Wyoming vs. Akron
- Point-Spread: Wyo – 7
- O/U Total: 49
- Implied Score: Wyo 28 – Akr 21
- Weather: 66 degrees / 28% rain / 8 mph winds
Wyoming:
Top Play(s) – TE John Michael Gyllenborg ($6,500) It can be tough to stomach spending up on a tight end at this price if your name is not Brock Bowers or more recently Tyler Warren. But JMG is on the short list of tight ends in the country that could have that type of impact in 2025 as the team’s clear No. 1 pass-catching option. When healthy, Gyllenborg was exceptional last season with 31 receptions on 47 targets across nine games.
Fade – RB Sam Scott ($5,200) Scott is the incumbent, and listed at top the team depth chart, albeit with a bunch of OR’s in that running back room. The offseason was turbulent with news coming out of Wyoming spring and fall camp, with multiple RBs flashing on different occasions. Coming out of spring ball, it was Charlotte transfer Terron Kelleman. When Phil Steele published, he predicted North Texas transfer Damashja Harris as RB1. In an early August article, Iowa transfer Max White was the name popping as looking the best amongst the group. In summation, take the cheapest option or punt the group entirely because this looks like a committee.
Bargain Bin – RB Max White ($3,000) It’s a risk, as the Iowa transfer is third on the depth chart, but there’s an early August article from a Wyoming media outlet that is quoted as saying, “if I was to pick a starter today, it would likely be White – by a razor thin margin.” If White isn’t the starter, he should at the very least get some run on Thursday in a rotation.
Pivot Play – QB Kaden Anderson ($6,800) A Wyoming QB? In this economy? Anderson took over the starting job in Week 9 and showed flashes of potential, including a four-touchdown performance against New Mexico – though that defense finished 2024 as the worst in all of college football.
Best of the Rest – WRs Jaylen Sargent ($5,500) or WR Chris Durr ($5,400) This WR duo, along with Gyllenborg, should dominated the target share for Wyoming this season. Durr, a 5-foot-10 slot receiver, was a gem in last year’s recruiting class, finishing second on the team in targets (45) as a freshman. Sargent has the size at 6-foot-2 and was deemed the receiver most likely to hit 1,000 yards (if a Wyoming receiver did this season) by the team beat writer in the G5Hive episode on YouTube (watch it). Limit one to a lineup.
Injury Notes – n/a
Akron:
Top Play(s) – TE Jake Newell ($4,000) Without an official depth chart as of writing this on Tuesday, there’s not much to go on here for the Akron side, but we cannot ignore them with an implied team total of three touchdowns. Newel is the most known commodity on the team, finishing second last season in receptions (35) and third in targets (47), and should see a boost in fantasy production with more touchdown equity.
Fade – WR Alex Adams ($6,200) The floor is LOW, low for Adams who has been hampered by injuries in recent years, although he did finished as WR32 in college fantasy in 2022 with nine touchdowns when he last played a full campaign. He’s way too pricy, though, for a player whose best days might be behind him. RB Taven Curry ($5,400) is also an easy fade as he’s likely not top three on the depth chart.
Bargain Bin – WR Kyan Mason ($3,300) FWIW – Akron has an active message board with a moderator that seems to have access to practices. If you recall, this is how we found Adrian Norton last year who became one of the Zips’ top passing options. Mason caught just one pass in two games played as a freshman, and that went for a 28-yard touchdown. He’s expected to start in the slot, and there’s a chance he’s the actual WR1 for Akron in 2025.
Pivot Play – QB Ben Finley ($5,400) Finley is cheap, he’s the undisputed starter, and we know Akron chucks the football around under head coach Joe Moorhead. The Zips have ranked in the top 15 nationally since 2022 in pass rate at a 55.8% clip. Biggest downside is he’s a zero on the ground so will need to throw a few touchdowns to hit value.
