Erik Kuselias has been one of the leading Fantasy Football experts in the nation for over a decade. Most notably, while at ESPN (2003-2010) Kuselias was asked to create, host and lead ESPN’s first season long Fantasy football show “Fantasy Football Now.’ In its first season, the show was nominated and won ESPN’s First Fantasy Emmy, claiming honors for Outstanding New Show. With Kuselias, the show moved from an ESPN.com venture over to television garnering huge ratings on ESPN2, and “Fantasy Football Now” became one of the leading shows anywhere on fantasy football.

In 2011, Kuselias signed on with The Golf Channel to host “Morning Drive,” a daily talk show that covers golf as well as other sports. The show debuted on January 3, and can be seen from 7-9 AM ET.

This past year I was pleased to have Erik write my Fantasy Football Guide in this year’s Pro Football Preview. Today I am going to give you Erik’s Fantasy Rankings for Week 9.

Erik Kuselias’ NFL Fantasy Rankings Week 11

Surprise College Fantasy Players of the Week

Two years ago I started a weekly blog that included my surprise fantasy picks for each week of the college football season. Each week I picked the players that were flying under the radar and I am pleased that I finished my first year at a very successful 83-29-7 (74%). Last year I had another successful year with a winning week every week and an overal 103-45-17 (70%) record.

This year I will again be giving you the surprise fantasy picks each and every week in my Thursday daily blog and here are my picks for Week 10. Keep in mind you will not find players like Andrew Luck, Denard Robinson, LaMichael James or Justin Blackmon in my picks. These are strictly surprise picks of players who are flying under the radar. Last week I went 9-1 which was my best performance of the season! I am currently 68-34-10 (67%) on the picks so far this season and the last 5 weeks I am 38-11-1 (78%).

QUARTERBACKS:

My QB’s of the Week: Dan Persa, Northwestern and Ryan Aplin, Arkansas St

Dan Persa, Northwestern- A healthy Persa is off of a 372 yard, 4 TD performance a week ago against Rice and is a must use this week against a poor Minnesota secondary that is ranked #116 in my pass efficiency def rankings. My computer is calling for the Wildcats to surpass the 500 yd mark this week including 300+ in the air and I fully agree.

Ryan Aplin, Arkansas St- Aplin has been a solid dual-threat QB (leads team in rushing and passing) for the Red Wolves this year as they control their own destiny atop of the Sun Belt. When diagnosing Aplin’s season I noticed that he has posted 290+ total yards in 7 consecutive games with 17 TD’s (pass/rush) in that span. ASU gets another favorable matchup this weekend against a Middle Tennessee defense allowing 477 ypg at home in 2011.

RUNNING BACKS:

My RB’s of the week are: Cameron Marshall, Arizona St, Branden Oliver, Buffalo and Brandon Pendergrass, Wake Forest

Cameron Marshall, Arizona St- After being stymied for just 37 rush yards a week ago against Washington St (lowest since opener), Marshall is due to for another breakout performance this week against Arizona. The Wildcats are allowing 180 ypg rushing on the season and we benefited from those porous stats a week ago while using Colorado RB Rodney Stewart who had 181 yards and 3 TD’s despite being limited in the first half with a knee injury. Expect Marshall to surpass the 100 yard mark for the 4th time this season here while adding on to his already league-leading 14 rushing TD’s,

Branden Oliver, Buffalo- You are probably wondering why we would use a RB from a terrible 2-8 MAC team in our fantasy lineup this week. After analyzing the type of year that Oliver has put up and his matchup in front of him, there was no question that this looks promising. Oliver broke the 1,000 yard plateau a week ago against Eastern Michigan with his sixth 100 yard game of the season while contributing 36% of the Bulls offense in 2011. Akron comes to town this week allowing 407 ypg vs conf opponents this year and with my computers estimating Buffalo with 430+ yds, Oliver should deliver.

Brandon Pendergrass, Wake Forest- What has Brandon Pendergrass put up since the injury to Josh Harris 5 games ago? How about 403 of his 551 rushing yards on the season including 134 a week ago against a Clemson squad that came into the matchup allowing just 85 rush ypg at home vs conference opponents. Pendergrass is set up for another monster game here against a Maryland defense that has surrendered 256 ypg on the ground over their last 8 games.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

My WR’s of the week are: Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern and Rishard Matthews, Nevada

Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern- When you have a healthy Dan Persa you usually have a productive Jeremy Ebert as well and if last week’s 208 yard receiving performance is a glimpse of the rest of the year to come, then we should be in good shape here. Ebert has pushed past the 100 yard mark in 4 of the last 5 games and as mentioned in Persa’s writeup, gets a favorable matchup against a poor Minnesota defense this weekend.

Rishard Matthews, Nevada- Big game for Nevada this week as they continue to march for the WAC Title. The Pack’s biggest weapon in the passing game this season is Matthews who has surpassed the 100 yard receiving mark on 5 occasions in 2011 and is just 42 yards away from the 1,000 yard mark. My computer projections have Nevada putting up 303 yds in the air against La Tech on Saturday which should feature a good dose of Mr. Matthews.

DEFENSES:

My Top Defenses of the Week: Notre Dame, Air Force and Georgia

Notre Dame vs Boston College- The Eagles come into South Bend with some major offensive questions as despite a 404 yard performance against a poor Maryland defense, BC has mustered up just 248 ypg against Clemson, Va Tech, Florida St and NC State. My computer is calling for BC to put up just 203 yds here and I fully agree with that projection.

Air Force vs UNLV- Here’s my scenario with choosing the Falcons defense here: A few weeks ago Air Force surrendered just 223 total yards in a 42-0 win over New Mexico. The Lobos then took home their first win of the season a week ago against UNLV who now heads to Colorado Springs with their tail between their legs as they average just 229 yards away from home and are now making a 2nd consecutive road trip.

