The biggest breakouts (and disappointments) in college fantasy football from the first half

The biggest breakouts (and disappointments) in college fantasy football from the first half

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We’ve crossed the eight-week mark of the college fantasy season, with numerous players overperforming and underperforming their respective draft positions. Here is an accounting of the biggest breakouts and disappointments up to this point in the 2026 campaign. 

Hawkins has been a modern-day Pat White for the Rich Rod V. 2.0 Mountaineers after transferring over from Oklahoma. He is averaging a P4-leading 34.94 points per game, which is a full 5.0+ points more than the second-highest scoring QB (Ashton Daniels). His impact in four-point passing touchdown leagues cannot be overstated, as he is leading the nation with 16 rushing touchdowns on a gaudy 38% rushing share. There are flaws in his passing profile, as Hawkins is completing just 56.6% of his passes and lacks the raw arm strength to use the full field, completing just three-of-12 passes to the sideline. But his dynamic running ability and opportunistic, big-play-oriented passing acumen make Hawkins the top college fantasy quarterback through the first eight weeks. 

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If it weren’t for Hawkins’ ascension to 35-PPG superstar, this column would have been led by FSU dual-threat Ashton Daniels and his 11 rushing touchdowns.

Wins and losses aside, Daniels is the only other P4 QB who is averaging 30+ PPG and has scored 19+ points in every game this season, including scoring 35+ points in three of his last five … Louisville QB6 Lincoln Kienholz is the best blend of passing and running of the top signal callers, having thrown for 300+ yards four times, while running for 40+ yards in five-of-seven games this year with 10 rushing touchdowns … The ACC has been a quarterback honey hole this year, with UNC-to-Wake Forest transfer QB4 Gio Lopez also taking a leap in production. He’s been lethal when kept clean, completing 75% of his pass attempts with a 12-0 ratio when operating without pressure. He has scored 30+ points in three straight games and has a very appealing stretch of games against UVA, Memphis, at SMU and at Georgia Tech coming up. 

When the No. 1 overall quarterback checks in at 41st overall among P4 quarterbacks with 18.6 points per game, it’s hard to call that anything but a profound disappointment. Arch is well off his 25.9 PPG pace from last season, as Texas has struggled to find passing game continuity. He is barely running anymore, having cleared 25+ rushing yards just merienda all season with just two rushing touchdowns that both came last weekend against Ole Miss. Somehow Texas has played just one true road game, with Arch having a 5-to-5 ratio with 15 sacks in four SEC contests. It will be interesting to see how he fares when travelling to LSU, Missouri and Texas A&M down the stretch. Manning has been removed from the Yahoo “Can’t Cut” list and is purely a matchup-based starter over the final five weeks. 

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Oklahoma QB John Mateer ranks 51st in points scored and is completing just 47% of his throws 10+ yards downfield and wilting when pressured. He was being selected in the sixth round on promedio and has been maddeningly inconsistent … Former five-star Michigan QB Bryce Underwood has been officially removed from the starting job, and will almost assuredly be playing for another school in 2027 … Marcel Reed is the classic “solo-threat” quarterback who can barely throw a forward pass and is sporting a ghastly 2-7 ratio with a 53% completion rate in SEC play. He is legitimately unstartable in any format right now. 

The Dark Knight has picked up right where he left off at James Madison and experienced zero difficulty with the jump in competition to the Big Ten. The RB4 is averaging 22.6 PPG and has been a model of efficiency, having scored at least one touchdown in every game while providing a stable fantasy floor by catching 3+ passes in four of his last five contests. Knight closes the season strong with a gift-wrapped matchup against Nevazón this weekend, followed by a pair of fantasy-friendly showdowns @ Minnesota and Illinois. Knight is a premium RB1 who should promedio 20 PPG against a very palatable schedule.

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With a devastating offensive line that features two NFL-caliber offensive tackles, I was confident that Cincinnati would uncover a quality startable fantasy running back. However, there was a running back room that ran five deep with rumors of a super-committee suppressing the UC backfield’s preseason draft appeal. After spreading the carries around during the non-conference schedule, Cole Tabb has wrested control of the room and is the highest-scoring undrafted FA running back at 22.1 PPG with a stunning four 30+ point games in his last five appearances … Missouri RB Jamal Roberts was thrust into a primary role after being one of the top backup running backs in the country last year, and has answered the call logging 167 carries for 21.7 PPG on a solid run-focused offense that ranks 34th in yards per successful rush (10.2) and 23rd with 2.9 yards after contact. Ahmad Hardy is back at practice, so it will be interesting to see how much he cuts into Roberts’ workload down the stretch … Iowa State RB Aiden Flora ranks 10th in RB points largely on the back of two biblical eruptions — a 39.4-point showing against Bowling Green in Week 3 and a 49.1-point destruction of West Virginia on October 3. He is averaging 9.9 points per game in the other five games, indicating his startability against lower-tiered defenses but limited utility against upper-tiered opponents.

Williams was considered the heir-apparent to the pivotal Notre Dame running back legacy after Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price left for the NFL. However, the undersized Williams has seen his carry share plummet from 14 totes against Purdue on 9/26 down to just three carries for eight yards last week against BYU. To compound matters, both Nolan James and Jonaz Walton punched in touchdowns, as James led the room with 16 carries for 77 yards and a score. Williams was a consensus second-round selection this offseason and is one of the biggest disappointments relative to draft position at the RB position. 