Best of the Rest – WR Israel Polk ($3,500) We assume Akron will chuck the football around as they’ve done each of the last three seasons, and some of the projected starters outside of Adams and Mason are cheap. Polk brings experience, finishing four on the team last season with 45 targets. WR Marcel Williams ($3,000) has been a fall camp standout, and was shown catching a touchdown in a team highlight reel in fall ball.
Injury Notes – On the aforementioned Akron message board, it was mentioned that RB transfers Chris Gee ($3,000) and Jordan Gant ($4,700) are dinged up. Redshirt freshman Sean Patrick ($3,000) is expected to see extended playing time on Thursday. Again, take this info FWIW without a depth chart.
East Carolina vs. NC State
- Point-Spread: NC St – 14
- O/U Total: 61
- Implied Score: NC St 32.5 – ECU 18.5
- Weather: 74 degrees / 3% rain / 6 mph winds
East Carolina:
Top Play(s) – n/a. They’re all priced up to a point where it’s tough to consider anyone on the ECU side with a team total less than three touchdowns. We’ll attack this Pirate offense down the road with better matchups, because they’ll be one of the best offensive teams in the AAC.
Fade – RB Parker Jenkins ($5,000) ECU probably doesn’t have a Rahjai Harris this year and is likely a three-way committee with a few other candidates aside from Jenkins, the Houston transfer. But reading through spring and summer reports, Jenkins was consistently the third option behind the top two. We’d favor Montgomery or Gunn Jr. instead.
Bargain Bin – RB Marlon Gunn Jr. ($4,500) As we saw last year with Rahjai Harris, this appears to be a staff that values upperclassmen, and Gunn is the eldest holdover in the ECU running back room. While this will likely be a split distribution, Gunn has been listed first a few times by the team beat writer when mentioning the backfield. OC John David Baker also has a tendency as a play-caller to feature one back, as we saw last year and dating back to his time at Ole Miss with Quinshon Judkins.
Pivot Play – QB Katin Houser ($9,700) The last time Houser faced this NC State defense, it was ugly – 147 passing yards and two interceptions. Houser still finished with 24 fantasy points due to his rushing usage with 84 yards and two scores on 13 carries, so we know he can get it done both ways. After taking over the starting job last season, Houser was a relation over the last seven starts, averaging 267 passing yards with 20 touchdowns in that span. GPP play here as he’s quite pricy and probably won’t see a high ownership rate with a lower implied team total than we’d like to see.
Best of the Rest – WRs. At receiver, WR Yannick Smith ($7,200) is expected to step into a starting role on the outside after a strong finish last season, recording 60 or more yards in each of the final four games. WR Anthony Smith ($7,400) led the team with 805 receiving yards on 84 targets. Either player could end up being the WR1 for this team and see 100+ targets for the season. WR Jaquaize Pettaway ($6,700) is arguably the fastest receiver on the team and will start in the slot after transferring over from Oklahoma. Realistically only room for one in your roster with the pricing and would favor one of the Smith’s over Pettaway.
Injury Notes – n/a
NC State:
Top Play(s) – RB Hollywood Smothers ($7,000) The former Oklahoma transfer might be the best player NC State has on offense in 2025…if he gets the necessary workload. Under HC Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack have typically split carries in the backfield, having not produced a 1,000-yard rusher since 2018. The prevailing thought from most is that 2025 could be different – think Demond Claiborne last year who broke the mold of what a college “system” typically does.
Fade – WR Terrell Anderson ($5,200) The WR room for the Wolfpack does not inspire much confidence heading the season, losing last year’s leader KC Concepcion to the portal, and may end up being one of the few teams in the country where the tight end is the de facto WR1. Would rather spend up on a running back and go cheap at wide receiver than roster Anderson at this pricing.
Bargain Bin – RB Jayden “Duke Scott ($4,800) If NC State remains a committee of sorts in the backfield, the redshirt freshman back has been getting the hype in fall camp. RB2s have averaged around nine rushing attempts per game under Doeren over the last eight years.
