Fantasy Tutorial: Injuries, trends piling up

Two weeks of College Fantasy in the books as we begin to look ahead to an interesting weekend of matchups, starting Thursday night with Georgia Tech and Miami. Our Michael Hurcomb breaks down the latest from each conference in his Fantasy Tutorial.

(Editor's reminder: There is a 25 percent penalty of earned Fantasy points for FBS teams that play FCS schools.)

ACC
Notes: Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said Thaddeus Lewis will remain the starting quarterback despite Sean Renfree leading the Blue Devils to a comeback win against Army on Saturday. Cutcliffe said he isn't afraid to play Renfree, but he isn't ready to start ... North Carolina State RB Jamelle Eugene (knee) is questionable for Saturday against Gardner-Webb ... North Carolina TE Zack Pianalto is out indefinitely after dislocating his right foot during a touchdown celebration in Week 2 against Connecticut ... Virginia QB Vic Hall is questionable for Saturday's game against Southern Miss with a hip injury ... Virginia Tech TE Greg Boone (clavicle) is questionable for Week 3 against Nebraska. He has missed the first two games.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: Wake Forest (vs. Elon); North Carolina State (vs. Gardner-Webb)
Favorable matchup: North Carolina vs. East Carolina. This isn't the same intimidating East Carolina defense from 2008. The Pirates have struggled defensively against both Appalachian State and West Virginia. They are allowing 377.5 yards (82nd) and 29.5 points per game (95th).
Unfavorable matchup: Duke at Kansas. The Blue Devils have struggled on offense this season. They have averaged just 302.5 yards per game (96th) against the likes of Richmond and Army. They now face a Kansas team that has allowed just 10 points through two games and have the nation's 20th best total defense (227.0 ypg).

Big East
Notes: Heralded Rutgers freshman QB Tom Savage made his first career start Saturday against Howard and looked good in a 45-7 thrashing of the FCS school. Savage completed 8 of 13 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. He appears to have stolen the starting job away from Domenic Natale ... South Florida QB Matt Grothe broke the Big East's record for total offense on Saturday against Western Kentucky. He now has 10,702 yards in his career, breaking the record of 10,529 held by former West Virginia star Pat White ... Connecticut lost starting quarterback Zach Frazer to a knee injury Saturday against North Carolina. He is out at least two weeks and will be replaced by Cody Endres in the meantime ... Rutgers RB Mason Robinson is out for the season because of knee surgery and the Scarlet Knights are still awaiting the return of Kordell Young, who remains questionable with a knee injury heading into Saturday against Florida International ... South Florida RB Mike Ford is expected to return to the lineup Saturday against Charleston Southern after missing the first two games because of a team-imposed suspension. However, WR Jessie Hester is questionable with an ankle injury ... Cincinnati WR Mardy Gilyard continues to look every bit the part of an All-American. He totaled six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns Saturday against Southeast Missouri State, while also returning a punt for a score.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: South Florida (vs. Charleston Southern)
Favorable matchup: Pittsburgh vs. Navy. The Panthers absolutely destroyed the Midshipmen, 42-21, in 2008. Pitt rolled up 499 yards of offense, including 244 on the ground. Freshman running back Dion Lewis has been absolutely sick the first two weeks, averaging 159.5 yards per game (3rd).
Unfavorable matchup: Louisville at Kentucky. The only points Louisville got against Kentucky in 2008 was on a safety. They totaled just 205 yards of offense (53 rushing), and Kentucky is once again on the prowl after shutting out Miami (Ohio) in their opener two weeks ago. They should be fresh coming off a bye.

