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:
Brayden Schager, Hawaii – 30-point performances in consecutive games for Schager against two P5 opponents. Gets Albany this week before the only matchup remaining on the schedule where you wouldn’t play him – vs. Oregon. Outside of that, Schager is likely a staple in your lineups the remainder of the season.
Zac Larrier, Air Force – In the last nine seasons, the Air Force QB1 has combined to average just around 18 FPPG. That’s nothing in CFF for a quarterback. But Larrier has RB eligibility, and that number for a running back is must-add worthy.
Kaidon Salter, Liberty – We’re harping on it frequently in the WW piece, but schedule, schedule, schedule. Salter won the starting job over Johnathan Bennett coming out of camp, and the move paid off for Liberty and Salter owners as he went for over 250 yards of total offense and two scores, including 97 yards on the ground. In the newly minted CUSA, the toughest remaining opponent left for the Flames is probably Western Kentucky, and Salter will need to put up major points in order to keep pace with the Hilltoppers passing game.
TJ Finley, Texas State – Score one for the Texas State beat writer who predicted Finley would start immediately after transferring over in the summer. And not only did he start, but he dominated the Baylor defense with 298 yards and three scores. Malik Hornsby, on the other hand, didn’t see a single snap. With how seamless this transition looked for one week, we can’t wait to see what else is in store for both Finley and the Texas State offense.
Running Backs:
Marcus Carroll, Georgia State – For a reminder, we use the 30% ownership threshold on Fantrax as a barrier for who’s included on the WW report. Carroll’s ownership will skyrocket after his 184-yard, three touchdown performance vs. Rhode Island. The important note here is that backup KZ Adams had just one carry on the day. Georgia State has split the backfield in recent years, but it was all Carroll on Thursday. Noteworthy.
Wide Receivers:
Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii – If you weren’t convinced in Week 0, you should be now. B2B 100-yard performances with 16 receptions on 20 targets through two games. We noted all offseason how the slot receiver in the Run-N-Shoot is the spot to own in CFF, and that is fully coming to fruition. Ashlock is a MUST add if available.
Lincoln Victor, Washington State – Going to include in the must-add section here because the upside is too high for a slot receiver in Ben Arbuckle’s offense, but also a high floor considering Victor was always among the top three options here in a high-volume passing scheme. Just didn’t expect 14 targets for Victor with DT Sheffield on the roster now. We’ll see how this plays out through the season because Sheffield was limited at times the past few weeks in fall camp, which might’ve played a role in the target distribution vs. Colorado State. Victor played 79% of the offensive snaps, compared to just 47% for Sheffield. Shouldn’t go unnoticed either that Victor wasn’t the only Wazzu receiver to hit the century mark. Fresno State transfer Josh Kelly did the same on nine targets.
Tight Ends:
Dallin Holker, Colorado State – Finished just fourth on the team in targets (6), but converted five of those into receptions and found the end-zone. This won’t be Cole Turner in Jay Norvell’s offensive system from a few years back, but Holker should give you 30+ receptions at the tight end position which will be valuable in CFF.
Worth A Look
If you have the roster room, these prospects are worth a look.
Quarterbacks:
Jeff Sims, Nebraska – Surprised to see Sims on this list after he led Nebraska to just 10 points, including an ugly interception to essentially lose the game vs. the Gophers? (1) Sims’ rushing usage is very promising, going for 117 yards on 14 attempts. (2) Look who Sims gets in the next few weeks – Colorado, NIU and Louisiana Tech.
Byrum Brown, South Florida – Good on the new coaching staff for making the correct decision in starting the more talented player over the veteran senior. We know what Gerry Bohanon is at this point. Byrum Brown displayed his abilities late last year, and that upward trajectory only continued on Saturday, scoring 40.6 fantasy points in the loss to WKU. Wasn’t perfect, only completing 44% of his passes with two interceptions, but 187 rushing yards and two scores on 15 attempts is eye-popping. Last five quarterbacks that have played under head coach Alex Golesh have averaged close to 29 FPPG.
Running Backs:
Victor Rosa, Connecticut – Confusion occurred when Devontae Houston was listed on the top line of the depth chart given the success Rosa had to close 2022. Well, as we’ve learned countless times, depth charts can be meaningless. 71% of Rosa’s 99 yards did come on just one run, but he clearly looks to be UConn’s best back. Upcoming schedule features Georgia State and FIU which might put Rosa in the “must start” category.
Cody Schrader, Missouri – Remember the comments made from the RB position coach for Missouri during the summer, stating that the Tigers will have a 1,000-yard rusher in 2023. Schrader is off to a good start, rushing for 134 yards against South Dakota. Schedule sets up well the next few weeks with Middle Tennessee, Memphis and Vanderbilt in the month of September.