Pivot Play – QB CJ Bailey ($9,500) Strong projection for Bailey this week, heading into his second season as the team’s starter after throwing for 2,400 yards and 22 combined touchdowns as a freshman. Bailey was very consistent, scoring 22 or more fantasy points in six of his final seven starts. He’s up over 200 pounds now after entering college at just 170 lbs and is expected to factor into the run game more with a new offensive coordinator. No need to stack Bailey with any NC State pass-catcher.
Best of the Rest – TE Justin Joly ($6,300) There’s a world where no WR steps up this season, and the target share once again funnels through Joly who finished second on the team in targets, receptions and touchdowns last season. He’s the best pass-catcher, by far, on the team. He’s the better option over WR Noah Rogers ($6,800) both from a production and pricing standpoint.
Injury Notes – n/a
Jacksonville State vs. Central Florida
- Point-Spread: UCF -18.5
- O/U Total: 53.5
- Implied Score: UCF 36 – Jax St 17.5
- Weather: 82 degrees / 68% rain / 6 mph winds
Jacksonville State:
The Gamecocks enter 2025 with a brand new coaching staff and a roster ranked 135th in returning production. Stepping in is veteran defensive coordinator Charles Kelly as head coach, and joined by Clint Trickett as OC. While the personnel is changing, Trickett’s offensive philosophy bears some similarities to what the previous staff ran. At previous stops with Florida Atlantic and Marshall, Trickett favored a run-centric approach that incorporated the quarterback position as a runner. Not to the extent that Tyler Huff did a year ago, but Trickett’s QB1 averaged 99 attempts per season in three years as a play-caller. That context helps explain why the staff targeted QB Gavin Wimsatt ($7,200), the former Rutgers and Kentucky transfer, in the portal. Unless Wimsatt rushes for a touchdown or two, it’s unlikely he’ll be a factor on the slate.
Trickett oversaw two elite fantasy RB seasons during his time with Marshall with Khalan Laborn and Rasheen Ali who combined for 31 rushing touchdowns and top 16 finishes at their position in college fantasy. TCU transfer RB Cam Cook ($5,800) impressed at times with the Horned Frogs, finishing with nine touchdowns but averaged just 3.9 YPC before eventually losing his starting job. He’s squarely in the mix here with his mid-tier salary, in a run-based scheme.
Don’t even bother with the wide receivers. Jacksonville State will run at a 60-65% clip and Wimsatt has not shown to be a competent thrower in his collegiate career.
Central Florida:
Top Play(s) – RB Myles Montgomery ($6,000) Montgomery has been the RB1 over Western Michigan transfer Jaden Nixon since the start of the spring, and that was on display again with the depth chart solidifying his standing as the top rusher. He’s the safest, known commodity to roster on the UCF side. That said, Scott Frost has historically split up the carries, with only one running back surpassing 155 attempts in his seven prior seasons as head coach.
Fade – QB Cam Fancher ($8,300) Rule of Thumb #1 – never roster Cam Fancher. Rule of Thumb #2 – Especially do not roster Cam Fancher at $8.3k. The one saving grace if you ran the risk of playing him is that he can run, and Scott Frost has incorporated his QB1 in the run game in the past, rushing for 100+ attempts in five of the last seven seasons.
Bargain Bin – WR Waden Charles ($3,200) Pure dart throw if you absolutely have to start someone at $3.2k. Charles was a standout this offseason and will be the first UCF freshman to start a season opener since 2018. Seems to be the future at the position for Knights.
Pivot Play – WR DJ Black ($5,400) Black was our projected WR1 for UCF in the offseason, so it was good to see him secure a starting job on the depth chart. He posted 939 yards and 11 touchdowns at Limestone College in 2024.
