We’re entering the home stretch of the 2026 CFF campaign, with the final week of the Yahoo regular season already upon us. Many teams’ playoff hopes depend on winning their matchups this week, so let’s dive into the Week 11 slate.
Fantasy Game of the Week
West Virginia vs. Kansas
Bless West Virginia HC Rich Rodriguez for his selfless quest to make the school a weekly must-watch program for college fantasy football purposes. The Mountaineers are averaging a scorching 37.2 PPG and 481 YPG (6th in P4) while ranking third nationally in points per scoring opportunity (5.44) and sixth in explosive play rate. The offensive catalyst is CFF QB1 Michael Hawkins Jr., who is outscoring the second-most prolific Power Four QB (Drew Mestemaker) 324.4-to-269.2, which is 55.2 points and 6.2 PPG more than the OSU gunslinger.
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Star RB9 Cam Cook has scored 11+ points, received at least 17 touches and scored a touchdown against every FBS opponent WVU has faced. WR DJ Epps leads all West Virginia pass catchers with 100.9 points, but he’s scored less than three points in three of his last four games and is a classic “boom or bust” player who either scores 20+ points or 2. WR Taron Francis hadn’t caught a pass all season, but just popped off for three catches, 169 yards and a touchdown last game versus Texas Tech.
WVU takes on a Kansas defense that ranks 66th overall and is allowing 186 passing yards per game (28th). They’ve allowed 22+ points to every P4 team on their schedule, though, and rank 111th in completions of 20+ yards allowed. What KU struggles with, big plays, the Mountaineers produce at scale.
This season has been a disappointment for a Jayhawks team that is 1-5 in conference play, with their lone victory coming in a 25-24 win over Baylor where KU had just a 28% win expectancy. Kansas has a similar structure offensively as WVU, starting with a dual-threat QB in Isaiah Marshall who has led KU to a 26.6% explosive pass rate (5th in FBS) by way of downfield aggression, averaging 10.4 yards per target (6th). The CFF QB24, Marshall has scored at least 18 points in every game this season, and 20+ points in each of his last five appearances.
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RB25 Dylan Edwards (5’9/175) is an all-purpose type player who split work with Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis until Willis went down with a season-ending injury. Edwards had a nice run of five straight games with 10+ points, where he logged 93 carries with 14 receptions, averaging 18.5 PPG in that span. However, the increased workload appears to have taken a toll on the diminutive Edwards, receiving 33 carries over his last two games for just 64 yards with one reception and a fumble for a pedestrian 11.7 points in total. Despite the downturn, he’s still a flex play this week against West Virginia’s 126th-ranked SP+ defense.
I’ve been a proponent of WR52 Nik McMillan dating back to his Buffalo days, with McMillan scoring 12+ points in five of nine contests, and 8+ points in four of his last five. I also have to mention ultra-deep threat WR Nahzae Cox, who is averaging a gaudy 27.9 yards per reception on 16 receptions and a ridiculous 19.1 ADOT. Kansas should have little trouble putting up 30+ points against WVU’s beleaguered defense that ranks 131st in PPG allowed (34.6).
Honorable Mention: Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
Put the word out, the Big-12 is the premier CFF conference in all of college football. OSU QB2 Drew Mestemaker has catapulted his draft stock into No. 1 NFL Draft pick territory, averaging 31.5 PPG while peppering WRs Justin Bowick, Wyatt Young and Miles Coleman with targets. RB2 Caleb Hawkins leads all P4 rushers with 37 receptions, with his 424 receiving yards out-gaining the second-place RB by 118 yards. Only Duke superstar RB Nate Sheppard has scored more points than Hawkins. The Cowboys should score early and often, as TT has allowed 34 PPG over their last four games and 5.6 yards per play on the year (80th). This is NOT the smothering Texas Tech defense of 2025 — plan accordingly.
