Old Dominion at Louisiana Tech Breakdown: Week 8, Oct. 24, 2026
Key players with CollegeFFB projections and prices, status, matchup notes and news, current when the page loads.
Week 8 · Sun Belt game
Our breakdown
Written before kickoff; projections as of Oct. 22, 2:19 PM ET.
The story
Louisiana Tech has won three straight and is 2-0 in Sun Belt play, most recently shutting out UL Monroe 24-0 on Oct. 17. Old Dominion sits at 2-5 after losing at home to Georgia Southern on Oct. 15. The Monarchs' offense averages 17.7 points a game against Louisiana Tech's 33.3. For fantasy, the Bulldogs' passing game is where the points are, and one Monarchs back has earned a look.
The angle
With a 45.3-point total, this sets up as a lower-scoring game. Louisiana Tech carries an implied 29.5 points to Old Dominion's 16. In that kind of game, a steady share of the work matters more than big plays. Both backfields are committees, but Louisiana Tech's catches run through Jalen Mickens and Eli Finley. Old Dominion's clearest path to production is on the ground through its busiest back.
Start 'em
Devin Roche has taken on more of Old Dominion's running game. He has 15.7 carries a game over his last three games, up from 12 a game before that, and 38 percent of the team's carries in that stretch. He has averaged 7.1 points a game this season and 8.1 over his last three, with a season high of 11.7, so his range is modest but climbing. Louisiana Tech is about average against running backs, a matchup that does not stand in his way. With starting QB Quinn Henicle (Old Dominion) listed as out, the offense may lean even harder on the ground. Roche is a start, because his growing workload is the most dependable piece of an implied 16-point offense.
Jalen Mickens is Louisiana Tech's top target. He has 29 percent of the team's catches over his last three games and 6.3 catches a game in that span, up from 4.3 before that. He has averaged 18.9 points a game this season, with a season high of 30.5. Old Dominion is an above-average defense against receivers, in the top 40 percent of FBS, and that may trim his ceiling. Even so, a game with a 45.3-point total rewards exactly the kind of volume he brings. Talyn Shettron (Louisiana Tech) also works in this receiver room, but Mickens has averaged 16.7 points over his last three games to Shettron's 8.3. Mickens is a start, since his climbing catch count holds up even against a solid pass defense.
Value
Eli Finley shares Louisiana Tech's passing game with Mickens. Over the last three games, Finley has 23 percent of the team's catches to Mickens's 29 percent, and he is averaging five catches a game in that span. Finley has averaged 15.7 points over his last three games and 14.1 this season, with a season high of 32.4. Old Dominion is about average against tight ends. At $7.5M he is projected for about 13, a fair price for a tight end with that steady an involvement.
TL;DR
Start Mickens and Roche for their volume, and take Finley as the value play at tight end.
Line (as of Oct 22): Louisiana Tech -13.5 · Total 45.3 (context only)
Key players
CollegeFFB projections for Week 8, current when the page loads. Pts/g is the season, Last 3 his last three games. Status from RotoWire.
Old Dominion
| Player | Pos | Price | Pts/g | Last 3 | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Roche | RB | $6.9M | 7.1 | 8.1 | 8.8 |
| TJ Johnson | WR | $5.4M | 8.6 | 7.6 | 8.1 |
| Leon Haughton | TE | $5.1M | 6.8 | 5.8 | 6.8 |
| Josh Rodriguez | WR | $5.4M | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.6 |
| Kendall Harris | WR | $5.4M | 4.4 | 6.2 | 5.1 |
| Maurki James | RB | $5.4M | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
| Ryan HuffQuestionable | QB | $4.5M | 1.6 | 1.2 | 2.3 |
| Trey Hall | RB | $5.4M | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
Louisiana Tech
| Player | Pos | Price | Pts/g | Last 3 | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Mickens | WR | $6.4M | 18.9 | 16.7 | 17.1 |
| Blake Baker | QB | $7.2M | 14.9 | 15.9 | 16.9 |
| Eli Finley | TE | $7.5M | 14.1 | 15.7 | 13.1 |
| Andrew Burnette | RB | $5.0M | 1.3 | 2.6 | 9.3 |
| Trey Kukuk | QB | $5.1M | 8.2 | 5.8 | 8.8 |
| Talyn Shettron | WR | $5.6M | 8.9 | 8.3 | 7.7 |
| Marcus Calwise Jr. | WR | $5.6M | 7.2 | 11.4 | 5.9 |
| Jaden Miller | RB | $8.7M | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 |
News
Brayden Bockler caught 2 passes for 4 yards and 2 touchdowns in Louisiana Tech's 24-0 win at UL Monroe on Oct. 17, good for 14.4 CollegeFFB points in that game. At $4.6M, he has produced 8.6 points a game this season and figures to stay involved when Louisiana Tech faces Old Dominion on Oct. 24.
Louisiana Tech running back Dylone Brooks is working his way back from an injury he suffered in the first half of the Bulldogs' 32-31 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 10, coach Sonny Cumbie said, according to the Ruston Daily Leader.
Eli Finley caught 9 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns in Louisiana Tech's 32-31 win over Louisiana on Oct. 10, good for 32.4 CollegeFFB points in that game. The tight end is "playing the most consistent football of his career," according to the Ruston Daily Leader. Averaging 16.3 points a game this season, Finley could keep producing at $7.7M when Louisiana Tech plays at UL Monroe on Oct. 17.
Blake Baker threw for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran 11 times for 35 yards and 1 touchdown in Louisiana Tech's 32-31 win over Louisiana on Oct. 10, scoring 32.3 CollegeFFB points in that game. At $7.2M, Baker has averaged 19.7 points a game this season and is in line for more when Louisiana Tech visits UL Monroe on Oct. 17.
Jalen Mickens had 9 catches for 92 yards and 1 receiving touchdown in Louisiana Tech's 32-31 win over Louisiana on Oct. 10, adding 1 carry for 3 yards and 1 rushing touchdown. He totaled 30.5 CollegeFFB points against Louisiana. Louisiana Tech visits UL Monroe on Oct. 17, and at $6.4M, Mickens could stay busy, averaging 21.4 points a game this season.