Snatch ‘Em Up Now
If they weren’t already drafted in your league, these guys will be hot commodities on the wire this week.
Quarterbacks:
Todd Centeio, James Madison – Our fearless CFFSite leader Joe DiSalvo is having a good laugh after promoting Centeio as a legitimate CFF option this season. Through two games, he looks to have undersold him as the James Madison QB now has nine touchdown passes. We’ll see who the real Centeio is in two weeks against Appalachian State (bye week this Saturday), but there aren’t many roadblocks on the James Madison schedule.
Kaidon Salter, Liberty – Wasn’t the best statistical performance for Salter, completing just 52% of his throws vs. UAB, but led the Flames to victory as he tallied 289 yards of total offense and didn’t turn the ball over. Probably a sit against Wake Forest, but gets Akron, Old Dominion, UMass and Gardner-Webb in the following weeks.
Running Backs:
Khalan Laborn, Marshall – The Marshall running game hasn’t skipped a beat after losing Rasheen Ali, with Laborn rushing for 163 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries against Notre Dame. Will have to check again on the status of Ali this week, but Laborn is the guy moving forward until we hear otherwise.
Jalen Berger, Michigan State – Last chance to scoop up the former 4-star Wisconsin transfer as he rushed for three scores against Akron. Still a committee of sorts as Jarek Broussard is averaging double-digit carries (which will continue) but the Michigan State run game has been impressive to start, averaging close to six yards a carry as a team.
La’Damian Webb, South Alabama – Probably won’t be a start next week against UCLA, but then it’s all G5 opponents from there on out where Webb will have plenty of value if the first two weeks are any indication. Averaging 18 carries per game with four rushing touchdowns as the team’s clear-cut RB1. South Alabama being able to throw the ball effectively is opening up running lanes where the Jaguars struggled a year ago.
Wide Receivers:
Javon Baker, UCF – JRP has found a new top target in the former Alabama transfer, posting 84 yards receiving in each of the first two games on 21 targets which is tops on the team. Baker has accounted for 31% of the team’s target share already.
Champ Flemings, Arkansas State – Jeff Foreman is a drop at this point, and Te’Vailance Hunt is nowhere to be found. The Oregon State transfer has picked up the slack, catching all 17 of his targets to start the season. Flemings is accounting for 28% of the team’s target share with no other receiver having more than seven targets.
Jerand Bradley, Texas Tech – Odd game all around for the Texas Tech offense that looked good at times and out of sorts at others. Bradley didn’t post big numbers, but his 13 targets is a great sign moving forward.
Derwin Burgess Jr., Georgia Southern – Burgess is tied for sixth in the country with 28 targets after being targeted 19 times with 12 receptions in the victory over Nebraska. Georgia Southern is now tied for first in the country, averaging 51 attempts per contest, and I’d prioritize Burgess in full-point PPR formats with his target volume thus far.
Tyrin Smith, UTEP – Jacob Cowing who? Slim chance that Smith is still available on waivers, but if so, he’s now leading the nation in targets with 39. Double-digit targets in all three games played.
Tight Ends:
Joel Wilson, Central Michigan – 19 targets through two games. We stated in the offseason how OC Paul Petrino loved getting his tight end involved in the passing game at Idaho and that is coming to fruition against at CMU. Must-add at the tight end position.
CJ Donaldson, West Virginia – Jaylen Samuels reincarnated. Rule of thumb that we take with our CFF leagues. Follow what the official school website states with regards to position designation. And Donaldson is listed as a tight end.
Worth A Look
If you have the roster room, these prospects are worth a look.
Quarterbacks:
Carter Bradley, South Alabama – The Toledo transfer looks very comfortable in this offense through two games, completing 63% of his passes with six touchdowns. Has a legitimate receiving corps to work with in Jalen Wayne and Caullin Lacy. Will sit him in lineups next week vs. the Bruins, but the schedule opens up from there.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington – The real CFF season for Michael Penix starts next week at home vs. Michigan State. Through two weeks, it’s been an impressive renaissance for the Indiana transfer, topping 300+ passing yards in each game with six total touchdowns. Completing 69% of his throws.
Davis Brin, Tulsa – Brinsanity is back. Wasn’t as efficient against NIU, but has now thrown for 782 yards and seven touchdowns in just two games with an FCS opponent on the schedule next week.
Kyle Vantrease, Georgia Southern – GSU is now in the top five nationally in passing yards per game through two weeks behind the arm of Kyle Vantrase who has thrown for 776 yards and six total touchdowns. Is it strange to say that a road matchup with UAB next week will be the real test as opposed to Saturday’s game against Nebraska?
Running Backs:
MarShawn Lloyd, South Carolina – Hopefully MarShawn Lloyd makes it out healthy in next week’s matchup with Georgia, because he’s showing his 5-star talent thus far. Minimal production on the ground with 23 yards on seven carries but was targeted 12 times in the passing game with 123 total yards and two scores vs. Arkansas. Following the matchup with UGA, South Carolina gets a pair of cupcakes in Charlotte and South Carolina State where Lloyd should provide some value.
