Joe’s Week 1 Notes & Observations

Moving forward, I may start doing an exclusive podcast for you guys with my Weekly Notes & Observations. Personally, I feel that I can offer more context in a podcast than one or two sentences per team. Plus, I can get this information to you a lot earlier. Here are my notes and observations from Week 1:

Power 5 Notes

My fears about UCLA RB Joshua Kelley became reality, as he didn’t see the field in the opener at Cincinnati. Kelley was reportedly a regular participant in practice during the week, so let’s just hope the lack of conditioning kept him off the field. In my opinion, until we see Kelley on the field or hear something conclusive, it might be wise to leave him on the bench in Week 2. Kelley’s owners may want to add Demetric Felton in the interim. Felton had 23 carries for 71 yards and added two receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown in the passing game. Also, it doesn’t seem as if QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has improved much.
I am going to admit where I missed on some players, but in the preseason, I was not in the Justyn Ross over Tee Higgins camp. I am on record saying that both could alternate big games from week-to-week, so I’m curious to see how this situation plays out.
Not much to mention about Georgia Tech, except that Jordan Mason seems to be their RB1, and Ahmarean Brown, the receiver I mentioned on the Week 1 podcast, hauled in a 28-yard TD pass.
Texas A&M RB Jashaun Corbin’s 26 touches against Texas State was just the reassurance his fantasy owners needed.
Here are my thoughts on Minnesota’s run game…Rodney Smith will lead the team in carries, Mohamed Ibrahim will get a significant amount of carries, and WR Seth Green will vulture touchdowns from both around the goal line, which is exactly what I thought heading into the season. I have received some emails about dropping Tyler Jonson for Rashod Bateman. I am going to stress patience with Johnson because its only Week 1, but Bateman should be given consideration given the depth or format (P5-only) of your league.
I know Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin found the end zone by catching an 8-yard TD pass, but I thought his 4.6 yards per carry average against Kent State was disappointing.
I feel really good about ranking Utah RB Zack Moss high this year. 29 carries for 187 yards and a TD against a respectable defense on the road was quite impressive. He looks like one of the best backs in the country.
My takeaway from BYU is that TE Matt Bushman led the team in receiving and Ty’Son Williams is their best back, who could be a nice waiver add if available.
Connor Heyward led Michigan State in rushing against Tulsa with 43 yards on 15 carries. Freshman RB Anthony Williams did not dress out, but I’m still not counting him out once he returns.
Rutgers RB Isaih Pacheco ran for 156 yards and 4 TDs against UMass. He should be considered if you need roster depth, but he does play for Rutgers, and they won’t be playing UMass every week.
Encouraging sign for owners of Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman. Sam Hartman didn’t take a snap in the game against Utah State.
I know Colorado WR Laviska Shenault scored against Colorado State, but his 83 total yards makes me a little nervous about his utilization under the new coaching staff. This was something that worried me in the offseason. I don’t think he will have a bad year, but if he would have stayed healthy last year, Shenault would have finished as the top fantasy receiver in 2019. In my opinion, he may not be a Top 10 fantasy receiver in 2019, unless the coaches get creative finding ways to get him more touches. RB Alex Fontenot will likely be on this week’s waiver wire article after carrying the ball 19 times for 125 yards and three touchdowns.
Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders was as good as advertised. He may have not posted the biggest fantasy numbers, but I can tell those days are coming often this season. The trio of Sanders, RB Chuba Hubbard, and WR Tylan Wallace are going to be a force throughout the 2019 season.
If you have Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson on your roster, expect high and lows throughout 2019.
Florida State was a team of two halves against Boise State. It seemed like the Broncos were better prepared for the late-August Florida heat. Tamorrion Terry should be the Noles’ top receiver in 2019, but it seems unclear, at least after Week 1, who will be their second-best option.
Maryland was able to play everyone, including the waterboy against Howard. Thankfully for Anthony McFarland owners, he found the end zone twice, because 18 yards on six carries wasn’t pleasant stat line to see if he was in your starting roster. QB Josh Jackson had 4 TD passes, but I don’t think we can evaluate the Terps fantasy value based on that matchup.
