Levi Lewis, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette
Everyone knows that the Ragin' Cajuns offense is centered around stud running backs Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell, so why am I recommending their signal-caller? In their most recent game with Appalachian State, it was pretty apparent that they are going to need to find another way to score as the running backs were shut down in a 17-7 loss. Arkansas State plays a high-tempo back-and-forth style of football, so there should be a ton of points in this game. Lewis should at the very least have a high floor in this game.

Zac Thomas, QB, Appalachian State
For some reason, Thomas' ownership has slacked in fantasy leagues which is a shame as he is a dual-threat quarterback, evident from his two rushing touchdown performance against UL-Lafayette this past week. He may have a lowered ceiling with running back Darrynton Evans, but his floor is pretty high as the junior is averaging around 20 fantasy points per week. Moreover, App State should run all over the Sun Belt Conference.

Last Week; UL-Monroe TE Josh Pederson (1-for-2 on targets for five yards) & Appalachian State WR Thomas Hennigan (4-for-5 on targets for 30 yards)

INDEPENDENTS

Frankie Hickson, RB, Liberty
Of the independents, Liberty has the best match-up of the week with a game against Maine. Hickson is their top running back and is averaging 12 carries per game to go along with two targets per game. He should have enough volume to help out if you absolutely need a running back and there isn't a better option available.

Last Week; BYU RB Emmanuel Esukpa (13 carries for 43 yards)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Appalachian State (vs. UL-Monroe) – As previously mentioned, this team should roll through the Sun Belt.

Kansas State (vs. TCU) – The Horned Frogs are still working in a freshman QB and just haven't looked impressive. Both teams are coming off a bye.

Minnesota (at Rutgers) – Streaming against Rutgers every week wouldn't be a bad option.

Last Week; San Diego State (vs. Wyoming – 22 PA, 1 Sacks, 1 TA), Louisiana Tech (vs. UMass – 21 PA, 2 Sacks, 2 TA, 1 TD), Indiana (vs. Rutgers – 0 PA, 6 Sacks, 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: Wyoming Sean Chambers, USC Kedon Slovis, Appalachian State Zac Thomas
RB: Iowa State Breece Hall, Minnesota Rodney Smith, Ohio O'Shaan Allison
WR: Temple Branden Mack, Southern Miss De'Michael Harris, North Texas Jaelon Darden
TE: Florida Kyle Pitts
D/ST: Minnesota (at Rutgers)