Power 5
- Great start to the season for Louisville WR Jamari Thrash, who has scored 2 TDs in each of the Cardinals’ first two games. RB Jawhar Jordan is averaging 16.5 yards per carry (14 rush attempts), totaling 231 yards and 3 TDs on the ground.
- After two games, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has rushed for more TDs (2) than RBs Reggie Love III and Josh McCray combined.
- Kansas RB Devin Neal with a strong start, averaging 143 yards from scrimmage in the first two games and scoring a TD in each.
- Vanderbilt WR Will Sheppard has yet to post a 100-yard game this year, but he has caught a pair of TD passes in each of the Commodores’ first three games.
- Notre Dame RB Audric Estime has rushed for at least 95 yards and a TD in each of the Irish’s first three games.
- Virginia Tech WR Ali Jennings exited the game against Purdue with an ankle injury after teammate Jaylin Lane rolled him up from behind after being tackled. It had the look of an injury in which Jennings will miss some playing time.
- Kansas State QB Will Howard has three rushing TDs in two games, RBs Treshaun Ward and DJ Giddens have combined for only one score.
- I know it was against Youngstown State, but it was nice to see a bounce-back game for the Ohio State offense.
- Nick Singleton scored three rushing TDs against Delaware, but it looks to me as if he and Kaytron Allen will be splitting carries once again.
- Utah RB Ja’Quinden Jackson’s fantasy owners can breathe a sigh of relief after his performance against Baylor (19-129-0), and there should be even more carries to be had now that it has been announced that Micah Bernard is out for the year.
- It feels safe to move on from Baylor RB Richard Reese, as Dominic Richardson is the clear-cut RB1.
- In two games, Georgia Tech QB Haynes King has passed for 603 yards and 7 TDs. RB Trey Cooley has totaled 206 scrimmage yards and scored 4 TDs in the first two games of the year.
- Amari Daniels looks like the Texas A&M RB1, but I’m not ready to jump onboard right now.
- Miami WR Colbie Young has scored in each of the Hurricanes’ first two games.
- Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden left the game against Western Michigan with an ankle injury, which results in Gadsden being seen in a boot and on crutches.
- As long as Blake Corum remains healthy, I do not think we are going to see Donovan Edwards get as many rushing attempts as I had projected. Edwards has caught nine passes in two games. WR Roman Wilson has caught 5 TD passes in two games.
- Washington WRs Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze have accounted for 7 of the Huskies’ 13 offensive TDs.
- After two games, Ramel Keyton is Tennessee’s leading receiver with 118 yards.
- With British Brooks out due to a lower-body injury, Omarion Hampton shouldered the North Carolina rushing attack and ran for 234 yards and 3 TDs against Appalachian State. Hampton has scored 5 rushing TDs in the first two games of the year.
- After rushing for 44 yards and 2 TDs in the opener and 117 yards against SMU on Saturday, it might be time to take Tawee Walker serious. He also caught 3 passes for 25 yards against the Mustangs.
- I don’t think we are in panic mode with Pitt RB Rodney Hammond, but the offense wasn’t very good against Cincinnati. QB Phil Jurkovec was only 10-of-32 passing.
- Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner looks to be a solid waiver target after starting the year with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. Kiner ran the ball 20 times for 153 yards and a TD in the win over Pitt, and no other Bearcats running back had more than three rush attempts in the game. WR Braden Smith has caught a TD pass in each of the first two games of the year.
- Time to move on from Alabama WR JaCorey Brooks. Tight end Amari Niblack has caught a TD pass in each of the first two games of the year.
- Minnesota freshman RB Darius Taylor vs Eastern Michigan: 33 rush attempts for 193 yards and a TD. He might be the one we were waiting for after I had lost hope we would get a Gophers bellcow back this year.
- Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen’s seven rush attempts against Washington State was very disappointing and worrisome.
