This article is part of our FantasyAces College Football series.
As of Saturday morning, there was still no reliable news on Jordan Howard, and there might not be any before 1:00 central time. Myles Gaskin and Travon McMillian are my favorite RBs if there's nothing confirming Howard's status.
The following breakdown is for FantasyAces' Saturday slate.
QB
Nate Sudfeld – Indiana vs. Duke ($5,300)
This matchup appears to be an excellent one for finding fantasy value on this slate. Sudfeld is a big reason, as the senior quarterback has been highly effective all year, and this matchup features two high-tempo offenses. Indiana gets a significant boost due to Duke safety Jeremy Cash missing the game, as well. Although he's known mostly as a pocket passer, Sudfeld has also shown a knack for finding the end zone on the ground, running for seven touchdowns in his last 17 games.
Thomas Sirk – Duke vs. Indiana ($4,600)
At this price and against this opponent, the risk of Parker Boehme stealing snaps from Sirk doesn't worry me much. Indiana can stop neither the pass nor the run, and the high tempo of this game should assure Sirk ample opportunity to produce in both regards. Duke should breeze past 30 points in this one, and Sirk is the best candidate to be in on any particular Duke touchdown.
Honorable mention: Luke Falk – Washington State vs. Miami (FL) ($5,500)
RB
Jordan Howard – Indiana vs. Duke ($5,000)
Howard's knee injury makes him questionable for this game, so his status needs to be verified before lineup lock before I'll leave him in my lineup. If active, though, Howard should dominate in what ought to be his final collegiate game. Indiana-Duke is a very high-tempo matchup, upping the chances of a big workload for Howard. As long as he gets his workload, Howard is matchup-proof, as seen with the Michigan game.
Paul Perkins – UCLA vs. Nebraska ($5,300)
FantasyAces' cap is soft for this slate, giving me a chance to pay up for a player I normally can't find the cap room for. Perkins is an excellent talent who, like Howard, is borderline matchup-proof so long as he gets his touches. Given the fact that Perkins has five games with over 20 carries this year, the odds of him getting that workload are extremely good. The Cornhusker defense likely can't stop the UCLA offense – pass game or run – so Perkins should have a good chance to find the end zone.
Honorable mention: Travon McMillian – Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa ($4,650), Myles Gaskin – Washington vs. Southern Mississippi ($4,600), Joseph Yearby – Miami (FL) vs. Washington State ($4,600)
WR
Gabe Marks – Washington State vs. Miami (FL) ($5,650)
Marks is a lot like Perkins on this slate – I don't normally find the cap room, but I'm glad to see the opportunity in this case. It's not a good matchup against a low-tempo Miami team with a competent pass defense, but Marks is targeted so heavily that he possesses a high floor almost regardless of matchup, and this Miami pass defense showed the ability to get beat against competent passing games. Marks is likely talented enough to add his name to the list of receivers who succeeded against Miami this year.
Isaiah Ford – Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa ($4,850)
Ford plays in a much less glamorous offense than other slate wideouts like Jordan Payton, Thomas Duarte and Dom Williams do, but his unique combination of efficiency, target volume, and matchup make Ford the next option for me after Marks. Playing against a Tulsa team with a max-tempo offense, Ford would have an enormous game if Tulsa should somehow prove competitive, but even if Virginia Tech pulls out to a big early lead, Ford will be a good bet to get in on those touchdowns, too.
Honorable mention: Dom Williams - Washington State vs. Miami (FL) ($5,100), Jordan Payton - UCLA vs. Nebraska ($4,950), Thomas Duarte - ($4,800), Simmie Cobbs - Indiana vs. Duke ($4,300)
TE
Bucky Hodges – Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa ($3,800)
The only other tight end consideration for me on this slate is Washington's Joshua Perkins ($3,800), but I consider Hodges the safely better option. Virginia Tech is likely to spend a decent amount of time in the red zone against a Tulsa defense that just isn't good, and Hodges is the team's second-best pass-catching threat after lead wideout Isaiah Ford.
