Feast or Famine: Without a Voice

September 8th, 2008 by John Huss

Being at the UCF game against USF was a roller coaster of emotion and proof that not everything ends happily ever after. Unless of course you are a Bulls fan happy to escape the Dungeon with a W. The last 2 minutes of regulation is about the time that I lost my voice. I’m not sure if the team could hear me cheering, but I’m sure those around me (the ones that didn’t give up hope and leave early) were glad to hear my screams die. Of course, I didn’t let strained vocal cords stop me as I stomped on those bleachers with abandon.

With that as the backdrop, I will look this week at likely free agent QBs that came into this season will little noise or fanfare but are playing loud and clear right now. Just in case, I’ve paired them up with their bleacher stompin’ outlets at WR or TE. Depending on your roster needs, all of these names are worthwhile looks for roster depth.

Arkansas: QB Casey Dick and TE D.J. Williams – Whether it be the Bobby Petrino factor or senior poise, Casey Dick (left, Icon SMII) has put up back to back solid outings. It hasn’t come against the stiffest of competition but 300+ yards and 2 TDs in each game is nothing to ignore. One other reason to be optimistic is the emergence of sophomore TE D.J. Williams (169 yards, 2 TDs). Williams was the #40 TE based on preseason rankings but is playing above those expectations.

Memphis: QB Akerlon Hall and WR Maurice Jones – Hall came into the season ranked a bit higher than most by our Daniel Freer. Even then, he didn’t have much buzz surrounding him in drafts. This is an offense that put up 3,200 yards and 25 TDs from the QB position last year. So far in 2008, Hall is right on pace to at least match those numbers. Now tack on that Memphis plays in CUSA and you realize those soft defenses could open the door to even better stats. Helping the cause is a stable of WRs with the least likely name coming up as the primary target thus far. Senior Maurice Jones offers a 6’4″ target for Hall and has tallied 234 yards and 3 scores in two games. Since everyone expected Carlos Singleton or Duke Calhoun to be the main guys, you’ll find Jones available on every waiver wire.

UAB: QB Joseph Webb and WR Frantrell Forrest – While we are talking about CUSA, let’s look at a couple of gems on a team that will find it hard to rack up W’s. In previous years, Webb was a jack of all trades, being used as a passer, runner and receiver for this offense. Now he takes snaps from under center and is a dual threat caliber QB. After two games, he has 495 yards passing and 4 scores. He also leads his team in rushing with 202 yards. I agree its hard to fathom picking up Webb, however those numbers offer an interesting mix of talent that can’t be ignored. Aiding the cause has been the performance of his 6’2″ main target, Frantrell Forrest. Forrest had a big game against FAU with 11 receptions for 149 yards and a TD. His first game didn’t offer much in the way of yards but he did score a TD in that game also.

San Diego St: QB Ryan Lindley and QB Darren Mougey – Last season, this team became known for passing yards but not big TD totals. So far, Lindley is doing his part to change that perception. Even if you throw out the first game against Cal Poly, he didn’t embarrass himself against Notre Dame this past weekend. Oddly enough, the man benefiting from Lindley being under center is a guy listed on the depth charts at QB. Darren Mougey may be listed at QB, however he’s compiled 141 yards and a TD to lead his team at WR (5 catches, 97 yards and the TD against ND). Keep an eye on these two and see if this tandem continues to improve. If so, they may be worthwhile for spot starts once in conference play.

Western Michigan: QB Tim Hillier and TE Branden Ledbetter/WR Jamarko Simmons – For the last two years, these guys have been on the cusp of fantasy usefulness. Each year, the end result was like eating a ricecake. You weren’t exactly hungry anymore but unsure if it was because you were full or because you were disgusted that you just ate a ricecake. Both Ledbetter and Simmons were ranked decently by us but may have been names people passed on based of previous seasons. So far, Hillier has put up 528 yards with 5 TDs. He’s on pace for about the same yardage but his TD total could top 30. That improvement is a combination of experience throwing to these two players along with a soft schedule. Expect all three players to finally feed your hunger for fantasy stats and consider them for your roster.

Not to ignore the RBs of the fantasy world, here are a few names that have become more intriguing:

RB Clifford Harris, Duke – With Duke putting a decent focus on the running game, Harris has become worth looking at in smaller leagues.

RB Derrick Washington, Mizzou – Washington was ranked #86 preseason. However, he seems to have a spot in this offense and is putting up nice numbers.

RB Vai Taua, Nevada – If Lipponcott is out, this sophomore is worth a pickup.