There are many developments from Week 4 to cowl on this week’s Primer, as accidents and depth chart motion have drastically altered the faculty fantasy panorama. Listed here are some essential subjects to concentrate on when setting your Week 5 lineups.
RISERS
‘Keelon’ them softly
Keelon Russell has developed from a promising, Elite 11-winning freshman to an higher echelon, Heisman-contending gunslinger. He lit up South Carolina to the tune of 21-for-27 passing for 365 passing yards and 4 touchdowns for 40.1 factors after recording 36.4 factors in opposition to Kentucky in Week 3. He was 13-of-15 for 234 yards and 4 scores earlier than halftime, with HC Kalen DeBoer praising Keelon’s growing consolation working out of the pocket.
He’s the right conductor for Alabama’s gifted corps of talent gamers, because the Tide are averaging 9.5 yards per dropback (ninth in FBS) with 24% of completions producing 20+ yards (twentieth). His 12.6-point Week 2 dud is now a distant reminiscence, with Russell poised to explode the stat sheet this weekend in opposition to Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State in what must be a QB showcase.
Lincoln Logs One other Large Recreation
Experiences out of spring have been that Lincoln Kienholz was having bother connecting along with his new receiving corps and that the Cardinals can be extra run-oriented than latest iterations of their offense. Nevertheless, in final weekend’s upset loss to Wake Forest, their two major runners, Isaac and Keyjuan Brown, managed solely 81 yards on 21 carries. As a substitute, Kienholz has carried out at a better degree than earlier starter Miller Moss. He unleashed 36 passes whereas averaging 8.1 yards per dropback and recording his fourth straight video games with not less than 25+ fantasy factors.
Kienholz has thrown for 300+ yards twice already, however his ground-based utility has produced a whopping six dashing touchdowns and is an important element to his early-season breakout.
That stated, Kienholz was banged up final weekend and is taken into account a game-time resolution at NC State. His absence can be a serious depth blow since Week 5 options a number of outstanding sign callers on bye.
He’s Fluff, And He’s The Stuff
Couldn’t resist d, however Fluff Bothwell’s fantasy relevance has elevated proper together with the remainder of the Mississippi State offense beneath the tutelage of rising star QB Kamario Taylor. Bothwell has now recorded three consecutive 100-yard video games whereas turning into simply the sixth NSU RB to accrue 120+ dashing yards and 50+ receiving yards in the identical contest. Fluff is averaging a commendable 3.9 YAC and 54% success price, with 18% of his rushes gaining 10+ yards. He’s at the moment the fantasy RB12 and will go larger if he retains the 100-yard streak going in opposition to Alabama this weekend.
FALLERS
Bishop To Pawn
All the pieces was continuing in accordance with plan when Tennessee RB DeSean Bishop racked up 147 dashing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 45-24 destruction of Georgia Tech in Week 2. Nevertheless, he sustained an harm in opposition to Kennesaw State in Week 3, which restricted his effectiveness of their slender 20-17 loss to Texas final week, with Bishop managing simply 34 yards on 11 carries.
It’s not time to desert ship, or Bishop on this case, as he’s nonetheless the identical runner who scored 16 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 PPG final 12 months. Nevertheless, he was clearly impaired in opposition to Texas and is a questionable fantasy possibility if he’s solely dealing with a dozen carries a recreation, as a result of he’s gutting it out when he’s damage with the intention to assist the group win. I’m taking a cautionary method and benching Bishop in opposition to Auburn this week except a good report emerges later within the week.
What Can Brown Do For Louisville?
We talked concerning the good in Louisville; now, it’s time for the unhealthy. Isaac Brown commanded top-15 ADP after posting an outstanding 8.8 yards per carry final 12 months, and working for 1,173 yards with 11 touchdowns as a freshman in 2024. Nevertheless, Brown has been a profound disappointment this season, failing to achieve 70 dashing yards in a recreation with only one rating all season. The script turned in opposition to Louisville final weekend in opposition to Wake Forest, with QB Lincoln Kienholz unleashing a career-high 36 passes and Brown receiving simply 9 carries. Throw within the emergence of RB1B Keyjuan Brown, who erupted for 28.3 fantasy factors in opposition to SMU and outcarried Isaac 12-to-9 final recreation, and it’s turning into clear that this can be a state of affairs the place each working backs are cannibalizing one another’s worth. Go away each gamers in your bench till one in every of them emerges as the popular possibility.
