CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 8

Welcome back to the college football waiver wire watch. Throughout the college football season, we'll pick two guys from every conference who either caught our eye in the previous week or who have an upcoming favorable matchup. As always, we'll answer any questions or comments in the comments section below.

First, though, here are the guys who came through last week and may still be available in your leagues:

Cameron Dickey, RB, Texas Tech (45.9 points)
Liam Szarka, QB, Air Force (39.6 points)
Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas (23.7 points)
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame (22.7 points)
SMU D/ST (21.0 points)
Dontae McMillan, RB, Eastern Michigan (18.5 points)
Jayshon Platt, WR, FAU (16.4 points)
Kansei Matsuzawa, K, Hawaii (14.0 points)

70+ Club in Upcoming Slate: Here are the college games that have an Over/Under closest to the 70-point mark, which potentially means a plethora of fantasy points. Enjoy these barn burners and roster some players in these games if you can.

73.5 points - FAU at USF
67.5 points - UTSA at North Texas
66.5 points - Baylor at TCU
64.5 points - San Jose State at Utah State
63.5 points - UNLV at Boise State
60.5 points - Texas A&M at Arkansas
60.5 points - Georgia Tech at Duke
60.5 points - Arkansas State at South Alabama

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

American Conference Waiver Wire Pickups

Noah Short, RB/WR, Army (42 Percent Rostered)

Short has dual position eligibility in fantasy because he is one of the Knights' most dynamic playmakers. He averages 8.8 rushing attempts and 3.8 targets per game. When you consider he's getting anywhere from 10-15 touches per game, he should have plenty of opportunities to shine at Tulane this week. Through six games, the senior has 53 carries for 330 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 13 catches (on 23 targets) for 163 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown this year, but with that kind of volume, it's coming soon.

Peter Clarke, TE/WR, Temple (15 Percent Rostered)

Versatile players with dual position eligibility must be the theme in the American Conference this week. Clarke has at least five targets in each of his last three games. With those increased opportunities, he's taken full advantage over that span with 11 catches (on 15 targets) for 157 yards and a touchdown. Tight ends with consistent targets are hard to find these days, so Clarke is an option at Charlotte this week.

Week 7 Rewind: UAB QB Jalen Kitna (11.6 points - 29/41, 261 YDS, 1 TD, 5 ATT, -28 YDS) & FAU WR Jayshon Platt (16.4 points - 2/3 TAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD, 1 ATT, 10 YDS)

ACC Waiver Wire Pickups

Mason Heintschel, QB, Pittsburgh (15 Percent Rostered)

We're now far enough in the season where the true freshman are starting to show their faces and some promise for fantasy rosters. Heintschel took over the job at Pitt after Eli Holstein (48 percent rostered) threw five interceptions in the first four games of the year. He's been great in his first two collegiate games with 34.7 fantasy points against Boston College and 28.2 fantasy points in an upset at Florida State. If he can do that against the Seminoles, he'll be just fine against Syracuse, NC State, and Stanford over the next three weeks. The true freshman also has double-digit rushing attempts in each of his first two games.

Nate Sheppard, RB, Duke (32 Percent Rostered)

Duke was on a bye last week, so it's time to get back to recommending Sheppard. The true freshman was a stud at Syracuse (39.1 fantasy points) and at Cal (22.7 fantasy points) in his last two games. In those two contests, he averaged 9.6 yards per carry and racked up four touchdowns on the ground. The game against Duke and Georgia Tech should have a bunch of points this weekend, so I love going out and grabbing Sheppard who should be the starting running back for the Blue Devils the rest of the way.

Week 7 Rewind: Wake Forest QB Robby Ashford (*DNP - Thumb Injury) & Stanford RB Micah Ford (5.3 points - 16 ATT, 53 YDS)

BIG 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Ryan Davis, WR, Utah (35 Percent Rostered)

Davis is the number one receiver for the Utes, and they have a huge upcoming game at BYU. The New Mexico transfer has at least six receptions in four of his past five outings. He already has chemistry with his QB Devon Dampier (97 percent rostered) who also came over from New Mexico. This offense has taken a little while to get installed in a new environment, however, it's clicking now, evident from their recent 42-10 win over Arizona State. Utah's best days are ahead in the Big 12 schedule.

