Pre Pro Sports Blog - Fantasy College Football and Basketball

2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Week 4

2007-09-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

It's impossible to get through a week of football without some big names going down. A player getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this info is pivotal to the success of your fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the joke of your league for starting a dude that got hurt the previous week. Below are a few of the injuries from Week 4 that may have an impact for next week, a few games, or the entire season.

Who's Out: Patrick Cowan (pic left), QB, UCLA
What Hurts: Knee
How Long: At Least 1 Week
Who's In: Ben Olson - The timing couldn't have been better for Olson who is just returning from an injury of his own. If Olson plays well, expect a QB controversy when both players are healthy.

Who's Out: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
What Hurts: Left Ankle
How Long: Back Next Week
Who's In: Chris Wells - Wells will be back next week, but he gave Buckeye fans a scare when he rolled his ankle. Maurice Wells filled in for him the rest of the game.

Who's Out: Austin Collie (pic left), WR, BYU
What Hurts: Ankle
How Long: 1 Week?
Who's In: Matt Allen, Michael Reed - Collie tried to play against Air Force, but had his 14-consecutive game streak with a catch broken after the coaches held him out. Collie will hope to play this Saturday.

Who's Out: Anthony Brodell, WR, Iowa
What Hurts: Hamstring
How Long: Indefinitely
Who's In: Derrell Johnson-Koulianos - Here's a name that's probably available in your league. Iowa's WR corps has been decimiated by injuries and suspensions. Trey Stross hasn't played since the opener because of a hamstring pull, and Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman are serving indefinite suspensions because of their arrests for unauthorized use of a credit card.

Who's Out: Tony Moeaki, TE, Iowa
What Hurts: Dislocated Elbow and Broken Wrist
How Long: Season
Who's In: Brandon Myers - Another tough break for the Hawkeyes as they lose their premiere starting TE as well.

Photo via > ViewImages
Photo via > New Mexico Daily Lobo

2007 Fantasy College Football Week 4 Recap

2007-09-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Week 4 is in the books. This week we learned that Louisville really misses Bobby Petrino, Kentucky is worthy of being in the top 25, and Penn State was overrated. Here are your Fantasy Studs and Fantasy Duds for week 4.

Fantasy Studs

Matt Forte (pic left), RB, Tulsa (303 RuYd 5 RuTD)

Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech (646 PaYd 5 PaTD)

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (261 PaYd 2 PaTD 0 PaINT 166 RuYd 2 RuTD)

Eron Riley, WR, Duke (235 ReYd 4 ReTD)

Thaddeus Lewis, QB, Duke (428 PaYd 4 PaTD 1 PaINT 1 RuTD)

Kevin O'Connell, QB, San Diego State (443 PaYd 5 PaTD 33 RuYd)

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech (237 ReYd 3 ReTD)

Nate Davis, QB, Ball State (422 PaYd 3 PaTD 1 PaINT 57 RuYd 1 RuTD)

Brett Swain, WR, San Diego State (224 ReYd 3 ReTD)

Frank Summers, RB, UNLV (190 RuYd 2 RuTD 29 ReYd 1 ReTD)

Fantasy Duds

Matt Flynn, QB, LSU (70 PaYd 1 PaTD 1PaINT)

Anthony Morelli, QB, Penn State (169 PaYd 0 PaTD 1 Fumb)

Anthony Allen (pic left), RB, Louisville (66 RuYd 56 ReYd 1 Fumb)

Stafon Johnson, RB, USC (48 RuYd)

Dwight Tardy, RB, Washington State (27 RuYd)

Jorvorskie Lane, RB, Texas A&M (2 RuYd)

Photo via > FansOnly.com
Photo via > View Images

2007 Fantasy College Football Week 4 Games of the Week

2007-09-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

It's almost game time, and we hope you like the SEC because there aren't many great matchups this weekend outside of that conference. Here's our take on the Top 5 matchups tomorrow and their fantasy impact:

South Carolina (3-0) at LSU (3-0), 3:30 p.m. ET

The Gamecocks and Tigers get the SEC inter-division matchups underway Saturday with a nice battle of the undefeateds. We don't think Steve Spurrier's boys can hang with LSU this week (of course, we thought that about Georgia, too!). It still isn't known whether Matt Flynn will return this week.

Top Fantasy Player: Brandon LaFell (pic left), WR, LSU
Also Watch For: Kenny McKinley, WR, SC

Top Fantasy Dud: Cory Boyd, RB, SC
Also Avoid: Jacob Hester, RB, LSU

Kentucky (3-0) at Arkansas (1-1), 6 p.m. ET

The Wildcats have come out swinging this year and are fresh off an upset of Louisville. Andre Woodson has been on fire as expected. The Razorbacks lost a shocker to Alabama, but can make a statement here that they are still a major player in the SEC. Darren McFadden and Keenan Burton are both coming off injuries from last weekend, but both are expected to play.

