Helmet twists, head-pinning, cheap shot punches, God awful uniforms... last week's Michigan State-Michigan game had it all.  The foul-mouthed Spartan Granny from last week's Start-Sit must have been in all her glory.

What do the college football Gods have in store for us in Week 8?  Will William Gholstton literally rip a Badger's head off this week?  Will Russell Wilson, Montee Ball and company lay the smack down on Sparty?  We'll find out on Saturday night.  For now, let's dive into this week's edition of Start 'Em, Sit 'Em.


TODD DEVRIES

  BCS Only Start:
 
QB: Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois vs. Purdue: Before getting blasted by the Buckeyes last week, Scheel had put up 35 and 36 fantasy points his previous two outings.  Look for him to have his way with the Boilers on Saturday.
 
RB: Dustin Garrison, West Virginia vs. Syracuse: Don't look now but Garrison has scored a touchdown in each of his last four games.  He's a bit of a forgotten man as the Mountaineers were on bye last week.  Look for him to produce in tonight's Big East tilt with the Orange.
 
WR: Marquess Wilson, Washington State vs. Oregon State: Wilson has been quiet by his standards over the past couple of games.  Look for that to change this week against the Beavers, who are the eighth worst defense in the country when it comes to shutting down fantasy production at the WR position.
 
Non BCS Start:
 
QB: Kriss Proctor, Navy vs. East Carolina: Midshipmen QBs are always a bit of a crapshoot and Proctor is proving to be no different.  On the year, he has two huge outbursts to offset three disappointing fantasy performances.  After a rough go of it in his last game, I look for him to run circles around a generous ECU defense.
 
RB: Brandon Oliver, Buffalo vs. Northern Illinois: NIU was run all over by their first five opponents.  They are giving up the 13th most fantasy points to opposing running backs.  Oliver was shut down last week against Temple but he's still getting workhorse carries.  Look for him to put together a solid effort on Saturday.
 
WR: Josh Boyce, TCU vs. New Mexico: Boyce has quietly become one of the more consistent fantasy WR producers in the land.  He's scored a TD in five of his six games on the year, and this week he gets to feast upon a terrible New Mexico secondary. 

BCS Only Sit:
 
QB- Darron Thomas, Oregon vs. Colorado: There is no good reason for head coach Chip Kelly to play Thomas for an extended period of time against Colorado.  They don't need him in this one to notch the "W".  Bigger games await once the calendar flips over to November.  Don't be surprised if Bryan Bennett sees a lot of action in this one, or if he even gets the surprise start.
 
RB- Aaron Crawford, Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma: Crawford filled in nicely for the injured Eric Stephens last week at home against Kansas State and became a poplar waiver wire pick up.  This week you can expect the sledding to be much tougher on the road against the Sooners defense.
 
WR- Nick Toon, Wisconsin vs. Michigan State: Toon was a last minute scratch last week, burning fantasy owners nation wide.  This week, he gets his penance by getting banished to the "Sit 'Em" side of our ledger.  Healthy or not, I'm not feeling Toon this week on the road against a stingy Spartan defense.

Non BCS Sit:
 
QB- Matt Schilz, Bowling Green vs. Temple: The Owls have THE BEST passing defense in the country when it comes to shutting down fantasy production of opposing quarterbacks.  Bench Schilz.  End of story.
 
RB- Lennon Creer, La Tech vs. Utah State: Creer has been banged up for much of the 2011 campaign, and this week is no different as he's nursing both a high ankle sprain and an Achilles injury.  While the match up is nice, don't take the chance on him this week.  ***Update: Creer has been listed as doubtful for this week's game due to his aforementioned injuries.
 
WR- Deon Long, New Mexico vs. TCU: On paper, this match up looks pretty enticing as the Horned Frogs' pass defense has been nothing short of terrible for most of the season.  Deon Long has been on fire for most of the fall and is on his way to a 1,000 yard.  However, he's dealing with a toe injury that could really slow him down on Saturday.  Speed is he name of his game, and with a bum toe I'd steer clear of Long this week.


KEVIN MOUNT

BCS Only Start:
 
QB: Collin Klein Kansas State vs. Kansas: Klein has been a nice fantasy surprise this season and is proving to be a force on the ground. He already has almost 600 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on the season. Next up is Kansas and maybe the worst defense we have seen in years. Klein should have no problem carving them up both through the air and on the ground. Expect a big performance from Klein this week.
 
