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:
Brad Jackson, Texas State – Apologies in advance if Jackson is more than the 30% threshold already on Fantrax, but the ownership percentages are down as of the time writing this. Almost 70 combined fantasy points scored in the first two games. Outside of just Arizona State next week, and that might even be debatable, Jackson is startable every week from here on out.
CJ Bailey, NC State – Really enjoying watching this NC State offense through the early going. Daylan Smothers is a legitimate RB1. The receivers are making plays they didn’t last season. And Bailey is steering the ship, now with 56 fantasy points scored in two weeks. There is not a challenging opponent on the schedule until a mid-October trip to Notre Dame.
Beau Pribula, Missouri – Most believed Pribula would have some fantasy success this season, but that it would come due to his legs. Not the case at all as Pribula is completing 80% of his throws through two games with 600+ passing yards and five TDs.
Running Backs:
Chavon Wright, Northern Illinois – This was only a matter of time. Wright got the start over Telly Johnson, and while he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry on the day, 27 rushing attempts against Maryland. Once NIU faces lesser opponents in conference play, if Wright is getting that volume, he’ll be going OFF in MACtion. The one caveat is that you’ll have to wait a few weeks to play Wright, with a bye week for NIU and then Mississippi State after that.
TJ Harden, SMU – The Mustangs have their RB1. Thought it might take a bit more time as Harden arrived on campus in late July, so the adjustment period would be there. It took just two weeks to figure out the rotation. Backfield depth chart for SMU heading into next week will be Harden RB1 and Dramekco Green RB2.
Tae Meadows, Troy – Last time we’ll likely have Meadows on this list. The Troy RB1 followed up his Week 1 breakout performance with 76 yards on 16 carries on the road at Clemson. No other running back had more than two attempts. Very promising for his future outlook.
Kewan Lacy, Mississippi – We figured Lacy would be a factor this season, but that it would be a possible split with Logan Diggs. Not so much! 28-2 split in rushing attempts, heavily in favor of Lacy who is the CLEAR RB1.
Rashod Dubinion, Appalachian State – The term we use for someone like Dubinion – bell cow. 25 rushing attempts vs. Lindenwood for 185 yards. We would be concerned that two fumbles would get Dubinion in the doghouse, but App State doesn’t have any other options at running back.
Wide Receivers:
Hank Beatty, Illinois – Looks like the Illini have a confirmed WR1 for 2025, it just doesn’t appear to be the guy everyone thought it would this offseason. Beatty has now hit 100 receiving yards in consecutive games to begin the year with a 100 percent catch rate on 13 targets. Remember how good Isaiah Williams was for the Illini in the slot a few years ago?
Skyler Bell, Connecticut – Bell is well on his way to a 100-target, 1,000-yard season at this pace with consecutive 100-yard performances and a whopping 16 targets vs. Syracuse. Bell has more than double the number of targets as the next closest Husky.
Jacquon Gibson, UMass – Debated where to include Gibson on this list. On one side of the coin, 27 targets in just two games is very difficult to ignore, especially in full-point PPR formats. On the other hand, UMass is a bottom five team in college football, so scoring opportunities may be limited. Landed on the side of the coin that volume is king in college fantasy football, and Gibson is seeing it.
Lewis Bond, Boston College – Not just double-digit targets, but double-digit receptions for Bond in each of the first two games. BC’s struggles to run the football are resulting in higher passing volume that we’re not used to seeing from the Eagles. That benefits the BC pass-catchers if that continues.
Tight Ends:
Dorian Fleming, Maryland – Two weeks, two touchdowns for the Georgia State transfer who does not appear out of place at all at the P4 level. He’s arguably Maryland’s top target in the passing game.
Dan Villari, Syracuse – Apparently Dan Villari is exactly Oronde Gadsden. 15 targets over his first two games, while hitting 100+ yards in the win over Connecticut. Must-add with his usage so far.
Dorian Thomas, New Mexico – If Thomas wasn’t picked up off waivers in your league (unlikely), this is your final chance. Led New Mexico again on Saturday with five receptions on seven targets.
Jeremiah Franklin, Boston College – We know Bill O’Brien loves tight ends, dating back to his days with the New England Patriots and with Penn State. Franklin has been targeted 18 times in two games.
Worth A Look
If you have the roster room, these prospects are worth a look.
Quarterbacks:
Dylan Lonergan, Boston College – Couple of things working in Lonergan’s favor moving forward, who looks to be the next Alabama transfer (Eli Holstein) to be a fantasy option at quarterback. (1) BC cannot run the football, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry against the Spartans. (2) BC has legit weapons at WR and TE to boost his stock.
Running Backs:
Seth McGowan, Kentucky – Three touchdowns in two weeks for McGowan. He’s not higher on the list as it looks to be a 55-45 split in rushing distribution between McGowan and Dante Dowdell. Strong matchup this coming week with Eastern Michigan.
