Missouri State at Delaware Breakdown: Week 8, Oct. 20, 2026

The story

Delaware has lost three straight, including a 33-30 loss at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 13, and sits winless in Conference USA play. Missouri State arrives at Delaware Stadium on Oct. 20 having snapped its own skid by beating Kennesaw State. Both teams are 2-4, and for fantasy purposes the most interesting thing about this one is how welcoming both defenses are to quarterbacks.

The angle

Neither offense scores enough to promise a shootout, so this comes down to usage and matchups. Delaware allows 132 rushing yards a game, an above-average mark, but it is the 13th-worst pass defense in FBS, which pushes Missouri State toward the air. Missouri State is the 18th-worst pass defense and the worst in FBS against quarterbacks. Both teams spread the ball around and run by committee, which makes the quarterbacks the cleanest way into this game.

Start 'em

Skyler Locklear has turned into a real dual threat as Missouri State's starting QB. He has run 8.3 times a game over his last three games, up from four a game before that, adding 34 rushing yards a game to 167 through the air. Delaware is the sixth-worst defense against quarterbacks in FBS, a spot where that rushing floor can grow. He has averaged 12.7 points over his last three games with a season high of 23.7. Henry Belin (Missouri State) has averaged 10.8 over his last three games, but he lacks Locklear's legs. Locklear is a ceiling play, because his running gives him a path to a big day against a soft unit.

Donovan Lewis has become a bigger part of Delaware's passing game, catching 3.3 balls a game over his last three games, up from 1.7 a game before that, which works out to about a fifth of the team's catches. Missouri State is the ninth-worst defense against wide receivers in FBS. He has averaged 10.5 points over his last three games against seven for the season, with a high of 14.3. Delaware receiver Da'Wain Lofton's catches have held flat, which is why Lewis is the receiver to own here. Lewis is a ceiling play, since his climbing usage meets one of the softest secondaries around.

Tyler Bell is Delaware's starting QB, and his legs drive his value: he has carried 11.5 times a game over his two games this season, alongside 174 passing yards a game. Missouri State is the worst defense against quarterbacks in FBS. He has averaged 18.7 points over those two games with a high of 28.5. Nick Minicucci (Delaware), who has averaged 9.9 over his last three games, sits behind him on production. Start Bell, because a running quarterback facing the worst QB defense in FBS is hard to pass up.

Risky plays

Dillon Hipp is the most productive of Missouri State's tight ends, and Delaware, the ninth-worst defense against tight ends in FBS, is normally a defense to target at the position. The problem is volume. Hipp has caught 2.3 passes a game over his last three games, about a tenth of the team's catches, and has averaged 6.2 points over that stretch with a high of 10.8. Hipp is risky, because the matchup is there but his slice of the work is thin.

Sean Wilson has the biggest ceiling on Delaware's receiving corps, with a season high of 39.5 and an average of 12.8 points a game this season. Missouri State, the ninth-worst defense against wide receivers in FBS, is normally a defense to attack at receiver. But his catches have fallen to 2.3 a game over his last three games, down from six a game before that, and he has averaged four points over that span. Wilson is risky, since his role has shrunk too much to trust even in a great matchup.

Injuries and timeshares

Delaware's Nick Minicucci is Questionable; if he sits, Tyler Bell keeps the job, with 174 passing yards a game over his last three games. Delaware's Greg Spiller is out for the season. Missouri State's Mekhi Miller, James Rexroat, Elijah Leonard and Jambres Dubar are also Questionable. Both backfields are committees, led by Ramone Green for Missouri State and Jo Silver for Delaware.

TL;DR

Start Bell and Locklear against two generous quarterback defenses, take Lewis as the rising receiver, and keep Hipp and Wilson on the bench.