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The Red Raiders are fielding the eighth-ranked offense in the country and have taken a step forward with dual-threat QB extraordinaire Thomas Castellanos. The BC transfer led Tech’s offense to 87 points in his two starts, while accruing a sterling 76.1 fantasy points against Arizona and WVU. RB11 Ja’Koby Williams was a co-starter alongside RB Cameron Dickey, but has since surpassed him after Dickey missed some time, allowing Williams to take his job and record 25+ points in three of his last four games. WR29 Kenny Johnson took some time adjusting after transferring over from Pitt in the offseason, but has now scored 11.5+ points in each of his last four games and is the clear alpha of the WR room, outgaining WR2 Coy Eakin 632-to-285. Johnson and star TE Terrance Carter are the only pass catchers worth rostering against OSU’s brutal secondary that ranks 128th in completions of 20+ yards allowed (20.5%).
Risers
DJ Lagway, QB, Baylor
A former five-star prospect at Florida, Lagway was a little banged up early in the season but has taken a major step towards realizing his lofty potential, producing 31+ points in three of his last five games and helping the Bears win their last two contests after firing HC Dave Aranda. He’s unleashing 43 passes per game, which leads all P4 signal callers, but is only completing 54% of his throws. However, most of his inconsistent play occurred in the first two games when he played Auburn’s SEC-caliber defense, getting injured in the game and missing his next two contests before completing 49% of his throws in a 23-13 win over Colorado.
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He’s been much better lately, though, completing 63% of his passes in three of his last five games, with a 22-for-55 performance against TCU’s excellent secondary dragging down his completion rate. While the prolific passing volume elevates Lagway’s fantasy floor, his 11+ rush attempts in each of the last three games have helped to raise his ceiling. Most of the ground damage has been done via scrambling, as only 5.6% of his rush attempts have been designed. While Lagway’s game is evolving and on the rise from a fantasy perspective, he is still very matchup dependent. Bench him this week at BYU, but keep him on standby for his enticing playoff matchups against Texas Tech and Houston.
Amari Thomas, RB, Florida State
A four-star freshman from Blountstown, Florida, Thomas had received just three carries for 11 yards on the year before starting RB Ousmane Kromah suffered a season-ending injury. He apprenticed behind Tre Wisner on Halloween against Clemson in a passing-down role, catching three passes for 34 yards. Last week against BC, Thomas took over for an injured Tre Wisner and made the most of his opportunity, converting 19 carries into 98 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 23.2 fantasy points in a 31-24 road victory over the Eagles. No other rusher besides Thomas and Wisner received a carry in the game, and Wisner has already been announced as out for Friday’s game against Pitt. Thomas has legitimate flex starting potential for managers in need of a running back who should get 20+ unchallenged carries.
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Cooper Barkate, WR, Miami
Barkate was a bonafide star for Duke last season, recording 1,106 yards and averaging 13.6 PPG before following his QB Darian Mensah to Miami with the intent of winning a national title. He was being selected in the fifth-sixth round in preseason drafts with the expectation of relatively similar production now that he’s in South Beach. The problem is there are a lot of mouths to feed in Miami, with the offense revolving around generational WR Malachi Toney. The result has been inconsistent production, with Barkate scoring double-digit fantasy points in just three of his first eight games, making him almost unstartable in fantasy context.
Then Malachi Toney went down for the rest of the regular season with tightrope surgery on his ankle, opening the door for Barkate to assume a primary role in the offense. Last week against Notre Dame’s certifiably elite secondary, Barkate caught nine of 12 targets for 75 yards, two touchdowns and 24.0 fantasy points. This week he and Mensah play their former school, Duke, and will be highly motivated to secure a convincing victory after losing to the Irish 31-24 last week.
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Fallers
Tommy Carr, QB, Michigan
What a difference a week makes, as Carr was riding high heading into Saturday’s game versus rival Michigan State after a 32.1 fantasy point detonation against Rutgers’ appalling defense that ranks 124th in FBS and is allowing a 67% completion rate (128th). Unfortunately, Carr proved to be completely overwhelmed by HC Pat FItzgerald’s MSU defense, completing 14-of-26 passes for 138 yards and two interceptions in the 15-6 upset loss to the Spartans. It was a ghastly showing with Michigan converting just two-of-ten third down opportunities with a paltry 192 total yards on the day. Carr is still expected to start this weekend in a pivotal matchup against Oregon, but both he and Bryce Underwood are expected to see snaps. It’s going to be tough to trust any Wolverine skill players, especially WRs JJ Buchanan and Andrew March, while the QB situation is so transparently broken.