Georgia vs Kentucky- The Bulldogs have allowed 269 ypg or less in 6 of their L/8 games including just 196 against Auburn a week ago. The biggest factor in taking Georgia here is what Kentucky has done on the SEC road this year. How about mustering up just 462 yards total in 3 games this season or 154 ypg!!! Take the Dawgs here as they take a bite out of the powerless Cats.

UPSET OF THE WEEK:

Tennessee over Vanderbilt

The Vols are 12-1 vs the Commodores. LY UT dominated early jumping out to a 14-0 lead and appeared on their way to a rout but only won 24-10. LW the Vols were thrashed by Ark 49-7! It was true frosh Worley’s first career road start and he had a decent outing throwing for 208 yds (52%) but did have a costly int in the RZ just before HT and the rout was on in the 2H. The big question here will be if QB Bray (out L/5 gms w/broken thumb) will be able to go as he avg’d 316 ypg (66%) with a 14-2 ratio before the inj. Vandy continued their impressive ssn under 1st-yr HC Franklin with a dominating 38-8 (-13’) win over UK (largest margin in SEC win S/’71) as they outgained the Wildcats 410-211. QB Rodgers has been great and after completing just 40% of his passes in his 1st 2 gms w/significant action is avg 248 (60%) with a 5-1 ratio the L/3 gms. Vandy’s improved play TY and UT’s struggles will make this the first time UT will be a underdog at home and Tennessee is 19-1 the last 20 home finales. Both tms need a win if they want to go to the postssn and the series edges favor UT.

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Sneaky Plays for Week 12

CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Sneaky Plays – Week 12
By Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com

The 12th week of the college fantasy season is upon us and with it comes the second week of the playoffs in many leagues. Here is a look at some players who might fill in nicely for owners in need of a potential diamond in the rough for the second week of the fantasy playoffs.

Alex Gillett QB Eastern Michigan vs. Kent State:
Gillett had been having a disappointing fantasy season until that past two weeks, when he tallied 645 total yards and eight passing touchdowns. He seems to be turning it on at just the right time and could be a nice play this week against Kent State. Gillett does come with some risk, but the reward could be big for fantasy owners in the playoffs.

Tyler Tettleton QB Ohio vs. Bowling Green:
Tettleton has been a pleasant surprise to fantasy owners this season. He has accounted for 29 total scores on the season and has been consistent from week to week. This sophomore could find more success this week in a match up with Bowling Green. He seems like a decent bet to put up around 300 total yards and a couple of scores in Week 12.

Blake Bortles QB Central Florida vs. East Carolina:
Bortles appears to have wrestled the starting job away from Jeff Godfrey with his recent play. He played the entire second half last week against a tough Southern Miss defense and responded with almost 250 yards passing and two scores. Assuming he is the starter this week, Bortles could put up some nice numbers against East Carolina.

Connor Halliday QB Washington State vs. Utah:
This freshman came on in relief duty last week against Arizona State and went absolutely ballistic. He threw for 494 yards and four touchdowns against a usually tough Sun Devils defense. Halliday looked poised beyond his years and could be the future of Washington State football. It is unsure whether he will start this week or not, but he would make a nice option against Utah if so. Monitor the situation throughout the week to see what is going on and don’t be afraid to pull the trigger if Halliday is the starting QB in Week 12.
 
Brandon Pendergrass RB Wake Forest vs. Maryland:
Pendergrass has quietly produced 280 yards and four rushing touchdowns over the past three games for Wake Forest. His match up this week against Maryland is the stuff of which legends are made. The Terrapins can’t stop a wet paper bag, allowing over 230 yards per game on the ground and ranking 114th in the country. This Demon Deacon seems likely to post over 100 yards rushing and also find the end zone on a couple of occasions this week.

Kendial Lawrence RB Missouri vs. Texas Tech:
Lawrence stepped in for an injured Henry Josey last week against Texas and proceeded to churn out 106 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He looks to be the lead back now and has a tasty match up this week against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are abysmal at stopping the run and give up over 240 yards per game on average. He could be a huge boom this week and could easily top the 100 yard mark and score at least once.

Le’Veon Bell RB Michigan State vs. Indiana:
Bell has had a more predominate role in the offense the past two weeks and has responded with 108 yards per game and three rushing touchdowns over that span. He could be in store for a monumental performance this week against a pathetic Indiana rush defense that yields over 245 yards per game. Bell could score two or three touchdowns this week without even breaking a sweat. Ride this Spartan in Week 12.

Dionza Bradford RB UNLV vs. Air Force:
This freshman has taken over the UNLV backfield and has gone over 100 yards in three of the past four contests. He is getting a steady dose of carries and proving to be pretty consistent. Bradford could have a field day with an Air Force rush defense that struggles in a big way, ranking 111th in the nation. Look for Bradford to go over 100 yards once again and likely add at least one score.

Gerell Robinson WR Arizona State vs. Arizona:
Robinson has gone over 100 yards receiving in four of his last five games, including a 158 yard effort last week versus Washington State. He is the main target in an ever improving passing game and should finish the season strong. His match up this week is very enticing as Arizona is a sieve defensively, ranking 107th in the country against the pass. Fantasy owners could be smiling ear to ear after watching Robinson perform this week.

Jeremiah Ostrowski WR Hawaii vs. Fresno State:
Ostrowski has really stepped up the past two weeks with Royce Pollard being lost to injury. He has 16 receptions for 209 yards and two scores in those two games. While the loss of starting quarterback Bryant Moniz will hurt badly, Hawaii will still continue to throw the ball often; so Ostrowski can still be productive. The Fresno State pass defense has been very bad this year and will likely have a hard time stopping Ostrowski and the Hawaii pass offense.