Top Fantasy Player: Andre Woodson, QB, KY
Also Watch For: Darren McFadden, RB, ARK

Top Fantasy Dud: Casey Dick, QB, ARK
Also Avoid: Dicky Lyons, WR, KY

Georgia (2-1) at Alabama (3-0), 7:45 p.m. ET

Although Miami Dolphins aren't too pleased, it looks like Nick Saban made the right decision to come back to college. This is a great coaching matchup between Saban and Mark Richt. From a fantasy perspective, here's hoping it will be an offensive shootout rather than a defensive struggle.

Top Fantasy Player: Knowshon Moreno (pic left), RB, UGA
Also Watch For: DJ Hall, WR, ALA

Top Fantasy Dud: Sean Bailey, WR, UGA
Also Avoid: Thomas Brown, RB, UGA

Washington State (2-1) at USC (2-0), 8 p.m. ET

Finally, a competitive non-SEC game! The Trojans breezed by Nebraska last week so Washington State shouldn't be much more difficult. That's bad news for fantasy owners starting Cougar players.

Top Fantasy Player: John David Booty, QB, USC
Also Watch For: Stafon Johnson, RB, USC

Top Fantasy Dud: CJ Gable, RB, USC
Also Avoid: Brandon Gibson, WR, WAST

Oregon State (2-1) at Arizona State (3-0), 10 p.m. ET

The nightcap includes a second PAC 10 battle featuring an impressive Sun Devil team, although this will be their first real step up in competition. Oregon State got thumped by Cincy 2 weeks ago, but dropped 61 points on poor Idaho State last week. Ryan Torain returns this week, so beware Keegan Herring owners.

Top Fantasy Player: Ryan Torain, RB, ASU
Also Watch For: Yvenson Bernard, RB, ORST

Top Fantasy Dud: Sean Canfield, QB, ORST
Also Avoid: Anthony Wheat-Brown, WR, ORST

Photo via The Daily Reveille
Photo via NJ.com

2007 Fantasy College Football Starts and Sits, Week 4

2007-09-20T00:27:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week folks. Let’s take a look at who you should put in your starting lineup and who you should bench, based on their matchups.

Top 5 Start Em

1. Pat White, QB, and Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia. Not that you wouldn't start these guys anyways, but they are playing a weak East Carolina defense that gave up 34 points to North Carolina in Week 2.

2. Marlon Lucky (pic left), RB, Nebraska. Lucky struggled last week against USC after two big weeks to start the season, but he should bounce back nicely against Ball State.

3. Colt McCoy, QB, and Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas. This duo gets a free pass this week against Rice, which has given up 101 points the last 2 weeks.

4. Brian Brohm, QB, Anthony Allen, RB, Harry Douglass, WR, Louisville. All three of these guys could have a huge day against a terrible Syracuse team that has given up at least 35 points in every game this year.

5. Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State. Northwestern lost to Duke, who had the nation's longest losing streak. Not in basketball, but football! Imagine what Wells can do to do the Wildcats on Saturday.

Top 5 Sit Em

1. Cory Boyd (pic left), RB, South Carolina. Boyd has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners with at least 1 TD in each of his first three games, but that streak will probably stop against LSU.

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Mississippi. Green-Ellis has only had one big so far this year. Too bad he gets the stifling Gators defense this week.

3. Terry Grant, RB, Alabama. After starting the season with 5 RUTDs in his first two games, Grant was held out of the endzone last week. Look for that trend to continue against Georgia, which hasn't given up more than 16 points in a game this year.

4. Brandon Cox, QB, Auburn. If you're starting Cox you must be desperate to begin with, but it has been announced that Kodi Burns will be sharing snaps this week against a weak New Mexico State team.

5. Tashard Choice, RB Georgia Tech. Choice will be a risky play because he'll probably be a game-time decision. If he can't go, the Yellow Jacket backfield will be a mess with Jonathan Dwyer, Rashaun Grant and Jamaal Evans all splitting carries.

Image via > News Net Nebraska
Image via > ViewImages

2007 Fantasy College Football: Top 3 After Week 3

2007-09-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

We are going to analyze the top three college programs after 3 weeks of football. Some of their games were against big-time programs (USC v. NEB), others played cupcakes (LSU v. MDTN). This is how and where the rock was distributed. Notice how the best teams in the country do not always offer the best fantasy players.

