This article is part of our Start vs. Sit series.
The first half of the season is in the books and now we're getting treated to some great matchups on a weekly basis. This week, the SEC headlines the slate with marquee matchups between Ole Miss and LSU, Arkansas and Auburn, and Texas A&M and Alabama. We'll also have plenty of Group of 5 teams looking to avoid the proverbial trap games with Boise State hosting BYU and Western Michigan hosting Eastern Michigan. In any case, this weekend is loaded with fun matchups, even if the ranked matchups are few and far between.
PLAYERS TO START
AAC
Jimmy Williams, WR, East Carolina (@ Cincinnati): Zay Jones rightfully gets most of the publicity, but Williams has been the Pirates' best deep threat this season. Jones sees a whopping 42 percent of his team's targets, but Williams is still seeing a healthy seven targets per game and he's making the most of them, averaging 23.5 yards per reception. He's also tied for the team lead in touchdowns with three. Williams draws a favorable matchup this week, given that Cincinnati has proven to be vulnerable in the secondary and gives up 262.2 yards per game through the air. One thing to confirm before locking Williams into your lineup is the health of quarterback Philip Nelson, who is working his way back from an undisclosed injury.
ACC
Bug Howard, WR, North Carolina (@ Virginia): North Carolina just lost its best deep threat with Mack Hollins going down with a broken collarbone last Saturday. In that same game, Howard had his best day of the season, catching 10 passes for 156 yards in a win in Miami. Meanwhile, Virginia's defense was getting lit up to the tune of 45 points against a Pitt offense that's been average at best. An increased role and a favorable matchup should help Howard post strong fantasy numbers this week, even if Ryan Switzer is frequently targeted again. Howard has the size and athleticism to be a matchup nightmare, especially in the red zone.
Big 12
Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State (@ Kansas): It's been eons since the Cowboys had a strong running game to hang their hat on, but Hill is establishing himself as the bell cow in the Oklahoma State backfield. Prior to a quiet game against Iowa State, Hill had back-to-back games with 20+ carries and 100+ yards. He's also scored in each of his last three games. It almost goes without saying, but Oklahoma State comes into this game as heavy favorites against Kansas, so the Cowboys may put the ball into Hill's hands as they salt away an easy victory, which could result in another 100-yard game for a running back on the rise.
Big Ten
Terrell Newby, RB, Nebraska (vs. Purdue): Nebraska has had a hard backfield to figure out since Ameer Abdullah split for the NFL, and Newby has been a big part of why it's been so enigmatic. However, Devine Ozigbo's recent ankle injury has allowed Newby to capture the starting role that should have already been his. He's had over 20 carries and over 100 yards in both of his last two games to go with three combined rushing touchdowns. He and the undefeated Cornhuskers get to host a listless Purdue team that just fired its coach. Thinking of this matchup conjures up the image of Homer Simpson on his last legs in the ring with Drederick Tatum about to deliver the knockout. In this case, Newby is the haymaker. Sorry, Homer, there's no Mo flying down from the rafters to save you this time.
Conference USA
Jalen Rhodes, RB, UTSA (vs. UTEP): First of all, did you listen to me on Carlos Henderson last week? Well, start him again and every week the rest of the way. Now that that's out of the way, Rhodes is an under-the-radar target that's potentially worth a look this week. Rhodes has seen his workload increase in each of the last three weeks, culminating in his 18-carry outing against Rice last week. Furthermore, he gets to face a UTEP defense that hemorrhages yards to opposing running backs, allowing 5.5 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns on the ground through six games. Rhodes tends to be a fringe option in most formats, but he could be worth a look as your FLEX this week thanks to role and matchup.
MAC
Joel Bouagnon, RB, Northern Illinois (vs. Buffalo): In what promises to be a rock fight between the two worst teams in the MAC, there is some fantasy gold to be mined in the form of Bouagnon. The Huskies are facing a Buffalo defense that's not just the worst in the MAC, but one of the worst in the nation, allowing 5.3 YPC and giving up 18 touchdowns on the ground through six games. That should help Bouagnon remedy his scoring woes, as the senior has just one touchdown on the season after scampering for 18 last season. Sure, Anthony Maddie's presence at quarterback does cut into Bouagnon's workload a bit, but in a game in which NIU should be in clock-control mode for most of the second half, Bouagnon should see more than enough carries to have a productive day on the ground.
Mountain West
Aaron Peck, WR, Fresno State (@ Utah State): The Bulldogs quietly have a prolific wide receiver corps, with three receivers tallying 25 or more catches this season. Peck may be the best of the trio, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. Fresno State will face a middling Utah State that has given up an average quarterback rating of 140.11 -- 97th in the nation. Not only does Peck average 15 yards/catch, he also sees over a quarter of the targets in the Fresno State offense. Look for him to capitalize on his many opportunities Saturday against the Aggies.