Titus Davis WR Central Michigan vs. Toledo:
Davis has been great while filling in for the injured Cody Wilson the past two weeks. He has 302 yards and four touchdowns over that span and is one of the hottest wide outs in all of college fantasy football. Davis could excel again this week facing a Toledo defense that seemingly gets gauged every week. This could be another high scoring game, with both offenses having their way with things. The chances of Davis going over 100 yards for the third week in a row seem very, very good.

Malcolm Mitchell WR Georgia vs. Kentucky:
This freshman leads Georgia in receiving yards and that includes missing the past three games due to injury. He returned last week against Auburn and posted 85 yards and a score. Mitchell could find more success this week against a Kentucky secondary that may not be able to handle his big play ability. Look for another impressive outing from this stud freshman this week.
 
Jack Doyle TE Western Kentucky vs. North Texas:
Doyle catches a decent numbers of passes per game for the TE position, but he has yet to find the end zone this season. That could change this week against a North Texas secondary that gives up 287 yards passing per game and 23 touchdowns on the season. He is worth a shot this week.

Sneaky D’s:

Arizona State vs. Arizona
Utah State vs. Idaho
Arkansas State vs. Middle Tennessee
Wyoming vs. New Mexico
Wake Forest vs. Maryland
Florida vs. Furman
Auburn vs. Samford
Southern Miss vs. UAB

There you have it everyone, enjoy this week’s action and always remember to have fun playing college fantasy football. Good luck this week!

More…

For more college fantasy football information, visit CollegeFootballGeek.com:

• National Radio Show on SiriusXM
• Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
• Injury Reports
• Live Video Chats
• Player Rankings
• Sneaky Plays of the Week
• Waiver Wire Reports

CollegeFootballGeek.com is your home for 2011 college fantasy football content!  Draft kit, injury reports, player news, player projections, player rankings, mock drafts, community forums, and much more!

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Week 12 Player Rankings

Erik Kuselias has been one of the leading Fantasy Football experts in the nation for over a decade. Most notably, while at ESPN (2003-2010) Kuselias was asked to create, host and lead ESPN’s first season long Fantasy football show “Fantasy Football Now.’ In its first season, the show was nominated and won ESPN’s First Fantasy Emmy, claiming honors for Outstanding New Show. With Kuselias, the show moved from an ESPN.com venture over to television garnering huge ratings on ESPN2, and “Fantasy Football Now” became one of the leading shows anywhere on fantasy football.

In 2011, Kuselias signed on with The Golf Channel to host “Morning Drive,” a daily talk show that covers golf as well as other sports. The show debuted on January 3, and can be seen from 7-9 AM ET.

This past year I was pleased to have Erik write my Fantasy Football Guide in this year’s Pro Football Preview. Today I am going to give you Erik’s Fantasy Rankings for Week 9.

Erik Kuselias’ NFL Fantasy Rankings Week 9

Surprise College Fantasy Players of the Week

Two years ago I started a weekly blog that included my surprise fantasy picks for each week of the college football season. Each week I picked the players that were flying under the radar and I am pleased that I finished my first year at a very successful 83-29-7 (74%). Last year I had another successful year with a winning week every week and an overal 103-45-17 (70%) record.

This year I will again be giving you the surprise fantasy picks each and every week in my Thursday daily blog and here are my picks for Week 10. Keep in mind you will not find players like Andrew Luck, Denard Robinson, LaMichael James or Justin Blackmon in my picks. These are strictly surprise picks of players who are flying under the radar. Last week I went 6-3-1! I am currently 52-30-10 (63%) on the picks so far this season and the last 3 weeks I am 22-7-1 (76%).

QUARTERBACKS:

My QB’s of the Week: Nick Foles, Arizona and Braxton Miller, Ohio St

Nick Foles, Arizona-When you have an anemic running game that averages just 90 ypg, it’s no surprise that Foles is having the year that he’s been having in 2011. On the season he is averaging 366 ypg passing (70%) with a 20-8 ratio and is currently on pace to eclipse former Wash QB Cody Pickett’s ’02 conf mark of 343 ypg passing. My computer projects a 368 yd performance by Arizona this week vs Utah and I feel that he easily tops the 300 yd plateau here.

Braxton Miller, Ohio St-The Braxton Miller era is in full effect after LW’s heroics against Wisconsin as his dual-threat skills accumulated 188 yds of total offense and 3 TD’s (2 rush). After another suspension in the OSU backfield heading into this week and a very favorable matchup against Indiana in which my computer projects the Bucks to have 500 yds of offense, expect the young freshman to display his talents again here as he becomes the cornerstone of the OSU offense for years to come.

RUNNING BACKS:

My RB’s of the week are: Ronnie Hillman, San Diego St and Zach Line, SMU

Ronnie Hillman, San Diego St-Quick, how many of you saw Ronnie Hillman’s 99 yd TD run a week ago against Wyoming? After I picked my jaw up off of the floor I immediately looked at who they had on deck and whether it was a good fantasy matchup for him. Hillman ran for 224 yds while also adding 81 yds in the receiving area (3 total TD’s). With my computer forecasts the Aztecs with 258 yds on the ground vs a New Mexico defense that gives up 287 on the road, expect another big showing here.

Zach Line, SMU-What has Zach Line done so far in the 2011 season in an SMU offense that still passes on 60% of their snaps? Well after his 6th 100+ yard performance of the season a week ago vs Tulsa, Line is just 54 yds away from the 1,000 yard mark for the year. Line is also averaging nearly 6 yds a carry so he’s a safe choice here vs Tulane even if he doesn’t get a desired amount of carries.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

My WR’s of the week are: Juron Criner, Arizona and Royce Pollard, Hawaii

Juron Criner, Arizona-An appendectomy slowed this potential AA down early on but as the year as progressed, so has he. Criner has posted B2B 100 yard receiving games including 5 of his 8 TD’s in meetings vs UCLA and Washington. With the Arizona passing game hitting on all cylinders right now, a 3rd consecutive century mark in receiving yards should be in the offing.