QB: John David Booty (350 PaYd 5 PaTD 1 PaINT)

RB: Stafon Johnson (208 RuYd 3 RuTD)
RB: Stanley Havili (62 RuYd 1 RuTD 44 ReYd 2 ReTD)
RB: C.J. Gable (137 RuYd 0 RuTD 1 ReTD)
RB: Chauncey Washington (43 RuYd 2 RuTD)

WR: Vidal Hazelton (46 ReYd 1 ReTD)

Fantasy College Impact:
Booty has thrown 5 PaTDs in two games this season (week 2 bye), but only 1 to his receivers, making them almost worthless at this point. USC does a good job using their stable of running backs in committee form, making each player a fantasy risk week-in and week-out. This is not a Reggie Bush one-man-show anymore. Start USC players, besides Booty, at your own risk. Always start Booty.

QB: Matt Flynn (345 PaYd 2 PaTD 54 RuYd 1 RuTD)
QB: Ryan Perrilloux (403 PaYd 6 PaTD 1 PaINT 70 RuYd 1 RuTD)

RB: Keiland Williams (174 RuYd 4 RuTD 24 ReYd)
RB: Jacob Hester (206 RuYd 1 RuTD 44 ReYd)
RB: Charles Scott (45 RuYd 44 ReYd 2 ReTD)

WR: Brandon LaFell (187 ReYd 1 ReTD 18 RuYd 1 RuTD)
WR: Early Doucet (153 ReYd 2 ReTD)
WR: Terrance Toliver (62 ReYd 2 ReTD)

Fantasy College Impact:
LSU is typical of a team that has destroyed all the schools that they have played. They bring in a backup QB for game experience and play multiple running back and wide receiver sets. This erodes the stats of any one player and lends itself to so-so numbers from a fantasy perspective. Things get even more complicated now with they injury to Doucet.

Florida Gators
QB: Tim Tebow (835 PaYd 8 PaTD 1 PaINT 192 RuYd 5 RuTD)

RB: Kestahn Moore (217 RuYd 4 RuTD 19 ReYd)

WR:Percy Harvin (215 ReYd 2 ReTD 156 RuYd 1 RuTD)
WR: Riley Cooper (152 ReYd 3 ReTD)
WR: Andre Caldwell (111 ReYd 19 RuYd 1 RuTD)
WR: Louis Murphy (158 ReYd)

Fantasy College Impact:
Urban Meyer is the type of coach fantasy owners love. Meyer runs up the score and leaves his big play guys in the game. Florida has won their first 3 games by a total of 167-54. Tim Tebow has taken the snap 93% of the time, while Kestahn Moore is even more prominant than that in the running attack.

2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Week 3

2007-09-18T00:42:00.000-05:00

It's impossible to get through a week of football without some big names going down. A player getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this info is pivotal to the success of your fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the joke of your league for starting a dude that got hurt the previous week. Below are a few of the injuries from Week 3 that may have an impact for next week, a few games, or the entire season.

Who's Out: Michael Henig, QB, Mississipppi State
What Hurts: Broken Hand
How Long: 2-4 Weeks
Who's In: Wesley Carroll, Josh Riddell - both QBs played after Henig broke his hand in the first quarter and both will probably see playing time the next month or so. Both are probably available on the waiver wire, but you'll need to be desperate to consider either for a starting role.

Who's Out: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
What Hurts: Head - Concussion
How Long: Probable for this week
Who's In: McFadden - The Razorbacks got a scare when their star RB got his bell rung late in the game and was not allowed to return, but it looks like he'll be OK to start next Saturday. Maybe he shared a miracle with Jon Kitna. We'll monitor the situation throughout the week and let you know if you if Felix Jones suddenly becomes The Man.

Who's Out: Tashard Choice (pic left), RB, Georgia Tech
What Hurts: Hamstring
How Long: 1 Week?
Who's In: Jonathan Dwyer - Choice is listed as questionable this week, but hamstrings are notoriously slow to heal so look for the frehsman to start against Virginia this week. The Cavs aren't exactly a defensive powerhouse, which means Dwyer could be a nice pickup off the waiver wire this week if he's available.

Who's Out: Early Doucet, WR, LSU
What Hurts: Wish We Knew
How Long: Indefinite
Who's In: Brandon LaFell, Terrance Toliver, Demetrius Byrd - Doucet actually missed last week's game, which was a big shock to those who started him. Les Miles won't say what is wrong with Doucet so it's hard to know how long he will be out, but this is a big blow for fantasy owners who took him in the first or second round expecting him to be one of the top receivers in the country. LaFell becomes the #1 WR for the Tigers.