Pac-12
Gabe Marks, WR, Washington State: (@ Arizona State): Although Marks isn't putting up the gaudy numbers he did last season, when he had 104 catches for 1,192 yards and 15 touchdowns, he's still been a strong producer this year, with 40 grabs and six scores through six games. This week, he gets an extremely favorable matchup in a showdown in Tempe against Arizona State. The Sun Devils rate near the bottom of the nation in nearly every major pass defense category. Given that Washington State is going to be throwing it in the neighborhood of 50 times Saturday, I like the odds of Marks converting double-digit targets into a gaudy stat line that could result in triple-digit yardage and at least one touchdown. Also, when there's a guy this cool on your team, it's essentially required that you start him. In the realm of more obvious choices: Royce Freeman of Oregon, running behind a true freshman quarterback, is a no-brainer to start against Cal this week.
SEC
Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama (vs. Texas A&M): Hurts, a true freshman, has looked like a seasoned veteran all year as he's beaten several ranked opponents en route to keeping the No. 1 ranking in Tuscaloosa through the first seven weeks of the season. Saturday, he'll face his toughest test yet with an undefeated Texas A&M team coming to town. Unlike the Tennessee defense Hurts faced last week, the Aggies ride into town well-rested and relatively healthy Saturday as opposed to the Volunteers' banged up and gassed unit. Still, even when you consider how good Texas A&M's defense has been, Hurts is simply too dangerous to leave on the bench right now. He's efficient as a passer and he has been relatively mistake-free with three interceptions in 178 attempts. As evidenced last week, if his options are covered downfield, he can absolutely torch you as a runner. He tucked it and ran 12 times last week in Knoxville and turned those carries into 132 yards and three touchdowns. Again, this is a tough matchup against well-rested and able-bodied opponent, but Hurts has reached must-start territory at this point. Also, I would advise you to use your Auburn running backs (Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson) against a terrible Arkansas run defense.
Sun Belt
Anthony Jennings, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette (vs. Texas State): Jennings hasn't been too noteworthy this season as a transfer from LSU, but he's been effective enough to warrant consideration as a starter against a vulnerable Texas State secondary. The numbers against the Bobcats aren't pretty: opposing quarterbacks have completed 65.0 percent of their passes with a 155.89 QB rating fueled by a 13:2 TD:INT. If there's a defense Jennings and the Ragin' Cajuns can carve up, this is it. Furthermore, despite coach Mark Hudspeth's optimism regarding star running back Elijah McGuire's foot, the running back remains a question mark. Even if McGuire plays and is limited, it could sway the game plan to where Jennings is given the green light as a runner more often. If you're in a deep league where most of the big-name quarterbacks are already rostered, Jennings could be worth a plug-and-play this week.
PLAYERS TO SIT
AAC
Arkeel Newsome, RB, Connecticut (vs. Central Florida): Newsome is off to a strong start to the season, averaging 4.7 yards/carry and leading the Huskies with 412 rushing yards. However, he runs into a test this week that may be tougher than one might think. The reenergized Central Florida defense has been tremendous against the run this season, holding opponents to just 3.2 YPC, good for 17th in the nation. Newsome might have trouble finding room to run Saturday against the Knights, even if his splits are decidedly better at home.
ACC
Brandon Radcliff, RB, Louisville (vs. North Carolina State): Radcliff has been ruthlessly efficient on the ground this season, averaging 8.1 YPC as the Cardinals' lead back. He's had strong showings against tough competition, including a 118-yard outing against Florida State. However, this week will be another challenge for Radcliff against a defense that gave Clemson everything it could handle last week. An argument could be made that the Wolfpack "burned all their matches" against the Tigers as it were, but that defense has been tough all season long, holding opposing offenses to a 3.0 YPC average through six games. Furthermore, Radcliff is always in danger of getting touchdowns vultured by quarterback Lamar Jackson. Radcliff is certainly a viable fantasy running back, but you might want to wait to use him in a better matchup than this one.
Big 12
Kenny Hill, QB, Texas Christian (@ West Virginia): The Mountaineers are starting to garner national attention after shutting down Texas Tech in Lubbock last weekend, as the Red Raiders were held below 20 points for the first time since 2014. That spells trouble for a TCU team that's going to be on the road in an electric atmosphere. Hill and the Horned Frogs have been notoriously slow starters this year as the signal caller possesses a 3:6 TD:INT ratio in first halves this season. If he digs himself an early hole again Saturday, it'll be especially problematic against a West Virginia defense that isn't going to let up even if it has a big lead. TCU has been teetering on the brink of disaster for a few weeks now; Saturday could be the day they final succumb.
