College Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice Week 4: What to do with Dezmen Roebuck, Marcel Reed, more players

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Week 4 means conference play is upon us, which brings a few incredible CFF matchups our way. Oklahoma State at West Virginia, UCLA vs. Maryland and Texas at Tennessee all have shootout potential, which makes for some tough calls for our starting lineups. Here are the Week 4 starts and sits.

Maryland is one of the more unheralded pass-heavy teams in the Power Four, ranking sixth nationally with 41.3 attempts per game and fourth in pass rate. QB Malik Washington is thriving in the fast-paced scheme that rips off a play every 23.7 seconds (7th in FBS), throwing for 347 and 359 yards in his two games against FBS opponents this season. Though Washington has only 23 rushing yards so far, he accrued 303 yards and four touchdowns on the ground last season, so there's plenty of scoring opportunity with his legs if given the chance. He is keeping the offense on schedule with a 52.3% success rate (14th). He also has the good fortune of taking on a UCLA defense that just allowed 38 points to Purdue and has allowed 19.4 yards per successful dropback (136th) and 25% of completions to go for 20+ yards (132nd). Washington is a fine streaming option in what should be a competitive, offense-based affair in Pasadena. 

  • Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville vs. Wake Forest

Kienholz has injected a new life into the Cardinals' offense after two uninspiring years of Miller Moss, accounting for at least three touchdowns in each game this season despite already facing SMU and Ole Miss. 

  • Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State

Perhaps the biggest QB riser of the early season, Hawkins embodies the prototypical Rich Rod QB more than any quarterback he's coached since the immortal Pat White. He is a must-start in the Week 4 CFF Game of the Week versus Oklahoma State.

There was some preseason trepidation about how much GT would lean on its big offseason transfer, as 2025 holdover Malachi Hosley ran for 695 and seven touchdowns on 7.1 YPC last season. Those fears were exacerbated by a middling 19-carry, 64-yard showing against Colorado in the opener, as new Co-OC's George Godsey and Chris Weinke got their bearings as play-callers. The last two games have been much more encouraging, with Haynes accumulating 81 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in addition to catching all six of his targets for 36 yards and another touchdown for a sterling 26.7 fantasy points against ranked SEC opponent Tennessee. He even received a massive 24-touch load that he converted into a gaudy 35.7 points against FCS opponent Mercer last week, with Tech using the lower-tiered opponents to "get right" after starting the year 0-2. 

Haynes has the good fortune of playing a struggling Stanford team that has been outscored 80-13 by its two ACC opponents. The Cardinal defense ranks 121st with a 46.5% success rate allowed and 135th in points allowed per scoring opportunity, which is exactly the kind of confidence boost the Yellow Jackets could use. Haynes currently ranks sixth among P4 rushers with a 56.7% rush share while averaging 23.2 points per game (7th in P4), so his usage is of no concern. He is a strong start this week against one of the worst defenses in the nation.

  • Wayne Knight, UCLA at Maryland

New UCLA HC Bob Chesney is doing his best Cignetti-West impersonation, bringing in star G6 players to help mold an immediately competitive roster. Knight has been devastating so far, scoring eight touchdowns while posting at least 28 points in each of his three games as a Bruin. 

  • CJ Baxter, Kentucky vs. South Alabama

Baxter missed almost all of 2024 and was limited to eight games last year, so it's encouraging to see him churn out 19 carries for 87 yards, two touchdowns and 24 fantasy points in UK's upset of A&M last week. He should find the end zone against South Alabama again this week and is a sneaky option at a meager 25% roster rate.

  • Jordon Davison, Oregon at USC

I've given up on benching Davison because of potential injuries, as he rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in an 84-0 destruction of Portland State despite leaving the game versus Oklahoma State after just eight totes. He will be heavily relied upon in a pivotal B10 showdown against USC.

Washington is somehow undefeated despite the offense looking decidedly unremarkable against lower division opponents Utah State (16-14) and Wazzu (24-10). For his part, Roebuck has been a high-volume aerial weapon, with his 32 targets ranking fifth among P4 wideouts. However, much of that usage has been in extended handoff situations, as is evidenced by his subdued 6.9 yards of ADOT and 9.6 yards per reception. Through the first two games, Roebuck had only converted 23 targets into 100 receiving yards, however last week he caught all nine of his targets for 121 yards and 13.4 YPC, a marked improvement from an explosiveness standpoint. He still has yet to find the end zone despite scoring seven touchdowns on 59 targets last year, which has suppressed his fantasy impact. Roebuck has the good fortune of facing a porous Minnesota pass defense that is allowing 20% of completions to gain 20+ yards (105th in FBS) and has contested just 7% of targets (133rd). 

