CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 13

Throughout the college football season, I'll pick two guys from every active conference who either caught my eye in the previous week or who have a favorable match-up in the near future. As always, I'll get to any questions or comments you have in the comments section below.

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen (43.8 points)
Colorado State QB Todd Centeio (40.8 points)
Western Kentucky WR Mitchell Tinsley (40.4 points)
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (27.0 points)
BYU QB Jaren Hall (25.6 points)
Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec (20.8 points)
California RB Christopher Brooks (20.3 points)
Kentucky D/ST (19.5 points)
Texas A&M D/ST (19.0 points)
Appalachian State WR Corey Sutton (17.6 points)
Miami RB Jaylan Knighton (16.7 points)

Slate Background: It's Championship Week for fantasy! For MACtion on Tuesday, we have Buffalo at Ball State and Western Michigan at Northern Illinois. We're treated to Fresno State at San Jose State and Ole Miss at Mississippi State on Thanksgiving. Then a fun 16-game slate on Friday before the regular season finale slate on Saturday. Everyone will be watching Ohio State at Michigan and Oklahoma at Oklahoma State. Let's go win a Fantasy Championship!

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

AAC

Clayton Tune, QB, Houston (37 percent rostered)

Back to Tune who is averaging 22.6 fantasy points on 67.3 percent passing with 17 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions in seven conference games. They're actually playing outside of conference this week against the lowly Connecticut Huskies. With the Cougars trying to rise as far as they can in the rankings before the AAC Championship game, I can see Tune having a productive game to finish the regular season.

Ryan O'Keefe, WR, UCF (40 percent rostered)

Sticking with O'Keefe who continues to see significant volume at 6.5 receptions on 8.9 targets per game. With Jaylon Robinson (68 percent rostered) back in the line-up over the last two games, O'Keefe continues to be the preferred receiver for the Golden Knights. Robinson had just four catches on six targets in those games. The roster percentage should be flipped with these two players, so make sure to take advantage against a soft USF defense in Week 13. 

Week 12 Rewind; SMU TE Grant Calcaterra (2.4 points - 1 REC, 14 YDS) & UCF WR Ryan O'Keefe (15.4 points - 9/11 TAR, 56 YDS, 1 ATT, 13 YDS)

ACC

Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (23 percent rostered)

This freshman signal-caller continues to come through for fantasy purposes as he had another three-touchdown performance against Virginia Tech. Van Dyke has three or more touchdowns in five straight games over a span where he has averaged 30.8 fantasy points per contest. Duke has one of the worst pass defenses in the nation, so Van Dyke is a prime candidate to help bring home the fantasy championship in your league if he's still available.

Will Shipley, RB, Clemson (29 percent rostered)

Clemson's offense was unleashed against Wake Forest with 48 points, their most points against an FBS opponent this season. Shipley was great with 112 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries en route to 29.6 fantasy points. That makes me confident in recommending the young stud running back at South Carolina this week. After a disappointing start to the season, this uber-talented Clemson team has a lot to prove as they close out the year.

Week 12 Rewind; Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec (20.8 points - 10/24, 1 TD, 1 INT, 17 ATT, 59 YDS, 1 TD) & Miami RB Jaylan Knighton (16.7 points - 14 ATT, 17 YDS, 2 TD, 2 REC, 20 YDS)

BIG 12

Spencer Sanders & Tay Martin, QB/WR, Oklahoma State (31/21 percent rostered)

Going with the top passing combo for the Cowboys as we approach the highly anticipated Bedlam game with Oklahoma. We all know the Sooners can be beat through the air and Oklahoma State's Jaylen Warren (68 percent rostered) is not fully healthy. For this reason, I expect the Cowboys to utilize Martin who is a top-notch receiving threat and has the upside to have a huge game as he does have four 100-yard receiving games despite the Cowboys' tendency to lean on their dominant defense.

Devin Neal, RB, Kansas (15 percent rostered)

I'm sticking with Neal as Kansas has a chance to play spoiler at home against West Virginia as the Mountaineers need one more win to become bowl-eligible. In his last three games, the dependable true freshman has 264 yards and four touchdowns on 57 carries to go along with five catches for 52 yards and another score. It's crazy to think about, but Neal should be on the radar for 2022 CFF drafts.

Week 12 Rewind; Baylor QB Gerry Bohanon (8.8 points - 9/14, 76 YDS, 1 TD, 7 ATT, 18 YDS *Left game w/ hamstring injury) & Kansas RB Devin Neal (14.2 points - 14 ATT, 59 YDS, 1 TD, 1 REC, 13 YDS)

BIG TEN

Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin (41 percent rostered)

Forget about the kid being just 17 years old, there couldn't be a hotter player in college football with seven straight 100-yard rushing games and a stunning 7.6 yards per carry on 140 attempts. The fact that Allen already has 1,062 rushing yards and hasn't even been the starting running back for the majority of the season just shows the potential that this young man has. There's a chance we're talking about Allen as the top draft pick in 2022 CFF drafts.