Big 10
Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa (vs. Wisconsin): It's getting increasingly difficult to justify benching Wadley, but with Iowa facing an angry Wisconsin team that's getting one of its best defenders back in Vince Biegel, it might be time to find him a spot on your bench. The explosive Wadley is averaging 7.4 yards per carry this season and he leads the team in touchdowns with eight. Eighteen of his 79 carries have gone for more than 10 yards and five of those have gone for more than 20 yards. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has given up an average of 3.4 YPC this season and has only allowed four rushing touchdowns in 190 attempts. Wadley should still see his normal workload Saturday, but Wisconsin will be able to limit his usual big-play potential.
Conference USA
Ray Lawry and Jeremy Cox, RBs, Old Dominion (@ Western Kentucky): Lawry and Cox combine for one of the best backfield tandems in the entire conference, but their current roles and the tough matchup this week make them bench candidates. Lawry entered the year as one of our top projected backs, but injuries have slowed him and allowed Cox to carve out a significant role. Both are averaging over six yards per carry, but it'll be difficult for either of them to hit that threshold Saturday against a Western Kentucky run defense that's holding opponents to 3.1 yards per carry this season. There will be weeks where both Lawry and Cox could be started in most formats, but this just simply isn't one of them, especially with the Monarchs as big underdogs this week.
MAC
Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan: (@ Toledo): It's not often that you'd consider benching a player of Rush's caliber against a MAC opponent, but it might be a shrewd move this week. Toledo had arguably the best secondary in the conference last season and the Rockets have been strong against the pass again this season. Rush, on the other hand, has been solid through the air in his own right, but he's been a bit mistake prone with seven picks. He'll be playing on the road as well, and though his home/road splits are fairly even, it's still going to be a challenge for Rush to have his usual level of success against one of the best teams in the conference.
Mountain West
Marcus Kemp, WR, Hawai'i (@ Air Force): Kemp is having a strong campaign, hauling in 36 receptions for 636 yards (17.7 yards/catch) and four touchdowns while accounting for 30.4 percent of Hawaii's targets. This week, there are several roadblocks standing between him and a productive game. Air Force is holding opposing passers to a 51.7 completion percentage this season. Also, Hawai'i will be making the lengthy trip out to Colorado, and Kemp and the rest of the Warriors tend to struggle when they're on the road or at a neutral site. One final factor is that Air Force's run-heavy offense functions in such a way where Hawai'i may end up running way fewer plays than usual, which will cut into Kemp's targets and thus his overall production.
Pac-12
Darren Andrews, WR, UCLA (vs. Utah): Even with the possibility of the Bruins getting star quarterback Josh Rosen back in the fold, this sets up as a matchup to avoid. Andrews has been the Bruins' top receiver with 33 catches for 439 yards and three scores and is coming off his best game of the season. What's concerning about this matchup is how tough Utah's secondary is. The Utes have picked off 10 passes while allowing just nine passing touchdowns, and they're holding the opposition to a 52.5 completion percentage. Also, the Utes get after the passer, as they're tied for 16th in the nation in sacks. It just seems that although Andrews works closer to the line of scrimmage as a slot option (which helps his target volume), the Utah defense may simply give Rosen or Mike Fafaul too much trouble for Andrews to have a productive day.
SEC
Rawleigh Williams, RB, Arkansas (@ Auburn): Williams has been a workhorse in the truest sense this season, averaging 20 carries while no other Arkansas back is even close to 10/game. He's coming off the best game of his career, a 27-carry, 180-yard showing in a wild win over Ole Miss. However, the Rebels are much more vulnerable on the ground than the Tigers, so this weekend's matchup presents a tougher challenge for Williams and the Razorbacks. Auburn's front seven has been in opposing backfields all year, and that spells trouble for a big back like Williams, who needs a little bit of room to get up to full speed. Williams should still see plenty of carries in what should be an excellent game Saturday, but his production will be a far cry from what we saw last weekend in Fayetteville.
Sun Belt
Matt Linehan, QB, Idaho (@ Appalachian State): The Mountaineers are simply in a different class from the other Sun Belt teams, making Linehan a quarterback to avoid if at all possible this weekend. Yes, Idaho's offense has been clicking of late and Linehan is coming off his biggest game of the season, a 476-yard outing that included four touchdowns en route to a rout of New Mexico State. He'll run into a much tougher matchup this week against a defense that ranks near the top of nearly every defensive metric in the Sun Belt despite having played a much tougher schedule than its counterparts. This just sets up as a tough matchup on the road for Linehan, who struggles outside of the Kibbie Dome. His YPA is over two yards lower on the road and his QB rating is roughly 36 points lower on the road as well. There are many more quarterbacks with better matchups sitting on your waiver wire right now.