- Washington State WR Lincoln Victor validated his Week 1 stat line (11-168-0) with another solid outing against Wisconsin (7-55-1).
- South Carolina WR Xavier Legette has opened the 2023 season with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games.
- LSU WR Brian Thomas has caught 3 TD passes in the first two games of the year.
- High utilization rate for Mississippi State RB Jo’Quavious Marks in the first two weeks – 43 rush attempts for 250 yards and 3 TDs.
- At UCLA, it was a split for RBs Carson Steele and TJ Harden, but I’m still on Steele.
Group 5
- Central Michigan QB Bert Emanuel Jr. bounced back with a 100-yard rushing, 4-TD game against New Hampshire in Week 2, and while I feel better for his fantasy owners, his 7-of-19 passing numbers really concern me. He’s a player that I haven’t wanted any shares of this year, even though he is capable of posting huge rushing numbers every week.
- NIU RB Antario Brown had 22 rush attempts against Southern Illinois, but he only averaged 2.7 yards per carry and finished with just 59 yards.
- Add Tulane RB Makhi Hughes to your watchlist after his 23-92-1 performance against Ole Miss.The Green Wave’s second-leading rusher, Shaadie Clayton-Johnson had seven rush attempts.
- After his 8-274-3 stat line against UMass, Miami (OH) WR Gage Larvadain should definitely be rostered. He has caught 8 passes in each of the RedHawks first two games.
- UTSA’s first two games have finished well under the Vegas totals. With upcoming games against Army and Tennessee before a bye week, there might not be a ton of fantasy production from the Roadrunners over the next three weeks.
- After a 3-TD performance against Baylor in Week 1, Texas State QB TJ Finley failed to throw a TD pass against UTSA. Finley finished 16-of-30 for 211 yards, only 3 yards shy of UTSA QB Frank Harris’ 214 yards, but the Bobcats were only 3-of-14 on 3rd downs.
- UTSA RB Kevorian Barnes has started the 2023 season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. WR De’Corian Clark made his return, but he only caught one pass for 2 yards.
- Kent State RB Gavin Garcia had 18 rush attempts in each of the first two games of the year against good opposition (UCF and Arkansas). He might be a decent option in MAC play.
- With 34 rush attempts in the first two games of the year, I would put Tulsa RB Jordan Ford on your watchlist.
- South Alabama WR Caullin Lacy has caught at least 7 passes in each of the Jaguars’ first two games.
- I am ready to take the ‘L’ on SMU WR Jordan Kerley, but he’s still a hold if you can afford to keep him, because I am still not sure who the main guy will be. Jake Bailey leads the team with 10 receptions, but he only has 82 receiving yards and has not caught a TD pass. With an upcoming game against Prairie View A&M, we might see 10 different receivers catch a pass next week.
- Ohio RB Sieh Bangura has not scored a TD in three games this year.
- FIU WR Kris Mitchell has caught 16 passes for 295 yards and 3 TDs in the last two games.
- Nevada WR Jamaal Bell has caught 8 passes in back-to-back games, but I am not interested, especially after the Wolf Pack’s 33-6 loss at home to Idaho.
- We mentioned in the preseason how much the value of Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty would skyrocket if George Holani got injured. In the Broncos’ 18-16 loss to UCF, Holani did not play and Jeanty totaled 212 scrimmage yards and scored a TD.
- I would put Jacksonville State RB Malik Jackson on your watchlist if you play in deep Full FBS leagues. Jackson has rushed for at least 70 yards in all there games this year and has scored in two of three.
- Georgia State RB Marcus Carroll’s numbers in two games: 47 rush attempts for 291 yards and six touchdowns.
- Don’t sleep on New Mexico RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt – 12-162-3 vs. Tennessee Tech.
- Fresno State WR Erik Brooks backed up last week’s 9-170-2 performance with an 8-95-1 stat line in the Bulldogs’ 34-31 win over Eastern Washington.