Colton Joseph, QB, Wisconsin
I’ve often lamented the problem with “solo threat” quarterbacks who are exceptional runners, but lack the ability to distribute the ball vertically to their receivers. Joseph was able to get away with poor passing acumen at Old Dominion last year since he was simply a superior athlete relative to his competition at the G6 level. Now in the Big Ten, Joseph got exposed when operating out of the pocket, throwing five interceptions against his first three FBS opponents. The bloom officially started coming off the rose against UCLA in a game I was on the sidelines for, with Joseph completing just 6-of-16 passes for 66 yards and looking completely one-dimensional in a 17-7 loss to the Bruins.
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Despite Wisconsin’s defense smothering USC 24-7, Joseph only produced 58 passing yards in the contest before traveling to Iowa and finally getting pulled in favor of QB Ryan Hopkins in the 30-0 loss. Hopkins got the starting nod last week against Rutgers and delivered a solid 241-yard, three-touchdown performance in the 31-10 blowout win. Hopkins is an intriguing Hail Mary play against Maryland this week, but it’s time to put Joseph out to pasture.
Anthony Evans, WR, Mississippi State
Unlike the other two “fallers,” Evans’ descent is 100% the result of circumstances that are completely out of his control. Rising star QB Kamario Taylor looked electric early in the season, with Evans being his primary aerial weapon, as is evidenced by Evans reeling in 47 of the 63 targets for 608 yards and five touchdowns over the first six games. Unfortunately, Taylor sustained a season-ending injury against Oklahoma, which has completely cratered the efficacy of Mississippi State’s passing game. The drop-off was drastic and immediate, with Evans scoring seven or less points in each of his last three appearances. It’s tough to rely on Evans for the time being, unless you want to take a gamble next week when Mississippi State takes on FCS tuneup Tennessee Tech in Week 12.
Injuries
Cole Tabb, Cincinnati
Tabb sustained an undisclosed injury last weekend against Houston after gashing the Cougars for 60 rushing yards and 34 receiving yards with a TD before departing. As the third-highest scoring rusher among his P4 contemporaries, Tabb is a crucial piece of UC’s offense that is averaging 6.3 YPC (2nd in FBS).
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Fortunately, HC Scott Satterfield expressed optimism about Tabb’s availability against Iowa State, saying, “Cole is doing much better. He participated in yesterday’s (Tuesday) walk-through, so I feel good about him.” ISU struggles against the run, allowing 10.1 yards per successful rush (110th) while ranking 118th in explosive play rate. Closely monitor the situation and be prepared to slide Tabb into a starting spot if he continues trending in the right direction.
Duke Watson, UCF
Watson injured his right foot on just his second carry in UCF’s thrilling 33-32 victory over Kansas last weekend. He returned to the sidelines in a walking boot later in the game, with HC Scott Frost stating they would perform X-rays after returning to Orlando, but no news has been reported on the results at the time of publishing. Watson is averaging 6.3 YPC and is the clear RB1, so his loss would be a significant downgrade.
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I’m speculating, but it would seem to be a long shot for Watson to suit up this weekend given the sensitive nature of foot injuries. Landen Chambers (13 carries, 40 yards) and Taevion Swint (eight carries, 19 yards, TD) split rushing duties in Watson’s absence, but neither is startable this weekend against ASU.
Jekail Middlebrook, UVA
Middlebrook suffered a MCL sprain, which held him out of UVA’s Halloween tilt against Wake Forest, where the Cavaliers were utterly destroyed, 51-7. Fortunately, they had a Bye last week, giving Middlebrook an extra week of rest to heal up. His presence is vital for Virginia’s chances of defeating Cal this weekend, with HC Tony Elliott stating Tuesday that “Jekail should be ready to roll this week.”
That works for me, as Middlebrook carried 24 times for 117 yards and a touchdown against a very respectable Duke defense on October 23. Middlebrook is at least a high-end flex option against Cal’s 102nd-ranked SP+ defense, which ranks 133rd in 20+ yard plays allowed and 127th in YAC (3.0 YAC).
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
