Kansas State Wildcats News

Linkon Cure - Sees significant increase in usage Cure caught 5 of 8 targets for 33 yards during Saturday's 66-28 loss against Oklahoma State.

Impact Cure was surprisingly busy, drawing eight targets as the Wildcats tried to keep pace in a game that quickly got out of hand. With Kansas State likely continuing its two-quarterback approach moving forward, Cure's role as a frequent underneath target could give him a relatively stable floor compared to some of the Wildcats' other pass catchers.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Jaron Tibbs - Continues to command top volume Tibbs reeled in 6 of 10 targets for 42 yards during Saturday's 66-28 loss versus Oklahoma State.

Impact Tibbs remained the focal point of Kansas State's passing attack, leading the Wildcats with 10 targets. Unfortunately, the quarterback play never allowed him to capitalize on that opportunity, as Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff combined for an uneven afternoon while playing from behind for most of the game. Tibbs continues to operate as Kansas State's top receiver, and double-digit targets are difficult to ignore regardless of the stat line. Until someone else challenges him for that role, he remains the safest bet for receiving volume in the Wildcats' offense, even if the unsettled quarterback situation continues to cap his weekly ceiling.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Derrick Salley Jr. - Breaks out again Salley accrued three receptions (on four targets) for 100 yards and two touchdowns during Saturday's 66-28 loss against Oklahoma State.

Impact Salley turned in his best performance since the Week 4 win over Cincinnati. His first score came on a 73-yard connection with QB Blake Barnett, and he later added an 18-yard touchdown from QB Dillon Duff, becoming one of the few Kansas State players to consistently find success against the Cowboys' defense. If the Wildcats continue splitting snaps between quarterbacks, Salley appears to be the receiver most capable of maintaining fantasy relevance thanks to his big-play ability.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Rodney Fields Jr. - Handles the heavy lifting Fields compiled 20 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown and caught 1 of 2 targets for 12 yards during Saturday's 66-28 loss against Oklahoma State.

Impact Fields still led the offense in touches and remained the most reliable component of the offensive attack despite the Wildcats falling behind early and playing catch-up for most of the afternoon. Kansas State continues to shuffle between Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff at quarterback, and neither has firmly seized control of the offense. Given that uncertainty, it would not be surprising to see the Wildcats lean more heavily on Fields and the running game in an effort to create some stability. Even in a lopsided loss, this workload remained encouraging and should keep him firmly on the fantasy radar.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Dillon Duff - Remains part of the equation Duff completed 10 of 17 passes for 94 yards, one touchdown and one interception during Saturday's 66-28 loss to Oklahoma State.

Impact Duff once again saw meaningful snaps, his highlight was an 18-yard scoring strike to Derrick Salley, but the Wildcats were already facing a massive deficit by the time he entered the game. Duff's continued usage suggests Kansas State is likely to maintain a two-quarterback approach for the remainder of the season. The uncertainty makes both passers difficult to trust in fantasy formats, as neither Barnett nor Duff is currently seeing enough consistent volume to emerge as a reliable weekly option.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Blake Barnett - Continues to split time Barnett completed 7 of 17 passes for 106 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during Saturday's 66-28 defeat against Oklahoma State. He also had 10 rushes for 23 yards.

Impact Barnett got the start and showed flashes early, connecting with WR Derrick Salley on a 73-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Barnett appears to have the inside track on the starting role, but Kansas State's willingness to continue rotating quarterbacks limits his upside. With the Wildcats searching for answers on offense and neither Barnett nor Dillon Duff firmly taking control of the position, expect both quarterbacks to remain involved over the final few weeks of the season.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Mestemaker and Hawkins lead Oklahoma State's dominant effort over Kansas State 66-28

Drew Mestemaker became the first Bowl Subdivision player with four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown since Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong against BY...

2 DAYS AGO • Associated Press

Blake Barnett - Set to compete for QB1 job Barnett will compete for the starting quarterback role ahead of Kansas State's upcoming matchup against TCU, Kellis Robinett of The Wichita Eagle reports.