Nathan Carter, Michigan State – We didn’t have a pregame depth chart to work off of, so there was some ambiguity as to who would start between Carter and Jalen Berger. Not only did Carter start, but the UConn transfer was very effective, rushing for 113 yards and a score, while out-carrying Berger 18-8. Looks to be the clear-cut RB1 moving forward with a good matchup next week against Richmond.
Tennessee RBs – Jabari Small was limited this offseason as he was recovering from 2022 injuries but did find it somewhat notable that it was Jaylen Wright getting the first carry for the Vols. Wright showed he was plenty deserving too, averaging nearly 10 yards a carry. The story of the day was Dylan Sampson with four total touchdowns. All of this without Tennessee’s starting center. Wright is deserving of a roster spot. A bit more hesitant with Sampson as he’ll remain the third option as long as Small is healthy.
Dylan Edwards, Colorado – Similar to Dylan Sampson above, Edwards was one of the breakout stars of CFB on Saturday with over 150 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. There is no doubting the talent, but what about the consistency in fantasy production? Edwards was only on the field for 40% of the team’s offensive snaps. And Alton McCaskill is on his way back from injury in the coming weeks. Like a lot of players on this list, worth an add, but don’t give up the farm for Edwards.
DJ Giddens, Kansas State – We hinted all offseason to handcuff Treshaun Ward with Giddens on the off chance that the latter would start in Week 1. That was the case, and Giddens looked the part, rushing for 128 yards on 15 carries. Was still a split backfield with the Florida State transfer, but this running game will be good regardless of whose back there with all five OL returning. Just be wary of a RBBC between the two.
Wide Receivers:
Sam Brown, Houston – Not jumping off the Matthew Golden train just yet, as the targets were evenly distributed amongst the starting WRs for Houston. But I watched this game and was very noticeable from my vantage point that Donovan Smith looked Brown’s way more often seemingly, finishing with six catches on six targets for 106 yards.
Ja’Mori Maclin, North Texas – Heavily considered putting Maclin in the must-add category but want to see it one more week before designating him as such. 122 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets in the loss to California, including a 30.5 YPC average and aDOT of 20.6. Even without heavy target volume, those kinds of explosive numbers typically lead to fantasy points if the QB/WR connection is on point.
Robert Lewis, Georgia State – The Panthers have produced some incredible WRs over the years from Penny Hart to Jamari Thrash. Lewis looks to be next in line after producing 7-97-1 on a team high eight targets. Most importantly, zero drops, which was a major issue in 2022.
Erik Brooks, Fresno State – A team leader and captain, I thought Brooks was just a placeholder in the starting lineup listed ahead of more talented options. That was quickly proven VERY wrong as Brooks was targeted 12 times for 170 yards and a touchdown vs. Purdue. Hesitant to say “must” add for a few reasons. Game script played a huge part here as both teams were moving the ball up and down the field, with Fresno forced to throw in their comeback attempt. Fellow WRs Jaelen Gill and Jalen Moss also showed out with 13 receptions and two touchdowns between them. Is Brooks the surefire WR1?
Deion Burks, Purdue – In that same game, we had another standout performance on the opposite side with Deion Burks who averaged 38 YPC on four receptions (10 targets) and two scores. The Boilermakers moved to the Air Raid system under new OC Graham Harrell, and we noted in the offseason that outside receivers are typically the biggest beneficiary in this scheme. Burks played 92% of his snaps outside. Also, if Purdue’s defense is this porous, the Boilermakers will be forced to throw often.
Ramel Keyton, Tennessee – Doesn’t appear likely we’ll have a Jalin Hyatt-like performance this season from any of the Tennessee receivers as Joe Milton spread it around with five different wideouts targeted at least four times. Keyton was topped on the list in yards (66) and routes run among UT receivers and would have had over 100+ yards on the day had he not dropped a long bomb from Milton.
Tre Harris, Ole Miss – The rare instance of a G5 transfer moving to P5 and succeeding…at least for one week. Four touchdowns on a team-high nine targets for Harris with four scores in the blowout win over Mercer. And that’s why Harris isn’t a must-add for now. Let’s see this passing game replicate this success against a Top 25 opponent in Tulane. Working for Harris is that it doesn’t appear Zakhari Franklin will be returning this week, or the next, so he’ll retain his mantle as WR1 for now.
Dante Wright, Temple – Temple previews by those that cover the team did speculate that the Owls wanted to be more balanced on offense in 2023. Tough to be balanced when you average 1.8 yards per carry. Spells good news for the Temple receivers, including former Colorado State transfer Dante Wright who was targeted 14 times in the win. This looked very similar to the late-season box scores from Temple last season when the passing game took off.