Best of the Rest – WR Duane Thomas Jr. ($5,800) If not Black, the former Charlotte transfer should be the next best option in the passing game. Does have some experience, including 43 targets as a freshman back in 2023. Maximum one UCF receiver in a lineup, and preferably none with Cam Fancher throwing the football.
Injury Notes – n/a
Buffalo vs. Minnesota
- Point-Spread: Minn – 17.5
- O/U Total: 44.5
- Implied Score: Minn 30 – Buff 13.5
- Weather: 68 degrees / 1% rain / 8 mph winds
Buffalo:
Top Play(s) – RB Al-Jay Henderson ($6,400) Won’t have much exposure to Henderson but gets top billing here as a top 6 overall running back in our college fantasy season-long rankings. Fun fact – there were 17 non-P4 running backs to rush for at least 1,000 yards last season. Just three are back with the same program, one of which being Henderson who ran roughshod through the MAC, averaging 106 yards per game during conference play, and scoring 31 FPPG over his final seven contests.
Fade – QB Ta’Quan Roberson ($6,600) We’re not playing a quarterback with an implied team total of fewer than two touchdowns. That said, we’ll be interested in Roberson once Buffalo gets into MACtion play given with his predecessor, CJ Ogbonna, did a year ago, scoring 30+ fantasy points in each of the last four games of the regular season.
Bargain Bin – WR Nik McMillan ($4,700) McMillan’s issue has not been about ability, but availability, playing in just nine games over two seasons. In last season’s opener, McMillan was targeted nine times with a touchdown.
Pivot Play – WR Victor Snow ($6,000) Snow projects to be Buffalo’s top wideout in 2025 after his strong close to last season with five touchdowns in his last seven games played. We’re expecting a top-heavy target share for the Bulls with Snow and McMillan leading the way.
Best of the Rest – WR Jasaiah Gathings ($4,100) Gathings is new to the squad, coming over from UConn via the portal. Gathings provides experience as the third option, with over 150 targets combined over the last two seasons with the Huskies and at Akron in 2023. Low priority option as we don’t know his exact role in the offense.
Injury Notes – n/a
Minnesota:
Top Play(s) – RB Darius Taylor ($9,000) We know what Taylor is capable of, having rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season with 54 receptions on 67 targets in the passing game. The issue for this slate in particular is you ‘really’ have to spend up to get him, and RB is the deepest position for this set of games. He’ll see lower ownership as a result. Lock in 60 yards and a touchdown for Taylor, but how much more than that in a possible blowout setting?
Fade – QB Drake Lindsey ($6,100) The Gophers adopted an unexpected pass-happy approach last season with Max Brosmer at quarterback, throwing the ball at a 50.2% clip, which was easily the highest mark of P.J. Fleck’s tenure at Minnesota. Brosmer has since graduated, and the keys to the car are being handed to redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Lindsey is the prototypical strong-armed pocket passer that lacks mobility, making him an unlikely fantasy contributor in what is expected to revert back to being a run-first system.
Bargain Bin – TE Jameson Geers ($3,800) Geers is the second leading returning pass-catcher on the team from last year behind only Darius Taylor. With a newly built receiver room, we potentially could see more targets funnel through to the senior tight end. Geers was strong down the stretch last season with three touchdowns in the last five games.
Pivot Play – Backup RBs. Both AJ Turner ($4,600) and Cam Davis ($3,100) are transfers that are expected to play an immediate role in 2025. Davis will handle short-yardage situations and just needs one touchdown to pay off his min-priced salary. Marshall transfer AJ Turner, whose 8.3 yard per carry average in 2024 is the highest mark for a running back in college football with a minimum of 100 attempts.
Best of the Rest – WRs We’ll get this one out of the way – there will not be a Daniel Jackson amongst the Minnesota receivers in 2025. That’s been the messaging from the beat writers all offseason that the targets will be dispersed more with a handful of transfers arriving in the offseason. Take shots on Javon Tracy, Logan Loya and Le’Meke Brockington, as they’re the projected starters, but we don’t see much upside here, and a very low floor.