The ‘OR’ between running backs on the NC State depth chart was not a smokescreen. Three running backs had at least five carries, including Ricky Person, who finished with 20 rushing yards. Person did add 45 yards receiving, but I am concerned about his role in the offense. This is one I might have missed. I didn’t have Person too high, but high enough for this to be a miss if he isn’t getting at least 15 carries per game. Personally, he may be one of my roster casualties if I dip into the waiver pool.
It seems like we are going to have RBBC for a little while at ISU, as three backs carried the ball at least 11 times. WR Deshaunte Jones will likely be a hot waiver commodity after catching 14 passes for 126 yards against Northern Illinois.
Kansas WR Andrew Parchment caught eight passes for 121 yards in a 24-17 win over Indiana State. I’m not biting on this one right now.
There isn’t anything I can say about the Nebraska offense. That better be their worst offensive performance of 2019 or it’s going to be a long year for Adrian Martinez’s fantasy owners.
Illinois RB Reggie Corbin left Saturday’s game against Akron with a hip pointer, so we’ll need to monitor his health this week with a matchup against UConn next.
It was impressive how Justin Fileds helped the Buckeyes jump out to a 28-0 lead ten minutes into the game against FAU.
The arrival of QB Tommy Stevens at Mississippi State could mean better fantasy production from the Bulldogs receivers. Osirus Mitchell led the team with 6 catches for 88 yards and a TD in a 38-28 win over Louisiana.
I like that Indiana RB Stevie Scott scored twice in the Hoosiers’ win on Saturday, but I don’t like that he only totaled 48 yards on nineteen carries against Ball State. Indiana QB Michael Penix was solid through the air and led the Hoosiers in rushing with 67 rushing yards.
I don’t think it’s too early to hit the panic button on Ole Miss’ offense. Matt Corral only completed 9-of-19 passes against Memphis.
The West Virginia running game was non-existent against James Madison, as the Mountaineers only totaled 34 yards rushing yards on 24 carries. I don’t have RB Kennedy McKoy in any of my leagues, but I was starting to regret passing on him several times.
I thought Washington RB Salvon Ahmed would have had better numbers against Eastern Washington, but Richard Newton led the Huskies in rushing with 91 yards and opened the scoring in Saturday’s game with a 23-yard TD run.
South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards only had one reception against North Carolina, which was one of the more disappointing stat lines for a receiver in Week 1. RB Tavien Feaster ran for 72 yards and a TD in his Gamecocks debut.
I’m not sure what will happen with the running backs at Penn State, but it’s safe to say that Ricky Slade is not cemented as the No. 1 back. I have a feeling we’ll see heavy rotation, at least for another week. The Nittany Lions play Buffalo in Week 2.
I feel as if we need another week to dissect the RB situation at Alabama, but I don’t feel confident that Najee Harris is going to get 20 carries per game, especially if they are beating teams 42-3. However, Jerry Jeudy is going to do some damage if he continues to get 8-10 catches per game.
Virginia Tech WR Damon Hazelton didn’t play against Boston College because of a hamstring issue.
Boston College’s offense can be tight end friendly, so keep tabs on Hunter Long, who led the Eagles with four receptions.
I’m sure a lot of us are awaiting word on Northwestern RB Isaiah Bowser, who left the game against Stanford with a knee injury. Receiver Bennett Skowronek looked like the Wildcats’ No. 1 receiver.
Stanford quarterback QB KJ Costello left the game against Northwestern after taking a hit to the head. Running back Cameron Scarlett seems locked into the No. 1 RB spot after carrying the ball 22 times for 97 yards.
Things do not seem settled at quarterback for Arkansas after Ben Hicks’ shaky performance (14-of-29 for 143 yards). Nick Starkel was 4-of-5, but his one incompletion was an interception.
