Syracuse at North Carolina Breakdown: Week 8, Oct. 24, 2026

The story

Syracuse arrives in Chapel Hill on Oct. 24 having lost two straight, most recently 34-26 to Louisville on Oct. 17, and is winless in ACC play. North Carolina has won two straight and is 2-1 in the conference. The Orange average 31.7 points a game this season but have questions at quarterback, while the Tar Heels average 23.5 with a passing game built around two targets.

The angle

A 46.8-point total makes this a lower-scoring game, so steady volume matters more than big plays. That favors locked-in roles: Umari Hatcher has 45 percent of Syracuse's catches over the last three games, and North Carolina's catches run through Jordan Shipp and Jelani Thurman. Syracuse is tougher on the pass than the run, but North Carolina splits its carries too evenly for any back to cash in.

Start 'em

Umari Hatcher has become Syracuse's entire passing game. He has caught 11 passes a game over his last three, up from 5.7 before, which is 45 percent of the team's catches, up from 25 percent. He has averaged 29.1 points a game this season and 37.7 over his last three, with a season high of 45.2, and he had career highs of 13 catches and 224 yards against Louisville. North Carolina is above average against receivers, in the top 25 percent of FBS, and the quarterback situation is unsettled, but he has scored at least 10 in each of his last five games. He's a safe floor.

Jelani Thurman shares North Carolina's targets: 30 percent of the catches over the last three games to Jordan Shipp's 40 percent. He has five catches a game over that stretch, up from 3.7. He has averaged 13.6 points a game this season and 15.4 over his last three, peaking at 22. Syracuse is above average against tight ends, in the top 40 percent of FBS, which trims the ceiling without threatening the role. Shamar Easter (North Carolina) has averaged 9.5 over his last three, so Thurman is the tight end to own. Start him; the catches are rising.

Jordan Shipp is listed Questionable, so check his status before kickoff. When he plays, he is North Carolina's busiest receiver, with 40 percent of the catches over the last three games and 6.7 catches a game, up from 4.3. He has averaged 13.5 points a game this season and 17.2 over his last three, with a season high of 18.5. Syracuse is above average against the pass, in the top 40 percent of FBS, so a huge line is unlikely. Start him if he's active.

Risky plays

Daunte Bacheyie (Syracuse) caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in the 28-25 loss at Virginia on Oct. 10, his season high of 19.7 points. He has averaged 10.8 points a game this season and 12.7 over his last three, playing in five of Syracuse's six games with 13 percent of the catches over his last three. The trouble is consistency: he has had a real role in two of his last four available games, with Hatcher (Syracuse) absorbing the volume. North Carolina is also above average against tight ends, in the top 25 percent of FBS. He's risky.

Value

Billy Edwards Jr. handles all of North Carolina's passing over the last three games, throwing for 216 yards a game with 5.3 carries. He has averaged 13.2 points a game this season and 14.6 over his last three. Syracuse is above average against quarterbacks, in the top 40 percent of FBS, but at $5.1M he is projected for about 15, a fair return for a starting QB at that price.

Injuries and timeshares

Syracuse's Steve Angeli is Questionable; if he sits, Danny Lauter would take over, having thrown for 37 yards a game over his last three. Malachi Nelson is Out. Amari Odom is out for the season. The backfield is a timeshare, with Tylik Hill at 47 percent of the carries over the last three games and Ahmad Miller at 24 percent.

North Carolina's Jordan Shipp and Benjamin Hall are Questionable. If Shipp sits, Trech Kekahuna stands to gain, with 13 percent of the team's catches over his last three. The backfield is split between Demon June at 30 percent of the carries and Hall at 29 percent.

TL;DR

Lock in Hatcher for his floor, start Thurman and Shipp if he's active, take Edwards as the value, and treat Bacheyie as a gamble.