Royce Pollard, Hawaii-After subpar performances against San Jose St and New Mexico St, Pollard broke out again a week ago against Idaho pulling in 10 receptions for 151 yards. My computer has the Warriors projected for 355 yards in the air over Utah St this week, which should give Pollard an opportunity to put together another strong showing.

DEFENSES:

My Top Defenses of the Week: San Diego St, SMU, Tennessee and Michigan St

San Diego St vs New Mexico-Aztec HC Rocky Long gets another crack at his former team here. Despite SDSt allowing 400+ yds in each of their last 6 gms TY, I am looking more at the miniscule numbers that the Lobos have been able to put together on the road this year as they have mustered up just 213 ypg while averaging just 3 ppg.

SMU vs Tulane-The Mustangs have allowed just 297 ypg in Dallas this season while the Green Wave have posted just 266 and 199 yd performances in their last 2 road trips against ECU and Army. My forecast calls for Tulane to put up just 8 pts and 266 yds as SMU gets an easy win.

Tennessee vs Middle Tennessee-The Vols need wins any way they can get them to become bowl eligible which has me thinking that the defense will dominate here despite going up against a Sun Belt opponent in the midst of their SEC schedule. Middle Tenn is projected for just 12 pts and 320 yds in my computer rankings as the Vols flex their muscles early and often here.

Michigan St vs Minnesota-The Gophers are likely still in post-celebration mode after their upset of Iowa while the Spartans are off a stinging loss to Nebraska. When looking closer and Michigan St’s defensive numbers a week ago you will notice that Sparty allowed just 270 total yds as they were done in by their offensive woes. MSU is allowing just 222 ypg and I am wondering if the Gophers will even surpass 150.

UPSET OF THE WEEK:

Iowa over Michigan

57th meeting and Iowa has never beaten UM 3 str times. Iowa is 4-8 in series but UM has dropped 2 of their L/3 trips to Iowa City incl ‘09 (28-30) when they were -4 in TO’s (-8 L2Y). LY UI led UM 35-14 early 4Q holding on for the win despite being outFD’d (-8) and outgained (-139) but did have a 4-0 TO edge. Vanilla Hawks D has traditionally struggled vs mobile QB’s (ssn’s worst pts and yd ttls vs ISU, NW and Indy TY) with Minny QB Gray running for 2 crucial 4Q 4D conversions including the gm winning TD with 2:48 left LW. The Hawks had 21-15 FD and 446-371 yd edges but missed 2 FG’s and fmbl’d at the UM14 ruining RB Coker’s huge gm (252, 7.9). UM dominated PU scoring 36 straight pts and finishing with a 535-311 yd edge. QB D-Rob (178, 55%, 11-11, 825 rush) may’ve found a RB who can share the rush load as Toussaint had 170 (8.5) vs the Boilers. Wolves are #1 B10 in rush D in conf play allowing 121 ypg (4.1). Hawks have a huge ST edge (#23-111) and are 59-12 at home since 2001.

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Sneaky Plays for Week 10

CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Sneaky Plays – Week 10
By Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com

A very interesting Week Nine is in the books and now it is time to look ahead to the tenth week of college fantasy football and the “sneaky” plays it has in store for fantasy owners. Here is a look at some players who might fill in nicely for owners in need of a potential diamond in the rough.

QUARTERBACKS

Tino Sunseri QB Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati:
Sunseri has been a major disappointment this season, but finally out together the type of performance fantasy owners were expecting last week against Uconn. He racked up 459 total yards and three scores in his best outing on the year. This junior may be called upon to do even more going forward with star tailback Ray Graham being out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. He will be facing a porous Cincinnati pass defense that yields an average of 285 yards per game through the air; so good numbers can be expected from this Panther in Week Ten.

Colby Cameron Louisiana Tech vs. Fresno State:
Cameron got the start last week against San Jose State and responded with a solid effort. He accounted for 286 total yards and two scores and showed he can make plays with his feet with 49 yards rushing. This junior could find more success this week against a shaky Fresno State secondary. Cameron definitely has good upside this week and could help fantasy owners in deep leagues.

Matt Faulkner QB San Jose State vs. Idaho:
Faulkner has 300 plus yard passing games in three of his last four games, including 327 yards and three scores last week versus Louisiana Tech. He has thrown a ton of interceptions to go with all the yardage, but fantasy owners have to take the good with the bad. The Idaho pass defense gives up 280 yards per game, so Faulkner could have a big day yardage wise.

Jared Barnett QB Iowa State vs. Kansas:
It’s not often that two Iowa State players are enticing fantasy options, but this week appears to be just that time. Barnett showed off his running ability last week against Texas Tech with 92 yards and touchdown on the ground. He could be in line for a gaudy stat line against the pathetic Kansas defense that ranks dead last in the country in total defense and gives up over 550 yards per game. Roll with this Cyclone freshman this week.

RUNNING BACKS

Tyler Smith Rice vs. UTEP:
Smith had an absolutely gigantic performance last week versus Houston in which he accumulated 243 total yards and three total scores. He is a speedy playmaker who is getting better week-by-week. Smith could enjoy another banner day this week against a weak UTEP rush defense that ranks 87th in the nation against the run. Look for more impressive numbers out of Smith in Week Ten.

Curtis McNeal RB USC vs. Colorado:
It appears to be McNeal’s time to be the lead Trojan back as he has three straight quality outings including a 145 yard and two score effort last week against Stanford. Fantasy owners have to his chances this week against a poor Colorado defense that may have no answer for the Trojans offense. The chances are good that McNeil will top the 100-yard mark again this week with at least one trip to the end zone.

Roy Finch RB Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M:
Finch was expected to be a big contributor in the Oklahoma backfield this season, but was beaten out for the starting job by Dominique Whaley. Whaley is out for the rest of the season with an injury and Finch has stepped in nicely over the past two games. He is a good pass catcher out of the backfield and has shown that he is very capable of posting excellent fantasy numbers. Finch could have a nice game this week against Texas A&M in what could be a very explosive affair. Fantasy owners should not be afraid to hitch their proverbial wagons to this young Sooner.
 