Daniel Jackson, Minnesota – Didn’t ever expect in my lifetime to see a Minnesota wide receiver be in the top 10 nationally in targets, even after just one week…but here we are. Jackson posted 9-68-1 on 15 targets in the win over Nebraska as the Gophers struggled mightily to run the ball with any consistency. For that reason, I’m hesitant to list Jackson as a must-add because of Minnesota’s desire to be balanced on offense in most situations, along with the surplus of receiving options the Gophers do have with Jackson, Corey Crooms and Elijah Spencer. Feels more like a one-off.
Justus Ross-Simmons, Colorado State – The Jay Norvell offense throws the ball enough to support two receivers, and the Rams have a pair of talented ones in Tory Horton and Ross-Simmons, who posted 5-123-1 on seven targets. If Clay Millen is out for any period of time (was injured vs. Colorado State), I’m not sure the backup is much of a downgrade, if a downgrade at all.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Penn State – 59% of KLS’ receiving yards came on one play, but it was an outstanding debut with 123 yards and two scores on six targets. Took some time, but Lambert-Smith seems to be putting the pieces together at the right time, now with 330 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games played.
Tight Ends:
Drake Dabney, Baylor – When’s the last time we saw Baylor throw the ball 42 times in a game? I don’t expect this to be a week-to-week ordeal, but Dabney did lead Baylor in receptions (6), targets (9) and yards (101).
Longshots
Need to see more from these guys before pulling the trigger unless you are in the deepest of leagues.
Quarterbacks:
Emory Jones, Cincinnati – Say you were at a wedding this weekend and didn’t get to watch any college football. And I gave you one guess who was the nation’s leader in fantasy points scored after just one week. Would you ever have considered Emory Jones? Me neither. We’ve seen enough of Jones to know this won’t continue, but we also know the senior QB is a tremendous runner playing in a system that always produces a quarterback that rushes for at least 400 yards in a season. That brings value at the quarterback position in CFF.
Cardell Williams, Tulsa – Did Braylon Braxton just get wally-pipped? The sophomore quarterback was forced out of the game due to injury, giving way to Cardell Williams who was far more effective, completing 93% of his passes for 233 yards and three scores in the win. We’ll see this week on Braxton’s ankle injury and the prognosis. Williams would be a stash as you’re not playing a Tulsa QB against Washington or Oklahoma in the coming weeks.
Ashton Daniels, Stanford – Surprise! The last month or so it appeared Justin Lamson was a lock to win the QB1 job, and the staff trotted out Daniels against Hawaii. The move paid off as Daniels completed 70% of his throws for 247 yards and two scores, while also adding nine rushing attempts. We’re hesitant on the long-term viability of Daniels given this is a rebuild of sorts at Stanford, but the USC defense, Sacramento State and Arizona are in the next three weeks.
Running Backs:
Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan – This will absolutely be a wait-and-see approach here and would advise not to waste a ton of FAAB in redraft formats. 93 plays is certainly intriguing here – more pace equates to more scoring opportunities. But opponent must be noted here, and it ramps up in the coming games with Syracuse and Iowa on the horizon. Still, 193 yards is 193 yards, and come MACtion, Buckley could thrive against lesser defenses.
Mark Fletcher, Miami – May not be until October or November, but Mark Fletcher will take over the RB1 job in the Miami backfield. The 4-star FR has the size requisite at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds to assume a workhorse-like role, and displayed some wiggle vs. Miami (OH) that we didn’t realize was in his game. If you drafted Henry Parrish, and have the room, you should be handcuffing with Fletcher.
Dominic Richardson, Baylor – Dave Aranda deserves this loss for his usage of Richard Reese and this running back rotation. Baylor’s OC does have a preference for 200+ pound backs, so playing Richardson more does make sense from that standpoint. If you have the space, or have Reese on your roster, I’d handcuff with Richardson right now.
Dre’Lyn Washington, Louisiana – The Cajuns split the backfield reps as expected, but it was Washington who got the start and rushed for 84 yards and a score on seven attempts. 74% of those yards came on one carry, so we’re not jumping on board fully just yet, but Washington’s advanced metrics were far superior to those he’s sharing that backfield with. Wouldn’t surprise us to see his usage increase as the season goes along.
Wide Receivers:
Wesley Grimes, Wake Forest – We know what Taylor Morin and Ke’Shawn Williams are at this point in their careers, and Thursday was a display of that with a combined 50 yards receiving on 10 targets. Grimes is the intriguing unknown, filling in for the injured Donavon Greene, and displayed his talents with 73 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Grimes ran the second most routes among Wake Forest receivers behind Morin.