RB: Marcus Coker Iowa vs. Indiana: Coker is finally starting to get rolling and is coming off a 124 yard and two score game versus Northwestern last week. That roll should continue this week against a horrific Indiana rush defense that gives up almost 230 yards per game on the ground. Coker looks to be a safe bet for over 100 yards this week and at least two touchdowns.
 
WR: Stedman Bailey West Virginia vs. Syracuse: Bailey seems to be becoming the favorite target of QB Geno Smith and has been the most productive West Virginia receiver this season. He has racked up four straight 100 plus yard receiving games and has a good chance of extending that to five against Syracuse. Syracuse has been awful against the pass this season, allowing almost 300 yards per game on average. Look for another big game out of Bailey this Friday night.
 
Non BCS Start:
 
QB: JJ McDermott SMU vs. Southern Miss: McDermott is as hot as any quarterback in the country, throwing for over 300 yards in three straight games and adding 10 passing scores along the way. The game with Southern Miss this week could be a high scoring slugfest with both teams posting huge fantasy numbers. Look for McDermott to continue his hot streak and torch the Southern Miss defense this week.
 
RB: Morgan Williams Toledo vs. Miami Ohio: Williams has filled in admirably for the injured Adonis Thomas with 328 yards rushing and five touchdowns in the last three games. He is receiving around 20 carries per game and should continue his success this week against a weak Miami Ohio rush defense. Williams is a solid bet for another 100 plus yard effort and at least one score.
 
WR: Nick Harwell Miami Ohio vs. Toledo: Harwell had four straight games over 135 yards receiving up until last weeks stinker against Kent State in which he caught three passes for one yard. He should get back on track this week against Toledo and put up the gaudy numbers that fantasy owners have grown accustomed to this season. Start Harwell with confidence in Week eight.

BCS Only Sit:
 
QB- Russell Wilson Wisconsin vs. Michigan State: Wilson will be facing a nasty Michigan State defense which ranks second in the country against the pass and just got done dismantling Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense. The Badgers will be going into hostile territory in a prime time night game which is never an easy thing to do. The ceiling for Wilson is considerably lower than usual and he could have his worst game of the season.
 
RB- Chris Polk Washington vs. Stanford: Polk has been very good this year from a yardage standpoint with 100 plus yards rushing in five of six games. He has struggled to find the end zone however with only three rushing touchdowns on the season.  He faces a stiff test this week against a Stanford rush defense that gives up a measly 60 yards per game and only four scores on the season. It could be a rough night for Polk and the Washington run game.
 
WR- Dwight Jones North Carolina vs. Clemson: Jones has been the model of consistency this season. He has at least 80 yards receiving in every game this season and has scored in all but one. This week could be tough for Jones as he faces a tough pass defense in Clemson and the Tar Heels may look to run the ball often on Saturday to stay in the game. He could score again, but don’t expect huge yardage totals this week.

Non BCS Sit:
 
QB- Tim Jefferson Air Force vs. Boise State: Jefferson has been solid this year and is a nice start in certain match ups; this however is not one of them. He will most likely struggle to do much against a Boise State defense that ranks 10^th overall in total defense and puts the clamps on most players. Wait for a more friendly opponent to send Jefferson out there as a starter.
 
RB- Lance Dunbar North Texas vs. La-Monroe: Dunbar is not playing like the top five fantasy running back he was projected to be going into 2011. He has four games with fewer than 65 rushing yards and has not found the end zone nearly as much as fantasy owners would like to see. His struggles could continue this week with a tough match up against La-Monroe and their 15^th ranked rush defense.
 
WR- Kamar Jorden Bowling Green vs. Temple: Jorden has been solid the past two weeks posting 209 yards receiving and two scores. Things look to get considerably tougher for Jordan this week versus Temple. The Owls pass defense has been very stingy all season and has only allowed three passing touchdowns in seven games. Jorden and the entire Bowling Green passing attack could really struggle this week.