Who's Out: Keenan Burton, WR, Kentucky
What Hurts: Sprained Ankle
How Long: 1 Week?
Who's In: Dicky Lyons, Jr. - Burton will be questionable all week and may be a gametime decision so be wary of who you start. Lyons will be a good play if Burton does indeed sit.

Photo via > ViewImages

2007 Fantasy College Football Week 3 Recap

2007-09-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

Well, Week 3 is in the books and we learned a lot about the college landscape. USC is worthy of the #1 Ranking…..LSU could be #1 as well. Notre Dame looks like a high school team (PrepFantasyFootball anyone?); and Florida is making a case for being the USC of the East Coast - they have the quickest, fastest athletes around.

Here's a look at some of the top newsmakers from last weekend:

Fantasy Studs

Graham Harrell (pic left), QB, Texas Tech (414 PaYd 6 PaTD)

Blake Szymanski, QB, Baylor (411 PaYd 5 PaTD)

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (299 PaYd 2 PaTD 61 RuYd 2 RuTD)

Kellen Lewis, QB, Indiana (137 PaYd 3 PaTD 199 RuYd 2 RuTD)

Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky (275 PaYd 4 PaTD)

P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin (168 RuYd 4 RuTD 20 ReYd 1 ReTD)

Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia (137 RuYd 3 RuTD)

Mike Hart, RB, Michigan (187 RuYd 2 RuTD 14 ReYd)

DJ Hall, WR, Alabama (172 ReYd 2 ReTD)

Rashard Mendenhall (pic left), RB, Illinois (150 RuYd 3 RuTD 20 ReYd)

Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State (209 ReYd 1 ReTD)

Chris Williams, WR, New Mexico State (221 ReYd 2 ReTD)

Fantasy Duds

CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson (-1 RuYd 21 ReYd)

Keiland Williams, RB LSU (30 RuYd 14 ReYd)

Jimmy Clausen (Pic Left), QB, Notre Dame (74 PaYd 0 PaTD 1 PaINT)

Brandon Cox, QB, Auburn (41 PaYd 0 PaTD 2 PaINT)

Adarius Bowman, WR, Oklahoma State (57 ReYd 0 ReTD)

Ben Olson, QB, UCLA (290 PaYd 0 PaTD 3 PaINT)

Drew Weatherford, QB, Florida State (126 PaYd 0 PaTD)

Marlon Lucky, RB, Nebraska (33 RuYd 41 ReYd)

Photo via > AthlonSports
Photo via > FansOnly.com
Photo via > BeefThoughts.com

2007 Fantasy College Football Week 3 Games of the Week

2007-09-14T00:15:00.000-05:00

It's almost game time. Here's our take on the Top 5 matchups tomorrow and their fantasy impact:

Tennessee at Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET

A good ol' SEC battle gets the afternoon games started for football fans. Tennessee's Erik Ainge has certainly been impressive, while Florida's all-around game (led by Tim Tebow) looks sharp. Expect Ainge's production to drop here though.

Top Fantasy Player: Tim Tebow, QB, FLA
Also Watch For: Percy Harvin, WR, FLA (pic left)

Top Fantasy Dud: Austin Rogers, WR, TENN
Also Avoid: Arian Foster, RB, TENN

Notre Dame at Michigan, Noon ET

The big storyline here for fantasy owners isn't that both teams are 0-2...it's that Michigan QB Chad Henne is out and true freshman Ryan Mallett is getting his first collegiate start. Of course he's going against the other true freshman Jimmy Clausen, who stunk up the joint last week. Be prepared for an ugly game.

Top Fantasy Player: Mike Hart, RB, MICH
Also Watch For: Ummmmm. Hmmmmmm.

Top Fantasy Dud: Ryan Mallet, QB, MICH
Also Avoid: Jimmy Clausen, QB, ND

Louisville at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. ET

A potential upset game if Louisville isn't careful. Kentucky's offense, led by Andre Woodson, will be the toughest test to date for the Cardinal.

Top Fantasy Player: Brian Brohm, QB, LOU
Also Watch For: Anthony Allen, RB, LOU

Top Fantasy Dud: Rafael Little, RB, UK
Also Avoid: Mario Urrutia, WR, LOU

Boston College at Georgia Tech, 8 p.m. ET

The earlier SEC game is followed up with this primetime ACC battle. Matt Ryan struggled last week and could do so again this week (but we think he'll rebound nicely). Georgia Tech is sill looking for consistent play from it's QB position.

Top Fantasy Player: Tashard Choice, RB, GT (pic left)
Also Watch For: Andre Callender, RB, BC

Top Fantasy Dud: James Johnson, WR, GT
Also Avoid: Kevin Challenger, WR, BC

USC at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET

USC comes off a bye week for one of it's toughest games of the season...on the road. A lot of people are picking an upset for this game, but we don't think USC will lose until PAC 10 play begins. This would be a good week to bench your Nebraska players if you have the depth.