Big 12
Notes: Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter is not expected to be in the lineup Saturday against Rice after injuring his right leg in a Week 2 loss to Houston. The Cowboys will use the tandem of Keith Toston and Beau Johnson in his place. On a positive note, All-American WR Dez Bryant is not on the injury report after leaving the Houston game because of leg cramps ... Colorado QB Cody Hawkins is probable for Saturday's game against Wyoming after getting his bell rung last week against Toledo. The news gets even better as WR Markques Simas is ready to join the lineup after missing two games because of a team-imposed suspension ... Iowa State WR Houston Jones is still battling a sprained ankle and questionable for Week 3 against Kent State ... Texas has been extremely pleased with the emergence of freshman RB Tre' Newton. QB Colt McCoy has raved about his playmaking abilities and coach Mack Brown said Newton has earned the right for more carries after leading the Longhorns with 62 rushing yards on eight carries Saturday against Wyoming. Vondrell McGee better watch out ... Iowa State QB Austen Arnaud had a brutal game in Week 2 against Iowa. He passed for just 79 yards while throwing four interceptions ... Nebraska QB Zac Lee has made a smooth transition since replacing the graduated Joe Ganz. He has passed for 553 yards and six touchdowns in his first two games while throwing just one interception ... Kansas State WR Brandon Banks misses QB Josh Freeman. He had not adjusted well to Carson Coffman with just 10 catches for 100 yards and no touchdowns in two games ... Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts threw seven touchdowns on Saturday against Rice with three going to his former high school teammate, Lyle Leong ... Kansas WR Dezmon Briscoe made his season debut in Week 2 after serving a one-game suspension and didn't look one bit rusty. He had eight catches for 154 yards in a win over UTEP.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: Missouri (vs. Furman)
Favorable matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Rice. The Cowboys are looking to make a big statement after an embarrassing loss to Houston last week. Rice is the perfect remedy as the Owls rank dead last in scoring defense (49.5 ppg).
Unfavorable matchup: Kansas State at UCLA. The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing loss to La.-Lafayette and now head west to face a UCLA team allowing just 242.5 yards (27th) and 14.5 points per game (33rd).

Big Ten
Notes: Iowa RB Jeff Brinson is finally back from an ankle injury and should work into the rotation, but this ailment likely cost himself the chance to be the Hawkeyes' feature back. Iowa has received quality play from Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher, and those two are likely to remain in the mix for carries ... Michigan WR Junior Hemingway, who missed Week 2 against Notre Dame with a sprained ankle, is questionable for Week 3 against Eastern Michigan ... Michigan State WR Mark Dell, who has yet to play this season with a shoulder injury, is questionable for Saturday against Notre Dame ... Wisconsin RB Zach Brown might have stolen the spotlight in the preseason, but John Clay has been the team's best running back thus far. He has 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns in two games ... Indiana RB Demetrius McCray had a career-high 134 rushing yards Saturday against Western Michigan. He has emerged as Indiana's top back as they transition to the run-heavy Pistol formation ... While Minnesota WR Eric Decker has no touchdowns in two games, he still leads the Gophers with 19 catches for 296 yards. Even though the opposition knows the ball is headed to Decker, they just can't stop him.
Byes: Illinois
Teams playing FCS schools: Wisconsin (vs. Wofford)
Favorable matchup: Penn State vs. Temple. This game wasn't even close in 2008. Penn State used a 31-point second quarter to rout the Owls, 45-3. Penn State rolled up 308 rushing yards and QB Daryll Clark didn't even need to play the whole game. Temple lost to a FCS school in Week 1 (Villanova), so they are already headed in the wrong direction.
Unfavorable matchup: Minnesota vs. Cal. While the Golden Bears offense has been steamrolling the competition (55.5 ppg), the defense has been equally impressive. They have allowed just 20 points in two games and rank 36th in total defense (269.0 ypg).