Injury Notes – n/a
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati
- Point-Spread: Neb -6.5
- O/U Total: 53.5
- Implied Score: Neb 30 – Cin 23.5
- Weather: 71 degrees / 9% rain / 5 mph winds
Nebraska:
Top Play(s) – RB Emmett Johnson ($7,500) Johnson saw a massive boost in production once Dana Holgorsen took over as offensive coordinator last season, mostly in the passing game with 23 of his 39 receptions coming in that stretch. Add that to the fact that Johnson is the undisputed RB1 with no proven backup for Nebraska, and Johnson will be featured a lot this year for the Cornhuskers. A top option on the slate.
Fade – WR Nyziah Hunter ($5,000) Good player transferring over from California, but he’s a distant WR3 in the offense behind the top two receivers. Lack of consistency was mentioned in fall camp reports for Hunter. As we saw with Iowa State and others this past weekend, transfer receivers can be a risk, especially early on in the year.
Bargain Bin – TE Heinrich Haarberg ($3,000) If entering 100 lineups, I’d probably have Haarberg in one of them, so play with extreme caution, but he’s the cheapest possible option on the Nebraska side. 47 vacated targets left behind with Thomas Fidone now graduated, and Haarberg should be the pass-catching tight end between he and Luke Lindenmeyer.
Pivot Play – QB Dylan Raiola ($7,500) Non-running quarterbacks aren’t usually my jam, but Raiola is relatively cheap and playing in a system under Holgorsen that should throw the ball more in 2025. No shortage of weapons at receiver either, as this is the best WR room in the Big Ten outside of Ohio State.
Best of the Rest – WR Dane Key ($7,800) or JaCorey Barney ($6,400) Expect Key and Barney to dominate the target share for the Cornhuskers this season. Holgorsen doesn’t have a set preference as to whether it’s an outside or slot receiver that is typically his WR1, but hints in the offseason suggest that the Kentucky transfer Key will be the team’s top option in 2025. Barney gets boosted on DraftKings as he’s a PPR option only, averaging just 8.2 yards per target last season, but is intriguing at his lower salary. I’ll sprinkle a little of both in multiple lineups.
Injury Notes – n/a
Cincinnati:
Top Play(s) – TE Joe Royer ($5,600) One of two known commodities on the offensive side for Cincinnati, finishing second on the team in 2024 in receptions (75) and targets (50). Royer’s 10.2 FPPG average last year was the highest output from a Scott Satterfield tight end in the last decade. With new weapons at receiver, there’s a chance Royer’s production declines slightly, but he’s the one pass catcher we know is locked into a starting role and a favorite of Brendan Sorsby.
Fade – RB Tawee Walker ($5,900) The Wisconsin transfer seems like a 1-for-1 replacement for Corey Kiner as a bruising, between the tackles type runner, but is he certain to be the starter? Last year’s backup RB Evan Pryor ($5,300) is cheaper, and is the more dynamic player, averaging 7.5 yards per carry on just 56 attempts last year. I wouldn’t have heavy exposure to either player, but Pryor might be the better option from a cost and talent perspective.
Bargain Bin – WR Caleb Goodie ($4,000) The Colorado State transfer is locked in a starting role with no OR designation at one of the outside receiver positions on the depth chart. There’s also a strong likelihood, though, that Goodie is the 4th option in the passing game.
Pivot Play – QB Brendan Sorsby ($9,300) I don’t think that Sorsby will see high ownership on the slate because of his price, and lack of upside. But what he does provide is consistency, scoring 20 fantasy points in all but one game a year ago. Sorsby also offers a high floor with his rushing abilities in a system that loves to utilize the quarterback on the ground.
