College Fantasy Football Start vs. Sit: Players to Start, Players to Bench for Week 6

How things change. Prior to the season, the weekend of Texas versus Oklahoma and Texas A&M against Alabama felt oh-so-exciting. Now? The most-intriguing matchups is Kansas taking on TCU. October may be "spooky season," but you need not be afraid of setting lineups for Week 6 in college football. I have some recommendations regarding players to start, and players to bench, to help. All treats, no tricks.

AAC Starts and Sits

START

Charles McClelland, RB, Cincinnati vs. South Florida

McClelland has filled the vacuum left at the running back position in 2022. He's only had one real standout game on the ground, against Miami of Ohio, but he's averaged 5.9 yards per carry. On top of that, he has been a weapon in the passing game, racking up 12 catches for 123 yards. The Bulls are looking like one of the worst teams in college football, especially defensively. They rank 126th in both points and rushing yards allowed per game.

SIT 

Holton Ahlers, QB, East Carolina at Tulane

Last week it was Ahlers who enjoyed the benefits of facing South Florida's defense, but this week he faces his first real test since Week 1 against NC State, and even that game was at home. Tulane has allowed 14.2 points per game, and also rank fifth in passing yards allowed per contest. In the past, Ahlers has had turnover issues as well, and that could arise again versus the Green Wave.

ACC Starts and Sits

START

Henry Parrish, RB, Miami (FL) vs. North Carolina

On the one hand, Parrish's numbers have gotten worse week by week. On the other hand, he still has 347 rushing yards and five total touchdowns through five games. Getting to face North Carolina's questionable defense should get Parrish back on track. The Tar Heels have given up 227.3 rushing yards per contest.

SIT

Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College vs. Clemson

Flowers is under the radar one of the best receivers in college football. Clemson, though, is not under the radar as a top defense. Granted, the Tigers are 19th in defensive SP+, but a top-20 defense in the ACC certainly stands out. Skepticism is fair as far as Flowers is concerned, especially as the Tigers' secondary starts to coalesce a bit.

Big 12 Starts and Sits

START

Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas vs. Oklahoma

We've just seen the Sooners get carved up two weeks in a row, particularly on the ground. Now, the top guy for Texas is Bijon Robinson, one of the best backs in college football. He's also the top-ranked running back in Rotowire's weekly rankings, so there's no value in me telling you something as obvious as, "Hey, start Bijon." There could be room for multiple backs to do damage against Oklahoma, though. Johnson has averaged 5.4 yards per carry in his career, and he's had over 20 receiving yards in each of his last four games for a little bonus.

SIT

Hunter Dekkers, QB, Iowa State vs. Kansas State

Take away Dekkers' game against Southeast Missouri State, and he has a grand total of seven passing touchdowns against five interceptions in four games. That's not ideal. Kansas State's rankings in defensive averages don't stand out anywhere, but SP+ has its defense ranked 15th, which gives me faith in them, even on the road.

Big Ten Starts and Sits

START

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State at Michigan State

Perhaps owing in part to ongoing injury issues with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Egbuka is off to a killer start to the season. He has 30 catches for 512 yards and five touchdowns through five games. Hey, that's 100 yards and a touchdown per game! Michigan State was last in passing defense in the FBS last season, and this year it is 106th.

SIT

Shaun Shivers, RB, Indiana vs. Michigan

Shivers, an Auburn transfer, has rushed for a touchdown in four of his five games this season. His only game over 100 yards, though, was against Idaho. Michigan's defense is been stout so far. The Wolverines are fourth in points allowed per game and 12th in rushing yards allowed per game. Sure, the schedule has been easy, but taking care of business against bad opponents counts for something.

Conference USA Starts and Sits

START

Tyrese Chambers, WR, Florida International vs. UConn

This will likely be the one and only time I recommend an FIU player as a starter. Even with the Panthers being terrible in 2021, Chambers had 45 catches for 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns. He had a bad game against Western Kentucky, but aside from that Chambers has at least six catches and 72 yards in every game. I know the Huskies are coming off their first win against an FBS team since 2019, but, well, that says a lot about this team. So does the fact they have allowed 38.6 points per game.