Impact Barnett will compete against Dillon Duff for the starting job under center, though head coach Collin Klein indicated the team will likely rely on both signal-callers to close out the season. With Avery Johnson (lower leg) likely done for the campaign, Barnett has stepped into additional opportunities under center. In his start in Week 9, he completed 18 of 28 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Dillon Duff - Competing for starting job Duff will compete with Blake Barnett for the starting job moving forward, Kellis Robinett of The Wichita Eagle reports.

Impact Duff, who has seen limited opportunities under center following Avery Johnson's injury, will compete with Blake Barnett for snaps moving forward. The 6-foot-2 sophomore relieved Barnett following his second interception during Saturday's 66-28 loss against Oklahoma State. Neither Duff nor Barnett has grabbed the starting role by the horns thus far.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Jay Harris - Will be available for Saturday Harris (undisclosed) has been cleared ahead of Saturday's clash with Oklahoma State, per the Big 12 availability report.

Impact Harris is good to go after missing Week 9. The tailback has been a rotational member of the Wildcats' backfield with 17 carries for 96 yards and three scores this season.

3 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Big 12's Holy War is 1st time Utah and BYU meet with both in AP top 10

This Holy War game could have significant implications on the Big 12 championship game matchup and the College Football Playoff

5 DAYS AGO • Associated Press

Jacob Knuth - Not playing versus Oklahoma State Knuth (undisclosed) won't be available for Saturday's clash with Oklahoma State, per the Big 12 availability report.

Impact Week 10 will mark back-to-back absences for Knuth, who made strides as Kansas State's starting quarterback right before an undisclosed injury took him out of action for multiple games. The QB's next chance to play comes Nov. 14 at TCU.

5 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Jay Harris - Listed as questionable for Week 10 Harris (undisclosed) has been given a questionable status for Saturday's clash with Oklahoma State, per the Big 12 availability report.

Impact Harris may miss his second straight game on Saturday against the Cowboys with an undisclosed injury. The Oregon transfer has recorded 17 carries for 96 yards and three touchdowns in five games.

5 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Joe Jackson - Momentum comes to halt Jackson recorded seven carries for 13 yards and reeled in 0 of 1 targets for zero yards during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat to Colorado.

Impact Jackson has been unable to build on his breakout performance against Kansas in Week 7, turning in a pair of inefficient outings over the last two games. For fantasy managers, the recent production is concerning, but there is some context behind it. The Wildcats have faced difficult game scripts in consecutive weeks, and the offense has been forced to adapt on the fly due to injuries under center.

6 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Miami gets top spot in first CFP rankings, but Tide at 5 and Irish at 11 bring a collective 'Huh?'

The undefeated Miami Hurricanes received top billing in the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings, with Georgia, undefeated Utah and defending national champion Indiana...

6 DAYS AGO • Associated Press

Avery Johnson - Likely done for 2026 Johnson (lower leg) has an "outside chance" to return this season, per Kellis Robinett of The Wichita Eagle.

Impact Johnson, who's missed the last two games for the Wildcats, appears extremely unlikely to return to action this season. Kansas State has already named Blake Barnett as their starter for Week 10 against Oklahoma State, and Johnson appears set to finish his 2026 season with 1,301 yards passing, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions with 462 rushing yards and three scores to boot.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Blake Barnett - Set to start for Kansas State Barnett will start for Kansas State against Oklahoma State in Week 10, per Kellis Robinett of The Wichita Eagle.

Impact Barnett replaced Dillon Duff at quarterback for the Wildcats, and he looked very solid in the process, tossing for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the overtime loss to Colorado. Now, he's been named the starter for Week 10 against Oklahoma State as starter Avery Johnson (lower leg) is likely out for the remainder of the season.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

AP Top 25 live updates: Ohio State falls out of top 10, UCLA cracks Top 5

Miami holds on to its No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 for the third week after defeating North Carolina

NOVEMBER 1 • Associated Press

Luis Rodriguez - Struggles in close overtime loss Rodriguez connected on 1-for-3 field-goal attempts and 3-for-3 point-after tries during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat against Colorado.