Best of the Rest – WR Jeff Caldwell ($5,700) We’re a bit tentative here because Caldwell did appear in an OR situation on the depth chart and is moving up a few levels in competition from Lindenwood University. This is also a player that caught 10 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards last season and was a standout in the spring. Sorsby actually personally recruited Caldwell to Cincy in the offseason. WR Cyrus Allen ($5,300) has plenty of experience, formerly a starter at both Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M and seemed to be making a push for WR1 designation in fall camp over Caldwell. Limit one Cincy receiver per lineup, unless paired with Royer.
Injury Notes – n/a
Miami (Ohio) vs. Wisconsin
- Point-Spread: Wis -17.5
- O/U Total: 39.5
- Implied Score: Wis 28.5 – MOH 11
- Weather: 62 degrees / 24% rain / 6 mph winds
Miami (OH):
Lowest implied team total on the slate, so we’re not looking for much / any exposure here. QB Dequan Finn ($7,000) should be excellent once MACtion starts up in October, but not on the road against a B1G foe. With Keyon Mozee having graduated, the workload now falls to either sophomore Jordan Brunson ($4,200) or veteran Kenny Tracy ($6,200). Unfortunately, they won’t have the luxury of last year’s experienced offensive line, with only one lineman returning that logged more than 200 snaps in 2024.
Wide receiver is the team’s biggest question mark having to replace 91% of the team’s receiving production from a year ago. Notre Dame transfer WR Deion Colzie ($4,900) is the likely candidate to be the WR1, but there’s a few cheap options as listed starters in WR Brady Simmons ($3,000) who transfers in from Indiana, and WR Kam Perry ($3,900) who will start in the slot. We know Miami (Ohio) has been the WRU of the G5 level of late with the likes of Jack Sorenson, Mac Hippenhammer and Javon Tracy, so we’ll be watching to see who gets the target share in this matchup for down the road.
Wisconsin:
Top Play(s) – RB Dilin Jones ($5,700) From a price per expected production standpoint, Jones might be the top RB option on the slate. A spring camp standout, the redshirt freshman continued his rise all through fall ball, holding off his primary competition Darrion Dupree. Running backs have been very profitable in college fantasy under new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, with four different RBs posting 12+ touchdowns in the last seven seasons.
Fade – WR Jayden Ballard ($4,200) Cop-out choice, but there’s really no reason to play the Ohio State transfer when he’s listed as a backup on the depth chart, and there’s a cheap starting option in WR Chris Brooks Jr. ($3,100).
Bargain Bin – TE Lance Mason ($3,700) The Missouri State transfer should have the position all to himself on Thursday with fellow tight end Tucker Ashcraft not expected to play. Mason was very productive last season at the FCS level with 590 yards and six touchdowns on 34 catches. Grimes utilized the tight end position heavily at BYU in one of his previous stops.
Pivot Play – RB Darrion Dupree ($5,300) There’s enough separation between Dupree and Dilin Jones that there was no OR on the team depth chart, but that doesn’t mean Dupree won’t play. The sophomore back is another former 4-star recruit, that should function as the team’s pass-catching / third-down option – something that Jones reportedly struggled with during camp. Wisconsin is not expected to have a 250+ carry running back this season so expect to see Dupree on the field a lot.
Best of the Rest – QB Billy Edwards ($8,000) Edwards brings starting experience and rushing ability, transferring over from Maryland in the offseason. Grimes’ QB1 have averaged 22 FPPG over the last seven seasons. High floor / low ceiling option with Wisconsin expected to lean more into the run game in 2025. WRs Trech Kekahuna ($6,100) and Vinny Anthony ($5,300) are the projected top two pass catchers for the Badgers. Would not have more than one Wisconsin receiver in any lineup.