  • Cooper Barkate, Miami vs. Central Michigan

Joshua Moore is out for the season, and Malachi Toney is considered questionable to play against MAC school CMU. Barkate already has two touchdown receptions and should be the focal point of the passing offense if Toney is limited or can't suit up at all.

  • Nick Marsh, Indiana vs. Northwestern

Indiana hasn't had to stress at all in the early going, outscoring opponents 145-16 thus far. Marsh is ramping up and just secured 7-of-10 passes for 81 yards against Western Kentucky. I think he has a breakout game against a B10 opponent that will cause Indiana to keep pushing for scores well into the fourth quarter.

  • Evan Stewart, Oregon at USC

Stewart has been a model of consistency since returning from a season-ending patellar tendon injury last year, going for 72+ yards in each game this year while scoring at least 11+ points in each. He should be even more involved this week with fellow starting WR Jeremiah McClellan on the mend.  

  • Chris Marshall, Arkansas vs. Tulsa

Arkansas has had trouble getting going offensively, shuttling around two quarterbacks last game against Georgia. No matter who is throwing the ball, it is firmly established that Marshall is the best skill player on the team and deserves the 10 targets per game he is averaging. He should receive 10+ targets again and be a factor on the outside for the Razorbacks as the lone offensive playmaker with any juice this season.

The hybrid WR/TE, colloquially known as a "TEITO", has been one of the biggest TE position risers after establishing himself as a key contributor in Ole Miss' potent pass attack. He is averaging 12.7 points and 77 receiving yards per game with the majority of his snaps coming in the slot over two appearances against quality P4 opponents LSU and Louisville. Odom gets to face off against a Florida pass defense that allowed 271 yards to run-centric Auburn QB Byrum Brown and is allowing a 40% pass success rate (74th) despite having played FCS Campbell and G6 FAU in the other two games. The Rebels' offense is performing at a high level against upper-echelon competition thanks to star QB Trinidad Chambliss, boasting a 50% success rate (23rd) and converting their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns on a staggering 92% of possessions. With all of the top-four preseason tight ends already missing a game due to injury, Odom should be viewed as a top-10 option. 

  • Jeremiah Hasley, Duke vs. William & Mary

Hasley has proven to be the most consistent receiver on Duke's offense, ranking fifth nationally with 19 targets and first among P4 tight ends with a 26% target share. He hasn't found the end zone despite that prolific usage, but I think that streak ends this week against William & Mary.

I have long been a detractor of Reed due to his wonky delivery, poor passing acumen and inability to find open receivers. His dual-threat profile obscures an inability to survey the field and operate within structure, with A&M generating explosive pass plays on just 7.6% of throws (134th in FBS) while averaging a pitiful 12.7 yards per successful dropback (122nd). The receivers and new OC Holomon Wiggins are doing their job getting open, with just 8% of targets being contested (116th), as the offensive line has allowed a miniscule 8.4% pressure rate (11th in FBS).

None of that stopped Reed from throwing two costly interceptions in Kentucky territory, as the Wildcats totally exploited his inability to stretch the field vertically. For perspective, Reed is a disappointing 3-of-15 on passes 20+ yards downfield and his 6.1 yards per attempt ranks 123rd out of 152 FBS signal-callers with 25+ pass attempts. He now faces a Blake Baker-led LSU defense on the road in Baton Rouge with both teams in a must-win situation if they hope to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Reed needs to be on your bench or dropped altogether until a preferable matchup arises. He is simply too volatile to trust against most SEC programs. 

  • Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele vs. Clemson

JKS is a premium talent who has one of the strongest arms in the nation and a husky trunk that allows him to absorb contact. However, he offers zero rushing utility, which limits his upside against a Clemson defense that ranks 136th in rushing success rate allowed (52%). 

  • John Mateer, Oklahoma at Georgia

If Mateer couldn't manage to crack 22 fantasy points against New Mexico or UTEP, how is he going to do it against Georgia?

