Fantasy Football: Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em for Notre Dame vs. Stanford

Notre Dame football (9-2) heads to the west coast this week for their regular season finale against Stanford. This is also championship week for College Fantasy Football leagues. Here is the final installment of Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em for the 2019 season.

Notre Dame is heading to Palo Alto this week to play their final regular season game of the year. They will face a struggling Stanford team that has lost three games in-a-row. The Cardinal will fail to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since the 2008 season.

Despite that, there is reason for Irish fans to be nervous heading into this game. Notre Dame has not won a game in Stanford Stadium since 2007.

There are some favorable matchups for Notre Dame players this weekend that can help you win your college fantasy football league championship. Here are the Irish players you should start and sit this week.

Start ‘Em

Notre Dame Defense (D/ST)

The Irish defense has been playing very well. Among FBS teams, Notre Dame’s defense ranks 16th in points per game allowed. The Stanford offense is on the other end of the spectrum. The Cardinal are averaging a meek 21.5 points per game, which ranks 109th in the FBS.

That low scoring average can be partially attributed to the number of injuries the Stanford offense has suffered this season. Notable injuries for their offense include four offensive linemen and the place kicker.

Stanford will have a hard time scoring points against Notre Dame. The Irish defense has a very high floor in fantasy football this weekend and can help your cause in the fantasy football playoffs.

Jonathan Doerer (K)

The Irish offense should score plenty of points on Saturday. That means we should see plenty of extra points and field goal attempts from Jonathan Doerer.

It is safe to say that Doerer has exceeded expectations this season. He is perfect on extra points and is 12 of 14 on field goal attempts. Like the Notre Dame defense, Doerer has a high floor in fantasy football this weekend.

Chase Claypool (WR)

Claypool’s hot streak continued last weekend as he caught seven passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. If he can finish the season with two more strong performances, there is a chance he could hear his name called in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Claypool will be covered by star cornerback Paulson Adebo at times on Saturday, but I think Claypool is proving he is matchup-proof.

It is hard to imagine a scenario where the Notre Dame offense plays well and Chase Claypool fails to score a touchdown. I think he will continue to impress us and extend his touchdown streak to four games.

Sit ‘Em

Your Worries (Irish Fans)

Notre Dame has lost five straight games in Palo Alto and seven of the last ten games played in this series. Suffice it to say it has been a frustrating decade for Notre Dame in this rivalry.

Last year, Stanford traveled to South Bend for a highly-anticipated prime time game. It was a fairly close game in the second half, but Notre Dame proved to be too much. The scales of the rivalry begin to tip in favor of the Irish.

Fast forward one year. Stanford has been hindered by early-season injuries and has not been able to find its rhythm. The Cardinal have lost three straight games and will fail to reach bowl-eligibility for the first time since 2008.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, has been rolling the last three weeks. In that stretch, they have outscored their opponents 130-34. The Irish are looking to eclipse the ten-win mark for the third straight season, something they have not accomplished since the Lou Holtz era.

Notre Dame opened as a 14-point favorite in this game, and that line has already moved to 16.5. I expect that spread to creep up a bit more before kickoff and I think the Irish will cover it comfortably.

The Cardinal are spiraling a bit, and they do not have much to play for in this game. There is blood in the water and Brian Kelly smells it. Him and his team have the chance to run up the score against not only a rival, but a team that Notre Dame regularly competes with on the recruiting trail.