Sutton Smith, Memphis – Greg Desrosiers was in a boot in the sidelines during the win over Georgia State, leading to Smith getting the start, rushing for 74 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Smith will be a weekly starter so long as Desrosiers is out.
Noah Whittington, Oregon – We expect the RB rotation to tighten at some point when Oregon plays in a competitive matchup, but what is very evident is that Whittington is the RB1 over the others in that conundrum of a backfield.
Raleek Brown / Kanye Udoh, Arizona State – Kyson Brown got injured early in the contest vs. Miss State. While watching the game, the telecast mentioned that a teammate asked if Brown was good, and he responded, “no.” We’ll keep tabs this week on this situation. Udoh and Brown rushed for 100+ against a fast Mississippi State defense.
Jevon Jackson, UAB – Jackson is the best option in the UAB backfield with three rushing touchdowns in two games. I think we’ll see at least one of Solomon Beebe, or more likely Isaiah Jacobs, fazed out during the year. Jackson is a definite start this week against Akron.
J’Mari Taylor, Virginia – Taylor was the best player on the field Saturday vs. NC State, rushing for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. We simply cannot get out of our heads the woeful UVA rushing attacks of the last few seasons under this current regime, hence why not higher on the list. Five rushing touchdowns in two games, but don’t discount that Taylor averaged just 3.2 YPC against Coastal Carolina in the opener.
Dean Connors, Houston – Connors gets a significant boost in value with his primary competition, Ra’Shaun Sanford, now out for the season due to injury. Connors rushed for 132 yards and a pair of scores against his former team.
Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn – TBD on the status of Damari Alston who missed the contest vs. Ball State. Cobb got the start and looked excellent for the second straight week, rushing for 121 yards and two scores in the win. The Tigers get South Alabama this week before a massive matchup with Oklahoma the week prior, so maybe another chance for Auburn to rest Alston.
Makhi Frazier, Michigan State – Not as much running room this week against Boston College, but it’s clear Frazier is atop the depth chart, holding a 17-4 advantage in rushing attempts over his backup. Frazier should be able to find the end-zone next week against Youngstown State.
Wide Receivers:
Romello Brinson, SMU – We’re cautious to put Brinson among our top adds for two reasons – (1) the lack of success of SMU receivers the past few years and (2) Jordan Hudson was out. How does that dynamic change once he’s back in the lineup. Back-to-back 100-yard performances and three touchdowns is as good a start as it gets, though, for Brinson.
Brenen Thompson / Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State – 50% of the targets and three of the four receiving touchdowns for MSU pass-catchers have gone to either Evans or Thompson. There’s a lot of separation between that duo and the next closest MSU receiver.
Duce Robinson, Florida State – 173 yards and two touchdowns for Robinson against an overmatched East Texas A&M squad. The next two games are appealing for Florida State options with Kent State and Virginia coming after a bye week. Robinson has now led FSU in targets in each of the first two games.
Corri Milliner / Iverson Hooks, UAB – There’s some separation between Milliner, Hooks and the rest of the UAB pass-catchers. 53% of the targets for UAB have been directed their way through two games, with all four receiving touchdowns for the Blazers caught by either Milliner or Hooks.
Mario Craver, Texas A&M – 236 receiving yards and three touchdowns for Craver in two games, as both he and KC Concepcion are dominating the target share for the Aggies. That was against UTSA and Utah State. Do that against Notre Dame in the upcoming matchup and our eyes are wide open then.
Trey Wallace, Ole Miss – I’m baffled by the start of the season pertaining to this Ole Miss WR room. Cayden Lee and De’Zhaun Stribling have not been factors at all. Meanwhile, the Penn State transfer has surpassed 100 yards in each of the first two games.
Dalton Stroman / Jaden Barnes, Appalachian State – Stroman or Barnes would be higher on the list if there was one guy getting the large portion of the target share. For now, it’s actually both, as the duo combined for over 200 receiving yards on a combined 16 targets.
O’Mega Blake, Arkansas – Blake has been doing his best Andrew Armstrong impression in the early going with 185 receiving yards and two touchdowns in two games. Blake is the Razorbacks WR1, but the real season starts for Arkansas with SEC play on the horizon. That will determine their full-season fantasy outlook.
Camden Brown, Georgia Southern – Another week, more touchdowns for Brown who found the end-zone twice against USC.
Tight Ends:
Brett Norfleet, Missouri – The 6-foot-6 tight end is a massive red-zone target, but saw heavy usage in the matchup with Kansas, targeted eight times with seven receptions. Three touchdowns through two weeks.
Tre Williams, North Texas – Williams ran the third most routes among North Texas pass-catchers and found the end-zone vs. Western Michigan. If in need of TE help, you can get Williams on the cheap.
Longshots
Need to see more from these guys before pulling the trigger unless you are in the deepest of leagues.