Kobe Prentice, WR, Baylor (13 Percent Rostered)

Prentice has a touchdown in five of six games this season. The matchup between Baylor and TCU is the most fantasy-friendly in the conference this week. With Josh Cameron (92 percent rostered) and QB Sawyer Robertson (97 percent rostered) already starters in pretty much all fantasy leagues, this is the best spot if you want a piece of the passing game on the Baylor side. This has the potential to be a back-and-forth game with high-flying aerial attacks. 

Week 7 Rewind: Texas Tech RB Cameron Dickey (45.9 points - 21 ATT, 263 YDS, 2 TD, 3/4 TAR, 16 YDS) & Utah TE Dallen Bentley (4.4 points - 2/4 TAR, 24 YDS)

Big Ten Waiver Wire Pickups

King Miller, RB, USC (2 Percent Rostered)

Miller thoroughly impressed against Michigan with 18 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown. The walk-on freshman was explosive with runs of 49 and 47 yards that helped the Trojans shock the Wolverines. Waymond Jordan (96 rostered) and Eli Sanders (30 rostered) left the game with injuries which set up for Miller for the bulk of the workload out of the backfield. The walk-on should have a more pivotal role moving forward as he helped USC get its first signature win in the Big Ten. They do play at Notre Dame this weekend, which is another strong defense.

Nico Iamaleava, QB, UCLA (37 Percent Rostered)

This is a different UCLA team now that they have scored 42 and 38 points in big wins over Penn State and Michigan State respectively. Iamaleava has always been a highly touted prospect with dual-threat ability, and the only reason he's rostered in less than 50 percent of leagues is because of UCLA's outlook after the first five weeks of the year. Now that it has turned around the offense and UCLA is playing respectable football, he should be on the radar for a lot of fantasy rosters moving forward. With upcoming games against Maryland and Indiana, Iamaleava is going to need to utilize his legs for sure.

Week 7 Rewind: UCLA WR Kwazi Gilmer (2.9 points - 2/7 TAR, 9 YDS) & Wisconsin TE Lance Mason (3.9 points - 1/3 TAR, 29 YDS)

C-USA Waiver Wire Pickups

Caden Creel, QB, Jacksonville State (2 Percent Rostered)

Creel now has two starts in a row and he's been a workhorse out of the backfield for the Gamecocks. In two road contests at Southern Miss and Sam Houston, he had a combined 47 carries for 293 yards and two touchdowns. That's way too much rushing volume to ignore for fantasy purposes. There is some caution here as he also had a combined three turnovers in those two games, an interception and two fumbles lost. If in need of a quarterback for Week 8, though, they'll go up against Delaware in a game that could feature a ton of points.

Kejon Owens, RB, FIU (43 Percent Rostered)

Owens volume has been great to start the year at 15.2 rushing attempts and 2.0 targets per game. The Panthers are coming off a bye week and that has to be the only reason he's rostered in under 50 percent of leagues. With the C-USA schedule upcoming for Owens and FIU, he should be able to rack up a ton of fantasy points the rest of the way. It's a huge bonus that FIU had both of its bye weeks already, too, which means Owens is a likely lock for the starting line-up each and every week the rest of the way.

Week 7 Rewind: Old Dominion RB Trequan Jones (1.6 points - 6 ATT, 26 YDS, 1 FL) & Louisiana Tech TE Eli Finley (5.1 points - 3/6 TAR, 21 YDS)

MAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Jordan Gant, RB, Akron (10 Percent Rostered)

Gant's volume has been strong since Week 3 at 16.6 rushing attempts per game. He's been productive with that volume too at 5.6 yards per carry and three touchdowns over his last five games. He's more of a boom-or-bust type of player though as he went over 30 fantasy points against Duquesne and Central Michigan, however, was held under 10 fantasy points against UAB, Toledo, and Miami of Ohio. He should be closer to the boom this week as Akron plays at Ball State and the Cardinals do not have a great rush defense.