Top Fantasy Player: John David Booty, QB, OK
Also Watch For: Patrick Turner, WR, USC (returning from injury)

Top Fantasy Dud: Sam Keller, QB, NEB
Also Avoid: Marlon Lucky, RB, NEB

Photo via The Virginian Pilot
Photo via ESPN

2007 Fantasy College Football Starts and Sits, Week 3

2007-09-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week folks. Let’s take a look at who you should put in your starting lineup and who you should bench.

START’EM

Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State
YTD Stats: 255 PaYD, 3 PaTD
Robinson filled very nicely once QB Bobby Reid went down with a twisted ankle. Robinson tossed three TDs while leading the Cowboys on TD drives of 77, 78, 77 and 67 yards. Reid’s ankle should stay a problem b/c Robinson will tear up Troy this weekend.

Brandon Roberson, RB, Northwestern
YTD Stats: 172 RuYd, 1 RuTd
The wildcats are 2-0 and will be playing Duke this weekend. It should be a good weekend for Roberson as he tries to continue upon his success last weekend against Nevada.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
YTD Stats: 174 RuYd, 0 RuTd
Moreno has come out of nowhere to lead the Bulldogs in rushing this season. Western Kentucky will be an easy foe for the Dawgs in Athens this weekend. Look for Moreno to steal the show once again and hopefully get a few TDs along the way.

SIT’EM

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech
YTD Stats: 62 PaYd, 44 RuYd, 1 RuTD
Taylor might be the new starter for the Hokies, but that does not mean he belongs on your starting roster. Taylor will turn into a good versatile QB, reminiscent of past Hokie QBs, but it is too soon for him to be starting for you

Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State
YTD Stats: 163 RuYd, 1 RuTD
Ringer might be the team leader in rushing but that is only by a few yards. Plus his counter-part Jehuu Caulcrick has 5 TDs. Sit Ringer, Caulcrick is getting all the good looks.

ALL MIAMI QBS
Last week we mentioned that Kirby Freeman won the starting job for the Hurricanes. Freeman did not perform well against Oklahoma and has been replaced by Kyle Wright. Wright began the season as the starting QB. Neither Wright, nor Freeman, deserve to be on your starting roster.

Images via > ViewImages

2008 Fantasy College Football Impact Freshman Profile: Sam McGuffie

2007-09-12T00:49:00.000-05:00

You've already heard about the major story lines for this week (0-2 Michigan vs. 0-2 Notre Dame), you've already read how last week's injuries will impact your fantasy team, and we'll preview this weekend's games for you on Friday. So Pre Pro Sports will periodically be getting you ready for 2008 by profiling some of next year's top freshmen.

We're starting with the next (first?) Great White Running Back. Remember the name Sam McGuffie. He's the top-rated RB according to rivals and has given a verbal commitment to Michigan.

Vital Information

Height: 6-0
Weight: 188 pounds
Vertical: 41 inches (check out video No. 2 below)
GPA: 3.2 (he shouldn't get kicked out of school for academics!)
2006 Stats: 3121 RUYD, 43 RUTD

MySpace page (turn your volume down)
Videos: 1, 2, 3

Fantasy College Impact

Mike Hart may have guaranteed a victory over the Irish this week, but we can guarantee that Hart won't be around next year to be the Wolverines RB. Junior Kevin Grady and sophomore Brandon Minor are currently the backups to Hart, but neither have the talent that this kid apparently has. Michigan also didn't have a RB recruit higher than 3 stars last year, so the door will be wide open for McGuffie to come in on Day 1 and make an immediate impact. Of course we will keep you updated throughout next year's spring and fall practices.

Photo via Houston Chronicle

2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Week 2

2007-09-11T00:50:00.000-05:00

Players getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this info is pivotal to the success of your fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the joke of your league for starting a dude that got hurt the previous week. Below are a few of the injuries from Week 2 that may have an impact for next week, a few games, or the entire season.

Antone Smith, RB, FSU (via TBO.com)
(pic left)YTD Stats: 152 RuYd, 1 RuTD, 59 Reyd
Scary moment for Seminole fans as Smith lays motionless after a seemingly harmless tackle. It appears that the worst is past. Smith has not been ruled out for this week’s game against Colorado.

Chad Henne, QB, Michigan (via Detroit News)
YTD Stats: 405 PaYd, 2 PaTD, 2 PaINT
Henne left last week’s loss to Oregon with a leg injury. It looks like backup Ryan Mallet will be suiting up against Notre Dame. Michigan is in the midst of a 4 game losing streak, dating back to last year. Maybe a QB change was in order already?

Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida (via cbscportsline.com)
YTD Stats: 111 ReYd, 1 ReTD, 19 RuYd
Caldwell sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in Florida's win over Troy. Andre is doubtful for this week’s game against Tennessee.

Bobby Reid, QB, Oklahoma State (via newsok.com)
(pic left) YTD Stats: 196 PaYd, 1 PaTD, 1PaINT
Reid “dinged” his knee and ankle in the win over Florida Atlantic. He could be 100% by this weekend, and that is exactly what he will have to be to play. Backup Zac Robinson looked great in relief and could get the call this weekend against Troy.

Chris Nickson, QB, Vanderbilt (via Tennessean.com)
YTD Stats: 351 PaYd, 4 PaTD, 1 PaINT
Nickson got nicked-up in a loss to SEC foe Alabama. Sophomore Mackenzi Adams stepped in and had a good performance. Nickson might be able to play this week against Ole Miss.

Montell Clanton, RB, Northern Illinois (via CFFI.com)
YTD Stats: 140 RuYd, 1 RuTD, 25 ReYd
Huskies running back Montell Clanton could be lost for the year with a torn ACL. Justin Anderson is the most likely candidate to replace Clanton.

Photo via > Nole Nation Blog

Photo via> ViewImages.com

2007 Fantasy College Football Week 2 Recap

2007-09-10T01:01:00.000-05:00

Well, Week 2 is in the books and we learned a lot about the college landscape. LSU and Matt Flynn are for real; Charlie Weiss may have his QB of the future in Jimmy Clausen, but he needs more time and some softer defenses; and Lloyd Carr will be spending more time on his resume this week than he will game planning for the Irish.

Here's a look at some of the top newsmakers from last weekend:

Fantasy Studs

Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue (348 PaYd 6 PaTD)

Alex Brink (pic left), QB, Washington State (469 PaYd 5 PaTD)

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (236 PaYd 3 PaTD 93 RuYd 2 RuTD)

Cullen Harper, QB, Clemson (270 PaYd 5 PaTD)

Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville (401 PaYd 5 PaTD)

Blake Szymanski, QB, Baylor (412 PaYd 6 PaTD)

Terry Grant, RB, Alabama (173 RuYd 2 RuTD)

Anthony Allen, RB, Louisville (278 RuYd 2 RuTD)

Jorvorskie Lane (pic left), RB, Texas A&M (121 RuYd 4 RuTD)

Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers (175 RuYd 2 RuTD 40 ReYd 1 ReTD)

Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma (102 ReYd 3 ReTD)

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech (188 ReYd 2 ReTD)

Tony Moeaki, TE, Iowa (112 ReYd 3 ReTD)

Gary Barnidge, TE, Louisville (126 ReYd 2 ReTD)

Fantasy Duds

Chad Henne, QB, Michigan (172 PaYd 1 PaTD 1 PaINT)

Matt Ryan (pic left), QB, Boston College (142 PaYd 1 PaTD 1 PaINT)

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame (144 PaYd 0 PaTD 1 PaINT)

Nate Longshore, QB, California (146 PaYd 0 PaTD)

Anthony Morelli, QB, Penn State (131 PaYd 1 PaTD 1 PaINT)

Yvenson Bernard, RB, Oregon State (30 RuYd 0 RuTD)

Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State (81 RuYd 0 RuTD)

Antone Smith, RB, Florida State (62 RuYd 0 RuTD)

Allen Patrick, RB, Oklahoma (47 RuYd 0 RuTD)

Curtis Brinkley, RB, Syracuse (36 RuYd 0 RuTD)

Photo via MaxWaugh
Photo via Sports Illustrated
Photo via View Images

2007 Fantasy College Football Week 2 Games of the Week

2007-09-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

We apologize for not highlighting Appalachian State at Michigan as one of our Games of the Week last time. We should have seen that one coming - our bad. While most top schools spent Week 1 padding their win columns (sorry Wolverine fans), Week 2 features a boatload of great games for you couch potatoes. Here's our take on the Top 5 matchups tomorrow and their fantasy impact:

Miami at Oklahoma, Noon ET

Freshman DeMarco Murray is coming off an impressive 5 RUTD college debut, but look for his numbers to drop against a much tougher defense and the return of Allen Patrick. And if you read our blog yesterday, you already know we're not high on Kirby Freeman - avoid him at all costs this week.

