College Fantasy Football: Week 5 in review
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Another week of college football is in the books. Here is a look at some storylines coming out of the weekend from a fantasy perspective:
PAC-12 BACKS LEAD THE WAY
Two Pac-12 running backs lead the way nationally in fantasy points - and neither one is Stanford’s Bryce Love, not even close.
Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson has scored more fantasy points than anyone else at the position followed by Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin, especially after he ran for 312 yards and three touchdowns against the Beavers over the weekend.
Love is not even close to the top of the running back list. He’s not even in the top 25. After Jefferson and Benjamin, Kentucky’s Benny Snell, Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Boston College’s A.J. Dillon round out the top five.
SURPRISING NAMES AT QUARTERBACK
Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Penn State’s Trace McSorley lead the way in quarterback fantasy points. Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and West Virginia’s Will Grier are up toward the top of the list as well along with Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins and Oregon’s Justin Herbert. None of those names are surprising.
But how about Washington State’s Gardner Minshew, owned in only 25 percent of leagues, third on the list behind on Murray and McSorley? Or Virginia’s Bryce Perkins, owned in just 32 percent of leagues, in the top six and second to only Syracuse’s Eric Dungey among ACC quarterbacks.
Texas’ offense is not known as a juggernaut but quarterback Sam Ehlinger has moved to No. 12 overall. That’s not too bad, either, especially since he’s only owned in 21 percent of leagues.
MOORE SURPASSED AT RECEIVER
Purdue freshman Rondale Moore led all receivers in fantasy points heading into the weekend. Heading out, Moore is down to third after catching eight passes for 85 yards in a blowout win over Nebraska.
Leading the way heading into Week 6 is Wake Forest’s Greg Dortch, who went off against Rice with 11 catches for 163 yards and four touchdowns. Moving into second place is Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, one of the biggest surprises in college football so far this season. He had 12 catches for 126 yards and a score in a win over UCLA on Friday night.
BOOK EMERGING QUICKLY
In terms of fantasy points for quarterbacks, Notre Dame’s Ian Book is ranked No. 34 nationally but that’s based on only three showings and only two starts.
Replacing Brandon Wimbush for the Wake Forest game, Book threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for three other scores in a blowout win over the Demon Deacons. In Notre Dame’s win over Stanford this past weekend, Book threw for four touchdowns.
Even though Book’s fantasy points are calculated for only three games, he is still outscoring Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur, Kentucky’s Terry Wilson, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham and many others who have played in five contests.
SEC LEADS THE WAY ON DEFENSE
SEC defenses are dominating the way in fantasy points so far this season - and it’s the main players who are at the top of the list.
Florida leads the way after giving up just six points over the weekend in a win at Mississippi State. The Gators held star quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to 98 yards passing and 32 rushing. Second on the list is Alabama.
Auburn and Georgia are also in the top six. An amazing stat is that all of those SEC defenses are owned in at least 87 percent of leagues except the Gators, who are owned in only 23 percent. That should certainly change leading into this weekend’s contest against LSU.