James White RB Iowa State vs. Kansas:
This freshman has taken the reigns of the Iowa State backfield and run with them. He is coming off an impressive 31-carry game in which he netted 138 yards and a touchdown. White could be in store for a huge performance this week against the pathetic Kansas defense. The Cyclones should have no problem pummeling Kansas on the ground and White has a high ceiling this week. Anything less than 120 yards and a score would be under whelming for White this weekend.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS

Tommy Streeter WR Miami vs. Duke:
Streeter has become the go to receiver for Miami and has seven touchdown receptions over the past six games. He is a devastating deep threat who uses his big frame to come down with the jump balls. Fantasy owners may be salivating at the though of Streeter facing a Duke secondary that gets lit up on a regular basis. Streeter should be good for at least one deep touchdown catch this week and likely to hit the 100-yard mark as well.

Terrance Williams WR Baylor vs. Missouri:
Williams is averaging 8 receptions for 150 yards and a score over his past two games. He has developed into an important part of the Bears high-powered passing game and is targeted often by Robert Griffin. The 94th ranked Missouri pass defense is up next for Williams and could prove fruitful for savvy fantasy owners. Williams is a decent bet to top 100 yards receiving for the third straight game this Saturday.

Jared Abbrederis WR Wisconsin vs. Purdue:
Abbrederis has quietly put together a five game stretch in which he has 26 receptions for 463 yards and four scores. He is clearly becoming the focus of the Wisconsin passing game and the favorite target of Russell Wilson. The chances are pretty good that Abbrederis will continue his productive ways this week against Purdue. This Badger could be a very useful option this week, especially in BCS only leagues.

Jaz Reynolds WR Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M:
Reynolds has clearly become a viable option in the high powered Oklahoma passing attack, with 140 yards and three scores in the past two games. He has an awesome match up this week with the worst pass defense in the country in Texas A&M on the docket. Look for another trip to pay dirt for Reynolds and a decent yardage total. He makes for a solid #3 WR in BCS only leagues this week.
 
Ryan Griffin TE Connecticut vs. Syracuse:
Griffin is hauling in about 4 receptions per game and is posting decent yardage totals for the TE position. He could do some damage this week against a Syracuse secondary that ranks 111th in the country against the pass.

SNEAKY D’S

Florida State vs. Boston College
USC vs. Colorado
Georgia vs. New Mexico State
Iowa State vs. Kansas
Houston vs. UAB
Tennessee vs. Middle Tennessee State
Mississippi State vs. Tennessee Martin
San Diego State vs. New Mexico

There you have it everyone, enjoy this week’s action and always remember to have fun playing college fantasy football. Good luck this week!

More…

For more college fantasy football information, visit CollegeFootballGeek.com:

• National Radio Show on SiriusXM
• Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
• Injury Reports
• Live Video Chats
• Player Rankings
• Sneaky Plays of the Week
• Waiver Wire Reports

CollegeFootballGeek.com is your home for 2011 college fantasy football content!  Draft kit, injury reports, player news, player projections, player rankings, mock drafts, community forums, and much more!

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Week 10 Player Rankings

Erik Kuselias has been one of the leading Fantasy Football experts in the nation for over a decade. Most notably, while at ESPN (2003-2010) Kuselias was asked to create, host and lead ESPN’s first season long Fantasy football show “Fantasy Football Now.’ In its first season, the show was nominated and won ESPN’s First Fantasy Emmy, claiming honors for Outstanding New Show. With Kuselias, the show moved from an ESPN.com venture over to television garnering huge ratings on ESPN2, and “Fantasy Football Now” became one of the leading shows anywhere on fantasy football.

In 2011, Kuselias signed on with The Golf Channel to host “Morning Drive,” a daily talk show that covers golf as well as other sports. The show debuted on January 3, and can be seen from 7-9 AM ET.

This past year I was pleased to have Erik write my Fantasy Football Guide in this year’s Pro Football Preview. Today I am going to give you Erik’s Fantasy Rankings for Week 1.

Erik Kuselias NFL Fantasy Rankings: Week 1

Surprise College Fantasy Players of the Week

Two years ago I started a weekly blog that included my surprise fantasy picks for each week of the college football season. Each week I picked the players that were flying under the radar and I am pleased that I finished my first year at a very successful 83-29-7 (74%). Last year I had another successful year with a winning week every week and an overal 103-45-17 (70%) record.

This year I will again be giving you the surprise fantasy picks each and every week in my Thursday daily blog and here are my picks for Week 1. Keep in mind you will not find players like Andrew Luck, Denard Robinson, LaMichael James or Justin Blackmon in my picks. These are strictly surprise picks of players who are flying under the radar. Last week was a disappointing 3-6-1 start to the season but hope to rebound in a big way this week.

QUARTERBACKS:

My QB’s of the Week: Ryan Aplin, Arkansas St, Zach Collaros, Cincinnati and Bryn Renner, North Carolina

Ryan Aplin, Arkansas St-Aplin is one of the more underrated QB’s in the country and last year threw for 2,939 yds (61.5%) with a 21-11 ratio. His is throwing to my #1 set of WR’s in the Sun Belt and will be going against a defense that allowed 645 yards last week in Memphis. My computer projects 348 yards passing for Arkansas St and they should be able to win comfortably as Aplin puts up his best numbers of the young season.

Zach Collaros, Cincinnati-Last year expectations were high for Collaros and Cincinnati but they had a very disappointing 4-8 season although Collaros did throw for 2,902 yds (58.7%) with a 26-14 ratio and added 202 rush yds with 4 td’s. Last week the Bearcat offense looked like it was back to its 2007-2009 form with 72 points against Austin Peay. This week they take on a Tennessee defense that is depth-shy and my computer is calling for the Bearcats to have nearly 400 yards of offense and 30 points which gives them a shot at the upset and Collaros will be no doubt be leading the way.

