Fantasy Tutorial: Getting down to crunch time

ACC
Notes: Florida State wide receiver Rod Owens had a career-high nine catches for 199 yards and one touchdown in Week 8 against North Carolina. Owens has a touchdown in two straight games and is starting to emerge as one of FSU's most reliable receivers. He has 15 catches for 274 yards in his last three games ... While Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has forged to the top of the ACC as the league's best passer, wide receiver Donovan Varner has helped him get there. Varner leads the team with 35 catches for 547 yards and five touchdowns. He has 15 catches for 274 yards and one touchdown in his last two games. Freshman wide receiver Conner Vernon has been equally impressive lately with 19 catches for 316 yards and one touchdown in his last three games ... Miami (Fla.) wide receiver Leonard Hankerson has a touchdown in three straight games. Running back Damien Berry has also scored in three straight. Like the Hurricanes backfield needed any more congestion with Javarris James and Graig Cooper also in the mix ... Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner has been stuck in a funk. After three straight games of 300 passing yards, he has totaled just 255 yards over his last two contests.
Byes: Maryland
Teams playing FCS schools: Clemson (vs. Coastal Carolina)
Favorable matchup: Florida State vs. North Carolina State. We know the Wolfpack are coming off a bye and have had time to regroup, but the fact remains they have fallen apart on defense. They have allowed 30 or more points to their last four opponents and the Seminoles have managed 30 or more points four times this season, including their last two games.
Unfavorable matchup: North Carolina at Virginia Tech. One of the nation's worst offenses (North Carolina) is going up against one of the NCAA's best defenses. North Carolina also has to travel to Blacksburg, Va. The Tar Heels managed just 17 points and 307 yards against the Hokies last season.

Big East
Notes: The Bearcats are going to take the same approach with quarterback Tony Pike (arm) for Week 8 as they did with Week 7. Watch him practice and make a decision later in the week ... Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone said wide receiver Mike Williams will be back in the lineup in Week 9 against Cincinnati after sitting out Week 8 because of a team-imposed suspension ... Connecticut wide receiver Marcus Easley continues to impress. The former walk-on has managed 100 yards and one touchdown in three straight games. He had an 88-yard touchdown in Week 7 against West Virginia. Easley is clearly quarterback Cody Endres' favorite target ... Syracuse running back Delone Carter burned Akron in Week 8 with a career-high 170 rushing yards. He also had his second three-touchdown game of the season. He is up to eight touchdowns on the season ... Cincinnati wide receiver Armon Binns kept his touchdown streak alive with a score on Saturday against Louisville. He has a touchdown in three straight games and four total in that span.
Byes: Pittsburgh
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Cincinnati at Syracuse. The Bearcats are second in the nation in scoring (40.7 ppg) and their Week 9 opponent -- Syracuse -- is 81st in scoring defense (27.3 ppg). It's seems like a tailor-made matchup for Fantasy. The Orange is allowing 34 points per game in Big East play. Cincinnati managed 30 points and 412 yards against Syracuse in 2008 with much of the same offensive personnel.
Unfavorable matchup: Rutgers at Connecticut. This game could be a low-scoring affair and be over very fast since both teams like to run the football. However, Rutgers is still struggling overall on offense since they are 82nd in the nation (348.0 ypg). That's not good when you are facing a top 40 defense (323.1 ypg).