Joey Hobert, Texas State – Looks like multiple starting/rotational wide receivers did not play in this contest, so taking Hobert’s performance with a grain of salt for now, but led all Texas State receivers with 105 yards and a score on eight targets. Hobert is a P5 transfer from Wazzu so there is talent there.
Xavier Townsend, UCF – What a fool I was for betting on Townsend’s prop under. The sophomore slot receiver crushed that on the first driving and finished the game with 81 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Slot receiver has been a very profitable position in the UCF offense the last few seasons with Ryan O’Keefe. Doesn’t look like any drop-off is expected whatsoever.
Marquis Shoulders, Tulsa – The intriguing part about this 132-yard performance from Shoulders is that Malachai Jones was actually IN the lineup, despite reports that he was expected to miss the contest with injury. Now, Jones ran just four routes in the game, so he was very limited. With a level playing field, who is the WR1 here? That we’re unsure of, but get Shoulders on your watch list regardless.
Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech – Admittedly don’t know much about Haynes, a redshirt sophomore running back, but he was on the field quite a bit vs. Louisville and actively involved as both a runner and receiver. 51 yards on 11 rushing attempts to go along with four receptions on five targets. Running backs listed as receivers hold some value, and that’s how Haynes is designated on Fantrax.
Roman Wilson, Michigan – That sure did look more “balanced” than it did a year ago, so maybe the whispers of Michigan passing more in 2023 are correct. Against inferior opponents, which Michigan faces in the next three games, look for the Wolverines to continue to build momentum in the passing game, which benefits Wilson in his newly donned No. 1 jersey in the Maize and Blue.
Gage Larvadain, Miami (OH) – The RedHawks have produced high-level fantasy production from the WR position in recent years with Jack Sorenson and Mac Hippenhammer. FCS transfer Gage Larvadain might continue that lineage if Friday was any indication, finishing with 8-80-0 on 11 targets. Miles Marshall was invisible, and Notre Dame transfer Joe Wilkins Jr. didn’t record a single target.
Eric McAlister, Boise State – Game script played a huge role as Boise won’t throw the ball 44 times every game, but they might want to a bit more than last year with an emerging talent like McAlister. 7-69-0 on 15 targets. The 6-foot-4 sophomore was trending upwards late last year with three touchdowns in the final three weeks and appears to be challenging for the Boise St WR1 role, if he doesn’t have it already.
Anthony Queeley, Georgia Southern – Queeley’s numbers don’t stick out on the stat sheet with five receptions and a touchdown on six targets. But I found it notable that the Syracuse transfer did lead all receivers in snaps played in Week 1. Remember, Georgia Southern had three receivers with 100+ targets last year.
Noah Thomas, Texas A&M – Won’t overreact to a Week 1 matchup against New Mexico, but this three-touchdown performance combined with the rave reviews literally since the start of spring camp makes me take notice here. We’ll see how this A&M offense looks in SEC play and the Aggies have a ton of receiving options, but Thomas needs to be on our radars.
Dynasty
Players to add for future seasons
LJ Martin, BYU – Aside from Zachariah Branch, I don’t think there’s been a freshman skill position player that’s gotten more pub in the last few weeks than Martin. And unfortunately, if he’s not scooped up already, it will be even more difficult to nab him now off waivers because he should be considered for redraft purposes as well. Will have to dig in to see what happened to Robbins, but Martin took over in the third quarter and gave the run game some life with 91 yards on 16 attempts. Robbins injured or has there already been a change at the top of the depth chart?
Durell Robinson, Charlotte – The 3-star freshman might already be scooped up in your dynasty league, but he’s also a speculative add in deep redraft formats as well after rushing for 71 yards and a score vs. South Carolina State. Don’t think that he’s overtaken Shadrick Byrd quite yet, but that transition will likely happen at some point in the year.
Abu Sama, Iowa State – Reading the Iowa State game preview for this past week, when speaking on the Cyclones’ backfield, I was expecting the attention to be centered around sophomore Cartevious Norton. And while the writer didn’t dismiss Norton as the starter, there were more glowing comments made about freshman running back Abu Sama, calling him “the most talented back in the entire state.” Norton still led the team in carries and snaps in Week 1, but the numbers were pedestrian. On limited attempts, Sama averaged 6.7 yards per carry with a higher PFF grade then Norton.
Sutton Smith, Memphis – Blake Watson’s around for just one season, and looking at his usage against Bethune-Cookman, he might not serve as the true RB1 anyways given his abilities in the passing game. A Tony Pollard-like role might be better suited for Watson. Smith was outstanding with 115 yards and two scores against Bethune Cookman, seemingly overtaken Jevyon Ducker in the backfield rotation.