Injury Notes – TE Tucker Ashcraft (OUT)
Boise State vs. South Florida
- Point-Spread: BSU -5.5
- O/U Total: 63.5
- Implied Score: BSU 34.5 – USF 29
- Weather: 88 degrees / 43% rain / 6 mph winds
Boise State:
Top Play(s) – WR Chris Marshall ($5,500) If spending down on a player on the slate, Marshall is easily one of the best values. Not only has the former 5-star popped in fall camp according to beat reporters, Marshall has been consistently mentioned as a top performer in literally every article about the Broncos during the month of August. Boise State has had some relevant fantasy receivers in recent years with Eric McAlister and most recently Cam Camper. Marshall looks to be next in line
Fade – WR Latrell Caples ($8,300) Not an outright fade here, as Boise State’s passing game should flow through three players in Marshall, Caples and tight end Matt Lauter. But Caples “should” be the third option amongst that group and is most expensive. Don’t see the need here for spending up for a low-upside slot receiver.
Bargain Bin – RB Malik Sherrod ($5,500) The former Fresno State transfer stated his case in the spring for the starting job while Gaines was out with injury, rushing for a 65-yard touchdown in the spring game. That momentum continued in fall camp, serving as the 1B to Gaines. HC Spencer Danielson has already stated this week that Boise State will split carries early on in the year, so expect double-digit touches for Sherrod on Thursday.
Pivot Play – QB Maddux Madsen ($10,200) Wish Madsen was just a little bit cheaper here, or he’d be a definite play. The second-year starter was very consistent last season, scoring 20 or more fantasy points in 8-of-12 games. High-floor play in what should be a high-scoring affair, but there’s great options behind him at lesser salaries – Byrum Brown and CJ Bailey to name a few.
Best of the Rest – RB Sire Gaines ($9,000) Remember the year that Ashton Jeanty first came onto the scene as a freshman? 826 yards and 7 touchdowns as the RB2, behind George Holani who finished with 1,100 yards and 10 scores in 13 games. That’s the kind of split we’re anticipating this year between Gaines and Sherrod. So, if rostering Gaines, go in with the expectation that Boise State will remain a run-based offense, but also that it will NOT be like it’s been the last two seasons with Jeanty. TE Matt Lauter ($7,500) is the most reliable option on the Boise State offense, leading the team with seven receiving touchdowns in 2024.
Injury Notes – n/a
South Florida:
Top Play(s) – QB Byrum Brown ($9,400) The USF offense fell short of expectations last season, largely due to a midseason leg injury suffered by quarterback Byrum Brown. Poor offensive line play shared a hand in the blame, allowing 15 sacks in the first five games of the season leading to Brown’s injury. That unit is expected to be significantly improved in 2025, with four starters returning and several transfers who logged double-digit starts at their previous schools. With better protection, Brown should be considered a post-hype sleeper in college fantasy, carrying top 10 upside as we saw two short years ago.
Fade – RB Cartevious Norton ($7,200) Similar to some others on this list, not an outright fade, but lessen your exposure here. The former Charlotte and Iowa State transfer is likely in a committee here, as the RB1 averages just 29% of the volume distribution that is shared with the RB2, but also with Byrum Brown. Low upside.
Bargain Bin – WR Keshaun Singleton ($6,600) Way too cheap for our projected WR1 for USF this season. The 6-foot-3 junior caught 16 passes on 17 targets with two touchdowns in the last three games of the regular season. Plenty of vacated targets here with Sean Adkins now graduated.
Pivot Play – WR JeyQuan Smith ($4,500) or WR Chas Nimrod ($4,900) Smith and the Tennessee transfer are in an OR situation to start in the slot. If we’re following an offensive system play, the WR1 under HC Alex Golesh has played in the slot in five of the last six seasons. We’re still on Singleton as the top target, but one of these two will factor heavily into the passing game. Cheap enough to throw darts here.
Best of the Rest – WR Mudia Reuben ($6,500) Reuben is a Stanford transfer that projects as the third wideout behind Singleton and whomever winds up starting in the slot. The WR3 has scored four or more touchdowns in each of the last five seasons but has averaged just 3.91 targets per game. Singleton is easily the best value among USF wideouts.