Bryn Renner, North Carolina-In his first career start last week Renner passed for 277 yds and set an ACC record for completion percentage completing 22 of 23 passes. This week he takes on an underachieving Rutgers defense and my computer calls for 293 pass yds this week would be a new career-high and this time against an FBS defense (last week played James Madison).

RUNNING BACKS:

My RB’s of the week are: Bobby Rainey, WKU, David Wilson, Virginia Tech and Bernard Pierce, Temple

Bobby Rainey, WKU-Rainey is coming off a 105 yd (3.8) effort last week vs an SEC defense and last year ran for 1,649 (4.8). This week he is going up against a Navy defense that allowed 220 rush yds to Delaware last week and it would not surprise me if Rainey would top the 100-yd mark yet again.

David Wilson, Virginia Tech-After VT had a very talented and deep RB corps last year Wilson will not have to share as many carries and last week ran for 162 yds (10.1) and 3 td’s. This week he goes against an East Carolina defense that allowed 220 rush yds (5.5) to South Carolina. Look for Wilson to have another great outing.

Bernard Pierce, Temple-Pierce had a disappointing 2010 season but returned to form last week with 147 rush yds (7.4) and ran for 3 TD’s. Last week the Akron defense allowed 517 yards to an Ohio St offense that was playing without their top QB, RB and WR from last year. My computer calls for nearly 200 rush yards for the Owls which means Pierce should have a solid shot at topping the 100-yd mark.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

My WR’s of the week are: Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech and Marquess Wilson, Washington St

Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech-In my preseason magazine I wrote that Davis should have a breakout year and all he did was explode for 140 yards (46.7!) and 2 td’s in the opener. This week he goes up against an East Carolina pass defense that was one of the weakest defenses in the country finishing #101 in my pass defense rankings last year. Last week East Carolina allowed 56 points and I think Davis could rack up another 100-yd effort this week.

Marquess Wilson, Washington St-Wilson continued where he left off from his frosh campaign where he had 1,006 yds receiving (18.3) and 6 td’s with 91 yds (22.8) and a td last week. This week he goes against a UNLV defense that finished #114 in my pass defense rankings last year and was burned for 258 yds last week vs run-oriented Wisconsin. My computer calls for 300 yards passing for the Cougars and if that happens look for Wilson to top the century mark.

DEFENSES:

My Top Defenses of the Week: UCLA and USF

UCLA vs San Jose St-Last week the Bruins gave up 38 points and 469 yards to the high-powered Houston offense but this week jump way down in competition as they face a San Jose St team that mustered only 3 points and 237 yards against Stanford last week. My computer calls for just 10 points and 228 yards allowed, which would mark significant improvement for a Bruin team that desperately needs a win.

USF vs Ball St-Yes, USF got the win vs Notre Dame last week but their defense did allow 508 yards. Give them credit for forcing 5 TO’s though and this week they face a Ball St team that is fresh off an upset win over Indiana while rushing for 210 yds (4.6). My computer calls for just 10 points and 253 yards for Ball St.

UPSET OF THE WEEK: 5-1 run! Lost LW by a single point BYU 14-13 over Ole Miss

Georgia over South Carolina

SC beat UGA at Williams-Brice Stadium for the 1st time S/’00 LY, 17-6. RB Lattimore rushed for 182 yds (4.9) and 2 TD for SC and UGA WR Green missed the gm (susp). Spurrier said of UGA DC Grantham who came from the NFL, “that little inside zone play, the NFL doesn’t run that play. That’s a new little scheme for Grantham I guess.” SC did have a 228-73 yd edge at half but UGA, down by 1 TD, also fmbl’d at the SC1. UGA HC Richt’s seat is as hot as ever after LW’s 35-21 loss to Boise where the UGA defense was carved up by QB Moore. SC fell behind EC early LW 17-0 as QB Shaw got the start but he was relieved by LY’s starter Garcia who ran for 2 TD’s and threw for another in the 56-37 win. Taking away an odd 41-37 score in ‘09, these two teams’ other 12 recent matchups have been by an avg score of UGA 16-11. Georgia is my pick to win the SEC and Richt is 7-3 in this series (4-2 vs Spurrier) and desperately needs a win.

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Sneaky Plays for Week 2

CollegeFootballGeek.com’s Sneaky Plays – Week 2
By Kevin Mount, CollegeFootballGeek.com

A very interesting Week One is in the books and it is now time to look ahead to the second week of the college football season and the “sneaky” plays it has in store for fantasy owners. Here is a look at some guys who might fill in nicely for owners in need of a potential diamond in the rough.

Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin vs. Oregon State: Wilson showed why Badger fans are so excited to have him under center last week as he lit up UNLV for roughly 320 total yards and three scores. With the potent rushing attack that Wisconsin possesses, it is very likely that Wilson will have plenty of open passing lanes all season long. He could have a huge game against an Oregon State pass defense that gave up almost 300 yards passing and four scores to Sacramento State. Look for Wilson to be very efficient once again this week and post starting fantasy numbers.

Kriss Proctor QB Navy vs. Western Kentucky: Proctor looks like he is the next great option quarterback to lead the Navy offense. He accounted for 176 yards on the ground and three scores last week against Delaware and looked very comfortable running the offense. This week he has another good match up against Western Kentucky and could have his second straight stellar stat line. He could easily hit the century mark on the ground again and add a score or two.

Brett Smith QB Wyoming vs. Texas State: This true freshman looked tremendous in his first start as he accounted for over 330 total yards and four scores against Weber State last week. He has a shot to have another solid fantasy game this week against a Texas State team that gave up almost 350 yards and four touchdowns to Texas Tech in Week one. Smith could make for an interesting start when the match up is right.

