Eric Froton Fantasy Analyst Wed, November 4, 2026 at 10:10 PM UTC · 10 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are already coming down the home stretch of the college fantasy football season, with playoffs starting in most leagues in Week 12. Here is your Week 10 primer to help you get your lineup ready for the weekend ahead.
This is truly a game that only a college fantasy enthusiast could enjoy, with both Maryland and Purdue scraping the bottom of the Big Ten standings. It has been a tale of two seasons for Terps QB Malik Washington, as his solid 72% completion rate and 6-to-0 ratio against three non-conference opponents pointed to a potential breakout. However, he is completing a dreadful 52% of passes with a 3-7 ratio in conference play, which greatly contributed to the firing of former HC Mike Locksley. RB DeJuan Williams got banged up early in the season, but has rebounded to record 12+ points in four of five games despite averaging 4.1 YPC on the ground in conference play and UM ranking 110th in rushing success rate. WR17 Chris Durr Jr. is averaging 15.9 PPG, has four games with 20+ points and is a no-doubt starter this week. Maryland faces a terrible Purdue defense that gives up 32 PPG, ranks 135th in plays of 20+ yards and 126th in success rate allowed.
The Boilermakers aren't the most potent team in the Big Ten, but they've scored 24+ points in six of eight games and are more than capable of counterpunching against non-elite defenses. QB Ryan Browne has scored 22+ points in four games and is a safe Week 10 streaming option, while RB14 Fame Ijeboi shot out of the gate with three straight games of 17+ points. Ijeboi has slowed down recently, though, eclipsing 12 points just one time in the last five contests. WR Asaad Waseem leads the receivers with 11.5 PPG and 63 targets over eight games, with inconsistent distribution as he received 14+ targets twice and four targets or less targets three times. Maryland's defense allows 31.6 PPG, ranks 135th in points per scoring opportunity (5.4) and 133rd in red zone touchdown rate (79%). The combination of two teams desperate for a win and a pair of objectively terrible defenses should produce eye-popping fantasy numbers.
Aside from its 21-13 Week 8 rock fight loss to a tough Utah team, Houston has scored 26+ points in every game and leads the P4 with 62 total touchdowns. Its offense has been steamrolling opposing defenses with a FBS-leading 53% success rate and 11% three-and-out rate. QB8 Conner Weigman has delivered starter-worthy performances week in, week out, having scored 25+ points against every FBS program he's faced besides Utah with 26 total touchdowns to just two interceptions. RBs Ra'Shaun Sanford II and Makhi Hughes had been alternating series for most of the year, but Hughes took over the lead role with 37 carries to Sanford's 12 over the last two games and is the clear RB1 right now. WR25 Amare Thomas was a preseason top-10 wideout and averages 14.8 PPG while scoring 10+ points in six-of-eight contests. TE2 Patrick Overmyer has picked up right where Tanner Koziol left off as Houston's high-volume big slot weapon, as his seven receiving touchdowns lead all P4 tight ends. Utah, West Virginia, Arizona and Miami (OH) have all scored 31+ points on Cincinnati's soft defense that ranks 118th in success rate allowed (45%) and 109th in yards per dropback allowed (7.0).
Cincinnati is your classic "good offense, bad defense" team that is coveted in CFF circles, ranking 25th in offensive SP+ and 96th in defensive SP+. QB16 JC French is averaging 24.2 PPG and has the benefit of playing behind an elite offensive line that ranks sixth nationally with a 17% pressure rate allowed. Which is fortunate for French since he struggles to handle pressure, completing 43% of his passes with a 0-to-1 ratio on the 74 dropbacks in which he was under duress with an abysmal 34% pressure-to-sack rate (129th). It will be interesting to see how he handles Houston's pass rush that generates a 29% pressure rate (38th) but has trouble getting home averaging a sack on 4.7% of snaps (107th). RB2 Cole Tabb is a Stanford transfer who was universally undrafted and emerged from a four-player committee to score 22+ points in five of his last six games. WR JaVonnie Gibson has scored in double digits in five of eight games, but has scored just one touchdown in his last five contests. Houston should score at will, putting Cincy in a pass script against a very loose Cougars defense that ranks 131st in plays of 20+ yards allowed and 127th in red zone touchdown rate. This game has all the makings of a classic Big-12 thriller with plenty of points to go around.
The Pitt RB Ja'Kyrian Turner was a consensus second-round selection and expected to produce numbers akin to program legend Desmond Reid. However, Turner has played just two full games and is still compromised heading into Week 10, leaving freshman RB Damon Ferguson Jr. to shoulder the majority of the load. He had been sharing the rushing load with La'vell Wright, but in last week's 34-11 victory over Georgia Tech, Ferguson handled 31 carries for 185 yards, two touchdowns and 32.1 points. It was his third 100-yard game with Ferguson scoring a minimum of 8.8 points in every contest this season despite sharing carries three-ways for most of his freshman campaign. The shift in workload could indicate a shift in backfield usage now that Ferguson has gotten acclimated to the pace of the collegiate game. I think he is inserted as RB1 during the Week 10 Bye practice sessions and will be a major asset down the stretch against Florida State, Louisville and Cal.