Injury Notes – n/a
Ohio vs. Rutgers
- Point-Spread: Rut -15.5
- O/U Total: 48.5
- Implied Score: Rut 32 – Ohio 16.5
- Weather: 76 degrees / 3% rain /5 mph winds
Ohio:
Top Play(s) – WR Chase Hendricks ($5,900) Last season’s WR2 Chase Hendricks is the favorite to step in as the primary option, particularly with his move to the slot in the spring. Despite being a run-based offense, Ohio’s WR1 has posted 90 or more targets in each of the last three years.
Fade – QB Parker Navarro ($10,200) Navarro is a top 15 fantasy quarterback for us this year, but in his lone performance last season against a P4 opponent, he scored just 10.5 fantasy points. There will be plenty of chances to roster the dual threat quarterback down the road once we hit MACtion.
Bargain Bin – WR Rodney Harris ($5,400) The one longshot play on the Ohio offense as Harris should function as the WR2 behind Hendricks. Harris finished third on the team with 23 receptions on 35 targets a year ago.
Pivot Play – RB Sieh Bangura ($6,800) Navarro will be joined by a familiar face in the backfield in Sieh Bangura who rushed for nearly 2,000 yards across two seasons in his previous stint with the Bobcats. The offensive line returns three players who logged at least 200 snaps last year, so the ground game should remain steady. We know Bangura is well rested after barely playing last season following his transfer to Minnesota.
Best of the Rest – n/a. In the last several years, the offensive production for Ohio has funneled through the QB1, RB1 and WR1. So much so last season that those three spots account for over 90% of the team’s touchdowns. Don’t consider anyone outside of Bangura, Hendricks or Navarro.
Injury Notes – n/a
Rutgers:
Top Play(s) – RB Antwan Raymond ($5,800) Betting odds favor CJ Campbell as being the team’s RB1 in the opening week. We don’t see it that way with sophomore Antwan Raymond being the better player of the two, and he showed that in last year’s bowl game, rushing for 113 yards and three touchdowns vs. Kansas State. I don’t get the pricing disparity at all between the two runners. Regardless of who the “starter” is, we’re not anticipating a 50% volume share like Kyle Monangai had last season, meaning we’ll take the cheaper option of the two which is Raymond.
Fade – RB CJ Campbell ($10,000) See above.
Bargain Bin – WR KJ Duff ($6,400) Duff was a freshman standout for Rutgers with at least three catches in six of his final seven games. He’s probably WR3 behind DT Sheffield and Ian Strong, but there’s an outside chance he’s the second option in this passing game. At the very least, Duff could be the team’s top red-zone option at 6-foot-6.
Pivot Play – WR Ian Strong ($8,500) Another pricing error in our opinion by FanDuel. Strong will function as Rutgers’ WR1 this year and proved as much a season ago with four touchdowns in the final five games. Strong was also heavily-targeted, even as the WR2 behind Dymere Miller, targeted eight or more times in all five games in that stretch. He’s easily the better value over WR DT Sheffield ($9,700).
Best of the Rest – QB Athan Kaliakmanis ($8,700) There’s a world where Rutgers throws the ball more this season with some question marks along the offensive line and the backfield, so maybe the Greek Rifle is in the winning lineup this week. In fairness to Kalikmanis, he did score 24 or more fantasy points in 5-of-12 games last season, two of which came in the opening month of the season vs. non-con foes.
Injury Notes – n/a
Mike’s DK Core Four:
- RB Hollywood Smothers, NC State
- RB Dilin Jones, Wisconsin
- RB Myles Montgomery, UCF
- WR JaCorey Barney, Nebraska
Mike’s FD Core Four:
- QB Byrum Brown, South Florida
- QB CJ Bailey, NC State
- WR Keshaun Singleton, South Florida
- WR Chris Marshall, Boise State