‘Hughes’ The Man?
A lot was anticipated from Hughes after he transferred to Oregon from Tulane in 2025, however then he barely made an look in Eugene and transferred proper out of there to Houston within the offseason to be reunited along with his former Tulane HC, Willie Fritz. An enormous workload was projected for Hughes, which propelled his early third-round preseason ADP. Nevertheless, that alpha RB1 position has did not materialize, as Hughes has failed to indicate the type of explosiveness he was identified for at Tulane. Solely 17% of his dashing yardage has come on breakaway runs of 15+ yards (FBS Avg – 31.6%), whereas RB2 Re’Shaun Sanford was given 17+ carries to Hughes 16 of their final recreation in opposition to Georgia Southern.
The Cougars’ backfield is wanting like a 50/50 timeshare, which enormously reduces Hughes’ projectability on a weekly foundation. I’m benching him in opposition to a tricky UCF run D that ranks twelfth nationally with a 30% dashing success price allowed.
School Fantasy Soccer Recreation of the Week
Illinois vs. Purdue — Really feel The Pleasure!
Not precisely the matchup that the nationwide faculty soccer media world might be enthusiastic about, however this recreation is a possible bonanza for fantasy functions. Illinois QB Katin Houser ranks fourth nationally in QBR and Illinois WR1 Collin Dixon ranks top-10 amongst wideouts in each receptions and touchdowns. Although they misplaced to B10 powerhouse Ohio State final weekend, the Illini nonetheless managed to build up 462 whole yards and have the nice fortune of going through a horrible Purdue defensive unit this week. The Boilermakers’ porous protection ranks 136th in dashing success price allowed (52%) and useless final in completions of 20+ yards allowed (28.6%!), so Illinois ought to face little resistance.
Purdue’s offense has been noticeably improved, although, rating thirty seventh in passing success price (49%) twelfth in completion price (72%) and twenty third in 3-and-out% (18%). QB Ryan Browne has thrown for 300+ yards in three of 4 video games, with the lone exception being a 49-10 destruction by the hands of Notre Dame’s elite secondary. Luckily, Illinois’ protection is sort of as unhealthy as Purdue’s, rating 136th in down set conversion price (80.5%) and 122nd in passing success price allowed (47%) whereas permitting 4.9 factors per scoring alternative (108th).
If Purdue can cling 38 factors on a UCLA protection that simply utterly snuffed out Maryland, then they need to simply publish 30+ factors on Illinois, which makes this flamable matchup between two pitiful defenses the CFF Recreation of the Week!
Harm Notes
Mo Time On The Shelf?
Adam Mohammed left Cal’s recreation with 12:31 left within the third quarter and didn’t return, resulting in a lot hypothesis about his availability in Week 5 in opposition to UNLV. Cal’s opening day RB2 Carter Vargas can also be damage and is uncertain to play this weekend versus Clemson. That leaves Ashten Emory because the rapid beneficiary ought to Mohammed not swimsuit up in Vegas in an interesting matchup — he’ll tackle a tender UNLV entrance seven that ranks one hundred and twenty fifth in dashing success price allowed and 114th in yards per carry (5.3).
Rule of Thumb
Nebraska freshman Phenom Jamal Rule left the sport in opposition to Michigan State after simply 4 carries, giving option to RB Mekhi Nelson to deal with 42 snaps to Isaiah Mozee’s 13 and Vincent Genatone’s 5. If Rule can’t go, Nelson can be a right away streaming possibility in opposition to a lackluster Maryland run protection that simply allowed 266 dashing yards and 54 factors to UCLA.
‘Cam’ He Return To Kind in 2027?
Michigan State was dealt a tricky blow dropping beginning bell cow RB Cam Edwards to a season-ending harm final weekend. HC Pat Fitzgerald singled out Iowa switch Jaziun Patterson as being an skilled, veteran ball service who’s the most secure choice to deal with the vast majority of backfield work in his absence. Greatest to take a wait-and-see method and bench Patterson in opposition to Wisconsin’s glorious run protection this weekend, then consider the carry distribution for MSU’s interesting matchup versus Illinois in Week 6.