Top Fantasy Player: Allen Patrick, RB, OK (pic left)
Also Watch For: Malcolm Kelly, WR, OK

Top Fantasy Dud: Kirby Freeman, QB, MIA
Also Avoid: Lance Leggett, WR, MIA

Oregon at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET

Time to see if Michigan can rebound from one of the worst losses in BCS history. Will they start over as Lloyd Carr promised or continue the spiral down. This one is hard to predict, but we think Michigan will be motivated by the week-long embarrassment and handle the Ducks with ease. One positive for fantasy owners last week was that the upset didn't hurt Mike Hart's stats at all, but we feel sorry for those of you who were relying on Mario Manningham.

Top Fantasy Player: Mike Hart, RB, MICH
Also Watch For: Dennis Dixon, QB, ORE

Top Fantasy Dud: Garren Strong, WR, ORE
Also Avoid: Adrian Arrington, WR, MICH

Notre Dame at Penn State, 6 p.m. ET

Speaking of teams getting pounded, how'd that whole hide-the-QB thing work out for Charlie Weis last week? He's learned his lesson and almost immediately named freshman Jimmy Clausen his starter for this week. While he was the most accurate of the 3 QBs last week, don't expect him to light up Penn State. Anthony Morelli, meanwhile, looked impressive in his debut, albeit against a weak FIU team.

Top Fantasy Player: Anthony Morelli, QB, PSU
Also Watch For: Armando Allen, RB, ND

Top Fantasy Dud: Jimmy Clausen, QB, ND
Also Avoid: James Aldridge, RB, ND

TCU at Texas, 7 p.m. ET

All offseason, media pundits have been calling TCU (and Hawaii) the next Boise State. Here's their chance to prove it! TCU may be without their top RB Aaron Brown after he got hurt in the first quarter last week. The Longhorns struggled in Week 1, squeaking out an 8-point win over Arkansas State, so this should be a good matchup.

Top Fantasy Player: Jamaal Charles, RB, TEX (pic left)
Also Watch For: Limas Sweed, WR, TEX

Top Fantasy Dud: Aaron Brown, RB, TCU
Also Avoid: Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

Virginia Tech at LSU, 9:22 p.m. ET

The matchup of the day belongs to these two Top-10 teams. Matt Flynn proved (with his arms and feet) last week that he's able to start where JaMarcus Russell left off, but now he has to do it against one of the top defenses in the nation. Virginia Tech is coming off an emotional home win, but now must hit the road. Brandon Ore was surprising average and disappointing for fantasy owners. Expect him to rebound here.

Top Fantasy Player: Brandon Ore, RB, VT
Also Watch For: Early Doucet, WR, LSU

Top Fantasy Dud: Jacob Hester, RB, LSU
Also Avoid: Sean Glennon, QB, VT

Photo via View Images
Photo via American Chronicle

2007 Fantasy College Football Starts and Sits, Week 2

2007-09-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week folks. Let’s take a look at who you should put in your starting lineup and who you should bench.

START’EM
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame (34 PaYd)
After playing three QBs in last weeks implosion against Georgia Tech, Coach Charlie Weis quickly named Clausen the starter. Don’t look for Coach Weis to yank his golden boy and dampen his spirits. Clausen might be the starter for a long time in South Bend.

Andre Brown, RB, North Carolina State (73 RuYd, 1 RuTD)
He is getting the nod b/c of an injury to Toney Baker. Many thought Brown should have beat out Baker for the starting job, now is his chance to showcase his skills. Look for him to be determined to show he should have been the starter to begin the season.

Allen Patrick, RB, Oklahoma (no stats)
Patrick returns after missing the Sooner’s opening cupcake game against North Texas. There is a bit of bottleneck at RB after Demarco Murray scored 5 times on Saturday and Chris Brown is returning. Many feel that Stoops will go with Patrick for a majority of the carries.

SIT’EM
Kirby Freeman, QB, Miami (81 PaYd, 1 PaTD, 1 PaINT)
Freeman beat out Kyle Wright in a heated battle that lasted from spring practice on through summer ball. It looks like he was simply the best of the worst. Freeman will continue to start for the Hurricanes, but he should not be a starter for you. Bench him!

Amir Pinnix, RB, Minnesota (168 RuYd, 2 RuTD, 15 ReYd, 1 ReTD)
Coach Brewster said that he's going to look to get RBs Duane Bennett and Jay Thomas more carries in order to save Amir Pinnix some pounding. This is not good news for Pinnix owners. Sit’em down!

Any USC RB, Southern Cal
USC is still trying to figure-out its feature back. That is not good news for anyone owning C.J Gable, Stafon Johnson, or Joe McKnight. Sit all of them until you find out if your RB is gold or coal.