JOE ARPASI

BCS Only Start:
 
QB- Collin Klein Kansas State at Kansas: Klein has been a pleasant surprise for many fantasy owners this fall. He gets his juiciest match-up of the year this week with rival Kansas. The Jayhawks defense gives up more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than any other team in the country. This one is a no brainer!

RB- Rex Burkhead Nebraska at Minnesota: Here’s another no-brainer pick. Minnesota is the worst team in the Big Ten, and any talented rusher will pile up plenty of yards. Although this game is on the road, the biggest challenge to Burkhead will be his counterpart Taylor Martinez keeping too many of those zone reads for himself.

WR- Stedman Bailey West Virginia at Syracuse: Many of us viewed Tavon Austin as the top West Virginia receiver. But as this season has played out we have seen that it’s indeed Bailey that is the top fantasy receiver. This game looks like the type of stage for Dana Holgerson to make a statement to the rest of the conference. Look for a big day out of the Mountaineer offense.

Non BCS Start:
 
QB- Riley Nelson BYU vs. Idaho State: Nelson has provided a new spark for the Cougar offense since he took over the starting job. BYU will host an Idaho State squad that is pretty outmatched in this one. Nelson might get the bulk of his production on the ground in this one. BYU might have some deep bombs early, but expect the offense to just pound the running game as this one goes on.

RB- Joseph Banyard UTEP vs. Colorado State: Are you feeling lucky? If you’re in a deep league and looking for a longshot to place your bet one, Banyard may be your guy. Although he is only averaging 9-10 carries a game, he did tote the rock 22 times against Houston in week five. Colorado State’s rush defense is giving up more than 200 yards per game. You can expect the UTEP coaching staff to play to that and feed the ball to Banyard more than normal.

WR- Rishard Matthews Nevada vs. Fresno State: This game has to making of a great match-up. The Fresno offense has been moving nicely lately, and (with the exception of the Boise State game) David Carr has been productive this month. Nevada has plenty of firepower to score points too, and in a possible high scoring contest you know the passing game will have to be involved. Matthews should have plenty of opportunities to catch balls as this one stays competitive into the fourth quarter.

BCS Only Sit:
 
QB- Darron Thomas Oregon at Colorado: Thomas got a little banged up last week against Arizona State and did not return to the game as his back-up Bryan Bennett played very well. Oregon will not need much time to run away from Colorado, and if Thomas plays you can expect to get maybe one half of play from him. No need to risk getting his knee injured worse after the game is in hand.

RB- John White Utah at California: White had a great game last week, but this week is a bit deceiving. Although California has not been building as many wins as they would like, they do field a very tough run defense. They are aggressive and attacking the line of scrimmage, and their 3-4 front allows them to mix up different pressures that keep offenses guessing. The Cal defense has given up an average of 11 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs while playing at home.

WR- Jarrett Boykin Virginia Tech vs. Boston College: Boykins put up some nice numbers these last two weeks with 269 yards and two scores. One would assume that he should have another nice game with the likes of Boston College on the schedule. But his big performances have been against Miami and Wake Forest, two teams that are good enough to push the score of a game up and force the Tech offense to throw more. The ground game should see a more prominent role this week compared to the last two.

Non BCS Sit:
 
QB- Jeffrey Godfrey UCF at UAB: This is a great looking fantasy match-up. UAB has been down-right bad this year. But back-up quarterback Blake Bortles has been making a case for playing time, and the coaching staff has said he will get meaningful snaps this week. Between Bortless eating into his snaps and the running backs steeling redzone carries, Godfrey’s fantasy production most likely won’t be as nice as this match-up looks on paper.

RB- Mike Ball Nevada vs. Fresno State: Ball has been battling some nagging injuries and during that time he has seen Lampford Mark and Stefphon Jefferson gaining momentum running the ball. Ball is not the top rushing threat anymore, and even if he is healthy it’s too risky to count on him in your starting line-up right now.

WR- Taveon Rogers New Mexico State at Hawaii: Rogers has been a reliable fantasy option when he has a healthy quarterback to throw him the ball. When his team travels to Hawaii they will likely be playing without quarterback Matt Christian who was hurt in last week’s game. Considering the offense will now be down to their third string quarterback, and playing on the “Big Island,” it’s hard to imagine Rogers having much of a chance to get going. 

Follow Joe Arpasi on Twitter: @CFFGeek_Joe


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