Conference USA
Notes: Southern Miss got some great news in Week 2 when star receiver DeAndre Brown made his 2009 debut. Brown had been hobbled because of a setback in his recovery from a broken leg suffered during last season's bowl game. He looked at 100 percent against UCF, hauling in seven catches for 75 yards. It's safe to put Brown back in all Fantasy lineups ... Houston already has three receivers with at least 10 catches and more than 100 yards -- Charles Sims (11 catches for 174yards), Tyron Carrier (10 catches for 135 yards) and Patrick Edwards (11 catches for 121 yards) ... SMU is known for its pass-happy ways, but they seem to be running the ball effectively thanks to Shawnbrey McNeal, who has 225 rushing yards and two touchdowns in two games ... UAB should consider throwing the ball to WR Frantrell Forrest more often. Three of his seven catches this season have gone for TDs. He leads UAB with 133 receiving yards ... UTEP QB Trevor Vittatoe has struggled through the first two games of the season. He has yet to break 300 yards and has thrown just one touchdown as the Miners are 0-2.
Byes: Houston, Tulane
Teams playing FCS schools: Memphis (vs. Tennessee-Martin)
Favorable matchup: SMU at Washington State. The Mustangs love to throw the ball and the Cougars have shown they can't stop the pass. Washington State ranks 117th in pass defense (341.0 ypg) and are allowing 38.5 points per game (107th).
Unfavorable matchup: East Carolina at North Carolina. While the Tar Heels continue to progress on offense, it has been their defense that has carried them through the early season. They have allowed just 16 points in two games and rank seventh in total defense (174.5 ypg).

Independents
Notes: Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd left Saturday's game against Michigan with a bruised shin, but the injury is not serious and Floyd is not on the injury report for Week 3. Keep him active in all Fantasy formats ... Notre Dame RB James Aldridge (shoulder) is questionable for Saturday's game against Michigan State ... RB Marcus Curry is quietly emerging as Navy's best playmaker. Curry leads the Midshipmen in both rushing (138) and receiving (101). He has three total touchdowns.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Army vs. Ball State. Now that Brady Hoke is coaching at San Diego State, the Cardinals have fallen apart. They are 0-2 and lost to New Hampshire (23-16) last weekend. They can't get anything going offensively and can't stop the opposition either, allowing 417 yards per game (98th).
Unfavorable matchup: Navy at Pittsburgh. As we mentioned earlier, Navy was embarrassed by Pitt last season (42-21) and was held to just 194 rushing yards. Pitt should once again be ready for the triple-option attack.

MAC
Notes: Kent State and Fantasy owners were dealt a big blow by the news that RB Eugene Jarvis will miss the rest of the season with a kidney injury suffered Saturday against Boston College. The only three-time captain in Kent's 87-year history, Jarvis rushed for 3,426 career yards, just 563 shy of the school record. He was a must-start Fantasy RB ... Toledo RB Morgan Williams is set to return to the lineup Saturday against Ohio State after missing two games because of a suspension ... Toledo QB Aaron Opelt leads the nation in total offense (437.0 ypg) and is quickly turning into a must-start Fantasy option ... Dwyane Priest has emerged as Eastern Michigan's top tailback. He has 36 carries for 210 yards and two touchdowns in two games ... Despite losing QB Drew Willy to graduation that hasn't stopped WR Naaman Roosevelt from continuing to make plays. He has 11 catches for 248 yards and three touchdowns in two games ... Akron WR Deryn Bowser had a three-touchdown outing Saturday against Morgan State. In two games, he has 11 catches for 149 yards and four scores... In case you missed it, Miami (Ohio) has not scored through two games. The Mike Haywood era is not off a riveting start.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: Central Michigan (vs. Alcorn State); Ohio (vs. Cal Poly)
Favorable matchup: Bowling Green at Marshall. The Thundering Herd is licking their wounds after Virginia Tech laid the smack down, 52-10, in Week 2. Marshall ranks 103rd in total defense (458.0 ypg) and 109th in scoring defense (40.0 ppg). Bowling Green also looks to get back on track after a disappointing 27-20 loss to Missouri last week.
Unfavorable matchup: Temple at Penn State. The Owls managed just three points and 138 yards of offense against the Nittany Lions last season. Temple lost their opener to Villanova and Penn State can't wait to send the Owls to 0-2.

