Liberty at Kennesaw State Breakdown: Week 8, Oct. 22, 2026

The story

Liberty arrives at Fifth Third Stadium on a five-game winning streak, 5-1 overall and unbeaten in Conference USA play. Kennesaw State has lost five straight, though the recent losses have been tight, including 24-21 at Missouri State on Oct. 14. For fantasy, the Flames' rising backfield usage and concentrated passing game are the draws, while the Owls offer a steady quarterback and a crowded receiver room.

The angle

Neither offense projects to pile up points, so volume matters more than big plays. Liberty looks like the clear favorite and should lean on the run late. Its passing work runs through Makai Jackson (Liberty), against the 30th-worst pass defense in FBS. Kennesaw State spreads its catches around and faces the 14th-best scoring defense in FBS, making most of its receivers hard to trust.

Start 'em

Kam Davis has taken over the biggest piece of Liberty's backfield committee, carrying 15 times a game over his last three games, up from 9.7 before that, for 35 percent of the team's carries. Kennesaw State is in the bottom 40 percent of FBS against backs. If Liberty leads, those carries should keep coming. He has averaged 21.6 points over his last three games against 14.4 for the season, with a high of 26.7. Start him, because his workload is climbing into a matchup that won't slow it down.

Makai Jackson has become Liberty's passing game, catching 37 percent of the team's passes over his last three games, up from 22 percent before. He doesn't need a shootout to see the ball. Kennesaw State is a bottom-25-percent defense against receivers. He has averaged 17.3 points this season and 17.8 over his last three games, with a season high of 31.9. He's a ceiling play, with a dominant share meeting a soft secondary.

Rickie Collins does everything for Kennesaw State's offense as the starting QB. Over his last three games he has thrown for 227 yards a game and run 11 times a game, for 35 percent of the team's carries and 46 rushing yards a game. Liberty is in the top 20 percent of FBS against quarterbacks, so a huge game is hard to count on. But if the Owls trail, he should throw plenty, and his legs give him a cushion. He has averaged 19.1 points this season and 19 over his last three games, with a high of 25.3. Call him a safe floor, since his rushing role holds up even when the passing is tough.

Risky plays

Brayden Munroe (Kennesaw State) has been growing into the offense, catching 4.7 passes a game over his last three games, up from 2.5 before that. He has averaged 10.6 points over his last three games, with a season high of 23.5. The work is split, though: he has 22 percent of the catches over that span, while Zion Booker (Kennesaw State) has 29 percent. Liberty is also a top-20-percent defense against receivers. He's risky, a receiver on the rise who shares targets against a stingy secondary.

Dylan Gary (Kennesaw State) has the most explosive range in this group, with a season high of 29.5 on 10 catches in the loss at Missouri State. He saw the top target work when Zion Booker did not play, and Booker is questionable for Oct. 22. Gary has had a real role in three of Kennesaw State's six games, averaging 9 points this season and 10.3 over his last three games. Liberty's top-20-percent defense against receivers adds to the doubt. He's risky, because his big role has depended on who else is available, and the matchup is tough.

Value

Deshawn Purdie (Liberty) is the starting QB for an offense averaging 31.2 points a game. He gets Kennesaw State, a bottom-25-percent defense against quarterbacks. He has thrown for 162 yards a game over his last three games, has averaged 13.5 points this season and has a high of 23.3. At $7.6M he is projected for about 14, which leaves room to beat his price.

TL;DR

Start Davis and Jackson with confidence, lean on Collins for a floor, take Purdie as the value, and keep Kennesaw State's receivers on the bench unless you need upside.