This article is part of our Start vs. Sit series.
PLAYERS TO START
Sam B. Richardson, QB, Iowa State (vs. Kansas)
Richardson's start to the season has left a lot to be desired. He does have five touchdowns to one interception through three games, but his yardage totals are poor, and he's been one-dimensional. However, as that old adage goes, visits from Kansas tend to be good for what ails you. If Richardson is going to take his game to the next level this season, this would be the point for him to do it. The odds are in his favor.
Taylor Lamb, QB, Appalachian State (vs. Wyoming)
Lamb has two games against bad teams – Howard and Old Dominion – in which he has thrown for seven touchdowns with no interceptions. He has one game against Clemson in which he was terrible. That game against the Tigers doesn't seem relevant with Wyoming visiting. The Cowboys are allowing over 35 points per game, and Appalachian State may be the best opponent they have faced yet. Lamb should be able to take advantage of the matchup.
Nick Mullens, QB, Southern Mississippi (vs. North Texas)
Mullens throws the ball a lot for Southern Miss. He's thrown over 40 passes in three of his four games, and he's thrown for 1,366 yards so far. Since throwing two picks in the season opener against Mississippi State, he's only thrown one more, and he has 10 touchdowns overall on the season. He threw for 447 yards and two scores against Nebraska last week. This week, Mullens is going against a truly terrible North Texas team. Mullens will throw the ball, as always, and he will face little resistance from the Mean Green.
Aaron Green, RB, TCU (vs. Texas)
When you think of Green at the moment, you probably think of his exciting tipped-ball touchdown at the end of the Texas Tech game. However, before that, he rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns, and in his last three games he has six scores. Granted, Green and TCU have yet to face a tough defense, but that won't change this week. Texas, in addition to problems with their special teams, have defense issues, and they aren't likely to be the ones to stop the red-hot Green.
Shock Linwood, RB, Baylor (vs. Texas Tech)
You think of Baylor as a passing team, but they are actually have the top rushing offense in the nation so far this year. They spread the wealth around a bit, but Linwood is leading the way with 363 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries. Texas Tech just gave up 162 yards to Aaron Green, as mentioned above, and Linwood is capable of doing something similar. This game is almost guaranteed to be a shootout, and Linwood will be a part of that.
Jeremy McNichols, RB, Boise State (vs. Hawaii)
McNichols' yardage totals aren't great, as he hasn't rushed for more than 89 yards in any game thus far, but he has eight rushing touchdowns through four games. On top of that, he's added 120 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Hawaii's defense, especially on the road, has had issues, and while relying on someone so dependent on touchdowns can be risky, McNichols has been prolific enough to be worth using.
Ed'Marques Batties, WR, Middle Tennessee State (vs. Vanderbilt)
Batties has only been held in check against Alabama. Outside of that, he's been perhaps the best receiver in college football from a fantasy perspective. He's had at least 120 yards and two touchdowns in each of those three games, and last week he had 13 catches for 175 yards and two scores against Illinois. Vanderbilt is kind of feisty defensively, but it's hard to go against a guy with 446 yards and seven touchdowns through four games, and the Commodores aren't the Crimson Tide.
Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU (vs. East Carolina)
SMU's defense is bad. Like, give-up-48-points-to-James-Madison bad. However, their offense is actually fairly good, enough that they tend to lose but do so in exciting ways. Sutton, a freshman, has led the way for Chad Morris' new offense. He has at least one touchdown in every game (including two against Baylor) and he has 399 yards so far this season. East Carolina is a decent team, but they've allowed 31 points per game, so this looks like another high-scoring loss for the Mustangs, with Sutton being a big part of that.
Kenny Lawler, WR, Cal (vs. Washington State)
Cal is undefeated and is a nice little underdog story, and the offense has been very good so far. Lawler has six touchdowns, although three of those did come against Grambling State. He's played well against Texas and Washington, though, and, most importantly, Washington State's defense is what you would consider porous. Lawler should not have any trouble with the Cougars.
PLAYERS TO SIT
Mike Bercovici, QB, Arizona State (at UCLA)
Bercovici has seven passing touchdowns, but six of them came against Cal Poly and New Mexico. Against his other two opponents, Texas A&M and UCLA, he has one passing touchdown and one interception. They haven't even really had to challenge themselves on the road yet, and now the Sun Devils are heading to face perhaps the best team in the Pac-12. Bercovici didn't manage a touchdown against USC, and he may not do it against UCLA either.
Chad Kelly, QB, Mississippi (at Florida)
The bloom is already coming off the rose a bit, perhaps, as Kelly was held to one touchdown and two interceptions last week against Vanderbilt. However, 341 yards passing and four total touchdowns against Alabama still carries a lot of weight. In truth, we can probably place Kelly's value somewhere between these two poles, and thus it seems like a road game at Florida will be somewhat tricky for him, especially since his running skills aren't at the level of, say, a Joshua Dobbs.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (vs. Notre Dame)
Watson is tremendously skilled, but those skills haven't translated as well as expected so far. Take, for example, Clemson's last game against Louisville, in which he only threw for 199 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. That was his first real challenge, too, and Notre Dame is an even greater challenge than Louisville. Watson could always make this his breakout game, but the odds are against it based on everything we've seen this season.
Kalif Phillips, RB, UNC Charlotte (vs. Temple)
Phillips is having a good year. He's not the problem. The problem is that the 49ers have a truly terrible quarterback situation, perhaps the worst in the FBS. Temple, who has a good defense, doesn't have to worry about stopping the passing game. They can focus their attention on Phillips, and if they do that, they have enough skill to keep him in check.
Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma (vs. West Virginia)
Perine may hold the record for most rushing yards in a game, but this year he has been unable to build on the 427-yard performance against Kansas last November. With the team passing more with Baker Mayfield under center and with Joe Mixon healthy, Perine only has 263 yards rushing and three total touchdowns through three games. Now, he has to run against a West Virginia defense that has been one of the best in college football so far. The Mountaineers have only allowed 7.7 points per game, and if the Sooners do score on them, it's likely it will be through the air.
Alex Collins, RB, Arkansas (at Tennessee)
When playing Texas teams, Collins has run well, going for at least 127 yards against UTEP, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M. However, he has yet to have a multiple-touchdown game, and against Toledo he was held to 54 yards on 20 carries. Collins will be running against another team that begins with a "T," but one that should provide him with a bit more of a challenge. He should be fine, but why settle for fine?
Cayleb Jones, WR, Arizona (at Stanford)
Running the ball has gone well for the Wildcats, but the passing game has not been as impressive. Jones has 216 yards so far, but he also only has one touchdown. On top of that, Anu Solomon got banged up against UCLA, so he may not even be starting. Stanford has also been strong against the pass, holding their opponents to under 200 yards passing per game.
Jordan Williams, WR, Ball State (vs. Toledo)
Williams is coming off a game with 133 yards and two touchdowns against Northwestern, so his stock is on the upswing, but he also had a game of 58 yards against Texas A&M and a game of 57 yards against lowly Eastern Michigan. Toledo's defense has been looking strong so far, including their upset win over Arkansas. Don't get too excited about one big game from Williams. The overall numbers are less enthusing.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Texas A&M (vs. Mississippi State)
There are a couple things going against Reynolds. For one, Christian Kirk's emergence has rendered him a secondary target. Two, while he has three touchdowns, they have come on 11 receptions, which is a rate that is unlikely to continue. Third, Mississippi State's defense has been formidable so far, making this a tougher outing than some others.
