College Football Start vs. Sit: Players to Start, Players to Bench for Week 10

I've outlasted James Franklin and Brian Kelly this season. Also, Mike Gundy, but that's not surprising. We're here in Week 10, which will largely be played on the first day of November. November. That really strikes a chord with us college football aficionados. Well, I've italicized for emphasis enough at this point. It's an interesting weekend of college football, and here are my players to start and bench for fantasy purposes. Just remember, there is no athletic director around to give you the boot.

AAC Starts and Sits

START

Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas vs. Navy

Yeah, Mestemaker is coming off a game wherein he threw for over 600 yards. Doesn't feel terribly bold in a vacuum. However, Mestemaker isn't just a dude who threw all over Charlotte's terrible defense (Charlotte is on a bye this week, so you can't target them). He's thrown for four touchdowns in back-to-back games. Also, some may worry that the Navy cuts the game down too much through its offense for a player like Mestemaker to go wild. The Midshipmen have given up 256.6 passing yards per game, though, and that's against an easy schedule featuring two option offenses.

SIT

 Jay Ducker, RB, Temple vs. East Carolina

Temple is a fun story, and Ducker came along for the ride in joining K.C. Keeler in the move from Sam Houston. He's rushed for 638 yards and five touchdowns through eight games, though he bulked up on Massachusetts, Howard, and the aforementioned Charlotte. The Pirates have been quietly quite good defensively. They have only allowed 118.9 rushing yards and 17.1 points per game.

ACC Starts and Sits

START

 Malachi Toney, WR, Miami (FL) at SMU

Toney is a true freshman who is clearly relied upon and trusted. It's not merely the 52 targets, but the fact that Toney returns punts. You don't put a freshman back there on punts unless you can believe in him, and indeed, Toney has never fumbled. He's also racked up 562 receiving yards and three touchdowns. It happens to be immensely easy to throw on SMU. The Mustangs have given up 303.5 passing yards per game.

SIT

 TJ Harden, RB, SMU vs. Miami (FL)

It's a classic flip-around situation. Harden has rushed for 456 yards and five touchdowns through eight games, which looks good on the surface. That's also wholly built upon the first three games of the season. Over his last five games, Harden has 203 yards and zero touchdowns on the ground. Now he faces a Miami defense that is first in the ACC in rushing yards and points allowed per contest.

Big Ten Starts and Sits

START

 Kaden Feagin, RB, Illinois vs. Rutgers

Like Harden, Feagin did most of his damage in the first three weeks of the season. The key difference is the matchup. Feagin is at home against a Rutgers team that's had a rough go of it defensively. It's allowed 181.3 rushing yards and 30.6 points per game, and even allowing 24 points in a 27-24 win over Purdue in its last game is not a great sign.

SIT

 Makai Lemon, WR, USC at Nebraska

Yes, Ohio State and its elite defense are hosting Penn State, but I decided to go in another direction. Lemon has really elevated his game this year, as he has 758 yards and six touchdowns already, but this trip to Lincoln is an under-the-radar obstacle to try to handle. You can run on Nebraska, but it has only allowed 127.5 passing yards per game, which is even better than Ohio State and Iowa.

Big 12 Starts and Sits

START

 Myles Montgomery, RB, UCF at Baylor

Montgomery has always been a good yards-per-carry guy, but this year he's finally getting the bulk of the workload. He's responded with 522 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in seven games while adding 128 yards through the air. Owing to the fact Baylor is 4-4, I think the fact the defense has been brutal is getting overlooked. The Bears have allowed 190.5 rushing yards and 32.6 points per game, and every FBS team they have faced has scored at least 27 points.

SIT

 Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati at Utah

This is one of the biggest games of Week 10, but I don't think it will be a big game for Allen. He has eight touchdowns in eight outings, which obviously stands out. However, Allen only has 33 catches for 367 yards. That doesn't floor you, and turning one-fourth of your catches into touchdowns is not easy to sustain. Utah also, unsurprisingly, has a tenacious pass defense. The Utes have only given up 148.8 passing yards per game, but also a mere 14.3 points per game. Good luck to Allen getting in the end zone.

Conference USA Starts and Sits

START

 Marlion Jackson, WR, Louisiana Tech vs. Sam Houston

While there are still Tuesday and Wednesday offerings from Conference USA, fortunately, they are games on Friday and Saturday this weekend, and Friday, one of the worst defenses in FBS football is on the road down in Louisiana. Jackson was not involved much early in the season, but he has 17 targets over his last two games, and in his last game, he had six catches for 103 yards. That's enough for me to take a chance against Sam Houston's woeful defense. The winless Bearkats have allowed 272.4 passing yards and 38.9 points per game.