Big 12
Notes: Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud sat out a Week 8 upset of Nebraska with a hand injury. His status for Week 9 is still questionable. The Cyclones also hope star running back Alexander Robinson is also healthy enough after missing Saturday's game with a groin issue ... Nebraska running back Roy Helu was limited to five carries in Week 8 because he re-injured a nagging shoulder injury. Fantasy owners need to follow his status up to Week 9 since he has a favorable matchup against Baylor ... Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford has opted for season-ending surgery, meaning Landry Jones is now the full-time starter. Oklahoma will continue to keep tabs on running back DeMarco Murray, who missed Week 8 against Kansas with a sprained ankle ... Oklahoma State is finally hoping to have running back Kendall Hunter (leg) back for a Week 9 showdown with Texas. However, head coach Mike Gundy said his star back would be limited to 8-10 carries if he does play, so don't start him in Fantasy. Texas does have the nation's top run defense ... Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts failed to take back his starting job in Week 8 against Texas A&M and was even benched in the second half for Seth Doege, creating another quarterback controversy until Steven Sheffield (foot) is healthy. Head coach Mike Leach would not commit to a quarterback for Week 9 against Kansas and said it could possibly be a "game-time" decision ... Red Raiders wide receiver Lyle Leong has definitely been affected by the quarterback carousel since he benefited greatly from when Potts, his high school teammate, was at the top of his game. Leong has just 10 catches for 137 yards and one touchdown in his last five games. He is no longer a high-end Fantasy receiver ... Nebraska wide receiver Niles Paul has broken 100 yards in two of his last three games ... Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller was back in the lineup on Saturday against Texas Tech after missing a few games with a broken leg. While it might take him a few games to get into rhythm, he now has to worry about Uzoma Nwachukwu stealing targets. The freshman receiver has developed into a go-to-threat for quarterback Jerrod Johnson in Fuller's absence and has 13 catches for 277 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Texas Tech vs. Kansas. Former cornerback Aqib Talib needs to re-enroll at Kansas since the Jayhawks haven't been great defensively since he left school for the NFL a few years back. Since starting Big 12 play three weeks ago, the Jayhawks are allowing 35.0 points and 390.3 yards per game to in-conference opponents. Texas Tech is leading the Big 12 in scoring offense by averaging 37.8 points in four conference games.
Unfavorable matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Texas. The Cowboys have the sixth best scoring offense (37.0 ppg) in the country and have managed to get by without Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter. But if you look at their previous opponents, none of them are highly-ranked on defense. That all changes in Week 9 against Texas, who are second in total defense (235.6 ypg) and allowing just 13.6 points per game (ninth).

Big Ten
Notes: Minnesota could be down its top receiver in Eric Decker after he sprained his left foot on Saturday against Ohio State. Fantasy owners might want to start planning to use healthier alternatives ... The Ohio State backfield is banged up. Brandon Saine (concussion), Daniel Herron (ankle) and Jaamal Berry (hamstring) are all nursing injuries and that means freshman Jordan Hall could be the starter on Saturday against New Mexico State ... The Wisconsin backfield isn't in much better shape as John Clay (ankle) and Zach Brown (concussion) are both banged up. Montee Ball could have to be the feature back in Week 9 against Purdue ... Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey is becoming a big threat in Fantasy. He has a touchdown in five of his last six games and six total in that span. He has managed at least 50 receiving yards in four straight contests and is showing why he was a top recruit in 2008 ... Northwestern wide receiver Andrew Brewer has managed 100 yards and one touchdown in two straight games. He has a team-high five scores ... Illinois might finally have an every-down back in sophomore Mikel Leshoure. He had his first 100-yard game of his career in Week 8 against Purdue and has totaled 200 rushing yards in his last two games.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Ohio State vs. New Mexico State. The Buckeyes get a break from Big Ten play to welcome in an out-of-conference opponent for a glorified scrimmage. The Aggies are still trying to find their identity under first-year coach Dwayne Walker. They rank 88th in scoring defense (28.0 ppg) and have allowed 79 points in their last two games. Ohio State gets picked on for being a poor offense, but they have scored at least 30 points six times this season.
Unfavorable matchup: Northwestern vs. Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been on a mission since losing to Iowa in late September. Opponents have totaled just 30 points against Penn State over their last four games, catapulting the Nittany Lions to first in the country in scoring defense (8.9 ppg).