Jordan had so much potential after averaging 5.2 YAC last year for the Trojans before going down with a season-ending leg injury in Week 7. His absence allowed former walk-on King Miller to assert himself down the stretch and prove his ability to keep the offense on schedule and grind out tough yards on the interior. While Jordan appeared to be healthy in camp and ready to take on a full workload, instead it has been Miller who HC Lincoln Riley has trusted as the team's primary runner, receiving at least 15+ carries in each of the teams first four games. What's more concerning is Jordan managed only 26 yards on eight carries in a 42-35 barn burner while third-string RB Riley Wormley exploded for 54 total yards and two touchdowns. Jordan should be benched until further notice and dropped in 10-team formats. 

  • Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

Cobb is getting just enough work to seem startable, but HC Alex Golesh rotates backs and Byrum accounts for 43% of the rushing load himself.

  • Carson Hansen, Penn State vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin has a tough front seven that held Notre Dame to 3.5 YPC and ranks 10th in yards per successful rush allowed. Hansen is handling just 29% of the carries while Penn State ranks 109th in yards before contact despite playing a creampuff G6-only non-conference schedule to this point.

  • Ca'Lil Valentine, Illinois at Ohio State

Illinois is quietly a pass-oriented team that ranks 96th in run rate and has to contend with Matt Patricia's Ohio State defense that is holding teams to just 6.2 yards per successful rush (6th in FBS). 

It has been quite a fall for Sategna after being ranked as a consensus top-10 CFF wide receiver in the preseason. He has been serviceable against lower-run opponents UTEP and New Mexico, but there is major reason for concern given the poor performance of QB John Mateer and the offense as a whole failing to stay on schedule. Mateer was stunningly honest in his postgame presser, when he admitted to not seeing Sategna streaking wide open down the middle of the field until the crowd started collectively screaming at him to throw it to Sategna for a 53-yard touchdown. It was a telling moment that revealed how Mateer has had trouble navigating the offense from the pocket, and is at his best when protection breaks down leaving him to improvise.

It's all fun and games until Oklahoma plays a credible defense like Michigan, which held the Sooners to just 289 total yards while converting just 3-of-13 third down opportunities. Sategna was smothered to the tune of two catches for nine yards on 10 targets, bonafide grim production. With Oklahoma facing a vicious Georgia defense that should have Mateer staring at headlights for most of the day, I'm benching Sategna until we see some progression from Mateer when it comes to operating OC Ben Arbuckle's offense.

  • Nyck Harbor, South Carolina at Alabama

Harbor is catching just 47% of his passes on a 17.7% target share and has yet to score this season. It's going to take a couple of strong performances before I trust him again.

  • Andrew Marsh, Michigan vs. Iowa

I don't want to start any player involved in this quagmire unless it's a break-in-case-of-emergency situation. This game is the lowest Over/Under of the week for a reason.

  • Tanook Hines, USC vs. Oregon

The lone returning USC starting wideout, Hines has been a limited game participant who was injured in camp. He ran 21 routes last week, which was nine less than teammate Kayden Wyatt-Dixon. Leave him on the bench another week.

It's hard to believe that Wade was considered the TE5, according to ADP, after recording a rock-solid 43 receptions for 523 yards and five touchdowns for the Golden Knights last season. However, second-year OC Steve Cooper and new QB Alonza Barnett have not prioritized Wade this season, and he hasn't performed well enough to justify an increase in looks. Thus far, Wade has secured just three of nine targets for 25 receiving yards despite UCF hanging 44 points on Georgia State and 73 vs. Bethune-Cookman. Compounding matters is Barnett is injured and expected to miss multiple weeks, leaving FIU transfer Keyone Jenkins to run the show in his stead. With UCF starting a backup QB in their first Big 12 conference tilt against a TCU pass defense that is allowing a 53% completion rate (15th in FBS) and sensational 57% down set conversion rate (12th), i'm benching Wade and taking my chances on the waiver wire for a replacement. 

  • Decker DeGraaf, Washington vs. Minnesota

DeGraaf was a snap hog last year for the Huskies, operating as the clear TE1. Now, Baron Naone is operating as the passing-down receiving TE while DeGraaf is stuck blocking.

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