SIT

 Kyre Duplessis, WR, Delaware at Liberty

Liberty is not nearly as good as it has been in the past, and you can run all over its defense. However, the Flames have been stingy against the pass, all things considered. Duplessis, who joined the Blue Hens in their first FBS season from Coastal Carolina, has 35 catches for 495 yards and four touchdowns, but the Flames have only allowed 166.7 passing yards per game. I figure Delaware will just focus on running over Liberty en route to a potential victory, which would sideline Duplessis in this one.

MAC Starts and Sits

START

 Broc Lowry, QB, Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan

Only two MAC games are being played in Week 10, and none of the bad defenses are in action. Lowry is powering the Western Michigan offense; he's at home, and Central Michigan's defense is relatively unimposing among these four teams. Lowry hasn't thrown for more than 241 yards in a game, but he's thrown for six touchdowns and rushed for seven, and he's only turned the ball over twice. He's going to drive the offense, and he's at home against a middling MAC defense, and the MAC isn't known for stout defense.

SIT

 Nahree Biggins, RB, Central Michigan at Western Michigan

Biggins has rushed for 415 yards and a touchdown, but 113 of those yards and that touchdown came against Eastern Michigan, a team with a horrendous run defense. He's also had 158 yards and a score through the air, but 106 of those yards and that touchdown came against Wagner. Western Michigan has allowed 117.0 rushing yards and 18.8 points per game, and for a MAC defense that really stands out.

Mountain West Starts and Sits

START

 Damon Bankston, RB, New Mexico at UNLV

Bankston was a standout at Weber State, but now he's with New Mexico, and he's been largely up to the task. While he's not been toting the proverbial rock 20 times a game, he's averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored four rushing touchdowns. Bankston has also added 201 yards and a score through the air. UNLV makes football fun, as it pairs a dynamic offense with a sketchy defense. Dan Mullen's squad has given up 204.7 rushing yards and 33.4 points per contest.

SIT

 Jordan Napier, WR, San Diego State vs. Wyoming

These are the two best defenses in the Mountain West, so I don't expect much from anybody. The guy who has played well enough to point out here, though, is Napier. He has 40 catches for 567 yards through seven games, but he only has two touchdowns. The Cowboys and Aztecs have both held opponents under 20 points per game. Again, don't expect much offensively from anybody in this one, Napier included.

SEC Starts and Sits

START

 Davon Booth, RB, Mississippi State at Arkansas

Fluff Bothwell is banged up, and Booth has excelled in his absence. Over the last two games, he's totaled 300 yards and scored three touchdowns. If Bothwell returns, there's room for more than one back to rack up stats in this one. Arkansas has comfortably the worst defense in the SEC, and it has allowed 193.9 rushing yards and 32.8 points per game.

SIT

 Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt at Texas

Vanderbilt is a fun story. Pavia is a fun story. You don't get points in fantasy-related matters for fun stories, though. The Longhorns are first in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game and second in points per game. Now, they are middle-of-the-pack in passing yards allowed per contest, but Pavia has been more productive on the ground, all things considered. If you cut out his games against Utah State and Charleston Southern, Pavia has seven passing touchdowns against four interceptions.

Sun Belt Starts and Sits

START

 Kentrel Bullock, RB, South Alabama vs. Louisiana

The Georgias (Southern and State) are off this week, removing the two best options for matchups in the Sun Belt. The Ragin' Cajuns, though, have given up 199.1 rushing yards and 30.3 points per contest. Bullock has replaced the aforementioned Fluff Bothwell as the main back at South Alabama, and he's stepped up. The new top back for the Jaguars had 681 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns through eight games.

SIT

 Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State at Troy

James Madison, the one truly imposing defense in the Sun Belt, plays Tuesday, so everybody on Texas State is off the hook for this section. Rucker is Exhibit A in how touchdowns can be tempestuous. Two seasons ago, he had two touchdowns; last season, he had seven; and this season, he has one. Not only that, but said touchdown came against Southeast Missouri State. Rucker has been targeted 75 times in eight games, but Troy has allowed 189.1 passing yards and 24.3 points per game. That stands out in the Sun Belt.