Conference USA
Notes: SMU lost starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell to a shoulder injury early in their Week 8 matchup against Houston. His status for Week 9 against Tulsa is unknown, as well as who would start between Kyle Padron and Braden Smith, if Mitchell isn't ready ... UTEP running back Donald Buckram is quickly moving up the Fantasy rankings. After his 165-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 8 against Tulsa, Buckram is 12th in the nation in rushing (111.9 ypg) and has eight touchdowns in seven games ... Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards had his first 100-yard game of the season on Saturday against SMU and finally looked like the receiver prior to his gruesome leg injury he suffered last season ... Speaking of receivers bouncing back from broken legs, finally Southern Miss wide receiver DeAndre Brown is showing some life. He had his first multi-touchdown game of the season in Week 8 against Tulane and has three scores in his last two games. Hopefully, he will continue his ascension back to must-start Fantasy status.
Byes: Rice
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: UAB at UTEP. Take your pick in this matchup. We could see a lot of offense as two of the nation's worst defenses duke it out in Week 9. UAB is allowing 33.4 points per game (108th) and UTEP is at 33.3 points per contest (107th).
Unfavorable matchup: Tulane at LSU. The Green Wave are averaging just 15.2 points per game (115th) and redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Griffin has to make his second career start in one of the most hostile environments in college football. LSU ranks right up there with some of the nation's best defenses and haven't allowed more than 13 points to an opponent in three straight contests -- and they were all SEC foes.

Independents
Notes: Navy was down their leader in quarterback Ricky Dobbs (knee) during a Week 8 win against Wake Forest. Kriss Proctor would start against Temple on Saturday, if Dobbs is still out. Running back Marcus Curry (quad) is also questionable ... Keep tabs on Notre Dame wide receiver Duval Kamara. Notre Dame has been looking for another receiver opposite Golden Tate ever since Michael Floyd broke his collarbone. Kamara had his best game of the season in Week 8 against Boston College with seven catches for 60 yards. Don't forget Kamara was one of the Irish's best receivers as a freshman in 2007 before Tate and Floyd pushed him out of the picture in 2008 ... Navy fullback Vince Murray has rushed for 100-plus yards in two straight games and it could be very hard for Alexander Teich to get back his starting job despite the fact he is finally healthy.
Byes: Army
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Notre Dame vs. Washington State. The Irish should have a field day against Wazzu. The Cougars are second to last in total defense (499.7 ypg) and are allowing 36.5 points per game (115th). Every team that has played Wazzu has scored at least 27 points.
Unfavorable matchup: Navy vs. Temple. The Owls have won five straight games and they have done it thanks to sound defense. Believe it or not, but the Owls are 33rd in total (319.3 ypg) and 35th in scoring defense (19.9 ppg). Again, Navy could also be down their top offensive star in Dobbs.

MAC
Notes: Akron has lost leading receiver Deryn Bowser for the year because of a broken leg. Freshman Tyshon Goode has helped make up for his absence with 12 catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games ... Ball State quarterback Kelly Page is also gone for the season after suffering a thumb injury. Tanner Justice is now under center full time ... Buffalo running back Ike Nduka appeared just fine in Week 8 against Western Michigan after injuring his ankle in Week 7. He rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries against the Broncos ... Temple running back Bernard Pierce was also expected to sit out Week 8 after being carried off the field in Week 7, but he played against Toledo and earned MAC offensive player of the week honors after rushing for 212 yards and three touchdowns. Pierce has a touchdown in five straight games and at least 100 yards four times in that span. He has become a viable Fantasy running back ... Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish is expected to miss at least two more weeks with a knee injury. DeMarcus Grady is expected to start in his absence ... There is no new information yet on injured Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt, who has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury. Opelt wasn't expected to miss any time but that clearly hasn't been the case ... The Ball State tandem of MiQuale Lewis and Cory Sykes burned Eastern Michigan for 504 rushing yards in Week 8. Lewis led the way with 301 yards, while Sykes had three touchdowns. Unfortunately, they probably won't repeat those performances down the stretch ... Me'co Brown might be Northern Illinois' top running back, but Chad Spann is definitely the team's touchdown machine. He scored twice on Saturday against Miami (Ohio) to run his season total to 11. He has five multi-touchdown games ... Western Michigan wide receiver Robert Arnheim has managed 100 yards in two straight games, largely because of injuries to Juan Nunez and Jordan White.
Byes: Bowling Green, Buffalo
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Kent State vs. Western Michigan. The Golden Flashes have been a bit lost on offense since star running back Eugene Jarvis went down early in the season. They are 104th in scoring offense (20.8 ppg). But, the way Western Michigan has been playing lately, the Broncos could be the perfect remedy for Kent State. Western Michigan has allowed three of their last four opponents to score at least 30 points.
Unfavorable matchup: Central Michigan at Boston College. Going against Central Michigan is that the Golden Eagles have dominated out-of- conference opponents and have played very well at home. Boston College has beaten Northeastern and Kent State by a combined score of 88-7 and is allowing just 14.4 points per game at home.

