Rutgers at Northwestern Breakdown: Week 8, Oct. 24, 2026

The story

Northwestern has won three straight and sits at 5-1 with an AP No. 24 ranking, while Rutgers is 2-4 but coming off a 37-30 win at Maryland on Oct. 17. The Wildcats host the Scarlet Knights at Ryan Field in a Big Ten game where both offenses have moved the ball: Northwestern averages 33.5 points a game and Rutgers 31.2. That gives fantasy players real options on both sides.

The angle

A 58.8-point total makes this a high-scoring setup, but the points lean heavily one way: Northwestern carries an implied 37.5 points to Rutgers's 21. The Wildcats face a Rutgers defense allowing 31.8 points a game, the 20th-worst scoring defense in FBS. Rutgers runs into a Northwestern defense allowing 17 points a game, a top-20-percent mark. That pushes the Northwestern skill players up the board and makes Rutgers a matter of concentrated volume.

Start 'em

KJ Duff is Rutgers's alpha receiver, catching 36 percent of the team's passes over the last three games and 6 a game in that span. He has averaged 28.4 points this season and 22.7 over his last three games, with a 46.6-point high, and he has reached double figures in each of his last five games. Northwestern is an above-average defense against receivers, so this may not be one of his biggest weeks. That share holds up anyway, which makes him a safe floor, the steadiest receiving workload in this game.

Aidan Chiles gives Northwestern two ways to score as its starting QB, throwing for 197 yards a game and carrying 10 times a game for 26 yards over his last three games. He has averaged 24 points this season and 20.5 over his last three games, topping out at 33.8. Rutgers is the 19th-worst defense against quarterbacks in FBS, and his offense carries an implied 37.5 points. Start him, since his rushing work gives him a floor that passing alone would not.

Griffin Wilde has caught 36 percent of Northwestern's passes over the last three games, up from 26 percent before that, at 5.3 catches a game. He has averaged 16 points this season and 15.2 over his last three games, with a 28.4-point high. Rutgers is the 19th-worst defense against receivers in FBS. Drew Wagner (Northwestern) sits behind him, averaging 9.1 points over the same three games to Wilde's 15.2. Wilde is a ceiling play, with a growing share pointed at a defense that gives up plays.

Caleb Komolafe (Northwestern) has taken on more work lately, with 16 carries a game over his last three games, up from 9 a game before that. He has gained 100 rushing yards a game in that span and averaged 19.8 points, against 14.4 this season and a 27.2-point high. Rutgers is the seventh-worst defense against running backs in FBS, and its run defense allows 185 rushing yards a game. Joseph Himon (Northwestern) trails him because Komolafe's carries are climbing. Komolafe is a ceiling play, with rising volume aimed at the softest spot on the field.

Risky plays

Antwan Raymond (Rutgers) has a strong track record this season, averaging 17.8 points with a 32-point high and 21.8 a game in his first four games. His scoring then fell to 5.8 and 13.8 over his last two games. He also shares the backfield: Clay Thevenin (Rutgers) has 38 percent of the carries over the last three games and Raymond 36 percent. Raymond's longer run of production this season is why he gets the write-up over Thevenin. Northwestern is above average against running backs, and Raymond is listed Questionable, so check his status before kickoff. He is risky, with a split workload, a tougher matchup and an unsettled status.

Value

Dylan Lonergan has played in five of Rutgers's six games and has averaged 14.7 points over his last three. He has thrown for 191 yards a game over that span. Northwestern is above average against quarterbacks, but at $5.5M he is projected for about 14, which is a fair return for a starting QB at a backup's price.

Injuries and timeshares

Rutgers's Antwan Raymond, Jourdin Houston and Ja'shon Benjamin are Questionable, and Ben Rothhaar is Probable. If Raymond sits, Clay Thevenin stands to gain. Thevenin already has 38 percent of the carries over his last three games, up to 15 carries a game from 4.7 before that. Until then, the Rutgers backfield remains a timeshare between Thevenin (38 percent) and Raymond (36 percent). Northwestern's Luke Dehnicke and Daniel Anderson are out.

TL;DR

Start Chiles, Wilde and Komolafe against a soft Rutgers defense, lean on Duff's volume, take Lonergan as the value, and check Raymond's status.