Quarterbacks:
Nick Minicucci, Delaware – Four passing touchdowns in two starts for Minicucci who has thrown the ball 70 times now over two weeks. We’ve seen a QB rotation in the past at Delaware, but with Zach Marker out for the season, this is Minicucci’s job for the remainder of the year.
Running Backs:
Kejon Owens, FIU – Penn State was the only P4 team remaining on FIU’s schedule, and Owens looked good against the Nittany Lions with 78 yards on 15 attempts. He’s averaging nearly six yards per carry through two games.
Evan Dickens, Liberty – We knew Julian Gray would not be a major factor in the run game. But we did think that Caden Williams would be. And to this point that hasn’t transpired. Dickens, the Georgia Tech transfer, plays the coveted B-Back position and did hit the century mark in rushing yards vs. Jacksonville State.
AJ Turner, Minnesota – We’ll check the status this week of Darius Taylor who left the game early against Northwestern State due to injury. From the naked eye, his outlook appears to be better than Jahiem White moving forward as sitting Taylor looks to have been more precautionary than anything in the 66-0 romp.
Rayshon Luke, Fresno State – The usage for Bryson Donelson has been frustrating for owners, but Luke is proving why he should be getting reps, now with four rushing touchdowns in the last two games, averaging over nine yards a carry in that span.
Kendrick Raphael, California – The NC State transfer rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts. Expected production for a Cal funning back against a team like Texas Southern, but notable that Raphael held a 17-5 advantage over RB2 Brandon High. Has Raphael separated himself?
Zuberi Mobley, Tulane – Unexpected and unannounced absence of Maurice Turner led to Mobley getting the start, rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns on 11 attempts. Just a situation to monitor as we’ll have interest in the Tulane RB1, whoever that end up being.
Devin Mockobee, Purdue – The senior running back has been awesome through two games for the Boilermakers, but B1G play begins next week against USC. Although Mockobee rushed for 132 yards and two scores, he still averaged just 3.9 YPC against Southern Illinois.
Dom Richardson, Tulsa – Doesn’t appear as though Tulsa will have a ton of scoring opportunities this year, but Richardson is getting the volume, with 20 rushing attempts in the first two weeks.
Wide Receivers:
Griffin Wilde, Northwestern – Northwestern did what it was supposed to against Western Illinois but still can’t get that Week 1 dud vs. Tulane out of our memory. Wilde has been the one constant on the NW offense, with 11 receptions over the first two games and nine targets in each contest.
Brady Boyd, Utah State – The former Texas Tech transfer has been the preferred target for Bryson Barnes through two weeks, finishing with 6-87-0 on 12 targets in the loss to Texas A&M. Vanderbilt is the lone P4 team remaining on Utah State’s schedule.
Parker Livingstone, Texas – The roommate connection was apparent, as Livingstone caught two touchdowns from Arch Manning, to go along with 128 yards on five targets. Context is important here, if you are considering adding Livingstone. Emmett Mosley did not play, and DeAndre Moore Jr. was knocked out of the game due to injury. Texas does have a few favorable matchups upcoming, though with UTEP and Sam Houston on the horizon.
Kyri Shoels, San Jose State – One to file away just in case we see Shoels duplicate this in future weeks. 90 yards on nine receptions and 11 targets vs. Texas as the secondary option behind Danny Scudero. Doesn’t look like either Malachi Riley or Matthew Coleman played on Saturday.
WR Raphael Williams, Pittsburgh – 121 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. Meanwhile, his starting counterparts in Cataurus Hicks and Kenny Johnson combined for just 37 receiving yards. Might Williams be the WR1 for Pitt? He’s now played in this offensive system for four straight years, so he’s got the most knowledge of the playbook.
Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati – Allen was targeted just three times against Bowling Green but found the end-zone twice. Stats don’t jump off the page, but he’s the WR1 for the Bearcats. Working in Allen’s favor is the fact that Cincinnati cannot run the football…at all…beyond Brendan Sorsby.
Jake Thaw, Delaware – Clear top target for Delaware in the passing game with 80+ receiving yards in each of the first two games. Passing volume is high right now for the Fighting Blue Hens which boosts Thaw’s stock.
Kam Perry, Miami (Ohio) – Two RedHawk receivers went for 100 yards against Rutgers, but Perry now leads the team in routes run through two games, so he gets the slight nod over Keith Reynolds. This is one to watch in the coming weeks to see if Miami (Ohio) has another stud fantasy receiver this season.
Zion Booker, Tulsa – 19 targets in two weeks for Booker, who also has double the number of catches as the next closest Tulsa receiver.
Dynasty
RB Cameron Pettaway, Bowling Green – Was a speculative addition for me in my larger dynasty leagues, and perhaps this could pay off down the line. The freshman garnered 12 carries in the loss to Cincinnati, rushing for 68 yards. Pettaway is averaging over five yards a carry through two weeks.