Victor Snow, WR, Buffalo (29 Percent Rostered)

Snow had a career day in Week 6 with 41.5 fantasy points against Eastern Michigan. He hauled in six catches (on eight targets) for 136 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing score, too. He's the Bulls' number one receiver and he's available in far too many leagues. Especially when you consider that they have an upcoming game against UMass who has one of the worst defenses in all of college football. Snow will not only deliver this week, but he's a good play for the rest of the year, too.

Week 7 Rewind: Eastern Michigan RB Dontae McMillan (18.5 points - 23 ATT, 104 YDS, 4/6 TAR, 11 YDS) & UMass WR Jacquon Gibson (*DNP - Undisclosed Injury)

Mountain West Waiver Wire Pickups

Walker Eget, QB, San Jose State (22 Percent Rostered)

Over the last three weeks, Eget has been one of the best in the nation at 30.6 fantasy points per game. Over that span, he has 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions while averaging 367.3 passing yards per game. His next four games are against Utah State, Hawaii, Air Force, and Nevada, so there's a great chance he keeps pace with his current averages. He has a couple of stud receivers in Danny Scudero (88 percent rostered) and Kyri Shoels (6 percent rostered) as well. Eget just recently targeted Scudero an eye-popping 24 times in a single game, four of them that went for touchdowns.

Bruin Fleischmann, TE, Air Force (10 Percent Rostered)

At 10.9 fantasy points per week, Fleischmann is the seventh highest scoring tight end in all of college football. He has a touchdown in four straight games and has been utilized dramatically more in his last two games. In shootouts at Navy and UNLV over the last two weeks, he has a combined eight catches (on 12 targets) for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons' offense is a lot of fun to watch, so make sure to go out and get a piece of it for your fantasy roster. Those that followed with Szarka (62 percent rostered) the last two weeks are glad they did.

Week 7 Rewind: Air Force QB Liam Szarka (39.6 points - 10/17, 175 YDS, 1 TD, 27 ATT, 136 YDS, 2 TD) & Boise State WR Latrell Caples (0 points - 0/1 TAR)

SEC Waiver Wire Pickups

Tory Blaylock, RB, Oklahoma (23 Percent Rostered)

It appears that Blaylock has taken on the starting role in Norman with double-digit carries in each of the Sooners' last four games.  Jaydn Ott (95 percent rostered) has struggled to find a consistent role with his new team and Jovantae Barnes (14 percent rostered) has been held out of the last two games. With upcoming games against South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, Blaylock is going to have a chance to have some considerable fantasy impact for rosters that take a chance on the true freshman.

Rohan Jones, TE, Arkansas (12 Percent Rostered)

It's not easy to find SEC players on the Waiver Wire with it being one of the most watched conferences in the country. It's also risky to go with Jones who has just one or two catches per week over his last five games. With the Razorbacks taking on Texas A&M this upcoming week, it's likely they're going to need to throw the ball, so there's a good chance Jones can start to be more utilized in the offense. When targeted, he's been effective at 25.4 yards per target. He also recorded a five-yard rushing touchdown at Memphis in Week 4.

Week 7 Rewind: Arkansas RB Mike Washington (23.7 points - 19 ATT, 131 YDS, 1 TD, 1/1 TAR, 6 YDS) & Ole Miss WR Harrison Wallace (0 points - 0/2 TAR)

Sun Belt Waiver Wire Pickups

Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, QB, Marshall (11 Percent Rostered)

Del Rio-Wilson is coming off his best game of the year with 38.5 fantasy points in a 48-24 upset of Old Dominion. He was effective in the ground game with 17 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns. In his last four games, he has 11 touchdowns through the air and four touchdowns on the ground. The most surprising part is that he has yet to turn the ball over this year. He's playing elite level football in the Sun Belt right now and should be rostered in far more than 11 percent of leagues. He also has an excellent matchup with Texas State this week. WR Demarcus Lacey (10 percent rostered) is also worth a look in all leagues.