Mountain West
Notes: Wyoming is finally getting back one of their top receivers in Greg Bolling, who has been suspended the first two games for a rules violation. He is expected to suit up Saturday against Colorado ... New Mexico first-year head coach Mike Locksley is having a tough time getting his spread offense going. The Lobos have produced just 16 points in two games and QB Donovan Porterie has looked sluggish coming off major knee surgery. He has not thrown a touchdown pass in six games dating back to last season before his injury ... San Diego State WR Vincent Brown has been as good as advertised. He has totaled 11 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns in two games ... UNLV has done a good job working a trio of receivers into the mix. Ryan Wolfe leads the team with 14 catches for 158 yards, but Rodelin Anthony has a team-high three touchdowns on top of seven catches for 130 yards and Phillip Payne has 10 catches for 101 yards and one touchdown.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: TCU (vs. Texas State-San Marcos)
Favorable matchup: Utah at Oregon. The Ducks were weak on defense in 2008 and still do a poor job stopping the opposition in 2009. They rank 89th in scoring defense (27.5 ppg) and 94th in total defense (406.0 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: None. Pretty much every Mountain West team has a favorable matchup from a Fantasy standpoint.

Pac-10
Notes: UCLA might have escaped SEC country with a win over Tennessee in Week 2, but the Vols got in their shots. QB Kevin Prince is out at least three weeks while recovering from a broken jaw. Head coach Rick Neuheisel will announce Tuesday whether Kevin Craft or Richard Brehaut will start against Kansas State ... USC QB Matt Barkley (shoulder) is practicing and should be able to play in Saturday's Pac-10 opener against Washington. However, safety Taylor Mays (knee) is questionable ... There is still no word on whether Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski (back) will make his 2009 debut Saturday against Iowa. He remains questionable ... Stanford WR Ryan Whalen leads his team with 13 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He is a favorite target of QB Andrew Luck ... Washington freshman receiver James Johnson leads the team with nine catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns ... USC RB Stafon Johnson has a team-high four rushing touchdowns ... It seems Washington State has found a new star tailback in Cal transfer James Montgomery. He leads the team with 31 carries for 157 yards and one touchdown ... Arizona RB Nic Grigsby is second in the country in rushing, averaging 162.5 yards per game ... It might not be too long before Oregon State RB Jacquizz Rodgers pops up in the Heisman talk. He already has 269 rushing yards, 97 receiving yards and four touchdowns in two games.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Washington State vs. SMU. There probably won't be many times we can recommend starting the Cougars this season, but this is one since their game against SMU might be a high-scoring affair. Neither team plays defense particularly well. SMU is ranked 91st in scoring defense (28.0 ppg) and 102nd in total defense (454.0 ypg).
Unfavorable matchup: Arizona at Iowa. The Wildcats have looked pretty good in their first two games. They rank fifth in rushing offense (305.5 ypg) and 15th in total offense (503.5 ypg). However, they now face their first BCS opponent, and Iowa is looking good after shutting down Iowa State in Week 2. The Hawkeyes have allowed just 19 points in two games.