Photo via > ViewImages
Photo via > NCST

2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Week 1

2007-09-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

Who's Out: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
What Hurts: Thumb injury
How Long: Indefinite
Who's In: Kevan Smith - Smith was neck-in-neck for the starting job all spring and fall...now he'll get his chance.

Who's Out: Riley Skinner (pic left), QB, Wake Forest
What Hurts: Separated Shoulder
How Long: 1 Week?
Who's In: Brett Hodges - Probably one week and done for Hodges, but pick him up if you're already desperate for a QB

Who's Out: Brian Johnson, QB, Utah
What Hurts: Separated Shoulder
How Long: 3 Weeks?
Who's In: Tommy Grady - Grady (9 of 24 passes for 59 yards) was terrible in relief last week

Who's Out: Toney Baker, RB, NC State
What Hurts: Knee - cartiledge damage
How Long: Season
Who's In: Andre Brown - it's very possible Brown is available on your wiaver wire. Grab him!

Who's Out: Hugh Charles, RB, Colorado
What Hurts: Strained Hamstring
How Long: 1 Week?
Who's In: Demetrius Sumler - Sumler will be risky if Charles is a game-time decision

Who's Out: Kregg Lumpkin (pic left), RB, Georgia
What Hurts: Broken Thumb
How Long: 1 Month?
Who's In: Thomas Brown, Knowshon Moreno - The loss of Lumpkin means one less obstacle in the backfield for Brown and Moreno

Who's Out: Matt Asiata, RB, Utah
What Hurts: Broken Leg
How Long: Season
Who's In: Ray Stowers - tough, um, break for the Utes as they lost their starting QB and RB in the same game. Stowers has immediate value, but probably won't be great.

Who's Out: Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri
What Hurts: Fractured Wrist
How Long: 4 Weeks?
Who's In: Jeremy Maclin - Maclin will still be behind Will Franklin, Chase Coffman, and Martin Rucker.

Photo via > MSNBC
Photo via > Dawg Sports

2007 Fantasy College Football: Week 1 Recap

2007-09-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

Unless you are living under a rock, you know the headlines from the opening weekend in college football. We will put a fantasy spin on those headlines for you with upsets, injuries, and impacts.

BIGGEST UPSET EVER

APP STATE BLOCKS MICHIGAN'S TITLE HOPES: Michigan 32 v. App State 34 (via Detriot Free Press)
News: The Michigan Wolverines embarrassed themselves in stunning fashion with a loss to Appalachian State. It has to hurt to be a UM fan this week....err, year.

Fantasy College Impact:
Surprisingly, not that much. You can't pick up any of the "studs" from App State and you will be hard pressed to find anyone at Michigan who wants to bench their Fantasy Football Trifecta of Henne (QB), Hart (RB), and Manningham (WR). It was just a bad week for Michigan football on the field -- the stats still looked good.

AVENGING LAST YEAR’S LOSS:

BEARS GET REDEMPTION OVER VOLS: California 45 v. Tennessee 31 (via ESPN)
News: The Cal Bears used big plays to beat the Tennessee Volunteers handily. After losing to the Vols last year, the Bears must be feeling good.

Fantasy College Impact:
CAL – DeSean Jackson made a great impression with 143 all-purpose yards, including a 77-yard punt return for a TD. Freshman RB Jahvid Best showed his skills. He should get more looks as the offense could move to using two RBs for a change-of-pace running game.

TENN – Eric Ainge is having problems with his broken pinky finger. It seemed as though he could not throw the deep route when needed. Keep an eye on Ainge as the team preps for Southern Mississippi. Lucas Taylor showed his speed and ability to stretch the field. When Ainge is healthy, Taylor will be his deep weapon.

GA TECH DOMINATES THE IRISH: Notre Dame 3 v. Georgia Tech 33 (via Atlanta Journal Constitution)
News: Notre Dame played opossum this past weekend as the Yellow Jackets got revenge for a loss last year. GT capitalized on three ND fumbles and rolled over the Irish.

Fantasy College Impact:
ND – Notre Dame played musical QBs as Coach Charlie Weis tried anything and everything to jumpstart a stagnate ND offense. Look for Weis to name a QB early this week and give him all the snaps in practice. With games against #17 Penn State and #5? Michigan coming up, ND needs to make some changes and stick with them. Watch for news coming out of ND, changes forthcoming.

GT – The position with the biggest question mark for Tech is QB. Taylor Bennett did not answer any of those questions throwing for only 121 PaYds. He will need to make vast improvements if Tech plans a return trip to the ACC Champ game. RB Tashard Choice (pic above left) blasted out of the gates to the tune of 218 all-purpose yards and two TDs. Needless to say, Choice was a fantasy stud on Saturday.