Camden Brown, WR, Georgia Southern (30 Percent Rostered)

Brown, an Auburn transfer, is on pace for a historic year with the Eagles. Through six games, he already has 32 catches (on 51 targets) for 550 yards and six touchdowns. He's averaging 22.0 fantasy points per game, and Georgia Southern's defense is so bad, he'll have a shot at surpassing that each and every week. That's what happened in Week 7 when he exploded for 12 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown for 36.8 fantasy points. Expect QB JC French (13 percent rostered) to keep chucking the ball to Brown when they play Georgia State and Arkansas State the next two weeks.

Week 7 Rewind: Southern Miss QB Braylon Braxton (19.2 points - 19/28, 237 YDS, 2 TD, 8 ATT, 17 YDS) & Georgia Southern RB OJ Arnold (5.6 points - 13 ATT, 56 YDS, 0/1 TAR)

INDEPENDENTS & PAC-12 Waiver Wire Pickups

CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame (40 Percent Rostered)

No reason to go away from Carr if he's not going to be rostered in more than 50 percent of leagues. The Fighting Irish will host USC this week and there's surely going to be some offense in this one. Carr has been fantastic in his first season at the helm with 14 total touchdowns and just three interceptions. He has two 300-yard passing performances, both occurring in his last three games. He also has at least two touchdown passes in five of six games which isn't something we're used to seeing at Notre Dame.

Week 7 Rewind: Notre Dame QB CJ Carr (22.7 points - 19/31, 342 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT, 3 ATT, -10 YDS)

DEFENSE & KICKER RECOMMENDATIONS

Defense

Ohio (vs. NIU) - The Bobcats are averaging 6.6 fantasy points per game and are available in 83 percent of leagues. This has more to do with NIU which has yet to score more than 19 points in any single game this year.

Miami (vs. Louisville) - Miami is coming off a bye which has them rostered in just 17 percent of leagues. It has at least two sacks and two turnovers in three of its last five games.

California (vs. North Carolina) - It's been ugly for UNC this year on the offensive end, so I fully expect a defensive battle Friday night in Berkeley. Cal's available in 85 percent of leagues, too.

Week 7 Rewind: SMU vs. Stanford (21.0 points - 10 PA, 6 SK, 2 TA, 1 TD), JMU vs. Louisiana (7.0 points - 14 PA, 2 SK, 1 TA) & Ole Miss vs. Washington State (2.0 points - 21 PA, 4 SK)

Kicker

Nico Gramatica, USF - The game with FAU is projected to be the highest scoring of the week. Gramatica is averaging 8.7 fantasy points per game and rostered in 36 percent of leagues.

Gianni Spetic, Memphis - Spetic has at least eight fantasy points in each of his last three games. Spetic has long range with multiple FG's from 50+ this year and available in 79 percent of leagues.

Michael Petro, UTSA - Rostered in 14 percent of leagues and has a projected shootout at North Texas this week. Averaging 6.8 fantasy points per game.

Week 7 Rewind: FAU Garrison Smith (9.0 points - 1/1 FG, 6/6 XP), Hawaii Kansei Matsuzawa (14.0 points - 3/3 FG, 5/5 XP), Georgia Tech Aidan Birr (9.0 points - 2/3 FG, 3/3 XP)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

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

QB: PITT Mason Heintschel, MARSH Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, SJSU Walker Eget

RB: FIU Kejon Owens, DUKE Nate Sheppard, OU Tory Blaylock

WR: GASO Camden Brown, BUFF Victor Snow, UTAH Ryan Davis

TE: AF Bruin Fleischmann, TEM Peter Clarke, ARK Rohan Jones

D/ST: MIA (vs. LOU), OHIO (vs. NIU), CAL (vs. UNC)

K: MEM Gianni Spetic, USF Nico Gramatica, UTSA Michael Petro

Be sure to check out our college football custom rankings and our player rankings cheat sheet for up-to-date season-long rankings, as well as our college football weekly rankings to help guide your lineup decisions. During the season, our college football DFS optimizer and value report are powerful tools to help build DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.