Impact Rodriguez failed to convert on two field-goal attempts from the 40-to-49-yard range after opening the season without a miss prior to this game. From a fantasy perspective, this feels more like an outlier than a trend. Rodriguez has been one of the Big 12's most reliable kickers entering the week and still showed mental toughness by converting his overtime attempted after the earlier misses. Still, in a game filled with quarterback drama and late-game heroics, the missed opportunities ultimately loomed large in Kansas State's narrow defeat.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Garrett Oakley - Makes an immediate impact in return Oakley gathered in all three targets for 25 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat against Colorado.

Impact Oakley returned from an illness and wasted no time reminding everyone of how important he is to the offense. He caught the game-tying touchdown pass with just two seconds remaining in regulation, forcing overtime and giving Kansas State a chance to complete its comeback. The score was his second touchdown of the season and highlighted the value he brings as a reliable target near the goal line.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Jaron Tibbs - Stays involved despite seeing his streak end Tibbs compiled five receptions (on seven targets) for 54 yards during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat to Colorado.

Impact Tibbs was unable to extend his touchdown streak to four games, but the underlying usage remained good. Tibbs drew at least seven targets for the fourth consecutive game, continuing to operate as one of Kansas State's most trusted receivers regardless of who's playing quarterback. The touchdown wasn't there this time, but the consistent volume suggests fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about a larger downturn.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Linkon Cure - Reaches the endzone for the first time Cure gathered in all three targets for 65 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's 27-24 overtime loss to Colorado.

Impact Cure recorded a career milestone against Colorado, catching the first touchdown of his collegiate career on a 33-yard strike from Blake Barnett. The athletic tight end has seen increasing involvement throughout the season, and this performance provided another encouraging sign that his role in this offense continues to grow.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Manning - Ends TD drought Manning totaled six receptions (on eight targets) for 73 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat versus Colorado.

Impact Manning delivered one of Kansas State's biggest offensive plays, hauling in a 28-yard touchdown from Blake Barnett. The score was Manning's first touchdown since Week 2 and came at a critical moment as the Wildcats fought their way back into the game. Just as importantly, he appeared to benefit from Barnett's aggressive approach down the field, giving fantasy managers hope that more production could be on the way if Barnett remains in the line-up.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Rodney Fields Jr. - Gets squeezed out by the game script Fields notched 12 rushes for 65 yards and hauled in all two targets for nine yards during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat to Colorado.

Impact Fields had a quiet afternoon as the Wildcats spent much of the game playing from behind and leaning on the passing attack. After Blake Barnett entered the game and sparked a comeback with three touchdown passes, Kansas State increasingly put the ball in the air, limiting opportunities for Fields to establish himself on the ground. From a fantasy perspective, this looks more like a product of circumstance than a major concern. His workload will be worth revisiting next week against Oklahoma State, especially if Kansas State can keep the game script more favorable for the running game.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Dillon Duff - Starting opportunity ends early Duff was 1-for-1 passing for two yards during Saturday's 27-24 overtime defeat to Colorado.

Impact Duff got the start for Kansas State but was unable to ignite the offense before being replaced by Blake Barnett. Duff's early exit puts his status moving forward very much in doubt. With Barnett's strong relief appearance and uncertainty surrounding the health of Avery Johnson, Kansas State enters next week with several options at quarterback.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

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Mestemaker and Hawkins lead Oklahoma State's dominant effort over Kansas State 66-28

Big 12's Holy War is 1st time Utah and BYU meet with both in AP top 10

Miami gets top spot in first CFP rankings, but Tide at 5 and Irish at 11 bring a collective 'Huh?'

AP Top 25 live updates: Ohio State falls out of top 10, UCLA cracks Top 5