Taking a look at the Texas Tech running back situation: Armand Shyne 11-125-1; Ta’Zhawn Henry 12-55-0; SaRodorick Thompson 7-30-2. It is tough to get clarity from a 45-10 win over Montana State, but it’s clear that Shyne made a statement in Week 1. To go from Henry to Shyne would be a gamble, one that could payoff, or one that could prove to be a knee-jerk reaction. I’m not sure I would ready to move off of Henry after one week.
I watched the Syracuse-Liberty game closely to see if I can sort out the debate about their receiver situation. My take: Trishton Jackson is the receiver I prefer to have. Devito missed him on quite a few routes. I thought Devito was terrible, so he is the one I am most concerned about. Syracuse’s defense looks like they will be solid, so I don’t envision the Orange putting the ball in the air 40+ times per game.
I don’t think Cal RB Chris Brown will be available in too many leagues, as many owners probably made him a lot draft-day selection, but if he is available, put him at the top of your priority list (36 carries for 197 yards and a TD).
It does in fact seem as if James Gilbert is Kansas State RB1, with Jordon Brown working behind him.
If you have been following my content since spring practice you will remember when I drafted Virginia RB Wayne Tualapapa in one of my drafts. It seems Tualapapa has an early grip on the top spot of the depth chart after running for 66 yards and a TD on ten carries. Teammate PK Kier had five carries for 19 yards.
Michigan RB Zach Charbonnet did not disappoint, rushing for 90 yards on eight carries. Now, we need increased utilization.
It was encouraging to see Georgia RB D’Andre Swift get 16 carries against Vanderbilt in the season opener, but teammate Brian Herrien got 12 carries, and if future games get out of hand, I can see White and Cook totaling more than seven carries. I’m hopeful Swift will give fantasy owners what they need with 15-17 touches per week.
I have some thoughts on Auburn’s offense, particularly QB Bo Nix and WR Seth Williams, but I’ll save it for this week’s podcast. In short, I don’t love receivers in an Auburn offense, especially in Full FBS formats. I do love me some JaTarvious Whitlow, though.
On the CFF: On Campus podcast, that I appeared on a few weeks ago and is archived on the website, I mentioned that LSU QB Joe Burrow could be a sleeper in LSU’s spread offense. He’s off to a good start after throwing five TD passes against Georgia Southern.
Missouri RB Larry Rountree only had 1 rusting attempt in the second half after his critical fumble inside Wyoming’s 1 yard line on the second-to-last play of the first half. That play was a killer for Rountree’s fantasy owners, as he had 13 carries for 36 yards and a TD up until that point.
Devin Duvernay catching nine passes in the slot was the biggest takeaway from Texas’ offensive performance against Louisiana Tech.
Does TCU want to go with Alex Delton or Max Duggan? Every Jalen Reagor fantasy owner should be pulling for Duggan.
I always suggest having CFF drafts as close to the start of the season, so you can have as much updated information as possible on draft day. The Washington State quarterback situation is example No. 1. My apologies to everyone that drafted early, as we were on board with Gage Gubrud, and whiffed on that one. Drafting early is always risky. Hitting on a guy like Spencer Sanders is rewarding, but I feel five times worse when we miss on a position battle, like the one at Washington State.
Three biggest takeaways from USC in Week 1: 1. Tyler Vaughns looks like the best WR in that offense. 2. Vavae Malepeai looks to be the better RB to have on your roster. 3. With JT Daniels lost for the season with a torn ACL and a new quarterback set to take over, will that negatively affect my first point? I would have to assume ‘no’ right now.

Group 5 Notes

Bowling Green RB Andrew Clair led the Falcons with 86 rushing yards on 14 rushing attempts. He also added a touchdown, but teammate Davon Jones led the team with 16 carries and scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. It seems we’re headed for 50/50 split in the backfield. What surprised me was that Darius Wade had 32 pass attempts and threw three touchdowns. Add Wade to your watchlist, but I would not suggest adding him to the roster since he played against Morgan State.