Aidan Robbins, UNLV – Is he Charles Williams? No, but Robbins has been productive through two games with three rushing touchdowns, including 84 yards in the loss to California. Some favorable matchups ahead with North Texas, Utah State and New Mexico – a few of the bottom feeders in college football defensively.
Jadyn Ott, California – The volume splits were drastically different this week as Cal distributed carries to three different running backs, but Ott is a step above the others, averaging over five yards a carry with two total touchdowns. Was targeted four times in the passing game.
Wide Receivers:
Antwane Wells Jr., South Carolina – Wells was the best player on the field Saturday in Fayetteville that was not named Raheim Sanders. Posted 8-189-1 on 10 targets, giving him 18 total targets through two games. No other South Carolina receiver has more than seven.
Joshua Cephus / De’Corian Clark, UTSA – Meep, meep. This offense is off to the races with quarterback Frank Harris through two games as UTSA is now 11th in the country in pass yards per game (348.0) Franklin remains the WR1, but the pairing of Cephus and Clark have combined for 30 catches and four touchdowns through two weeks.
Carlos Carriere, Central Michigan – The former Maryland transfer looked like the WR1 vs. Oklahoma State in the opener, and followed that up with 5-84-0 on a team-high 10 targets in Week 2. Dallas Dixon being injured should solidify Carriere’s status as the top option in this passing attack.
Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee – Hyatt’s strong offseason work ethic looks to be paying off as he’s posted double-digit fantasy points in each of the first two games. Targeted 13 times with 11 receptions in the overtime win over Pittsburgh.
Tulsa Receivers – Keylon Stokes is the obvious target of the top four, but Malachai Jones, Isaiah Epps and JuanCarlos Santana have all been impressive through two weeks. This Tulsa passing game does not involve the RBs or TEs so this quartette will see all of the targets. Just a matter of which one is the flavor of the day that week, which could cause some headaches.
Cole Tucker, Northern Illinois – Just lock in 10-15 points each week for the NIU WR1 that posted 7-123-1 on eight targets vs. Tulsa. Averaging 17.3 YPC through two games.
Nikko Remigio, Fresno State – The former Cal transfer has hit 100 yards exactly in each of the first two games, targeted a combined 16 times. Feels like a situation where we could see any one of Remigio, Jalen Cropper or Josh Kelly pop off at any moment, but Remigio has been very productive in a top-flight passing attack.
Tight Ends:
Luke Musgrave, Oregon State – The former 3-star was always a talented player, but Oregon State spread there targets typically around 5-6 players. That rotation seems to have tightened this year, and Musgrave has benefits, topping 80 yards receiving in the last two weeks. Led the Beavers with nine targets vs. Fresno State.
Longshots
Need to see more from these guys before pulling the trigger unless you are in the deepest of leagues.
Quarterbacks:
Riley Leonard, Duke – Leonard made me sweat out his passing prop this weekend, but hard not to be impressed with his performance through two games, averaging 24.1 fantasy points. Yes, he faced Temple and Northwestern, but the schedule ahead isn’t daunting either. NC A&T, Kansas, Virginia, Georgia Tech and North Carolina in the next five games. Leonard should be able to step in if you’re in a bind at the position.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan – No real surprise here that McCarthy will be starting next week vs. Connecticut after his performance against Hawaii with 300 total yards of offense and four scores. Won’t be starting McCarthy at Iowa in three weeks, but he’s absolutely playable against the Huskies and Maryland in the coming games.
Running Backs:
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State – If you have George Holani and extra roster space, probably best to handcuff him right now as a youth movement might be happening soon with the Broncos. Jeanty is the better player, and looked the part Friday vs. New Mexico, averaging 6.5 YPC on 11 attempts. Has also been targeted eight times in two games.
Qualan Jones, Baylor – This add is dependent on Taye McWilliams’ status as he left the BYU game due to injury after a hard hit. Should he be limited in practice, there’s a chance we may not see him next week vs. Texas State. The 242-pound Qualan Jones has found the end-zone three times in the first two games and probably gets a few looks around the goal-line next week in a blowout scenario.
Wide Receivers:
Jalon Calhoun, Duke – Really like what we’ve seen from the Duke passing game, and offense as a whole, through two games. Calhoun has produced double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back outings with 12-198-0 on 17 total targets.
Robert Lewis, Georgia State – The Panthers have been forced to throw the ball a bit more than they’d like as an underdog in its first two games, but Lewis has been the beneficiary with eight receptions on 17 targets, finding the end-zone three times. Great matchup next week against a Charlotte defense that can’t stop a nosebleed.
Tre Harris, Louisiana Tech – Strong start for the 6-foot-2 sophomore with 20 targets in two games, and found the end-zone vs. SF Austin. Hopefully gets a bump in production with a new starting quarterback.
Dynasty:
Kobe Paysour, North Carolina – Nobody can single-handedly replace Josh Downs, but Paysour is giving a pretty good run at that notion, finding the end-zone in each of the last two games as UNC’s top option in the passing game. Will start next season once Downs graduates.