Austin Allen, TE, Nebraska (5 percent rostered)

From one Allen to a completely different type of Allen. Nebraska's tight end has been busy over his last five games with 19 catches for 384 yards and two touchdowns. While corralling seven of his eight targets for a career-high 143 yards at Wisconsin, it's clear he needs to be a big part of the offensive game plan if the Cornhuskers want to pull off the upset on Friday against Iowa. 

Week 12 Rewind; Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen (43.8 points - 22 ATT, 228 YDS, 3 TD) & Michigan State QB Payton Thorne (9.4 points - 14/36, 158 YDS, 1 TD)

C-USA

Mitchell Tinsley, WR, Western Kentucky (34 percent rostered)

Tinsley is rolling with a touchdown in five straight games. His production over that five-game span is truly elite at 34 catches for 586 yards and seven touchdowns on 44 targets. Western Kentucky's offense is absolutely nuts and it will be fun to see the Hilltoppers finish the regular season at Marshall. Tinsley is without a doubt the top receiver add for the week and could be a pivotal piece in bringing home a championship in your fantasy league.

Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion (43 percent rostered)

Kuntz came through in Week 12 while converting 8-of-10 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown at Middle Tennessee. The under-the-radar tight end actually has a touchdown in three of his last four games. The Monarchs shouldn't have a problem producing through the air against Charlotte which puts the sophomore in play for fantasy line-ups this week. 

Week 12 Rewind; Louisiana Tech RB Marcus Williams (5.6 points - 17 ATT, 76 YDS) & Western Kentucky WR Mitchell Tinsley (40.4 points - 9 REC, 164 YDS, 2 TD)

MAC

Brett Gabbert, QB, Miami of Ohio (9 percent rostered)

Gabbert has displayed some great games with 41.0 fantasy points at Ohio in Week 10 and 30.7 fantasy points against Buffalo in Week 11. I expect him to add a third against Kent State who has one of the conference's worst defenses. The Golden Flashes are giving up 293 passing yards on 65.3 percent passing per conference game, so Gabbert is definitely a quarterback to trust in the final week of fantasy.

Dylan McDuffie, RB, Buffalo (42 percent rostered)

McDuffie has seen elite volume over his last five games while averaging 25.8 carries for 127.2 yards and 1.2 touchdowns per game. He also added seven catches for 67 yards and a touchdown on nine targets to show that he's not just a one-trick pony. Buffalo would be smart to continue to feature the battle-tested junior back at Ball State to conclude the regular season.

Week 12 Rewind; Toledo QB Dequan Finn (12.8 points - 10/14, 150 YDS, 1 TD, 3 ATT, 28 YDS) & Central Michigan TE Joel Wilson (2/3 TAR, 15 YDS)

MOUNTAIN WEST

Calvin Tyler, RB, Utah State (5 percent rostered)

Time for Tyler to potentially have his best game of the season against a New Mexico squad that just recently gave up 239 rushing yards and 5.4 yards per carry to Boise State. When healthy, Tyler has been fairly productive during the 2021 season at 13.4 fantasy points per game including 16.9 touches per game. He's available in 95 percent of leagues and could help if you need to bolster the backfield in the championship.

Isaiah Neyor, WR, Wyoming (7 percent rostered)

It's a shame that not many have seen Neyor play as he's been a beast over the last two games with 10 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets in consecutive road games. He'll get to finish against a Hawaii team that is giving up 317 passing yards and 31 points per game in conference play. Neyor has absolutely dominated receiver production for the Cowboys in 2021 as Ayden Eberhardt sustained a season-ending injury in early November.

Week 12 Rewind; Boise State RB George Holani (11.4 points - 14 ATT, 114 YDS) & Colorado State QB Todd Centeio (40.8 points - 29/48, 527 YDS, 5 TD, 2 INT, 14 ATT, 17 YDS)

PAC-12

Chase Garbers, QB, California (23 percent rostered)

Garbers is having a solid season and only trails UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson (81 percent rostered) in fantasy production in the Pac-12 Conference on a per-game basis. These two get to go up against one another this week and there's a great chance the scoreboard is active early and often. During conference play, Garbers is averaging 24.3 fantasy points on 64.1 percent passing with 11 touchdowns against four interceptions. What's intriguing about Garbers is his tendency to run as he has 80 carries for 435 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

Tavion Thomas, RB, Utah (49 percent rostered)

Turns out that the Utes were saving their Cincinnati transfer to shock the Ducks and wow did they do that behind Thomas' 21 carries for 94 yards and three touchdowns. Their 38-7 rout of Oregon will likely push Cincinnati into the CFB Playoff which will probably provide Thomas with even more motivation to continue scoring touchdowns. Thomas has 17 total touchdowns on the season and he could realistically push for 20 against a bad Colorado team this week.