SEC
Notes: Tennessee is sticking with QB Jonathan Crompton after he completed just 13 of 26 passes for 93 yards in a loss against UCLA on Saturday. Coach Lane Kiffin said poor protection and bad playcalling were to blame for Crompton's struggles a week after he threw five touchdown passes against Western Kentucky ... While Alabama has jumped out to a 2-0 record and are among the top 15 offenses in the country, they have done so without much from star receiver Julio Jones, who has just five catches for 55 yards and no touchdowns. To add injury to insult, he is now questionable for Saturday's game against North Texas with a knee injury ... Alabama RB Roy Upchurch is also questionable with a knee injury ... Jones hasn't been the only disappointing SEC player from a Fantasy standpoint. LSU RB Charles Scott has just 25 carries for 101 yards and no touchdowns. He isn't even the leading rusher on the Tigers. That's Keiland Williams with 123 yards and two scores ... Georgia RB Caleb King is questionable for Saturday against Arkansas with a lingering hamstring issue ... Ole Miss has both star QB Jevan Snead and WR Dexter McCluster as questionable for Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana because of flu-like symptoms. If this was an SEC game, both players would certainly play. However, it is not, so coach Houston Nutt could opt to rest his star players ... Florida WR Deonte Thompson had his breakout game Week 2 against Troy with a two-touchdown performance ... Both Auburn RB Ben Tate (137.0 ypg) and RB Onterio McCalebb (131.0 ypg) rank in the top 10 for rushing.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: Mississippi (vs. Southeastern Louisiana)
Favorable matchup: South Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic. The Owls were a bad defensive team in 2008 and they didn't look one bit improved in an opening loss to Nebraska two weeks ago. The Huskers posted 490 yards of offense and 49 points. South Carolina just dropped 37 points on Georgia, a fairly decent defensive squad.
Unfavorable matchup: Tennessee at Florida. The Vols couldn't get the offense going in Week 2 against UCLA, and we don't expect them to have much success against a Florida team that returned all 11 starters on defense from last year's national championship squad. Florida has allowed just nine points in two games to open the season. Also, they will be extra motivated to have a strong outing after Kiffin assured a Tennessee win when he was named head coach.

Sun Belt
Notes: Troy WR Jerrell Jernigan and RB DuJuan Harris have been pretty non-existent as the Trojans have limped out to a 0-2 mark. Jernigan has just five catches for 37 yards and one score, while Harris has 26 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown ... North Texas QB Riley Dodge will not play Saturday against Alabama after separating his shoulder in Week 2. Nathan Tune will get the start for the Mean Green ... La.-Monroe RB Frank Goodin continues to lead the Warhawks offensive effort in 2009 with 165 rushing yards and four touchdowns in two games.
Byes: Arkansas State
Teams playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Middle Tennessee State at Maryland. The Terrapins hired Don Brown in the offseason to revamp the defense and through two games he has failed miserably. The Terrapins were destroyed by Cal in Week 1 and allowed 35 points to James Madison, a FCS school, in Week 2. The Terps rank 108th in total defense (479.5 ypg) and 113th in scoring defense (43.5 ppg).
Unfavorable matchup: North Texas at Alabama. The Mean Green are down their starting quarterback and now have to face one of the best defenses in the country. Offense might be North Texas' forte, but defense is Alabama's.

WAC
Notes: Fresno State might be breaking in a new quarterback in Ryan Colburn, but it has been a pretty smooth transition so far. Just ask the wide receivers. The Bulldogs have three players with at least 120 receiving yards -- Seyi Ajirotutu (140), Devon Wylie (138) and Marlon Moore (122) -- and four receivers with at least one score -- the previously mentioned three and Chastin West ... Unfortunately, Louisiana Tech hasn't been able to jumpstart their offense despite returning many stars. RB Daniel Porter has really suffered, only averaging 50 yards in his first two games and scoring once ... Hawaii WR Greg Salas has opened the season with consecutive 100-yard games, but equally impressive has been junior college transfer Rodney Bradley. He had a breakout game in Week 2 against Washington State with seven catches for 150 yards and two scores. He leads the team with three touchdowns. If you missed out on Salas on Draft Day, then quickly pick up Bradley before it's too late... Jordan La Secla seems to have won the starting quarterback job at San Jose State. He will start Saturday against Stanford after passing for 269 yards last week against Utah.
Byes: None
Teams playing FCS schools: Louisiana Tech (vs. Nicholls State)
Favorable matchup: Boise State at Fresno State. The Broncos destroyed the Bulldogs to the tune of 61-10 last season. Fresno State is coming off an overtime loss to Wisconsin and allowed the Badgers to rack up 413 yards, which included 225 passing yards from an inexperienced quarterback in Scott Tolzien.
Unfavorable matchup: Utah State at Texas A&M. The Aggies already embarrassed one team from out west -- New Mexico (41-6) -- in their opener and are well rested coming off a bye week. Utah State is also coming off a bye, but they will definitely find Kyle Field intimidating.