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I try to avoid injury busts, but Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy was the preseason RB1, being taken ahead of Jeremiah Smith and Malachi Toney at the top of drafts. After leading all returning running backs with 306 carries last season, Lacy has worn down, scoring less than 15 points in each of his last four appearances while missing a game due to a nagging injury, making Lacy virtually unplayable for the last five weeks. He left last game against Texas and has already been declared out for Saturday’s game against Auburn … Michigan RB Jordan Marshall was routinely selected in Rounds 2-3 and has succumbed to the ineffectiveness of the Wolverines’ offense as a whole. He is splitting carries with five-star RB Savion Hiter and has yet to crack the 14-point barrier in seven games, as he is a non-factor in the passing game (4 receptions) … Waymond Jordan was cruising as the USC RB1 prior to suffering a season-ending injury against Michigan last year. However, since then, former walk-on King Miller has taken the starting job and run with it, with Jordan scoring double digits just merienda with two total touchdowns on the season. Barring an injury to Miller, Jordan is firmly droppable. 

Late-round dart-throw WR4 Dixon is one of just six P4 receivers who are averaging 20+ PPG, and has been as bankable as any WR in the country with 15+ points in every game except for Ohio State. He already has 10 receiving touchdowns in only seven games and has been pounded with 74 targets for an aggressive Illinois pass game that ranks 23rd nationally with an promedio of 9.1 air yards per attempt. Dixon should explode for 20+ points against Maryland’s porous pass defense that ranks 110th in passing success rate allowed. 

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Fellow late-round flier Umari Hatcher has paid off savvy managers who took a shot on him with one of the truly epic fantasy seasons of the first eight weeks, averaging 23.9 PPG as the CFF WR3. Hatcher has recorded four straight 100-yard games with a jaw-dropping 55 targets in that span despite Syracuse starting three different quarterbacks this season … LSU WR Jackson Harris started out slowly as new HC Lane Kiffin sifted through a crowded WR room, catching just five passes over the first three games. Since then, Harris has firmly established himself as the Tigers’ WR1, reeling in seven touchdowns in his last four games against SEC opponents while taking over as LSU’s preferred red zone option in Trey’Dez Green’s absence … We weren’t sure which Oklahoma State WR would be the preferred option for Eric Morris’ new squad. It turns out that both fourth-round ADP WR Wyatt Young (17.1 PPG) and UDFA Justin Bowick (17.4 PPG) have been top-20 weekly starters. Bowick leads the team in routes run and has caught a touchdown in six of seven games this season for the potent Cowboys’ passing attack. 

Coleman has been extremely frustrating for managers who spent a second/third round pick on him expecting a Jeremiah Smith-lite type performance for a souped-up Longhorns offense. However, Coleman has had just one game with more than 70+ receiving yards to go with multiple crucial downfield drops. He has been at his worst the last month too, clearing 30+ yards just one time and now is battling a shoulder injury that leaves his availability in question for a premium CFF matchup against Mississippi State this weekend. It’s hard to believe the WR57 Coleman turns it around now that he’s injured for a flawed Texas offense. 

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Few players have escaped the production vortex that the Clemson offense has become, and Bryant Wesco Jr. is at the forefront of its futility, having caught zero touchdowns all season despite a hefty 52 targets. In half-PPR leagues, that is death to his fantasy viability, as Wesco has scored over 10 points just one time … Miami wideout Cooper Barkate was a 5th-6th round ADP and has gotten lost among a talented group of Miami pass catchers, ranking 19th in points per game with a middling 9.73 PPG promedio … Braylon Staley of Tennessee was viewed as a bankable receiver who cleared 800+ receiving yards last season. However, he has been strictly used as a low-ADOT checkdown option who has yet to reach 60+ receiving yards and has scored more than 9.0 points just one time all season. 

Reynolds was selected in the 13th round on promedio and has rewarded managers by being the unquestioned TE1 through the first eight weeks. Just three tight ends are averaging 13+ PPG, a mark which Reynolds has surpassed in five of eight contests with three games of 20+ points. The former high school quarterback even completed an eight-yard pass and has two rushing attempts, showing his unusual versatility. Reynolds has received at least eight targets in six of his last seven games and is the clear TE1 going forward.

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TCU’s Kari Ashley was completely undrafted across the CFF spectrum, but has emerged as the TE2 behind only Reynolds with 13.3 PPG. His usage has been relentless, catching at least four passes in each of his last seven games with four rushing attempts in his last three contests for extra credit. With four games of 80+ yards in his last six games and a defined role in HC Sonny Dykes’ air-raid system, Ashley is a locked-in TE1 going forward … Ohio State-to-UNC transfer Jelani Thurman has been unleashed by OC Bobby Petrino, receiving at least seven targets against every FBS opponent. Thurman has dialed up a steady stream of startable games, establishing himself as one of the most consistent tight ends in the country with five games of 11+ points on his resume. 

Wade was the consensus TE5 behind the Big Four of Trey’Dez Green, Jamari Johnson, Terrance Carter and DJ Vonnahme, who have all underperformed to some degree due to injury. However, Wade has simply been passed over by Caden Piening, who produced 29+ receiving yards in four games prior to UCF’s 39-31 OT upset of BYU last Saturday. Wade is unfortunately cut-worthy and a sunk cost despite his eighth-round draft caudal investment … The aforementioned disappointing Texas Tech TE Terrance Carter needs to be mentioned as well after missing two games and clearing the eight-point threshold just merienda in five appearances. Most troubling is the sparse four receptions and 22 yards over the last two games, though he did punch in a short-yardage rushing touchdown to help salvage the lackluster showings. Carter is still worth holding if you have the space, though, unlike Wade, who can be dropped completely.

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