Zach Maynard QB Cal vs. Colorado: The transfer from Buffalo had a solid debut for Cal as he tallied over 300 total yards and two scores against Fresno State last week. He has two big play receivers in Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen and showed that he can pick up some yardage on the ground when needed. This week’s game versus Colorado should be a good opportunity to post quality fantasy numbers and another 300 total yard game is within reason.

Running Backs

Kevin Parks RB Virginia vs. Indiana: This freshman showed what he could do right off the bat by rushing for 114 yards and adding three scores against William & Mary. He is technically number two on the depth chart to Perry Jones, but should see a good amount of carries each week for Virginia. He has a tasty match up this week against an Indiana rush defense that gave up over 200 yards to Ball State last week. He could be heavily involved again in Week two and may find the end zone a couple of more times. Fantasy owners might have a nice find in Parks and can use him against weaker defenses.

Branden Oliver RB Buffalo vs. Stony Brook: Oliver was a workhorse for Buffalo against Pittsburgh as he toted the rock a whopping 35 times. While he didn’t post great numbers, the fact that he got 35 carries is more than enough to intrigue fantasy owners. He could post big numbers this week against Stony Brook if he is given a steady dose of carries once again. Assuming he is the main ball carrier again, expect to see another 100-yard effort with one or two scores mixed in.

Chris Rainey RB Florida vs. UAB: Fantasy owners have been waiting for Rainey to explode for seemingly forever, and this just may be the year. He looked great in Week one against FAU as both a runner and receiver, accounting for 146 total yards and three scores. Rainey appears very comfortable in the Florida offense and could post gaudy numbers if he can stay healthy. Fantasy owners should be salivating at the thought of what he might do this week against UAB. Start him this week and enjoy the show.

Lyle McCombs RB Connecticut vs. Vanderbilt: This freshman took the ball and ran in his first start against Fordham, churning out 141 yards and four scores on the ground. He may have to share some carries with DJ Shoemate when he returns from a sprained ankle, but that may not be a concern with how good McCombs looked in Week One. He should see plenty of carries this week against a suspect Vanderbilt defense and could easily top the 100-yard plateau once again. Ride the hot hand in McCombs until he cools off.

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends

Jarius Wright WR Arkansas vs. New Mexico: Wright has shown flashes of his ability in his time at Arkansas, but has never been the main target. While the ball will always be spread around at Arkansas, he seems to be a favorite of Tyler Wilson and could post nice numbers this season. There should be many opportunities for big plays against an overmatched New Mexico pass defense this week. Look for Wright to have another solid effort this Saturday.

Marvin Jones/Keenan Allen WR Cal vs. Colorado: Both Jones and Allen had impressive games last week against Fresno State. Jones went for 118 yards and two scores, while Allen totaled 112 yards through the air. These two could provide many big plays for fantasy owners this year and in Week two against Colorado. Look for both wide outs to continue to establish a rapport with QB Zach Maynard and post solid fantasy numbers against a suspect Colorado secondary.

Josh Boyce WR TCU vs. Air Force: This sophomore was targeted early and often in Week one against Baylor. He hauled in 9 receptions for 96 yards and a score and was clearly the favorite target of Casey Pachall. Boyce should be the focal point of the TCU passing attack and will have to deliver against a stingy Air Force pass defense. Look for another productive game from Boyce this week in a hard fought game with Air Force.

Marcus Davis WR Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina: This junior has great physical skills and might be starting to put it all together. He has been working well with QB Logan Thomas and appears to be ready to take his game to the next level. He exploded for 140 yards and two scores last week against Appalachian State and could build upon that this week against East Carolina. The East Carolina pass defense is not good and could be shredded by Davis and the other Hokies receivers. Look for Davis to catch at least one deep ball this week against ECU.

Jake Stoneburner TE Ohio State vs. Toledo: This talented junior had a monster game in Week one hauling in three touchdowns and leading the team with four receptions. With Ohio State breaking in a new starting quarterback, Stoneburner will likely be leaned on often and used as a safety valve in the passing game. Look for this Buckeye to be a consistent performer and post excellent fantasy numbers for the TE position. He is an excellent play in Week two against Toledo.

Sneaky Play Defenses

Illinois vs. South Dakota State
Michigan State vs. FAU
Pittsburgh vs. Maine
West Virginia vs. Norfolk State
Clemson vs. Wofford
Minnesota vs. New Mexico State
Northwestern vs. Eastern Illinois
Syracuse vs. Rhode Island
Ole Miss vs. Southern Illinois
Wyoming vs. Texas State
Arkansas vs. New Mexico
UCLA vs. San Jose State

There you have it everyone, enjoy this week’s action and always remember to have fun playing college fantasy football. Good luck this week!

More…

For more college fantasy football information, visit CollegeFootballGeek.com:

• Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
• Injury Reports
• Player Stock Reports
• Player Rankings
• Sneaky Plays of the Week
• Waiver Wire Reports

CollegeFootballGeek.com is your home for 2011 college fantasy football content!  Draft kit, injury reports, player news, player projections, player rankings, mock drafts, community forums, and much more!

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Week 2 Player Rankings

The NFL Magazine was sent off to the press and we expect to start shipping the magazines on August 16th. Naturally the NFL lockout this year delayed the release of the magazine but I do believe it will be the most accurate and in-depth NFL magazine on the market as we have included all the recent free agent moves.

You should be able to find my NFL Magazine on the newsstands in late August. However, with this being just the 3rd year I have put the magazine on the newsstands it will only have about half of the distribution that my College Magazine has. If you cannot find my Pro Football Preview anywhere near you, try ordering thru the PhilSteele.com store or call our offices at 1-866-918-7711. The cost is just $12.70 (includes priority shipping) and we will ship it out of our offices within 24 hours unless ordered on the weekend and in that case it will get shipped 1st thing on Monday.