Mountain West
Notes: Utah running back Eddie Wide has been a perfect replacement for Matt Asiata, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Wide has rushed for 100 yards in four straight games and has four touchdowns in his last three contests ... San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley and wide receiver DeMarco Sampson put on quite a show in Week 8 against Colorado State. Lindley passed for a career-high 459 yards and six touchdowns, while Sampson totaled 15 catches for 257 yards and three touchdowns -- also career bests. Sampson became the go-to-receiver after Vincent Brown left the game with a hand injury. Fantasy owners should probably keep tabs on both Lindley and Sampson since San Diego State is finally starting to settle into an offensive rhythm under first-year coach Brady Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges ... BYU running back Harvey Unga re-established himself as a must-start Fantasy option after his Week 8 performance against TCU. Unga rushed for 123 yards against one of the nation's best run defenses. He hasn't been slowed anymore by a hamstring injury that kept him limited earlier in the season.
Byes: BYU
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: TCU vs. UNLV. If TCU went on the road in Week 8 and destroyed BYU, 38-7, then we can't wait to see what they have in store for UNLV. The Rebels' defensive woes continue as they rank 105th in scoring (32.9 ppg) and 110th in total defense (433.8 ypg). TCU totaled 44 points and 410 yards last season against UNLV.
Unfavorable matchup: Wyoming at Utah. The Cowboys were shut out for a second time this season in a Week 8 loss to Air Force. They might find it tough to get their offense back on track in Week 9 against Utah. The Utes have allowed just one opponent (Oregon) to break 20 points. The Utes rank 22nd in scoring defense (17.7 ppg).

Pac-10
Notes: Arizona State could be without three offensive starters in quarterback Danny Sullivan (knee), wide receiver Kyle Williams (hamstring) and running back Dimitri Nance (shoulder) in Week 9 against Cal ... Oregon State is expected to have Jacquizz Rodgers (ankle) and James Rodgers (knee) for Week 9 against UCLA despite getting banged up on Saturday against USC ... Trojans tight end Anthony McCoy suffered a sprained ankle against Oregon State and is questionable for Week 9 against Oregon. Fantasy owners also need to keep tabs on running back Joe McKnight, who missed much of Saturday's game with a hand injury ... California quarterback Kevin Riley has made an impressive turnaround since the Golden Bears came off their bye. Riley has six touchdown passes in his last two games after getting just one in his previous four games. Marvin Jones has been a huge benefactor with three receiving scores in his last two games.
Byes: Arizona, Stanford, Washington
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Oregon State vs. UCLA. The Bruins defense is falling apart after being one of the nation's best units to begin the season. They have allowed more than 20 points in each outing during a four-game losing streak. Oregon State is going to look to pour it on at home in Week 9. They are averaging 30.5 points per game in Corvallis, Ore., this season.
Unfavorable matchup: Southern Cal at Oregon. We are not sure which defense is going to break first in this epic top 10 battle. Both USC and Oregon have top 20 defenses. Although, USC has allowed 63 points in their last two games, while Oregon is holding opponents to 9.5 points per game over their last four appearances.

SEC
Notes: Florida running back Jeff Demps is expected to play in Week 9 against Georgia after suffering a neck injury on Saturday against Mississippi State ... Kentucky might be down their top offensive player in Randall Cobb, who suffered a knee injury against La.-Monroe on Saturday. Cobb is questionable for Week 9 against Mississippi State ... Auburn is sticking with quarterback Chris Todd despite his recent struggles that have resulted in a three-game losing streak ... After being a Fantasy burden for most of the season, Ole Miss wide receiver Dexter McCluster finally had his breakout performance of 2009. McCluster had 123 rushing yards and 137 receiving yards -- both career highs -- during a Week 8 win against Arkansas ... South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery had another impressive game in Week 8 against Vanderbilt. He totaled a career-high eight catches for 161 yards and one touchdown. He now has five touchdowns in his last four games and is quietly becoming SC's featured receiver.
Byes: Alabama
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Arkansas vs. Eastern Michigan. The Eagles gave up 463 rushing yards and four touchdowns in Week 8 against Ball State and rank dead last in rush defense (275.0 ypg). We understand Arkansas' strength is passing the football, but any way you slice it, Eastern Michigan has a bad defense and the Razorbacks should have a nice game against an 0-7 squad.
Unfavorable matchup: South Carolina at Tennessee. You have to be impressed with Vols defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. He has had great success teaching a pro-style defense to a bunch of college kids and Tennessee continues to be one of the best defenses in the nation despite the coaching change. They are allowing just 269.7 yards per game (10th) and that doesn't bode well for South Carolina, who is averaging just 15.0 points in their last four SEC contests.