It was nice to see Central Michigan running back Jonathan Ward (22-158-2) playing like he did during the second half of the 2017 season. I would assume he’s already on some rosters, but if not, he’s worth consideration. Kalil Pimpleton led the team with eight receptions, which wasn’t a surprise, but Tyrone Scott added five catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns, so keep tabs on him.
Cincinnati RB Michael Warren was injured late in the fourth quarter against UCLA, but he did return and gained nine yards on his final carry before the Bearcats took a knee to runout the clock.
UConn RBs Kevin Mensah (36) and Art Thompkins (17) combined for 53 carries in a 24-21 win over Wagner. While Mensah is the Huskies No.1 back, I’m not sure he will be a consistent fantasy option as the competition gets better.
Buffalo RBs Jarret Patterson (12) and Kevin Marks (12) only combined for 25 carries, but that isn’t concerning given the Bulls played Robert Morris and the game was 38-10 in the third quarter.
I know UCF QB Brandon Wimbush threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, but there is buzz about Dillion Gabriel, who was nine-of-thirteen for 127 yards and three touchdowns. I can definitely see Gabriel getting playing time every week.
Western Kentucky RB Gaej Walker carried the ball 19 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-28 loss to Central Arkansas. He clearly seems like the Hilltoppers No. 1 back, as no other running back on the roster carried the ball more than two times.
UAB’s performance against Alabama State is concerning. QB Tyler Johnston didn’t have a good day throwing the ball, completing only eight-of-nineteen passes.
We’re going to keep tabs on San Jose State WR Isaiah Hamilton, who led the Spartans with 5 catches for 91 yards in a 35-18 win over Northern Colorado.
Army’s starting FB Connor Slomka was held out of the Rice game due to an undisclosed injury. Head coach Jeff Monken said he expects him to be ready for their game next week at Michigan.
I wasn’t expecting South Florida to do much against Wisconsin, so it’s a hold on their players right now.
RB Gerold Bright scored Utah State’s first TD at Wake Forest, but he wasn’t involved much in the second half, and it was Jaylen Warren who led the Aggies in rushing with 141 rushing yards on 19 carries. Former Utah receiver Siaosi Mariner led the team in receiving (8-118-1).
Nevada QB Carson Strong will be on some Full-FBS rosters by next week, 30-of-51 for 295 yards and 3 TDs in a 34-31 win over Purdue.
As expected, Warren Jackson led Colorado State in receiving against Colorado with 8 catches for 87 yards and a TD.
Robert Mahone is Boise State’s RB1, but he did get dinged up towards the end of the Florida State game, so we’ll be m monitoring that news this week. Alex VanBuren’s 1st quarter fumble seemed to seal his fate. Freshman George Holani ran for 70 yards on 14 carries, but he had a fumble in the fourth quarter inside the 10 yard line that could have been costly had the Broncos not recovered.
Rough day for Holton Ahlers and the rest of the ECU offense. Better days are ahead with Gardner-Webb next week.
Keep an eye on South Alabama QB Cephus Johnson. There may come a week when you need another option in a 2-QB league.
I’ve been saying all preseason that TE Harrison Bryant may just be the Owls best receiver. He led the team in receiving against Ohio State by catching six passes for 79 yards. RB BJ Emmons left the game with what appeared to be a serious injury, which will likely result in a rotation of James Charles and Larry McCammon at the running back position.
Div. II transfer RB Walter Fletcher will have a role in the Ball State offense, but it seems like Caleb Huntley is locked into the RB1 spot after carrying the ball 22 times for 81 yards and a TD against Indiana.
Toledo QB Mitchell Guadagni left Saturday’s game against Kentucky after suffering a hit to the head. Fortunately, the Rockets do not play in Week 2, so there is a good chance Guadagni will be back under center in Week 3.
It was nice to see Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwelll heavily involved in the offense. I drafted Gainwell in every league this year.
No slow start for Ohio QB Nathan Rourke in 2019, as he totaled 3 TDs and rushed for 75 yards against Rhode Island. Julian Ross led all Ohio backs with 68 yards on 14 carries.