SIT

Brenden Brady, RB, UTSA vs. Western Kentucky

Brady isn't quite Sincere McCormick, but he has been good as the new lead back for the Roadrunners. However, Western Kentucky ranks 18th in rushing yards allowed per game. The Roadrunners have not only one of the best, perhaps the best, Group of Five quarterback in Frank Harris, they also have three top-level receivers. UTSA can easily rely on the pass when necessary, and that could mean less work for Brady than usual.

MAC Starts and Sits

START

Sieh Bangura, RB, Ohio vs. Akron

After missing the game against Fordham, Bangura returned to rack up 18 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown last week versus Kent State. He also had five catches for 30 yards. To me, that shows he's healthy, and Akron provides an enticing matchup. The Zips allowed 268.9 rushing yards per game in 2021, and this year they've only improved to 208.0, which ranks 116h.

SIT

Cole Tucker, WR, Northern Illinois vs. Toledo

In the MAC, "sit" remains a relative term, as this is the worst defensive conference in the FBS, and arguably the worst full stop. The Rockets rank 49th in defensive SP+, which makes them the standout in the MAC. They also rank 41st in passing yards allowed per game. Thus, perhaps this is the week to sit Tucker, heretofore the top receiver for the Huskies.

Mountain West Starts and Sits

START

Jordan Byrd, RB, San Diego State vs. Hawaii

What Byrd needs is more opportunity. He's averaged 6.8 yards per carry on 42 rushing attempts. Well, he's finally gotten double-digit carries in each of his last two games heading into this matchup. Hawaii's defense is atrocious, having allowed 53.3 points and 294.5 rushing yards per game. If the Aztecs wisely give Byrd at least 15 carries, he should have a great day.

SIT

Ricky White, WR, UNLV at SJSU

White transferred in from Michigan State and opened the season with eight catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns. That was against Idaho State, though. He's had a couple other good games since then, but he also disappeared against Utah State, netting zero catches on four targets. It can't be entirely about the competition that San Jose State ranks first in passing yards allowed per game at this point in the season.

Pac-12 Starts and Sits

START

Wayne Taulapapa, RB, Washington at Arizona State

Colorado is off this week, so you can't take advantage of its awful defense. Taulapapa gets to face an Arizona State defense that has allowed 213.5 rushing yards per game, though. The Virginia transfer has averaged 6.1 yards per carry, and he's also had two games with over 30 yards receiving as well, including 56 yards on five catches last week against UCLA.

SIT

Jake Bobo, WR, UCLA vs. Utah

I worry a bit about the Utes' defense keeping a mobile quarterback in check, but I do not worry about them against the passing game. Utah is 16th in points allowed per game and 17th in passing yards allowed per game. It's time for a reality check on Bobo after he turned on a breakthrough performance against Washington. The senior likely never had more than one receiving touchdown in a season prior to this one for a reason.

SEC Starts and Sits

START

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss at Vanderbilt

Zach Evans has lived up to the hype as a transfer, but the true freshman Judkins has been so good Lane Kiffin can't keep him off the field. He's carried the ball 85 times for 535 yards and six touchdowns. In conference play, Vanderbilt remains the team to target in the SEC.  The Commodores have allowed 34.5 points per game and rank 102nd in defensive SP+.

SIT

Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M at Alabama

The Crimson Tide know they don't have to worry about the Texas A&M passing game. Alabama is going to pack the box versus the Aggies if it knows what is good for them, and Nick Saban certainly knows what is good for his team. Achane will likely be in for a long day, getting no respite against a team that has allowed only 97.4 rushing yards per game.

Sun Belt Starts and Sits

START

Sam Pinckney, WR, Coastal Carolina at ULM

Pinckney scored a touchdown in the season opener but hasn't scored since. I expect that to change soon. He has 28 catches on 46 targets for 377 yards. Eventually, some of those receptions should yield scores. Maybe this matchup is what he needs. While Louisiana-Monroe isn't terrible against the run or the pass, it ranks 128th in points allowed per game. Hey, those points are being accrued somehow.

SIT

Johnnie Lang, RB, Arkansas State vs. James Madison

Until I am shown otherwise, I am believing in James Madison's defense. This is a defense that has allowed a mere 69.3 rushing yards per game, second-fewest in the FBS. The Dukes have also only allowed 16.0 points per contest. Lang may be the lead back for the Red Wolves, and he may be coming off a game where he scored touchdowns three ways, but that was against ULM. James Madison is a different story by everything we've seen in its debut FBS campaign.