Sun Belt
Notes: La.-Lafayette running back Undrea Sails is out for the season with a leg fracture. Yobes Walker now becomes the team's top tailback ... La.-Monroe quarterback Trey Revell (thumb) is not expected to return for Week 9 against Troy. Cody Wells will start again ... Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Malcolm Beyah is out indefinitely with a thumb injury ... Troy quarterback Levi Brown passed for a school record 469 yards in Week 8 against North Texas. He is up to ninth in the country in total offense (303.1 ypg) ... North Texas running back Lance Dunbar has taken over as the team's top tailback, displacing Cam Montgomery and becoming a viable Fantasy option in the process. Dunbar has 637 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in his last four games ... Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher totaled 421 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Western Kentucky on Saturday. Wide receiver Chris McClover also had a big game with six catches for 149 yards and two scores ... Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith is starting to become a relevant Fantasy option again. He has passed for 300 or more yards in three of his last four games. He also hasn't thrown a touchdown in four games and has 13 touchdowns (12 passing) in his last five contests. Wide receiver Chris Bonner has been a big benefactor of Smith's recent play with eight catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games ... Believe it or not, but FAU running back Alfred Morris is eighth in the nation in rushing (117.5 ypg).
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Western Kentucky at North Texas. These two teams combined for 91 points and 891 yards in 2008. Neither team has improved on defense in 2009. North Texas is allowing 37.6 points per game (117th) and Western Kentucky is dead last in total defense (509.1 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: None. Even Arkansas State has a decent matchup despite not playing an in-conference opponent. They face a Louisville team allowing 29.7 points per game (94th). The Sun Belt is not about defense in 2009.

WAC
Notes: The Hawaii quarterbacks keep dropping like flies. Already down Greg Alexander (knee) and Brent Rausch (finger), Hawaii lost Bryant Moniz to a concussion during a Week 8 loss to Boise State. Shane Austin could start Week 9 against Nevada ... Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick is finally showing why he was a first-round Fantasy selection. He totaled 408 yards (230 rushing) and six touchdowns during a Week 8 win against Idaho. He now has 1,310 total yards and 15 touchdowns over his last four games ... Nevada running back Vai Taua is also back on track after missing some time with an elbow injury. He has three straight 100-yard outings ... Idaho wide receivers Max Komar and Maurcie Shaw had solid games against Nevada on Saturday. Komar had 10 catches for 136 yards and three touchdowns, while Shaw had five catches for 183 yards and two scores ... Boise State wide receiver Titus Young had his best game of the season with eight catches for 115 yards and three touchdowns in Week 8 against Hawaii. Fellow Broncos receiver Austin Pettis has a team-high eight touchdowns after he scored once against Hawaii. He now has a touchdown in all seven games ... Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore threw five touchdowns against the Warriors. He has 21 touchdowns to two interceptions in seven games.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Nevada vs. Hawaii. The Warriors are riding a five-game losing streak and a big reason for that has been the collapse of their defense. Hawaii has allowed 30 or more points in four games during the losing streak. Nevada is averaging 505.7 yards (2nd) and 35.1 points per game (10th) and should continue to roll up the yards in Week 9.
Unfavorable matchup: New Mexico State at Ohio State. Not only do the Aggies have to make the trek to Ohio, but waiting for them will be the nation's seventh best scoring defense (13.1 ppg). That doesn't bode well for a team that is averaging just 13.3 points per game (119th).