Temple QB Anthony Russo threw for 409 yards and 4 TDs after being listed as questionable leading up to Week 1. WRs Branden Mack and Jaden Blue both had 100 yards receiving. Jager Gardner seems to be the Owls’ No.1 RB after scoring two rushing touchdowns in the 1st quarter.
Georgia State quarterback wasn’t incredibly accurate in the Panthers’ win at Tennessee, but his dual-threat ability should be attractive to those seeking additional depth at quarterback.
Navy FB Nelson Smith is one to monitor after carrying the ball 15 times for 96 yards and 2 TD against Holy Cross.
Ahmari Davis led New Mexico in rushing against Sam Houston State with 16 carries for 107 yards and 2 TD.
Eastern Michigan RB Shaq Vann didn’t find the end zone, but it does seem as if he will carry the load in the Eagles backfield, after toting the rock 22 times for 108 yards at Coastal Carolina.
Coastal Carolina RB CJ Marable had 25 touches against Eastern Michigan (18 carries, 7 rec.,).
UTSA QB Frank Harris accounted for 4 TDs against Incarnate Word. His dual-threat ability makes him an attractive addition if you need some depth at quarterback.
Marshall receiver Obi Obialo missed Saturday’s game against VMI and was seen on the sideline in a walking boot, so I would count on him for Week 2.
Arkansas State receiver Kirk Merritt took a vicious hit to the head early in the game against SMU and did not return. Omar Bayless was on the receiving end of four Logan Bonner TD passes.
SMU scored three offensive TDs against Arkansas State, all rushing touchdowns by RB Xavier Jones.
Yesterday, we learned that Ross Bowers won the starting job at NIU and passed for 299 yards and threw two TD passes. Tyrice Richie led the team in receiving with 102 yards and 2 TDs.
Western Michigan quarterback Jon Wassink posted an incredible state line: 20-of-25 for 368 yards and 5 TDs.
In Quez Watkins’ absence, Southern Miss receiver Jordan Mitchell caught seven passes for 133 yards against Alcorn State. It will be interesting to see of Watkins’ return in Week 3 affects the receiver depth chart.
Stone Smartt was named old Dominion’s staring quarterback. Running back Keseasn Strong opened the scoring for the Monarchs in their 24-21 win over Norfolk State, but it was Lala Davis that led the team in rushing with 16 attempts for 62 yards and a score. Strong finished with only six rush attempts and 26 yards on the ground, while adding four receptions for 11 yards.
There was a lot of uncertainty about who would start at quarterback for Middle Tennessee, but Asher O’Hara won the job and played well against Michigan. He looks like a nice fantasy option moving forward.
Georgia Southern running back Wesley Kennedy will miss the first four games of the season due to an academic suspension.
That Xazavian Valladay sleeper prediction is looking even better after Wyoming’s upset win over Missouri. Valladay ran for 118 yards and a TD on 15 carries.
I’ve been promoting North Texas WR Jaelon Darden as one of my sleeper receiver this year. He caught ten passes for 59 yards in the Mean Green’s win over Abilene Christian, so I would especially target him in PPR leagues. One of the biggest surprises of Week 1 has to be tight end Jason Pirtle, who caught four passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns.
I am a little nervous about Louisiana Tech WR Adrian Hardy only catching three passes against Texas. He never caught a pass until 7 minutes to play in the third quarter.
I have no issue if you want to add UTEP RB Treyvon Hughes (23-144-2) to your roster, especially if he is going to get at least 20 carries every game. However, the Miners won’t be playing Houston Baptist every week, so temper expectations.
I was really disappointed in UL Monroe QB Caleb Evans’ numbers against Grambling. As a team, the Warhawks ran the ball 37 times for 315 yards, Evans only had 22 of those 315.
San Diego State RB Juwan Washington totaled only 55 rushing yards on 22 carries. It seems like the Aztecs are still getting adjusted to their new scheme.
I hope many of you are taking advantage of UNLV’s early season schedule with quarterback Armani Rogers and RB Charles Williams. Next week, the Rebels play host to Arkansas State.