Unlike the College magazine where I write each of the 120 team previews myself, the NFL magazine was written by others including a special fantasy writer from a popular Emmy-Award winning web based show.

Erik Kuselias has been one of the leading Fantasy Football experts in the nation for over a decade. Most notably, while at ESPN (2003-2010) Kuselias was asked to create, host and lead ESPN’s first season long Fantasy football show “Fantasy Football Now.’ In its first season, the show was nominated and won ESPN’s First Fantasy Emmy, claiming honors for Outstanding New Show. With Kuselias, the show moved from an ESPN.com venture over to television garnering huge ratings on ESPN2, and “Fantasy Football Now” became one of the leading shows anywhere on fantasy football.

In 2011, Kuselias signed on with The Golf Channel to host “Morning Drive,” a daily talk show that covers golf as well as other sports. The show debuted on January 3, and can be seen from 7-9 AM ET.

Today I am going to give you a sneak peak at this year’s expanded fantasy section. Below are my Top 45 Fantasy Quarterbacks for 2011. Also below is unique view of Erik’s Fantasy preview of last year’s Super Bowl participants Green Bay and Pittsburgh included with position-by-position write-ups, Crazy Notes, Depth Charts, Stats, Schedule and a play-by-play of all their red zone opportunities!

This year’s magazine is 288 pages which is considerably thicker than most NFL magazines out there. If you are looking to order your copy of the 2011 NFL Preview and Fantasy Football Guide you can order now for just $12.70 (includes S&H) and you can also receive another NFL Magazine shipped to the same address for only $5.00 more.

Order Now PhilSteele.com Store!!!

Download FREE NFL and Fantasy Pages!

Only 21 Days Until the First College Football Game!!!

A special thanks to our friends at CollegeFootballGeek.com for providing us with their Sneak Plays for Week 11.

Do you need roster help this weekend, but missed out on the hot waiver wire pick ups?  Here are some sneaky, under-the-radar players who have favorable matchups this week.

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins QB Michigan State vs. Purdue: 
This Spartan is coming off his best game of the season last week when he threw for 352 yards and 2 scores versus Western Michigan. This week he gets to participate in what should be a shoot out with the Boiler Makers of Purdue. The Spartans should be able to exploit the Purdue secondary early and often.

Chris Todd QB Auburn vs. Georgia: 
While not a weekly fantasy starter, this senior quarterback has proven to be very good with the right match up. He has a very favorable tilt this week against a porous Bulldog defense. The Tigers should be able to move the ball easily down the field and Todd should put up some nice fantasy numbers.

Sean Canfield QB Oregon State vs. Washington: 
This Beaver makes another appearance on the list this week. He has been on fire as of late and is coming off a huge game against Cal last week. With a putrid Huskies defense which ranks 111th against the pass on the docket, Canfield should be a lock for 300 and 2 touchdowns

Running Backs

Ryan Houston RB North Carolina vs. Miami: 
This bruising tail back is now the starter for the Tar Heels after the season ending injury to Shaun Draughn. In his new role last week, Houston rumbled all over Duke to the tune of 37 carries for 164 yards. I would expect UNC to use this kid as battering ram all day long against the Hurricanes.  He makes a good choice for a #2 running back in Week 11.

Jermaine Thomas RB Florida State vs. Wake Forest:  
This talented sophomore has been on a nice run with 305 yards and 3 scores in his last 2 games. This week he may see even more work as the Seminoles look to replace starting quarterback Christian Ponder who is out for the season. Now he gets to take his shot against the 91st ranked rush defense of the Demon Deacons. I love this kid this week and expect a big outing.

Montee Ball RB Wisconsin vs. Michigan: 
A highly touted freshman, Ball is fresh off his best game as a collegian. With starting running back John Clay out for the second half of the game last week, the Badgers didn’t miss a beat as Montee toted the ball for 115 yards and 2 scores. Regardless of whether Clay plays this week or not, Ball should have no problem putting up nice numbers against a lousy Michigan defense.

Wide Receiver

Derek Moye WR Penn State vs. Indiana: 
Before getting shut out against Ohio State, this Nittany Lion is on a tear with 3 straight games of 6 receptions and 2 scores. With the 103rd ranked pass defense of the Hoosiers coming to Happy Valley, Moye should continue to build upon his recent success. I look for a bounce back effort out of Penn State and Moye should be a big part of it.

Tight End

Joe Halahuni TE Oregon State vs. Washington: 
With the tight end position being so thin, it is a blessing to find one that might actually produce. This Beaver has had over 120 yards receiving in 2 of his last 3 games. Now he gets the benefit of playing against Washington and their 111th ranked pass defense. You can do much worse than this sophomore this week.

Week 11 Sneaky Defenses:

Minnesota vs. South Dakota State

Army vs. VMI
Navy vs. Delaware

UCLA vs. Washington State

More…

For more college fantasy football information, visit CollegeFootballGeek.com:

•    Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
•    Injury Reports
•    Player Stock Reports
•    Player Rankings
•    Top Fantasy Games of the Week
•    Sneaky Plays of the Week
•    Waiver Wire Report

NFL Fantasy Football drafts are approaching. If you are in a Fantasy Football league it is time to do your homework! My NFL magazine has SIX full pages on every NFL team and has more information in than any other NFL magazine. You can see a sample of the 6 full pages we provide on each team. Here is this year’s Pittsburgh Steelers section.

Since this is the first year of the expanded NFL magazine being sold on the newsstands, it is only in about 10% of the spots that my college magazine is in. Your best bet for ordering my NFL magazine, which is 240 pages, is to go to the PhilSteele.com store and it is just $6.99 plus shipping.

The NFL magazine has 13 pages on Fantasy Football in it and today I will let you print off those pages for FREE!! Get ready for your NFL Fantasy Football draft today and do it for free.