When opening day starter RB Kamari Moulton went down to injury, it wasn't known whether JuCo transfer L.J. Phillips or Xavier Williams would lead the backfield last weekend in a big game against rival Wisconsin. Williams proved to be the preferred option, rushing 20 times for 78 yards with two receptions for 23 yards, while Phillips rushed nine times for just 27 yards and the rest of the running backs receiving just three totes despite Iowa being up 30-0 in the third quarter. The Hawkeyes have come a long way since the ill-fated OC Brian Ferentz "Punt!" era, averaging 5.7 yards per carry (24th), 11.0 yards per successful rush (12th) and 3.2 yards after contact (12th). Williams is crushing Phillips efficiency-wise, averaging 5.9 YPC to Phillips' disappointing 3.4 YPC, with Williams leading Iowa with 10+ yards on 20% of his carries. Williams is set to lead the Hawkeyes' rushing attack and receive 20+ touches this weekend against Northwestern.
It has been a stunning turnaround for the Gamecocks, rattling off three straight SEC victories after starting out 0-3 with the South Carolina faithful calling for HC Shane Beamer's job. Bennett has been at the forefront of their revival, having scored 13+ points in his last four games after barely making an impact at the beginning of the year. He has proven to be QB LaNorris Seller's favorite target, having received 29 targets for 25 receptions, 322 yards and three touchdowns over the last month and has a very appealing two-game stretch against Texas A&M and Arkansas on tap the next two weekends. Bennett is currently rostered in just 1% of leagues but is well worth inserting into your lineup if injuries strike.
Mateer had been paired with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle dating back to their time at Washington State. So it wasn't a shock after Brent Venables fired Arbuckle, the HC refused to back Mateer as his starter heading into their game against Florida, saying "everything's on the table." What made Mateer so appealing from a CFF perspective was his legs, running for 433 yards and eight scores last season and 826 yards with 15 touchdowns in 2024 at Wazzu. That skill has not repeated itself this year, with Mateer running for just 145 yards with zero rushing scores. He's completing just 45% of his passes in the red zone with a 35% red zone touchdown rate (137th), and is now in danger of being pulled if he can't get Oklahoma's 95th-ranked offense into the end zone more often. These are dark times in Norman with Mateer now unstartable for CFF purposes.
Thomas Castellanos' surprise insertion into the starting QB role worked out well for the Red Raiders after Hammond's woeful performance in Tech's 37-24 upset loss to Cincinnati prompted HC Joey McGuire to give the FSU transfer a shot. Castellanos only completed 11-of-24 passes for 144 yards, but with a solid 2-to-0 TD/INT ratio. He also ran for 117 yards and a touchdown for 31.5 fantasy points, with the Red Raiders winning a pivotal B12 showdown against 22nd-ranked Arizona. Castellanos' ascension means the window for Hammond to start has officially closed and it is now Castellanos' offense to lead against a West Virginia D that may be the worst in the entire Power Four.
It's a clean sweep of falling quarterbacks this week, with Alberto Mendoza looking lost in a 34-11 loss to Pitt last weekend, completing a mere 16-of-25 passes for 81 yards and five sacks with two lost fumbles. HC Brent Key stated that the coaching staff would need to evaluate both Mendoza and backup QB Grady Adamson, stating "Grady's come in the last two weeks and given us a jolt of energy." With Adamson rushing six times for 63 yards and the team's lone touchdown against Pitt, he adds a dual-threat dynamic that Mendoza hasn't shown yet. The Yellowjackets have beaten just one FBS program this year, and HC Key is clearly frustrated by GT's ultra-conservative passing offense that ranks 125th in target depth and 101st in completions of 20+ yards. Mendoza is facing stiff competition for the starting job and is looking like a risky investment down the stretch.
It's been a brutal season health-wise for the Ducks, with every skill position player except for Dakorien Moore missing time so far. The trainers room was full again after last weekend, with both RB Jordon Davison and RB Dierre Hill Jr. lost to injury in the first half, opening the door for freshman RB Brandon Smith to log eight carries for 82 yards and a touchdown, along with four catches for 32 yards for 19.4 points. Davison has been ruled out already, as RB Da'Juan Riggs would share rushing duties with Smith if Hill can't suit up. I'm giving the edge to Smith and think he's worth a speculative add if you have bench space.
Longhorns fans were hoping for a Jeremiah Smith-lite type performance from Coleman, but he's currently trending as the WR42 among Power Four wideouts and has recorded just six receptions in the last three games with a handful of killer drops. He is expected to be hampered this weekend with a shoulder injury, which is a dicey proposition for an inconsistent player who is averaging a mediocre 11.8 PPG. With 15 PPG being the benchmark for startable wide receivers in half-PPR formats. Texas travels to play a Missouri defense that ranks 11th in SP+ and allows a 57% passing completion rate (23rd), making Coleman a risky start this week.
Davidson has officially been ruled out for this weekend's tilt at Syracuse with an ankle injury after averaging 10.6 PPG through eight games. Jarvis Green is expected to lead the room, having rushed nine times for 37 yards versus FSU last weekend, while SMU-transfer Chris Johnson Jr. managed just three yards on five carries on the day. No other rushers touched the ball, so I expect a pretty strict Green/Johnson platoon where Johnson could very well carve out a larger share for himself if Green doesn't perform. This is a very fluid situation.
Source: Sports
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