Week 12 Rewind; California RB Christopher Brooks (20.3 points - 13 ATT, 131 YDS, 2 REC, 2 YDS, 1 TD) & Oregon QB Anthony Brown (14.0 points - 17/35, 231 YDS, 1 TD, 9 ATT, 8 YDS)

SEC

Will Levis, QB, Kentucky (26 percent rostered)

Most of the SEC signal-callers are rostered in more than 50 percent of leagues, so we're back to recommending Levis who is coming off a 30.9 fantasy point performance against New Mexico State. The Wildcats have an intriguing non-conference game at Louisville which could be fairly competitive as the Cardinals are playing some good football right now. Levis is averaging 22.3 fantasy points per game behind 28 total touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. It will be fun to see him have a shootout with Louisville's Malik Cunningham (94 percent rostered) if that's how it goes down.

Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M (44 percent rostered)

Achane continues to produce with double-digit carries in each of his last five games. In the six games where he has double-digit carries in 2021, he has accumulated nine touchdowns which goes to show you how dangerous he is with volume. As I've mentioned with other players in this article, it's time to start thinking about the future with Achane and how he will be a targeted player in 2022 CFF drafts. I like him to finish the regular season strong with a strong performance at LSU. The Tigers have shown they can be beaten in the run game while giving up 166 yards per game during conference play.

Week 12 Rewind; Florida RB Dameon Pierce (6.7 points - 7 ATT, 7 YDS, 1 TD) & Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (27.0 points - 17/20, 273 YDS, 2 TD, 7 ATT, 21 YDS, 1 TD)

SUN BELT

Chase Brice, QB, Appalachian State (12 percent rostered)

Going back to Brice who trails only Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall (77 percent rostered) in fantasy production in the Sun Belt in 2021. In seven conference games, Brice is averaging 20.6 fantasy points on 63.0 percent passing with 17 total touchdowns against seven interceptions. Georgia Southern is giving up 32 points and 454 yards of offense per game, so there's a good chance Brice can surpass that 20 point fantasy mark this week.

Shermari Jones, RB, Coastal Carolina (23 percent rostered)

Speaking of those Chanticleers, Jones has went under the radar as a legitimate fantasy threat all season long. In nine games, the senior back is averaging 17.8 fantasy points on 14.2 rushing attempts for 86.3 yards and 1.3 touchdowns per game. Those averages should have him rostered in many more leagues and with Reese White (47 percent rostered) nursing an ankle injury, it's an easy decision to play him at South Alabama this week.

Week 12 Rewind; Georgia State QB Darren Grainger (14.7 points - 10/21, 152 YDS, 1 INT, 11 ATT, 46 YDS, 1 TD, 1 FL) & Appalachian State WR Corey Sutton (17.6 points - 4 REC, 76 YDS, 1 TD)

INDEPENDENTS

Ellis Merriweather, RB, Massachusetts (4 percent rostered)

How cool would it be to knock off an opponent in the fantasy championship with a member of the Minutemen? Merriweather would be your guy to do so as he's averaging 20.6 fantasy points over his last four games with 24.5 carries for 138.5 yards per game. Merriweather will have an excellent chance to go over 1,000 rushing yards for the season (currently at 968 yards) at New Mexico State as they are giving up 214 rushing yards per game over their last four games. 

Week 12 Rewind; BYU QB Jaren Hall (25.6 points - 17/29, 312 YDS, 2 TD, 5 ATT, 21 YDS)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Appalachian State (vs. Georgia Southern) - Averaging 9.86 fantasy points per game and rostered in just 26 percent of leagues. App State has been good at home and Georgia Southern bad on the road, so recipe for success here.

Toledo (vs. Akron) - The Rockets are holding opponents to 22 points per game and are rostered in just 11 percent of leagues. Akron was just recently shut out by Kent State which doesn't even make sense.

Baylor (vs. Texas Tech) - The Bears are playing their best football right now with just 24 points allowed combined in wins over Oklahoma and Kansas State. They also racked up eight sacks and four turnovers in those two games. Should be rostered in more than six percent of leagues. Go up against a Red Raiders squad that was shut out by Oklahoma State last week.

Week 12 Rewind; Texas A&M vs. Prairie View A&M (19.0 points - 3 PA, 4 Sacks, 1 TA, 1 TD), Kentucky vs. New Mexico State (19.5 points - 16 PA, 3 Sacks, 2 TAs, 1 TD), & LSU vs. Louisiana-Monroe (6.5 points - 14 PA, 1 Sacks, 1 TA)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

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

QB: Miami Tyler Van Dyke, California Chase Garbers, Houston Clayton Tune

RB: Wisconsin Braelon Allen, Clemson Will Shipley, Utah Tavion Thomas

WR: Western Kentucky Mitchell Tinsley, Wyoming Isaiah Neyor, Oklahoma State Tay Martin

TE: Old Dominion Zack Kuntz, Nebraska Austin Allen

D/ST: Baylor (vs. Texas Tech), Appalachian State (vs. Georgia Southern), Toledo (vs. Akron)